Jillian Michaels Cleanse and Burn: Does It Work?

Posted on Feb 8th 2010 12:00PM by Martha Edwards

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, We Tried it

So, 14 days, multiple tweets and many, many little capsules later, I'm done with the Jillian Michaels cleanse and burn program. First impressions? Not bad. Of course, let me explain in a little more detail.

As I mentioned, the first seven days of the Jillian Michaels cleanse are the actual 'cleanse' part, also known as the detoxing stage. It sounds a bit rough, but in fact all I had to do was take a couple of capsules twice a day. According to the PR reps for the product, there's no need to follow any kind eating plan ("that's one of the selling points of the product ... no special diet is required," they say.) I, however, don't see the point in re-toxing while I'm de-toxing, so I loaded my fridge with plenty of fresh produce and made a plan to avoid sugar, salt, gluten, alcohol and most dairy.

Days one and two on the cleanse we're pretty normal, as in, nothing happened aside from me feeling a bit hungry. I even felt a bit bloated from all the water I was drinking. Then days three and four happened, and the part I call "flushing of the gut" started. Let's just say there was a definite case of the good old-fashioned runs. It wasn't painful or uncomfortable, rather it felt natural, and I didn't have any 'oh my god' moments where I felt like I needed the bathroom right this second.

And after that? Well, there's not much more to tell. The diet and pills continued, but the flushing seemed to mostly stop. It was actually a bit disappointing. Maybe I was all cleaned out?

At the start, I had been a bit worried about my energy levels during the cleansing portion, but as it happens I didn't need to be. I still went to the gym four times that week, and even spent a day snowboarding, an activity that requires large amounts of energy. I did have one afternoon on day three when I felt sluggish, and I was in a horrible mood on day four, but other than that, my life was business as usual.

Then it was on to phase two: The fat-burning phase. This phase involved taking a daily 'probiotic replenishment' for my gut, plus two daily doses of the fat-burning pills. Make no mistake, these so-called 'fat-burners' are no miracle concoction -- they're caffeine pills with a few herbs mixed in. I was a little worried about them after Charity at Social Workout admitted they made her feel "jittery and sleepless and hungry." Dr. Brent Bauer, the director of complementary and integrative medicine at the Mayo Clinic, who I spoke to before the cleanse, eased my fears a bit. "Most people respond quite well to caffeine," he said, but also pointed out that a cup of green tea would undoubtedly be a healthier way to get my fix.

After my first does of the pills, I understood what Charity was talking about. I did feel jittery, and that feeling lasted right up until my next dose at lunch. But after the second round, the jitters were much less noticeable, and seven days later they barely register (which is a bit scary in itself). I'm sleeping fine and am no more or less productive during the day. That said, the product recommends that you take the pills once with breakfast and once with your main meal, lunch or dinner (for me, that's lunch.) For the record, there is no way I would take these with dinner, because they're not exactly conducive to sleep. If you're thinking of taking them, I'd recommend you do the same -- avoid these at night time, even if it means adjusting your eating schedule a bit.

The final verdict? All in all, my experience was pretty good. I never felt uncomfortable on the program, I felt cleaner and less bloated and I managed to lose three pounds in all. I'm not sure if these results are typical -- keep in mind that I did follow a very healthy eating plan for the cleanse part -- but having my jeans a bit looser is definitely a great feeling. Yes, I know it's mostly water weight, but it's helped motivate me to keep up with the health kick.

However, I'm not sure I'd do it again. I'd consider giving the cleanse part a go but even though I've adapted fairly well to the fat burning pills, I'm still a little wary of them. Like Dr. Bauer said, I'd rather get my caffeine from a cup of green tea or coffee than an expensive little red bottle adorned with Jillian Michaels and her accusatory stare. Plus, I don't think they help -- I lost four pounds when I was on the cleanse and actually gained one back during the fat burning phase.

Have you tried it? Would you? I'm curious to know.

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Tags: caffeine, cleanse, cleansing, detox, fat burning, jillian michaels, jillian michaels cleanse and burn, we tried it, we-tried-it

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

u262f 2-08-2010 @ 3:54PM

"keep in mind that I did follow a very healthy eating plan for the cleanse part"

Kathy 2-10-2010 @ 2:45PM

Your story was very interesting and I certainly appreciate your candor. I think that for people (Men and Women) who are willing to go through the "clense process" this may be a good "first step" for them. Kudos to you for the weight you loss - it's certainly encouraging, and could be a motivator to continue down the right path.

TERA 2-10-2010 @ 3:15PM

anything that usually makes someone jittery or hyper knocks me out and people should understand if they have any thyroid issues at all, these diet pills are going to only make it worse, I learned that the hard way by gaining a lot of weight on weight loss pills. PS diet pills are what screwed my thyroid up in the first place, bet they don't tell you that on the label.

u262f 2-08-2010 @ 3:55PM

"keep in mind that I did follow a very healthy eating plan for the cleanse part"

This doesn't test the diet at all! Maybe the very healthy eating plan by itself was what helped you lose the four pounds? Suddenly shifting from a normal diet to one with plenty of fresh produce might have resulted in increasing your fiber intake and be what actually resulted in a natural-feeling "flushing of the gut" instead of the diet pills. If you stopped your very healthy eating plan for the fat-burning part, then maybe that's why you gained a pound back?

Given what was reported here, it might easily be that your weight loss and weight gain corresponds to your very healthy eating and the so-called diet pills had absolutely no effect other than waste money.

Martha Edwards 2-08-2010 @ 4:50PM

Thanks for your feeback. To be honest, my healthy eating on the cleanse wasn't much of a stretch for me -- I don't normally eat most of the 'toxic' foods that I listed anyway and my diet already was full of fresh produce so I think this was a fair test of the cleanse. I mentioned the part about the healthy eating because I don't want to mislead people into thinking I was eating crappy foods and losing weight and they could do the same and expect the same results. And I didn't change my eating habits when I went on the fat-burning phase -- I think the pound gained was me re-gaining the water weight I had lost in the first bit. Anyway, the whole point of that paragraph was to say that these might not be typical results, so don't count on them.

At the end of the day, this isn't a controlled scientific experiment -- It's just me and my experiences and I'm simply trying to share to help people decide for themselves whether they think it's worth the money or not.

Mark Vaughan 2-08-2010 @ 6:33PM

Thanks very much for your review.
Lol, so you are out about $70 for the detox and cleanse combo with 3 pounds of water weight lost and you aren't sure about this... I so have to get in the magic pill business. I can produce useless pills, charge a fortune for them and then when they don't work, it appears that the reviews aren't bad at all...

Wizernu 2-10-2010 @ 3:15PM

I'm with you Mark. There's a sucker born every minute. The diet she did was a typical cleansing diet/Atkins kind of thing. How much are you out? $70? Are you nuts? Any GNC can advise you on cleansing herbs for alot less. 3 pounds? Are you kidding me? I lose three pounds in a day, overnight. Jillian Michaels is one of the best hucksters out there. I saw her screaming at a 400 lbs. boy on a treadmill - running! that he wasn't going fast enough. She's going to kill somebody. Save your money - stick to a regular, healthy diet and workout. That's all you need to do. WOMEN OF AMERICA - STOP FALLING FOR EVERY DIET FAD OUT THERE!

Nancy Young 2-10-2010 @ 4:01PM

Although I really enjoy the Biggest Loser show, I think you are absolutely right...it is only a matter of time before they kill someone.

wizernu 2-11-2010 @ 4:00PM

Right. I can't think of any responsible physician recommending that a morbidly obese teenager begin an exercise program by running on a treadmill and having some crazy woman screaming in your face to go faster. I was appalled. I don't watch that show but I happened to see that on The Dog Whisperer when Michaels was attempting to push her celebrity even further by being on the show with her dogs. She is NOT a physician. What are her credentials? Remember Susan Powder? She disappeared from TV after people found out she had no credentials to hold herself out there as some kind of an "expert" on health and fitness. I workout too but that doesn't make me the last word on health.

Heatherly 3-17-2011 @ 8:14PM

It's actually about $30, and detoxing and cleansing before starting an exercise and healthier food regimen is actually something a lot of people do and can be extremely effective in the long run.

rb1956rb 2-10-2010 @ 2:25PM

I looked at it as a real possibility but when I saw it in full detail had to decide not to for health related reasons. I can not follow it but since I am not able can not really go either way good or bad. Still feel that the only way is through the old way with diet and exercise.

B 2-10-2010 @ 3:51PM

I love this article, "expensive little red bottle adorned with Jillian Michaels and her accusatory stare" was my favorite part because it is so true. I actually thought about these pills, but I am convinced not to use them, I hate dieting and diet pills, but after gaining 10 lbs recently I have been letting my mind wander to that. (I eat fairly healthy and exercise daily).
Secondly, I agree with you that it was a good idea to go healthier (even though you say you had a decent diet beforehand). Why waste the two weeks risking no loss by eating junk...that was a good point in this article regardless of the information provided with the diet pills. Thanks for the review!

penny andrews 2-10-2010 @ 2:30PM

my doctor told me not to use anything on the market except alli, i have been on it for 2 wks and i have lost 11 pounds. Its safe and I dont believe i will gain the weight back unless i stop exercising and eating right.

Brynn 2-10-2010 @ 5:26PM

What is it that you are on Penny?

Moira 7-02-2010 @ 11:59PM

Alli is recommended by doctors for weight loss but it gives you the runs. My doctor said it would be really hard to control your bowel movements. Good job losing the 11 pounds but maybe you should add you lost it by almost crapping yourself everyday.

Sandra Elves 8-02-2010 @ 11:10AM

Alli didn't work for me I was told I didn't eat enough fat in my diet for it to work because it blocks the fat you eat.

Nicole 2-10-2010 @ 2:41PM

I have been a trainer & spin instructor for several years and have worked out most of my adult life. (I am now 40 year old female) Over the past 6 months I have been under an insane amount of stress & found it impossible to work out for the 1st time in my life. As a result I have an extra 20 punds to show for it.

I bought Jillian's cleanse hoping it would jump start the loss of a few pounds. It did not : ( I did however start doing the Insanity workout and just really cleaned up my diet. I'm only on week one and have already lost 5 pounds. Bottom line is there is no quick fix. We ALL have to eat well & excercise several times a week.

There is no harm in trying the product, but nothing will give you the results of hard work & dedication. Good luck to all. I'm on my way to a comeback : )

nikin78 2-10-2010 @ 3:13PM

I agree Nicole. I have worked out since I was 17 and now Im 31. I eat pretty decent and have breakfast everyday within 2 hours of waking up. That is what starts your metabolism and keeps you from getting hungry throughout the day. 4 hours after that I have a fruit, and in about 2 hours after that I have sensible lunch, like a sandwich with a salad. 4 hours later I have another snack like fruit or a cup of trail mix. Then just a small dinner. I know most people are busy and dont have time to cook and eat dinner before 6pm, so what I do is prepare foods during the weekend, so I can cook during the week with no prep time. It seems like a lot of work, but that is the point. No magic pill will work. No secret potion will work. You have to make a lifestyle of healthiness, not just enough to make you look good for the beach and then let yourself fall off.

skeptic 2-10-2010 @ 2:46PM

When I had the prep for a colonoscopy (OK, the cleansing wasn't quite as gentle, but I got through it all in one night), I also lost 4 pounds, so this Jillian Michaels Plan doesn't seem like anything special. You could get probiotic replacement from yogurt, and the caffeine from coffee/tea, rather than spend the money for this stuff. If it works for you, and you have the $$$, fine, but there's way more realistic/frugal ways to do the same thing. So far, I'm not impressed.

Jessica Smith 2-10-2010 @ 2:52PM

Congrats on your weight loss, the only problem I see with this program is that you will probably gain back the few pounds lost. Remember, your body doesn't need "cleansing" (and most doctors agree) that's what your liver is for! Any program that promotes pills to lose weight (in my opinion) sets you up for failure. We often focus on simply diet and exercise, but your whole LIFE contributes to your body's health. Check out our site: www.livinginthin.com for simple tips and advice on ways to get (and stay) lighter, healthier and happier! :-)

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