Do I need to detox or do a cleanse to lose weight?

On Ep. 185, Nikkiey calls the idea that you need to detox or cleanse regularly to jumpstart fat loss a myth that is largely based on pseudoscience. Your body already has an efficient detoxification system. Your liver, kidneys and digestive system work together to do that job, so you don't need to help them along with a juice cleanse or detox supplements.

She also warns that detoxes can do more harm than good. On Ep. 213 she explains that most quick fixes come down to extreme calorie restriction, often around 1,000 to 1,100 calories a day. When your body isn't getting enough fuel, it ends up stressed, and she connects that stress to higher cortisol, more bloating and holding on to fat instead of losing it. Ep. 185 adds that this kind of severe restriction can leave you with nutrient deficiencies, lost muscle and a slower metabolism, which adds more stress to whatever you're already carrying.

There is a bigger problem too. Even if a cleanse makes the scale move, Nikkiey points out that it teaches you nothing about building habits. You were focused on the outcome rather than the daily choices that got you there, so the weight tends to come back as quickly as it came off. That is how so many women end up stuck in the yo-yo cycle of starting something new every January and gaining it back by spring. If that sounds familiar, the problem was the plan, not you.

As she puts it, it's not about how fast you get there but how long you can stay there.