Has Anyone Used the Lemonade Diet?

B.,

It's usually referred to as the Master Cleanse, and you can find a lot more information about it online (I imagine) under that name. I have done it before, for about 5 days, in combination with a simple elimination diet. I found good results for it, and this would be a good time (seasonally speaking) to do a cleanse...in preparation for the winter. Let me know if you'd like more information.

-K.
www.flowtohealth.net

My friend did it. Here is what she had to say about it on her blog.

So far the past 10 days I have done the master cleanse (aka lemonade diet). You can't eat ANY food. You have to drink your body weight in ounces of water and drink 1/2 a gallon of the funky lemonade. It consists of water, fresh squeezed lemon juice, all natural syrup and cayenne pepper.

It's been amazing. Not eating is a hell of a lot easier than I thought it would be. I haven't had ANY hunger pains. NONE. All that liquid keeps you more than full. The mental cravings are the hardest part. In the booklet it tells you how important getting mentally prepared is and it's the biggest part. It suggested you make signs and a list of why you are doing it and what it would mean if you failed. I did it all. I had a sign on the pantry, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, and on the fridge, STOP. YOU CAN DO THIS. I even tied the pantry shut after I got rid of all the bad food. My mental mantra has been NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS SKINNY FEELS. I made my list and put it on the bathroom mirror and read it every morning and evening.

And I've done it. Today is day 10. I didn't cheat or make excuses or quit. I did it.

I've lost 10 pounds, my lymphatic system is clean, my body has cleared out all sorts of stuff and I feel like a new person.

A few of the benefits from the cleanse is that it can stop overeating and sugar craving, cut the emotional connection with food and increase energy. I'm not eating yet so I'm not 100% sure this has all happened, but what has happened so far is I feel in control.

I've sat at dinner tables with people eating and not ate. I had to go through a drive thru for a friend and didn't falter. I've been tempted and said no and I know I can keep doing it. I feel light and free and I'm excited to eat fresh food. I've been craving a salad. I have NEVER craved a salad. I want to cook and try new produce that I usually don't bother with because I don't have a recipe for. I am going to rock it! I can't wait to eat. I talked to a friend of mine who is the healthiest person I've ever met and got some ideas and recipes. I am PUMPED!

On top of all that I've started my morning regimen, that I've been talking about for years, of rolling out of bed and onto the floor for 10 push ups, 10 sit ups and 10 squats.

I can't believe I did it...but I did.

B.,
This is a really hard diet to do but I have read about tons of people doing it with great results. The pounds only stay off if you change your eating habits afterwards and for most people the pounds come back pretty quickly. I did try it but quit a couple of days into because of the migraines I started getting. They were so painful, I couldn't function. I think it might have been a caffeine addiction for me and next time I try it, I will wean myself off of coffee before I do it. Here is some info and directions on the cleansing program if you decide to go with it:
http://themastercleanse.org/

I would use it more for a cleansing then a diet. It can really help you rid your body of toxins and such. The diet was originated by Stanley Burroughs as a cleansing for the entire body. You can buy the natural gentle laxative tea for this diet from Whole Foods. The salt water is really hard to drink and there is quite a bit you have to drink at once. The tea is easier to do.

If you are interested in the original book by Stanley Burroughs, you can read the entire book in PDF by using this link:
http://healthandlight.com/TheMasterCleanse.pdf

Good luck!

Hey B.
I tried it and liked it. It worked for me and I would eat raw veggies when I felt like I needed to eat something. I only did this one day per week and then followed a reasonable diet the other days. Hope this helps
C. H

I see a lot of responses and hope to not repeat so I will only add that it is definitely lemon juice instead of lemon aid and it's grade B syrup. You can find it at Whole Foods or Sun Harvest or whatever it's called here. You don't eat any other food while you're on it and it's mostly designed as a cleanse. A side effect in many is that with no real fiber or solids, your system doesn't really move your bowels so you may want to take a stool softener (not a laxative) or some recommend a cup of salt water but you'll want to look into the websites listed in other responses to get the mix right for either concoction. Also, try the cleanse hot or cold. I like hot right before bed but cold during the day.

My husband and I did it for five days and it was like a reset button. We did feel 'cleaner' but my favorite effect was in my ability to control portions. You stomach is back down to it's intended size so you can't gorge and you can't stuff yourself silly. I found that real portions instead of American portions were much more pleasant and I was satisfied. You need to ease back into food after the cleanse as a greasy burger first off would be a shock to your system and most likely make you sick. It is suggested that you try broth first and easily digestable foods. Again, the master cleanse website is very informative.

I'm glad that you asked because it has been five years since my husband and I gave it a whirl last and I think I really need that reset! It is tough when you are making food for the family and when you are the only one doing it because you do just get hungry but if you can stay strong, you'll do great. You can drink as much as you want of it and you can also drink water to your heart's content. I found myself chewing ice but I think that was because I missed chewing food. Man, I love food! Good luck!

I've always liked the Scarsdale diet. You don't have to measure anything and it's just eating healthy and the results are great! I couldn't believe I could eat so much food and lose so much weight! Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do! Keep us all posted!

Hi B.,
I've tried it and so have other people I know. I would suggest you read up on it first so you have the mix right. I used lemon juice not lemonade. ?? real maple syrup and cayenne pepper. It's not bad and it does clean you out, which gets rid of some of the belly-fat. It also gives you a bit of pep and cleans you out. Give it a few days and you should be feeling more energetic.
Good luck to you. I hope it works.
D.

I haven't tried it yet, but I will soon. It is really a "cleanse" more than a diet. It helps clean out your colon and it also helps you break your food/drink addictions. The instructions I have don't include a laxative, but does have a salt water drink to drink at night to clean out the bowels.

A good friend of mine tried this. It definitely works, however, she was too tired to work out like we used to, and she was always cranky and in a horrible mood! She was addicted for a while, but she did lose the weight, esp, around her mid-section. I wanted to try it, but I don't think I can stick to it, so all I do is work out. Good luck!

Tried most diets!!!! The one that worked and still works is Weight Watchers!! I ate everything!! I loved it!!

Hasn't anyone learned by now that fad diets don't work and you just gain the weight back. Just learn how to eat healthy and you will lose the weight naturally.

So I wanted to try that when I heard that everyone was losing so much weight doing it. It is a body cleanse and also a weight loss diet. It does work. I did it for 2 weeks and probably lost about 12-15 pounds without working out. The only problem is there are more that you are supposed to do with it. (like take laxatives since you are not eating food at all) It tastes extremely gross and you have to drink a lot of it in the day. If you are willing to stick with it, it does work. After I finished I started eating healthy and felt a lot better then I had in a long time. It does make you tired at times and miserable because you want food, but I liked the results that I got from it.

Tried it. It was really hard. Someone told me they had good results but it tastes horrible and I didn't feel well. Good Luck!