Why “water weight” loss is good for us:
My friend and colleague over at Hadley Holistics posted a comment on my post from yesterday, brilliantly pointing out why water weight loss is actually considered a good thing (contrary to what most of us dismiss as not “real” weight loss). I have lost 6 lbs in the past 4 days and had brushed off the weight loss as insignificant: I figured since most of it came from losing any water retention, what real benefits could it have? (Not that the cleanse itself wouldn’t have lasting detoxifying benefits, but I figured the weight loss was a temporary side effect).
Turns out that I was mistaken. Read this Q&A below with Dr. Mark Hyman, my favorite nutrition guru out there:
Q: When we embark on a diet, we often initially lose “water weight” which is commonly dismissed as “not real weight loss.” You regard the loss of water weight as a good thing. Can you please explain why?
A: Dr. Hyman: Why do we retain water; that’s the real question! Water weight exists because of inflammation and toxicity.
- By getting rid of inflammatory and toxic foods (sugars, animal fat, processed items containing food additives), and eating an anti-inflammatory and detoxifying diet, our body begins to heal.
- The first step in healing is dumping water weight, a necessary and critical step toward healing and permanent weight loss. We are not supposed to be swollen and puffy!
- When you observe yourself losing water weight, you are making progress at eliminating inflammation and toxicity.
So there you have it!
Updates: Aside from missing solid foods, I’m doing just fine. Energy levels are good, although as I’ve pointed out in earlier posts, I’m a bit spacey. Matt has a white coating on his tongue, which is normal when cleansing (your body sheds toxic buildup wherever it can). I am definitely craving food I can sink my teeth into! Can’t wait for my avocado break this afternoon…
Do you think it’s beneficial to do a 2- or 3-day cleanse? i’m not sure I have the resolve to make it 5 days, but I could maybe manage a weekend or 3 days.
Lo – yes! A cleanse of any length is beneficial, and I would actually recommend starting out small if you’ve never done a cleanse before. See how your body reacts, how you feel, and get yourself used to what it’s like to be “cleansing.” Keep in mind that there are other ways to cleanse besides juice cleansing, too. The benefit of Blueprint is that it’s easy – they deliver right to your door, pre-packaged, ready to go. But there are certainly other options out there, so find what will work best for you. We chose a weekday cleanse since on the weekend, I find “temptations” are harder to resist: social dinners out with friends, a glass of wine, an espresso at your favorite local cafe, etc. But of course do what feels right for you.
[...] Yes, juice cleansing can aid in weight loss. Some may say “but it’s only water weight!” That’s not a bad thing. Losing water weight is actually the first step in long-term weight loss. The reason we even have water weight is because of toxins in our body that are causing inflammation and water retention. Excess weight stems from waste material and toxins in the body, so the first step is to eliminate some of those toxins! Find out more about why it’s healthy and beneficial to lose water weight here. [...]