Clean 9 in nine days: what the schedule looks like and what to expect

Clean 9 is often advertised with numbers of kilos lost in nine days. Such promises are not a good basis for a decision. It is more useful to know what the programme looks like day by day, what happens to your weight and how to carry on afterwards.

What a day looks like

According to the Forever booklet, the first two days are the strictest. There are no regular meals: alongside the aloe drink, Forever Therm tablets, Garcinia Plus softgels and fibre, you have one shake, and hunger can be eased with free foods, mostly vegetables and some fruit. From day three to day nine, one meal is added to two shakes, so total intake is about 1,000 calories for women and 1,200 for men. Forever Fiber is taken separately, because fibre can bind some nutrients. Light movement is advised, for example 30 minutes of walking or stretching.

Why the scale changes so quickly

With so little food, weight usually drops within a few days. NCCIH explains that such quick loss comes from low calorie intake and that weight often returns once you go back to your usual diet. That is why Forever advises weighing yourself only on day one and day ten. Waist measurements and notes on sleep, energy and meals give a more useful picture than the number alone.

A plan for day ten and beyond

1. Write down three habits from the programme you want to keep, such as water instead of sugary drinks.
2. Return to regular meals with vegetables, protein and whole grains.
3. Set two or three small, measurable goals for the next month.
4. Aim for a gradual pace, because the CDC says weight lost this way is more likely to stay off.

The C9 Forever Living Products pack only makes sense as a short, well planned start to changing your diet, not as a weight solution. Do not do it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have diabetes, heart or kidney disease, and with other conditions or medicines, talk to a doctor first.

Sources: Forever Living Products NCCIH CDC.