My 5-Day Fruit & Vegetable Cleanse Was Not What I Expected

Like everyone else, I ate way too much during the holidays.

I had this thought in the back of my mind that once the New Year hit and I started my Kanye workout plan, I would be all good. I also knew I wouldn't be on the baked macaroni and sweet potato pie diet for days at a time. Still, we're getting further into the new year and my body is still crying for help.

My body told me in more ways than one I needed a major detox. I tried a few that I found on Pinterest, but nothing seemed to work. I was getting really discouraged as I realized my food was just not digesting properly. So, I went cold turkey (or I guess without turkey) and everything else except fruits and vegetables, for five days.

In a nutshell: my body was a victim of culture shock. It's not that I just ate so badly all the time. I never realized how much I needed to cleanse my body from certain foods that I did eat regularly. My experience during those five days was much different than I expected.

To be honest, I'm still not sure if this was the best way to go.

Day 1 & Day 2

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The first day of my detox, which was a Friday, was proof that I needed one. I'm not quite sure how to put it into words, but let's just say I experienced immediate results. I was like, "If I keep at it, I'm about to lose five pounds in a week!" That didn't happen. Still, I can admit I was definitely feeling myself after Day 1. I started to think about embracing becoming a Vegan because I thought it was just that easy, especially since Day 2 was a breeze, too.

Day 3

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While I was thankful I started at the top of the weekend and got the difficult days over with in the beginning, I started to feel the impact of this brief eating change that soon felt like forever on Day 3. I thought I had gotten into a nice rhythm the first couple of days and assumed I would coast for the rest of the week. Nope.

I had mixed vegetables for lunch that Sunday. Even though I was full at the time, anyone would know that's certainly not enough for a full day. I took a nap and woke up that evening STARVING. Like, dizzy, blurred vision and all. That's when it hit me that this isn't for the faint at heart.

Yes, I prepared the best I could. I stocked up on groceries because knowing myself, I was fully aware I couldn't do this on the fly, but there was nothing that could have prepared me for how I felt that night. Thankfully, I stuck to my fruits and vegetables menu but realized I needed some good protein that would stick to my stomach. I Googled, "What do Vegans eat for protein?" because this rookie had no clue what she was doing. After I found out that almonds were not a vegetable, mushrooms and asparagus became my best friends.

Day 4 & Day 5

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Even though I felt better when I woke up on Day 4, I didn't work out like I normally do in the morning because I still felt a little weak. Clearly, my body was missing its protein so I tried to add even more into my regimen.

Interestingly enough, things took yet another unexpected turn for Day 5. I was back to my energetic self and even felt good enough to work out, but I realized my digestion issues had somehow resurfaced overnight because my mid-section seemed a little bigger. I stood on the scale and realized I had gained two pounds and was pretty much back where I started before I began this temporary diet cleanse.

I almost felt like it was all a waste.

Even though my body reacted so quickly to the cleanse during the first couple of days, I felt like the rest were unnecessary. I literally thought to myself, "I could've at least had a piece of fish and gotten these same results." I did a little more research and found that the best length of time to do the fruits and vegetables-only diet is for three days.

I would have to say the biggest lesson I learned is that there is a such thing as too much of a good thing; even when it comes to healthy foods. Yes, fruits and vegetables are the teacher's pets when it comes to the nutritional food groups, but they weren't enough to sustain me or even to keep my body cleaned out for longer than a couple of days.

Since then, instead of the temporary quick fix of a cleanse or a diet, I've decided to just embrace a healthier lifestyle altogether. I realized that I went from one extreme to another and I just needed a solid balance (and solid food). After this experience, I decided to cut out bread, sugar, pastas, and processed snacks.

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It's certainly not as drastic as only fruits and vegetables, but I have a feeling my body will be thanking me much more for this lifestyle change in the end.

Have you ever tried a cleanse? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments down below.