I first tried Juice Master and its 7 pound in 7 day plan was a couple of years ago. He had 2 full weeks of work to experiment with, so the prospect of making homemade juices 3-6 times a day, in addition to exercising, seemed less daunting and much more manageable. During week 1 I actually lost 7 pounds in 7 days, I actually lost more, 10 pounds to be exact. Now when I started this diet I was not overweight, but I was approaching the high end of what is classified as a “normal” BMI, so for me, 10lbs was a huge accomplishment and this diet delivered exactly what it said what would I do.

Aim; and you knew there would be one, this diet is not for the weak of will. It takes serious commitment and dedication on the part of the participant to achieve the excellent results that the plan offers.

I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t like all the juices, especially the Super Juice which contains avocado and wheatgrass and looks similar to pond scum. Holding your nose while drinking can go a long way, and be sure to keep a glass of water handy to help wash away the taste after it’s gone. It’s not all doom and gloom on the taste front though, some of the juices are really nice, especially the late-night Hot ‘n’ Spicy, which is a really good bedtime drink made from apple juice and cinnamon.

The first days are the hardest, partly knowing that you still have the rest of the week drinking nothing but juice, but also the intense headaches I suffered from lack of sugar and caffeine of any kind that are apparently induced by your body ‘detoxes’ throughout the program.

I made an effort to exercise twice a day, in the morning I would swim for a good hour and at night I would do Pilates. I also biked to and from the pool, which was another good 30 minutes there and back. I think it would have been almost impossible to have done this if I hadn’t had the week off from work, especially since I found myself sleeping back in bed after my morning sleep, literally exhausted from lack of food.

That being said, after 3 days on this plan, the headaches had subsided and I began to notice the benefit that Jason Vale (aka Juice Master) talks about in his book. My skin was glowing, I felt very clean inside and out and I was definitely starting to notice a big change in my waistline and scales. I lost 5lbs in the first 3 days which propelled me to the end of the week to stick with the plan.

I’m so glad I did. I lost 10 pounds in 7 days and my stomach went from bun to flat in a week! My jeans almost fell off, and I felt great at the end of it all.

I continued with the diet over the next week, gradually adding protein-rich foods, salads, beans and whole fruits, and yogurt to my diet and continued to lose another 5 pounds and never gain it back!

Since then I have followed the plan another 4 times since then, all of which I have completed while working a full time job.

Some useful tips are:

-Prepare all your juices and smoothies the night before and freeze them if you can. This will save a great deal of faffing time before going to work.

-If you feel like you want to cheat, DO IT! Yeah, I know Jason Vale probably wouldn’t approve of this one, but what really helped me when I felt like I wanted to give up was giving myself an extra banana yogurt smoothie. Only 2 are allowed on the plan, but when it comes to breaking point, this is by far a better option than eating a greasy takeout or candy.

– Make exercise part of your day. The last thing you want to do after a day of nothing but liquid is hit the gym. If you have the luxury of time off work or the motivation to do it, push yourself as hard as you can, but if you find all of this too much to bear, try just walking to work or taking a walk during your lunch break during 30 minutes to meet your exercise quota.

-Above all remember that it is only 7 days, and at the end of it all you will feel a great sense of accomplishment and you will be rewarded with a lighter and thinner version.

Good luck!