Detox Before Dieting for Women

Going through a detoxification diet before starting a weight loss diet has long been known to be a great way for women to start a diet because it gives the dieter a quick weight-loss boost. What hasn't been as well known is that a detoxification diet also helps you succeed by helping to eliminate many of the cravings that can sabotage a diet.

How It Works

Detoxification diets work by purging the body of toxins and waste products. After a detoxification diet you are starting with an essentially blank canvas on which to paint your weight loss success. This tends to be more important for women than men, because women, due to fluctuating hormonal cycles, usually suffer more from food cravings than men. After a detoxification diet, many food cravings are either eliminated or greatly reduced.

Quick Detoxification

There are many detoxification diets and all work in similar ways. What is most important is to choose one that you can follow. All detoxification diets should start with a breakfast of an eight-oz. glass of water to which 2 tbsp. lemon juice have been added. Plan to drink between eight and 10 glasses of water a day. Water is especially important on a detoxification plan because it helps to flush toxins and waste from your system.

The simplest detoxification diet is the juice diet. For three days you drink nothing but diluted fruit juice. You can have eight cups of juice a day. To prepare the diluted juice you buy the 100-percent fruit juice of your choice. You mix cup juice and cup water together and drink that eight times a day.

The tomato juice detoxification diet is also simple. You drink 8 oz. of V8 juice four times a day for a week. You may use regular, sodium free or spicy juice.

It's important to remember that due to both the severe calorie and nutritional restrictions of a detoxification diet, they are not intended for long-term use.

Long-Term Detoxification

There are formulas for long-term detoxification diets. Neither the American Medical Association nor the American Dietetic Association approve of long-term detoxification diets. They both cite nutritional deficiencies as their primary concern.

As a way to prepare for a weight loss program, a short-term detoxification usually suffices.

After the Detoxification

After you have completed the detoxification diet you will find that cravings have lessened or been eliminated and you have lost between five and 10 pounds. You are ready to start a weight loss diet plan immediately after a detoxification.

Because you have given your digestive system a break during the detoxification, you will need to ease back into normal eating. Start by adding fresh fruits and vegetables for one or two meals. Then add in no more than two oz. of chicken or fish at your next meal. After that you can continue with the diet plan of your choice.