If you’ve ever felt the need to do a juice cleanse or something similar, you probably want one of two things to happen:

• lose weight (or bodyfat)
• improve your gut health

If you’re thinking about doing a juice cleanse to lose weight, keep reading. I think you’ll find this useful.

If you’re about to do a cleanse because you’re concerned about your gut health, go see a doctor or someone who’s actually qualified to give you deeper insight into this topic.

WHY JUICE CLEANSES DON’T WORK FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Most people do cleanses and fat loss challenges because they feel like they’ve done everything they can to “lose those last 10lbs”. So they flock to  “get fit quick” solutions in hopes that they can finally get the results they want.

While challenges and cleanses can definitely help spark motivation given the quick results they provide (more on why that’s a problem in a sec), they’re usually not the ideal option.

The problem with cleanses and other “crash diet” challenges is they’re unsustainable and have a “finish line” mindset.

1. FINISH LINE MINDSET

Most people think they’re in a race. A race to see how fast they can shed off those “last 10lbs” or get their dream “summer bod”. The thing about races is they have a finish line. And when it comes to prioritizing your health and fitness, there should be no finish line in sight. It’s a constant pursuit with no end.

People also love extremes, and think they need to be either all in or all out when it comes to their fitness routine.

That’s why juice cleanses and other crash diet protocols captivate the attention of the masses: they claim to provide fast results while providing a concrete start and finish date (“Lose 10lbs in a week!”).

The general thought is, “I just need to double down for the next week and get to my goal weight. Then I’ll be set”. But then what? What are you going to do after you’ve crapped your brains out for 5 days?

Blending up a bunch of fruits and veggies for a week isn’t going to do anything miraculous for you. It’s not going to “transform” your body or completely reshape your lifestyle. It’ll probably just give you the runs and help you lose some water weight.

You don’t need to drink juice for a week to see the results you want.

You need to develop habits you can sustain (we’ll go over a few you can start with) so you can not only get results, but keep them.

2. THEY’RE UNSUSTAINABLE

Results quickly obtained are quickly lost. So if you can’t sustain the methods in which you’re practicing, you can’t sustain the results you get from them.

This is something you need to consider when approaching your fitness routine. You might be motivated to go all in, but take a step back for a second and look at the bigger picture.

It’s easy to get motivated for a week. You go to the gym every day (sometimes twice!), crush your protein shakes, and even skip dessert. You’re doing everything you can to be “perfect”. But good luck following that routine for a month, two months, or a year.

Many people are motivated, but motivation comes and goes. When it comes to achieving results and maintaining them, the idea isn’t to go all out for a couple weeks then fuck off for a few months before repeating the cycle.

The idea is to practice habits you can sustain long-term throughout the year, because health isn’t seasonal. Your muscles don’t understand seasons. They understand consistency.

Sustainable habits you can try (some “non-negotiables” I have with my clients):

• Sleep 7-9 hours every night
• Drink water first thing in the morning and with every meal
• Eat protein with every meal
• Move every day (whether it’s a quick walk or a full workout)

It doesn’t seem like much, but try it out for a week. Then again for another week. Then keep going. You’ll be surprised at how fucking awesome you feel.

A quick story…

My dad used to do these “fat bastard competitions” at work where contestants would try to lose as much weight as they could in a month. Whoever lost the most weight in relation to their starting bodyweight won.

My dad, being the competitive guy that he is, would use this opportunity to go all in (albeit, too much) and lose ABSURD amounts of weight (like 40lbs in a fucking month!). As you probably guessed, he always gained the weight back. Year after year.

It wasn’t until something clicked that he thought, “Hmm…maybe this isn’t the right approach”. It took a while, but instead of crash dieting and doing excessive walking to lose as much weight as fast as humanly possible, he started taking a more sustainable approach.

He doesn’t drink juices. He hasn’t deprived himself of the foods he loves. And he doesn’t go for three hour walks in the middle of winter.

He just pays attention to how much he’s eating and focuses on moving daily. Something that he has total control over and can sustain long term.

Now he’s not only lost a ton of weight, but he’s been keeping it off for well over a year! Check him out.

Summary

You’re not in a race with anyone or even yourself to lose as much weight as humanly possible in a week or a month. Focus on what you can control and that’s what you’re doing in the present moment.

Sustainable habits practiced consistently will breed sustainable results.