Shakeology Cleanse
Shakeology Cleanse
Putting on some unwanted holiday pounds??? Surely none of you teamRIPPED folks would do that, right!!?? But maybe there are some newbies who are visiting us for the first time as they prepare for their New Year’s Resolution, and they may be wanting to jumpstart their weight loss with a little technique called the Shakeology 3-day cleanse!
Have you heard about the “Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse“? It’s something I haven’t tried myself since it is designed to kick-start your weight loss or break you out of a plateau (and I’m not currently having that problem). But after I finish my Round 4 Mass gaining round, the cleanse will be the perfect start to my Round 5 Get shredded round! And if this would have been available during my first round of P90X when I was trying to drop body fat, I would have definitely used it!
Quite simply, the purpose of the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse is to give your body the very most nutrients at the very least amount of calories so that you keep your body fueled to the max, yet spark a large loss of weight and body fat in a short amount of time.
by Steve Edwards, Director of Results
First of all, it’s not a true cleanse. It’s a calorie-restricted and nutrient-dense diet plan. Traditional cleanses contain very few calories and nutrients. Compared to the much more popular Master Cleanse, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Traditional cleansing diets are done to rid your system of toxins and bring it into homeostasis. They also contain a spiritual aspect. This process can take a long time, which is why you may have seen coworkers walking around the office in a zombie-like state for weeks on end—swilling a strange concoction of lemons and maple syrup.
The Shakeology cleanse is nothing like that! Depending on how you decide to do it, you’ll be eating frequently and consuming between 800 and 1,200 calories per day, and it could be even more should you feel the need. The point of this cleanse is not calorie restriction, per se—it’s nutrient efficiency. The aim is to get the most nutrients possible into the fewest number of calories. The goal is to put all of these calories to use as a part of your exercise program, to rid your body of undigested foods and toxins, and to bring your hydration levels into homeostasis. The result you’re after is not weight loss—though it will likely occur—but for your body to be running more efficiently. This should make you feel lighter and more energetic, even though you’re doing an exercise program.
How It Works
Your eating structure doesn’t change. You still eat every few hours while you’re awake. Each meal should have a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber. And while you’re not eating as much food as you’d normally eat, your calorie-to-nutrient ratio is extremely high. This means that you shouldn’t restrict the actual nutrients you’re getting by too much, so activity can continue as normal.
We recommend you try to keep your shakes to just Shakeology. Adding fruits of any kind, or seeds (for fat and fiber), or the Shakeology Fiber supplement, can and should be done as you see fit.
Ditto for your one solid meal—a salad. As we all know from any salad bar, the definition of salad can be varied. The goal of the salad in the plan is to keep your calories coming from natural sources (no artificial ingredients should be added, including artificial salad dressing). Aside from that, you can add ingredients as necessary. Keep your meat intake to four ounces or less, but add veggies, seeds, nuts, fruits, and legumes in quantities to satiate you.
The goal of the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse is to optimize your performance. You want to eat enough to fuel your day AND your workout. The foods you’re eating are so high in fiber and nutrients that it’s virtually impossible to overeat. You’ll be consuming so much fiber, along with enzymes and digestive aids, that your body’s ability to flush excess foods quickly will be at its peak.
What to Drink
Water, of course, is recommended in quantity. This is vital to any cleanse, because one of your goals is to bring your hydration into homeostasis. When your electrolytes are out of balance—the main problem we have is salt—you often retain water outside of your cells. This situation, which we refer to as retaining water, is cured by drinking more water. As the excess salts are diffused, your body begins to hydrate your cells (using sodium as it should be used) and flush the water held outside the cells. So, oddly enough, you drink water to eliminate water retention.
Sodas, alcohols, juices, etc., should be eliminated entirely during a cleanse. Coffee and tea, which are diuretics, should be minimized at the very least and eliminated if possible. Again, performance is the key, so if you need a cup of Joe as a pick-me-up, go ahead. Just use only as needed, and don’t use additives. Eliminating sugar and chemicals is vital. However, do not use energy drinks or soda for this purpose, including the ones with artificial sweeteners. Coffee drinkers may find that switching to black tea during a cleanse will give you the energy you’re looking for with less upset. Coffee’s acidic nature can heighten the effects in a negative way during your cleanse.
Why You Won’t Lose Weight
Most people will lose some weight during a cleanse, but that is not the goal. Those with a lot of undigested gunk in their systems will lose weight as it’s flushed out. Those of you who are properly hydrated and already eat well are less likely to lose. For those of you who need to lose weight, take heart: you are setting up your system to use nutrients more efficiently and improving your ability to lose weight through structured diet and exercise. So while you may not lose much on the cleanse, you’ll be more prepared to lose weight later.
Another reason why we don’t always lose weight on cleanses is due to a stress hormone called cortisol. Restricting calories is stressful to the body, and it reacts by releasing cortisol. Cortisol is performance-enhancing in the short term, but if you somehow keep your body stressed for long periods, it creates havoc in your system and can cause you to doggedly hang onto weight in a type of survival mode. We don’t want this to occur, which is one reason the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse is short. It’s important not to remain in a highly calorie-deficient state for long periods of time, especially when you are trying to exercise hard.
Here is the full plan:
The Shakeology® 3-Day Cleanse
The key is to follow the same regimen all three days.
Essentials:
- 3 Shakeology shakes per day
- 2 cups of green tea per day
- 1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day (optional)
- 1 salad for dinner—can include fish or poultry
- No dairy or extra sugars (this includes almond and soy milk)!
- Drink 2 to 4 liters of water every day
- Only use low-fat dressings, and go easy on the salt and/or pepper to taste
- 2 snacks before/after any of the major meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Fruit is optional, and it is discouraged (however, some of you will need the calories while others may not)
- Power-workout participants (those who are already super conditioned) are recommended the higher numbers of calories
- For maximum results, do NOT use additives
- Dinner salad may include WHITE GRILLED PROTEIN—poultry or fish only
Daily Regimen:
- 1 cup of green tea to start the day
Breakfast:
- 1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
- 1/2 cup of fruit (60 to 90 calories)—optional
- Ice to taste
- 8 to 10 oz. of water
Snack 1 (85 calories):
- 1 piece of fruit (apple, pear, orange, banana mango, etc.)
Lunch:
- 1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
- Ice to taste
- 8 to 10 oz. of water
- 1 cup of green tea or a detox tea
Snack 2: (you can have the second snack before or after dinner)
- 1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
- Ice to taste
- 8 to10 oz. of water
- Salad with grilled white fish or poultry (roughly 340 calories)
- Greens—3 servings of vegetables, plus 4 oz. of grilled white meat (fish or poultry)
- 2 tablespoons of dressing—no more!
Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:
1. How many calories per day?
800 to 1,100 calories per day
2. How often can I do the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse?
- Ideally, you should do it once per quarter (every 3 months)
- As the seasons change
- Before starting a new workout program
- When you feel you need help breaking through a plateau.
3. Should/Can I still do my workouts during the Cleanse?
- Depends on the individual
- You’ll have less energy than normal, so consider doing it during a recovery week
- Try not to do in the middle of P90X® or INSANITY®
4. Can I do a 1-day or a 2-day cleanse instead of a 3-day?
- Yes! Some people will see results with one or two days
- We recommend against continuing the cleanse for more than three days
5. Should/Can I take other Beachbody® supplements during the Cleanse?
- Results and Recovery Formula™: No, too much sugar/calories
- Others (Omega-3, etc.): Not necessary, but won’t hurt either
Click here for more information on Shakeology!
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Hey Coach, how was your energy level after the cleanse...say the following day? I ask because I want to do the cleanse on a Thurs, Fri, Sat, but I play baseball and I have to pitch on Sunday's. Any chance I'd be too "dead" from the 3 days of less calories to muster up some heat for Sunday?
Hey Matt. I never did a Shakeology cleanse. I just posted this procedure so people interested in doing the 3 day cleanse would know how to do it properly. I was already ripped (like you!!!) before they developed this cleanse. Why are you even doing it? Is there a morsel of fat somewhere I don't know about LOL! Everyone loved your results video btw. Congrats again!
can i do the overtime by asylum as a workout for the cleanse?
Hey Dennis, sure. Overtime is just 13 mintues (but it's iNSANELY intense LOL!)
Hey Coach! I just did this cleanse over MDW, went from 161 to 156, but sadly Im back up to 159 now (i eat 1600 calories a day) Ahh what a bummer, I was hoping the weight would stay off. Im eating super clean and am pushing play everyday (in the middle of a recovery week actually). Is this common? I see a lot of peeps who lost weight on this cleanse... and it stays off.
Hey Hank, you probably lost at least a couple pounds of body fat, which is a lot of progress, while not losing muscle. You probably gained back a couple pounds just from having food back in your gut. Don't be obsessed with the scale. Body fat is what you are really after!
Just finished my cleanse and went from 203 to 191. I did stop taking creatine so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. Feel great though! Sure is nice eating carbs. Was getting pretty tired during my workouts (in a recovery week). Thanks again for the advice.
Nice Patrick!
Coach, As far as green tea, do we need to keep it under 2 cups? I drink decaf. Thanks,
Hey Patrick, as long as you don't overdo it, it's fine to have more than 2 cups.
I was worried that I would put some weight back on as soon as I stopped the cleanse, but I actually lost another 1.2 lbs. after going back to my 1600 cal diet.
I finished my 3-day cleanse yesterday. I stuck with the plan (except for the salads). Over the 3 days I had 9 shakes, 2 apples, 1 banana, 3 4oz servings of chicken breast, and a lot of water. I consumed just under 700 calories/day. Unfortunately, I kind of threw my back out and had to limit my workouts. The results...I lost 4.4 lbs. I was hoping for more, but due to my lack of exercise, I'm pretty happy with the results.
Hey Coach, My name is Alberto and I recently made you my coach. I started with Insanity Workout at 285lbs 5'9" (FAT!!!), but did not follow the nutrition plan. With that I still lost a good amount of weight ~20-25lbs. I then started P90X , and again I did not follow the nutrition plan, but tried to eat clean. I had decent results, got to about 240-245lbs. I then read your story, made you my coach, and started with P90X /Insanity Workout hybrid. I followed the nutrition plan to the letter, and by the time I got to the 3rd phase my body completely changed. I was now 225lbs and feeling great. The problem is I moved and did not finish my 3rd phase. Since then my diet has suffered. I plan on doing the 3 day cleanse and starting over again. Can I start the hybrid from day 1 with the 3 day cleanse??
Hey Alberto! Congrats on your progress! That's awesome to do that well despite not giving 100% to the nutrition. And even more congrats on the incredible progress you continue to make now that you have the diet dialed in! You are down 60 lbs dude! Although you've gotten a bit off track, now is the time to put the pedal to the metal and go for your goals. You can do the cleanse as a way to jumpstart things again, and then roll into the hybrid. I wouldn't start the workouts AND the cleanse together because your body will fatigue too much. Do the 3-day cleanse first, then go right into day 1 of the hybrid. Bring it!
Ok...this is offically my first cleanse." I didn't eat great during the holidays...not horrible, but not as well as I usually do. I didn't want to break up my workout schedule, so I did it mid-session....which I knew at the time was likely a mistake. Anyway....At the end of day 2 I felt great, though I did feel a bit more tired going through Interval X on day 2. I was surprised that I really wasn't hungry at all the first two day, and I felt good. On day three, my workout was arms and shoulders, and it was TOUGH!! I went through it, but I could barely maintain last week's reps and weights. I was tired throughout the day and lightheaded at the end of day three. So....I should have stopped at 2 days. Or done it on a rest week. Lesson learned. I lost almost 5 pounds in the 3 days, which is a major accomplishment for me. However, I just ended cleanse, so I don't know if that weight "loss" will stick or not. We'll see.
Hey Coach, After reading your original post, the 3 day cleanse is really just to get your body jump started. I'm considering doing the cleanse for 5 days as the winter break set me back a bit. What are your thoughts doing the cleanse for more than 3 days? Thanks
Hey JethroB, you should stick to just 3 days because it's such a low calorie total that it will wipe you out and lower your energy if you do it for too long.
Thanks for this Wayne. I have been reading up on this for a few weeks on the various blogs/sites. I decided it was right for me and I thought I would share my results from this cleanse with the team. So after wrapping up round 4 of X in November I took some "time off" (I know, I know) for the holidays doing some mtc. workouts to wrap up the new year. However, my house turns into a bakery for the winter, as my wife bakes non stop and as I stepped onto the scale on Jan 1, I had gained some considerable wieght...25 lbs! Yes, while I lose it pretty fast with X....I gain it even faster without it! My plan was to start round 5 of X on Jan. 1. However, I was feeling so bloated and lathargic after my month long "bender", I felt I needed something to jumpstart things. I had read about the Shakeology Cleanse on various blogs, as I have been taking shakology as a breakfast shake for almost a year and I love it. I had read that people lost the bloat, water wieght and some lbs while keeping the body nourished while on this cleanse. I started on Jan 1 and wrapped it up on Jan 3 (yesterday). I ate between 900-1185 cals/day...and followed the program to a tee. I am a big guy (6'7") so I was operating at a pretty huge calorie deficit. I was pretty hungry throughout the cleanse. This certainly had to do with the calorie deficit but I was also used to eating nearly 4500-5000 cals/day for the last 6 weeks of 2010, so my expanded stomach was not happy about that! I was chewing sugarless gum and drinking water constantly! That said, I had plenty of energy to operate optimally through out the day due to Shakeology. I did not workout during the fast,as I would have needed additional calories to make it worthwhile. The net results: I lost 14.1 lbs! I lost the bloat that I had amassed and I feel like I am ready to get back to work on round 5 today...and have the energy to do so. This cleanse is a great way to start each round if you are looking to jumpstart things and have a weight loss goal. My disclaimer, especially for this team of dedicated "non cheaters" is that this cleanse should not be viewed as an excuse not to follow the X eating plan....but if you are looking to "right the course" and get back on track, it IS a great tool. Great things to come in '11. Good Luck!
Wow Will! 14 lbs in 3 days! Nice! That's a good New Year's jumpstart for your next round!
Gerry, I'm not sure about the Arizona brand, but be sure that you aren't drinking any tea that's loaded with sugar.
hey coach, what kind of green tea are u suppose to drink? before i started P90X i drank Arizona green tea almost everyday, but im not sure what kind or brand of greeen tea is actually good for you.
Hey Coach Wayne! Your testimony really inspires me both spiritually and physically! I thank you! What do I need to do to order the 3 day cleanse? Or do I just order a bag or Shakeology?
Hey Kirk! They don't sell just a "3-day cleanse" amount (which is a little ironic since the 3-day cleanse is becoming very popular). You'd have to buy a whole bag (30 servings), but that will actually work out very well for you to do so. You'll use 9 of them for the 3-day cleanse, and have 21 servings left to use for the next 3 weeks, and you'll really be able to see the benefits of Shakeology as part of your overall nutrition plan and it will help you get to your goals much faster. Plus, since Beachbody offers a money back guarantee, if you do the cleanse and use it for 3 weeks and aren't in love with the product, they will refund your money!
After reading Steve Edwards' blog last month about the cleanse I decided to add it as part of my routine in between rounds of P90X or as I switch programs. Most recently I finished round 1 of P90X and started Insanity Workout. I did the 3 day Shakeology cleanse during the last three days of the recovery week, right before I started Insanity Workout. The cleanse worked like a champ. It helped me shed the water weight from my creatine cycle, and I believe it got me ready for Insanity Workout. The only problem is I would recommend at least one day in between the last day of the cleanse and the start of your next program. That way you can build your energy back up for a day or two. Highly recommended to incorporate in between your rounds.
Hey Ryan, great tip! Thanks man.
great post coach. lots of info out there about the clense and this is the most thourough I have seen. Thanks, wil look to do a clense in a month 1/2.
wow- coach awesome post - i now have an idea at what the 3-day cleanse is - been seeing people talk about it but it makes total sense. very low caloric intake but super high nutritents. I may have to try that after this bulking round too.
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lol....you're too funny coach. Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad people liked it. I am very fortunate to have found your coaching, I've lifted/worked out before but never got the results you've helped me achieve. For the cleanse I was going to write a post about it but I wanted to try it myself first just to see what it was like. But maybe I'll hold off until my schedule isn't so full or if I gain a few lol. BTW loved hearing you on the call today, first time I tuned in
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