This is probably the simplest and easiest diet I've ever followed with set timelines.
When you set specific start and end dates for your diet, it's easy to stick to. I wouldn't recommend staying on a water-only diet for more than 3-4 days, but I personally know someone who did a 30-day water-only diet and only drank water, made different herbal teas, and drank them for 30 days.
Her herbal teas smelled like herbs, weren't unpleasant, and tasted like herbal teas too. I tried them, and there was nothing bitter or unpleasant.
I've done the water-only diet twice and managed to stick to it for 3 days, then 4.
That's my maximum, and it was enough for me to lose weight and feel genuinely cleansed.
I've also done it for 1-2 days many times - it's super easy.
When I'm on a water-only diet, I feel like I'm flying. I'll tell you what I was drinking besides herbal tea. My drinks were a bit more varied, but not too thick.
This isn't a liquid diet in my book, and I'll get to that later.
Luckily, I remembered about this diet, because it's really effective and safe for me, and I didn't experience any dizziness or hunger.
Maybe I should do it again and more often.
Those were some lean times! I was working a lot, moving around a lot, constantly traveling, and eating moderately - I didn't have any room for extra calories.
Dancing is life, and a lean figure is the best.
Now, I wouldn't want to gain even 1 kg per year, because by the time I'm 50, I'd be 20 kg heavier... no thanks, I want to stay lean for as long as possible.
I weighed 45 kg.
You can see from the photo that the top of my swimsuit is empty. Okay, it's actually just my underwear, but I loved it so much that I wore it as a swimsuit - it felt just as good, and the material was similar to swimsuit fabric.
The sponsor of this beach volleyball set is NEW YORKER.
Let's get back to the diet.
So, we were living with the girls, and one of our neighbors decided to go on a 30-day water fast.
We all caught the wave, but I knew I wouldn't stick to it for more than 5 days.
I mean, this diet doesn't include creamy soups and smoothies.
The only thing we could have was thick juices and one of the neighbors was drinking herbal tea.
I tried two flavors, but I wasn't impressed.
This is me at my thinnest after moving to Sochi.
The water diet happened to coincide with my vacation, so I probably wouldn't have made it through the working days, though!
IF YOU KNOW WHEN THE DIET IS GOING TO END, YOU'LL FIND IT EASY TO STICK TO! That's how it is with any diet for me.
What I drank on the first 3 days, then I repeated it all for another 4 days a week later.
And then I flew off to Moscow to party.
That's me in the Lotte hotel.
The first day started with my neighbor's herbal tea.
It was called the Red-Polynsky blend.
I'd still start a diet with it today.
And on the day before, I didn't eat from 7 pm onwards.
You can drink tea in unlimited quantities.
The water diet isn't about liquid meals, where you eat soups, thick yogurts, and smoothies.
Here, we focused on different teas, infusions, water with lemon, and other fruits and berries.
I didn't drink too much to avoid water retention.
I'm still brewing teas like I did back thenFor lunch and dinner, I made my own delicious teas, and I'm still whipping them up today.
I've got a blackcurrant and berry tea going on, and they're sweet, hot, and full of goodness.
To be honest, I wasn't even hungry, I was just excited!
I set a three-day goal for myself, so it was easy to stick to.
We made a blackcurrant tea with a spoonful of honey and a squeeze of lemon, and we all loved it.
Having a diet buddy makes it way more fun.
Of course, when you're working 12-hour days, a cup of tea with honey isn't going to cut it - you'll crash and burn.
So, I'd recommend doing a cleanse on the weekends.
And, let's be real, if you're not into sports, you might not have the energy to keep up.
But, if you're really overweight, you might have enough stored energy to get you through the workweek.
These are some examples of what I've been drinking lately.
Day two started with warm water and lemon.
I've been doing drink-only days for years, using tea, fruit drinks, and water with lemon.
I really love this practice, as long as you don't overdo it.
I also had a latte in the morning.
Drink-only diets can be pretty tough.
In the first few days, people often feel really hungry, weak, and irritable.
We started experimenting!
At home, we had a pitcher of cucumber water and lemon water going all day.
By evening, we made a sweet fruit drink with some healthy berries.
I added honey to my fruit drink, and it was sweet enough for me.
My neighbor, on the other hand, preferred it without sugar.
I wouldn't have made it without the honey, though!
So, I'd recommend making your fruit drinks sweet with a bit of honey – it'll give you energy and a good mood.
Day three was a day of fresh juices.
I felt fine, no stomach issues.
I tried a herbal tea latte and another fruit drink.
I felt amazing, with a super light and airy feeling all over my body!
I have to say, the bloating was pretty quick to set in on this detox.
With the cleansing and fasting, I was against causing myself any discomfort, so I only did it for a maximum of 4 days.
I did have a few days where I just stuck to drinking, and that was a game-changer.
I'd definitely recommend giving it a try for at least a day, just make sure not to overdo it afterwards.
Then I gradually came off the diet the next day.
I had a liquid porridge for breakfast, chicken broth for lunch, and nothing for dinner.
I was being cautious to avoid any nasty side effects.
Luckily, I didn't experience any negative feelings.
My neighbor, on the other hand, stuck to herbal teas and infusions for 30 days, and her friend managed to last 2 weeks but had a tougher time coming off the diet.
I'd recommend bringing a warm, tasty drink with you on your walks.
SECOND TIME AROUND WITH THE DRINKING DIET
It's always easier when you're not alone.
If everyone at home is having a healthy breakfast and lunch, it makes it much simpler.
I repeated my experience, but this time for 4 days.
I had another experience with Herbalife, cookie-flavored.
My diet still consisted of juices, herbal tea, sweetened chokeberry tea, and anything I could drink without feeling deprived.
In my second experience, I added milk with honey because one of my neighbors was making a warm milk drink and I joined in.
Over the days of my liquid cleanse, I lost 2-3 kg.
I was lean, light, and very active.
But I wouldn't recommend keeping the liquid cleanse for more than 4 days.
And when you come out of it, make sure to ease back into solid foods - you never know what might happen.
I wouldn't recommend drinking just water or herbal tea without anything else, either - you might end up messing with your digestion.
I wasn't planning to starve myself, so I stuck to tasty teas like the ones in cafes.
And when I had coffee, I took it with sugar and milk.
To this day, when I'm sick and my throat hurts, I don't eat, but I drink warm beverages like compotes, chokeberry, and water with honey and lemon.
You can replace a meal with a delicious drink like that.
I've got a friend who's been into herbal teas and yoga for 30 days, and she's lost 10 kg.
She's all about meditation, getting into a trance, and burning incense - it's her thing.
We'd sometimes join her for yoga on the balcony, but we didn't get too into it.
I even tried yoga in a hammock once.
I wouldn't recommend going to extremes like she did - you need to be physically and mentally prepared.
The most important thing is to cut your portion sizes, don't devour a whole pizza by yourself, and share it with a friend instead.
Adding some physical activity to your routine doesn't hurt either.
I met my future husband, we moved in together, and I gained 10 kg.
The photo is from when we first moved in together.
Now I've got some nice curves and my breasts have grown a couple of sizes.
I've been stable at 50-52 kg for a few years now.
I've come to realize that maintaining a peaceful family life is a top priority for me.
I don't want to weigh more than 150 pounds, but I'd love to stay in shape until I'm at least 55.
HERE'S MY REVIEW ON HOW I LOST 7 KG AND SAVED MONEY
As I get older, I need to be more mindful of my diet, as my metabolism slows down and I can no longer eat as much as I used to.
So, I've started reducing my portions and cutting out bread.
How to lose weight now that my metabolism has slowed down? The Ozempik conversation.
More on diets:
Habits of beautiful women! My favorite smoothie recipe. Fresh, smoothies, fruits, and veggies!
FOOD PHOTOS! I was fully prepared for the photoshoot in my swimsuit.