My Results From the Sacred Heart Cleanse

Here are the results from my experiment with The Sacred Heart Cleanse, as talked about in the previous post: Cleansing My World.

I just have to come out and say it, THIS DIET IS HARD! It doesn't sound hard. Who doesn't love vegetable soup?  But it definitely takes some major willpower to give up carbs and only eat what you are allowed to eat for that day. For example, on the day when I was allowed to eat fruit, I really wanted veggies! Then on the day when I could only eat veggies, I would have killed for some fruit! This is proof that our eating habits are largely controlled by our minds. Since our brains are all programed differently, we all react to eating and dieting differently. I learned that I don't do well with being told I can't have something. I also learned that a large part of my eating habits are based on emotion and boredom. It was a lot harder to stay focused on my goals when the days were slow, or when I was feeling frustrated with Austin's teething.

The constant crying....

The incessant clinginess....

THE MESSES!!!

This cleanse was good for me because it got me away from the need to snack on carbs for enjoyment. I know I was addicted because of the headaches and total lack of energy that occurred when I denied myself of these tasty treats. I now see fruit as a treat and don't feel the urge to eat chocolate throughout the day.

Now it is time to make a confession.... I didn't finish the cleanse. I stopped after day four. It was Friday and I only had three days left, but those days fell over Memorial Weekend and we had a lot of fun stuff planned, almost all of which involved food. The last time I attempted this diet I only made it to day three so at least I made some progress! Honestly though, I surprised myself by making it that far because of the total lack of energy, breastfeeding, and a crying teething baby. Yet again, proof that I use food as a comfort blanket.

I couldn't handle it any longer and I didn't care if it was cheating. I needed a Diet Pepsi and I needed it NOW! At least it is calorie free, right?

My Results:

1. I went from 123lbs to 119lbs in four days.
2. In the beginning I felt really gassy and bloated, but after my body adjusted to eating all that fiber, my stomach was flatter than it has been in a long time!
3. the love-handles basically melted away! I know it sounds crazy for results like that to happen so quickly, but it's true!
4. I felt so healthy! Now that I am not doing the diet, my body is craving that soup! I might make some more just for the health factor!
5. I feel like my mind now has control of my body again.

The first day is so hard because you aren't used to only eating fruits and veggies all day. I went to bed hungry and didn't sleep well at all. Plus I had a headache all day.




Much harder than day one, but I learned that avocado is AMAZING and can make any boring salad taste divine. I had no energy all day and finally caved in and ate half a handful of dried cranberries because I needed some form of sugar! Proof to myself of how pathetically addicted to sugar I was.

The mix of veggies and fruit made it easier not to cheat and I felt like I had more energy on this day. Then, I suddenly got a huge craving for protein at the end of the day (maybe due to the breastfeeding and exercising?) and I had a serious lapse of judgment, resulting in some trail mix and chicken nuggets disappearing..... I also had to stop going to the gym after this day. I just didn't have the energy.

This was by far the easiest day! The protein from the milk and sugar from the bananas made my cravings almost non-existent. It would have been smooth sailing from here if I would have stuck with the diet.

Now it is time to put my learning to good use! I now know more about my mind and body than I did before and I know how to substitute healthy food for junk whenever I am feeling a craving coming on! We totally pigged out all weekend with the holiday and all, and surprisingly I only put on one pound! So now that our guest went home, Josh is back to work, and my life is normalizing again, it is time to shed that pound and work off the rest with a whole new way of eating! I started off the day with a healthy green smoothie and had some veggie soup and tuna fish for lunch. Dinner will be harder because I have to remember my husband and his needs so I plan on eating smaller portions of the main meal and larger portions of the salad.

You know it was a good smoothie when even the baby liked it!

Lunch with a side of caffeine.

PS. If I were to give advice to anyone wanting to try this diet as well, I would say skip the exercising because you just won't have enough energy and remember to drink LOTS of water. I drank 6 Liters of water on that first day because it helped so much with the cravings. Plus it flushes out your body of all the toxins you have been collecting over the years.