Do Detoxes and Cleanses Work?

We all know how tempting the holidays can be, from the abundance of cookies and desserts, to a [...]

We all know how tempting the holidays can be, from the abundance of cookies and desserts, to a fridge full of leftovers from holiday parties. I know how hard it is to resist the temptation of the quick fix promises of detoxes and cleanses.

Now that the New Year has begun and the holiday season is over, you might be wondering how you can start shedding that holiday weight or follow your New Year's resolution of losing 10, or 20, or 30+ pounds.

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(Photo: LadyBoss.com)

Any quick Google search will show you tons of quick detoxes and cleanses that promise weight loss in just days. You'll find juice cleanses, tea detoxes, and grapefruit diets all promising to magically take the extra weight off.

I was there, desperately searching for something that would help me drop the weight fast. I remember trying the cleanses and detoxes. After several years of trying to lose the weight the wrong way, I found the real answer to losing 65 pounds and keeping it off. I'll just tell you now: it wasn't the fad diets and juice cleanses. Those are empty promises that won't work in the long run. It seems like there is a new weight-loss fad or fruit cleanse each week. So maybe the new one will work, right? Wrong.

Read More: 8 Foods That Can Erase a Day of Unhealthy Eating

Here are a few tips on how to feel better from the holidays without falling for the dozens of fads out there.

#1. Forget the timeline

The reason it's so easy to fall for detoxes and cleanses is because they always promise quick results and less work.

Here's the thing: if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to put in the work. You have to make the lifestyle change.

Timelines set you up to fail because no two bodies are the same. We all have different lives, different schedules, different bodies, and lose weight differently. So how can we look at Susie who has lost 20 pounds in 30 Days and put ourselves on the same timeline, when we live a completely different life?

Instead of using a strict timeline that just leads to discouragement, focus simply on taking the right actions today.

Move your body, eat healthy meals, drink a gallon of water, and affirm yourself everyday. These small actions will lead to BIG success and you will find yourself to your goal before you know it!

So forget the timeline. Start with baby steps, and make changes that can last.

#2. Learn to love yourself

One thing that will help you fight the feeling that you're on a deadline to lose weight is learning to live life right now and learning to love yourself the way you are.

Before I decided to make changes to my lifestyle, I told myself that once I lost the 65 pounds, only THEN would I love myself. Only then would I be happy with myself.

I lost the weight. I had the six-pack, and I actually disliked myself more. I was still unhappy with what I saw in the mirror. Why?

Because I never learned how to love myself every step of the way. I thought that losing the weight would make me love myself, but relying on that only made me more harsh with myself.

Just losing weight won't help you accept yourself. It's so important to learn how to love YOU, just the way you are, at every part of the weight loss journey.

Start by reading these out loud to yourself daily:

I am Amazing.

I Am Confident.

I Am Beautiful.

I Can Do This.

#3. Do a holiday cleanse

"But Kaelin, you just said cleanses don't work!"

There's one kind of cleanse that can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

If your fridge is stocked full of tempting desserts and unhealthy snacks from that New Years Eve party (or any party) you just hosted, it's time to get rid of the temptation.

It's not your responsibility to eat all of that crappy food.

Purge your fridge and pantry of food that won't make you feel good. Now, start fresh with nutritious food that will nourish your body and mind. This is one cleanse that I actually do and that will help you with your weight loss goals!

Read More: Here's What Your Grocery List Should Look Like If You Want to Lose Weight

Losing weight and keeping it off simply won't happen overnight. But follow these tips and focus on a healthier lifestyle, and I assure you, the change will start to happen. You'll gain momentum, and you will see the weight come off and stay off. I have been able to keep my weight off for seven years, and my passion for a healthy lifestyle is why I started LadyBoss, a wellness program and community of women who aim to give up fad-diets and detox gimmicks for good.

Kaelin Poulin is the founder of LadyBoss.com, a global weight loss movement that has helped more than 1.3 million women learn to love themselves and lose weight. Learn more about Kaelin's journey losing 65 lbs. and her adventure to maintaining her fitness as a new mother on Instagram @ladyboss .

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