It's no surprise that weight loss is one of the most common New Year's resolutions. The minute that ball drops, gym memberships start selling through the roof and the diets officially begin. See ya later, chickem parm hero.
One of the most popular (and trendy!) ways to get healthy these days is juice cleanses. It seems like everyone is trying a cleanse (even reality stars like Real Housewives Kathy Wakile!). So I decided to try one myself to get some insider knowledge on what it really takes to survive one of these things.
And here's what you need to know before starting one yourself:
1. Choose a plan that works best for you. There are a ton of juice cleanse options, so take your time to figure out which one works best with your lifestyle. Are you out of the house for a majority of your day? Will you have time to make your own juices? These are the questions you should be asking yourself prior to making a decision. I went with FitBitch Blends — which, besides the awesome name, was an amazing choice. I got everything I needed sent right to my door and didn't have to worry about preparing anything myself.
2. This is NOT a quick fix. Everyone reacts differently. You may lose weight and you may not. But regardless, you're still giving your digestive system a chance to "reset" while flushing out all of the toxins in a healthy, natural way. Which, yes, could eventually lead to weight loss.
3. Your cleanse starts before you actually start your cleanse. I know that's confusing. This is what I was most surprised about. It's normal to think, If I'm going to cleanse myself tomorrow, might as well down these four slices of pizza tonight. Don't do it. FitBitch actually lays out what kind of foods you should and shouldn't be eating up to three days prior to your cleanse. The more you prepare your body for what's to come, the better the transition will be.
4. Choose flavors that you like. Look, you're not going to last more than an hour with a juice cleanse if you're repulsed by the taste of whatever you're juicing. Don't just hop on any bandwagon — feel free to experiment with what you like best. There are so many different benefits from different fruits and vegetables — so feel free to stick with what actually tastes best to you.
5. The first day is the hardest. By far. But it gets better after that, I promise you. Just keep yourself busy and keep in mind that you're giving your body the nutrition it needs*. You can get through it*!
Are you willing to try a juice cleanse?
Image via FitBitch
