Just finishing my first cleanse

Hi! I just went through the Master-Cleanse fast. I've been thinking about doing a cleanse for a while, and some friends recommended this as one they do regularly. After doing some research on the different types of cleanses, I thought the Master-Cleanse sounded like the most basic (and probably effective) and would be at least a good place to start. A few things I found out:

My office-mate and another co-worker were also doing cleanses. I believe that made it a lot easier. They were doing herbal detox-type cleanses, so were on some solid food, but the camaraderie and the fact that there was less around to snack on during the workday sure helped.

After two days of struggling with the cayenne/lemon/maple drink, I decided to go for the cayenne capsules. That made things a lot easier.

I tried the salt-water flush with table salt at first - big mistake. Sea Salt is definitely the way to go, and as soon as I was doing it right, I had no problem downing the whole quart. I didn't experience the BMs I was led to believe I would, though - possibly because I'm vegetarian (near-vegan) and didn't have a lot of that waste to eliminate. Still, I thought it worked great.

Also, I didn't lose nearly the amount of weight that others have on this cleanse --- though I don't have a lot of weight to lose to start with. I'm 5'11", started the cleanse 10 days ago weighing 155 lbs, finished weighing 150 lbs.

Overall, I had a great energy level throughout. Before I started this, I couldn't have imagined leaving the house without breakfast; I've always felt I had a high metabolism, and typically eat 5-6 small meals a day. I was wrong. I didn't exercise much during the cleanse, but did a fair amount of walking. I had no problems concentrating, generally felt clear-headed and perceptive. Sex drive was up and down. I definitely felt myself tire out earlier in the evenings than normal. I rarely felt hungry, and never felt like I *had* to eat. The times of the day I was accustomed to eating - lunch, dinner - were more challenging, but that only served to make me think how much of what we consider "hunger" is really just conditioned appetite. "Lunch time - gotta eat!" Being around people who were eating was also difficult. Like when I quit smoking, removing myself from the environments in which I was conditioned to eat helped get rid of the craving.

Yesterday was day 10. Today I'm easing back into food with the recommended juices. So far so good. I will definitely do this again, or perhaps try other cleanses.

I discovered this website only on about on Day 6 or 7. Reading the experiences and accumulated wisdom of others who've been through cleanses has been wonderful! It's helped give me some idea what to expect, and in some cases think about the different reactions I've had than others. Thanks to all the posters.

dan