From some of what you describe, you may also consider three other possibilities.

1) You may be hypothyroid. You can either go to the doctor and be tested or you can do a temperature test. Often even if the doctor's test say normal, there can still be an imbalance. I would suggest that you google for more info, as well as check out the site about.com for some info. Also, have your estrogen and progesterone checked as you may also be estrogen dominant. Coconut oil(2-4 tbsp/day)has been very helpful for many women suffering from weight gain due to hypothyroidism. Also, avoid all soy products until you are sure.

2) You may be suffering from a food allergy that actually could be included in your cleanse or diet routine. Possible suspects (wheat in every form, gluten, corn, soy, and even citrus fruits) could be affecting your digestion, and as a result your weight.

3) Look into candida. You may have a systemic overgrowth, that actually can be present without any of the typical 'yeast infection' symptoms. This overgrowth can cause leaky gut, and numerous problems can result from that.

These are just ideas. Your cleanses will be helpful in alleviating some aspect of all of them, so don't consider this a suggestion to stop what you are doing. However, knowing the cause of your symptoms is one of the first steps in eliminating the actual 'dis-ease' permanently.

I always find the reaction, that people feel they have to get the courage to flushes, interesting. I never thought about it I just did it. And after so many it is like any other day in my life. I certainly am glad I did, it changed my life.

Greetings!

Wowee, it sounds like you're on top of everything...good for you! I certainly understand fear/concern about doing "the biggie wow" liver flush...which is why we've always followed the Dr. Schulze flush protocol. Back in the 'good ole days', I had never even heard of the the olive oil/citrus flush, and Dr. Schulze s protocol & products NEVER failed to produce toilet bowls full of chaff and stones...which always was quite enough for my body. Nowadays, I do a 5-day Schulze flush, followed by the "biggie wow" flush...and I've always been happy with that (and felt extremely cleansed!).

While some folks choose to utilize several different herbal concoctions/supplements/vitamins on a daily basis, it's my own personal feeling that if we're eating right (raw, organic, fresh juice, basically vegan, etc) and drinking plenty of water, that we're getting most all of everything we need. The only supplements I take daily are Super Food and pharmaceutical grade fish oil (I cannot get either in my daily diet). It IS possible to totally overdo it with herbs and various tinctures & preparations...ending up with a bunch of mysterious symptoms that won't go away...then taking more "natural" things to rid ourselves of the symptoms...then taking more things to get rid of those symptoms, etc. etc. I always remember something I read years ago: "Just because something is natural, doesn't mean it harmless"...and that's something that really struck a chord of truth with me!

Now, don't get me wrong...when our bodies become extremely symptomatic or ill, it's definitely necessary to utilize proven/tested herbal cures and preparations (sometimes to the 'extreme')...I just think sometimes we get so enthusiastic about natural cures & healing that sometimes that we actually overdo a good thing :)

Anyway, enough of my ranting (I just thought all that was something you might like to consider). Here's the Dr. Schulze protocol for liver flushing. If you'd like to find out more about Schulzes protocols & cleansing programs, just click on the Dr. Schulze link at the top of the forum.

'Hope this helps you in some way! Don't hesitate to cleanse and flush your liver --but don't think you have to do a "biggie wow" flush every two weeks to see results and have a healthy liver - there's definitely more than one way to accomplish a productive liver cleanse!

Unyquity

Liver Five-day Cleansing and Detoxification Program 2 Days of a Purifying Raw-Food Program and a 3-Day Juice Fast


Day 1: Upon arising drink 8 ounces of distilled water

Breakfast: This is a great way to start your day. The water rinses and flushes your digestive tract of any leftover food and digestive juices. Within 1 hour prepare for the following Morning Drink: Morning Drink (Liver & Gallbladder Flush ) (Mix in a Blender) (in Spring and Summer ) 8 ounces of fresh orange juice or a citrus juice combination (1 lemon or 1 lime and enough orange, grapefruit or tangerine to make 8 ounces) or (in Fall and Winter ) 8 ounces of fresh apple and/or grape juice

* 8 ounces of Distilled Water
* 1-5 clove(s) of garlic (start with one and increase daily)
* 1-5 tablespoon(s) of organic virgin cold-pressed olive oil (start with one and increase daily )
* 1 small piece of fresh Ginger Root (about 1 inch long)

15 minutes after this drink, consume 2 cups of Detoxification Tea. Consume 2 dropperfuls of Liver/Gallbladder - Anti- parasite tonic 4 times daily during this cleanse. Take in a few ounces of water. It should be quite bitter.

Day #1 Breakfast
Live, FRESH fruit or vegetable juice is the best way to get your Vitamins, Minerals and other Essential Nutrients. They are also very important for cleansing and detoxification. If you are hungry before lunch time you may have fruit, diluted fruit juices, and fruit smoothies. Stop all fruit or fruit juices at least 1 hour before lunch. It is best while on this program not to mix fruit and vegetables together.

Day #1 Lunch
For lunch you can have diluted fresh raw vegetable juices, raw vegetables alone or in salads, sprouts, potassium broth, and herb teas. You may make dressings for the salad if you like using Olive oil, Avocado, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Onions and any Herbs and Spices.
Afternoon Snacks: Raw vegetables, raw vegetable salads, diluted vegetable juices, sprouts, potassium broth and herb teas. All vegetable food must be stopped by 6 p.m.

Day #1 Dinner
Diluted fruit juices, fruits, fruit smoothies, fruit salads and herb teas.

Day #2, #3 and #4 Now we begin the 3 day fast. Start with your water, morning flush drink and herbal tea. Diluted fruit juices and herb tea until noon, diluted vegetable juices, Potassium Broth and herb tea mid-day and afternoon and diluted fruit juices and herb tea again in the evening. Consume at least 1 gallon (128 ounces) of liquid. That is 8 ounces every hour! If you get hungry, DRINK MORE!!!

Potassium Broth Recipe
This is a great-tasting addition to your cleansing program. It will flush your system of toxins, poisons and unwanted salts and acids while giving you a concentrated amount of vitamins and minerals.
Fill a large pot with 25% potato peelings, 25% carrot peelings and whole chopped beets, 25% chopped on-ions including 50 cloves of garlic , 25% Celery and dark greens. Add hot peppers to taste. Add enough distilled water to cover vegetables and simmer on very low temperature for 1-2 hours. Strain, or just dip your mug in, and drink only the broth. Put the vegetables in your compost. Make enough for two days, refrigerating the leftover broth. It is important to use Organic vegetables. We do not want to consume any toxic insecticides, pesticides or inorganic chemical fertilizers while we are on a cleansing and detoxification program.



Day #5:
Today is the day to break your fast. Make this day the same as day #1. Continuation of the fast with your morning drink and then you can have some fresh fruit. Chew it very slowly and mix each mouthful with plenty of saliva. Remember, breaking your fast is a very important part of this program. Chew your food well and eat until satisfied, not full. You can always eat more later if you are still hungry.

After 1:00 PM you may have a small vegetable salad, and fruit again in the evening, chewing everything to a liquid pulp. Remember, this program restricts the types of food you will be eating, not the amount. If you are hungry at any point during this detoxification program, drink and/or eat more. The more you eat and drink, the more you will flush the toxins out of your body. Also remember to have a fun time. Your positive, healing attitude is most important to achieve maximum benefits out of this program; be loving to yourself. Take it easy when returning to a new healthy food program. Choose lighter foods for a few days and be careful not to overeat. Chew your food well. Eating smaller meals more often is better than one or two large meals. Enjoy your new set of values on food choices and amounts. For the best health, become a vegetarian. Repeat this program until you are well but do it at least once every 3 months.