C9 - The Results

So I finished my c9 cleanse on Sunday, and did my final weigh in and measurements on Monday. Today is Wednesday, so this may prepare you a little for my final thoughts on the plan.

Firstly, let's go through the numbers. 

My start weight was 73.9kg. After the 9 days, my finish weight was 72.4kg. To say that I'm disappointed in this would be an understatement. I followed the plan to the letter, but for some reason, I seemed to peak half way through and then started to slowly put weight back on. 

Worse than the less than drastic weight loss is the almost total absence of inch loss. My waist, thigh, arm and hip measurements stayed exactly the same. I lost a lowly 1/2 inch from my bust. 

I did this plan expecting drastic results. Yes, I got a positive result, I lost weight, but was it worth it? That's something I don't think I can answer positively. I am disappointed. I did not achieve even close to my goals. In fact, all the plan has done for me is to make me feel that my goals are that much more unachievable.

I have not noticed an improvement in my energy levels. Despite people telling me my skin looks very clear, I can't say I have noticed a change. My hair feels more greasy than normal, and looking at a photo taken when my hair was freshly washed, I can't help but think it looks lank and lifeless. 

Also, and stop reading now if you don't want to know bowel stuff, but I didn't poo for a full week between incident on day 2 and the morning of day 9, as well as rather smelly wind after the cleanse had finished. 

This doesn't change the sucess stories associated with the c9, especially from people who I have seen doing their own plan. However, there is a huge expectation that if everyone else is seemingly loosing stones and inches over the course of the plan, and that hurts deeply when you don't achieve the same results. 

I feel a failure even though I tried my absolute best.

I feel angry at myself for having fallen for a product that promises such drastic results. 

I feel upset that I have been through such an emotional roller coaster and have nothing to show for it. 

I feel like not getting the results I expected from this plan has the very real potential to put me on a very slippery slope in regards to my view of myself. 

Clean 9 Detox: Why I'm doing it

I spent a long time deciding whether to do the C9 cleanse from Forever Living. For starters, the RRP of over £100 makes this a huge financial commitment. But after hearing two success stories from friends and hundreds more online, I decided to take the plunge and go for it. 

Best case scenario is I loose weight, feel great and kick start my new healthy lifestyle. 

Worse case scenario is nothing changes but the figure on my bank statement. 

To me, it was a worthwhile risk. But then again, I'm desperate to loose weight, to feel happier in my own skin. 

About this time last year, I noticed my weight start to climb. I had always hovered around the 66kg mark, and was happy and content with that. If I started to veer too close to 68kgs, I would cut down on the bad stuff and do a few blogilates videos and that would be fine. However, I started to notice that method didn't work anymore. I would exercise religiously, follow the 5:2 diet to the letter, eat nothing but raw fruit and veg, and still I was putting on weight as steadily as when I did nothing at all, eating junk food. The turning point was at Christmas, when I spent the week spanning Christmas with a horrible cold, and didn't eat anything that stayed down for three days. I still put on weight at the same rate. I spoke to the doctor, had tests for diabetes and thryoid, spoke to my gynea about whether my PCOS was having a part to play, but everything came back normal and I was told in no uncertain terms that I just had to get on with it. My weight peaked at 75kg, and since then has hovered at that mark for the past couple of months. So now seems to be the time to make a change that will hopefully work. 

At my happiest, I was 63kg, which was about 3 years ago while filming Chronicles. I'm well aware that this weight was attained by bad means; working hard, eating very little and a new relationship killing my appetite were the main contributing factors here. I don't expect to be this light or skinny again. I do hope to have the same feeling of being content with my body though.

My goals for the C9 are purely to feel better about myself. Yes, it's true that a drop in the number on my scales will help that, and I'd really like to be below the 70kg mark again over the course of this detox. But I also want to feel better, be fitter, have more energy. 

Fingers crossed the C9 helps me do this. I've joined a gym too, so literally pulling out all stops here. Sure my bank balance won't be happy, but if I am, it's all worth it. 

I'll be blogging my C9 journey day by day, so check back for that. I'm going to be brutally honest, none of this whole "I've done the C9 it's amazing and I'm a forever distributor so buy yours from me now!". If I don't like it, if it doesn't help, if the aloe tastes like death, you'll know about it in harsh, deeply truthful, too-much-information detail. 

So .... let's do this.