My Version of The Lemonade Diet

I can't believe this is actually working. I'm sharing it purely for the sake of others who have the type of problems with weight loss that I have, on the off chance it also works for them. First, a disclaimer: I am NOT a nutritionist. I have no idea if this could be unhealthy or cause other problems for me or anyone else, so if you think it might not be a good idea for you, don't do it!

My situation is this: My weight ballooned from 140 lbs. to 200 lbs. very quickly when I developed chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, and PTSD. As fate would have it, I've been perimenopausal at the same time, and I have a bad back. So, I'm on a lot of medications, a couple of which are known to cause weight gain. My mobility isn't great, so I can't exercise the way I once did, and even walking's tough at times. No matter what I've done over the past three years, my weight's stubbornly stayed between 190 and 200 lbs. I'm now at 183 after doing this lemonade thing for ten days.

First thing in the morning, I put into a 16 oz. tumbler a little less than 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, two tbsp. lemon juice, 1-1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar, and a dash of cayenne pepper. I zing it up a bit with a dash of cinnamon and a dash of ground ginger. Then, I fill the cup to the top with cool purified water. The spices tend to float around and cling to the sides of the cup a bit, but I just swish it around as I drink it. It's really quite tasty. I sip it over the next hour or so, and do this again at mid-day and in the evening. Honestly, I don't even want or think about food. I do make myself eat some protein and fresh fruit, veggies during the day, because I know I need to. And I take my multi-vitamin, iron supplement, and B-complex, as usual.

The reason I find this particular regimen so appealing is that I'm on disability, and at home almost all the time. The fridge and pantry are always calling my name, and a lot of my eating's been done out of boredom. So, anything that causes me to be disinterested in food is great, in my book. I'm hoping I can lose enough weight over the next couple of months to allow me to exercise again. It should be easier with less weight bearing on my joints. My greatest desire and ultimate goal is to get back to a more healthy, active lifestyle.