At some point, everyone hits the frustration of their exercise regime or new diet just not working as well as they expected. We want results, and we want them fast. After all, we are making sacrifices like sore legs and abs after rough days at the gym and finding the willpower to drive past McDonalds while craving a large order of fries.

And then you have this friend who just started and is dropping pounds like crazy all because of their new cleansing diet. You know that saying, “If it looks too good to be true it probably is?” Yeah, that saying applies here.

It takes 4 weeks for you to see a change in your body, 8 weeks for close family and friends and 12 weeks for the rest of the world. Give yourself time before you start going to extremes, it’s more dangerous than you might think.

Juice cleanses have been taking the world by storm for the past year, and the juice industry is now worth over 5 billion dollars. It has become a trend among many young women, and if you are trying a cleanse just to fit in, don’t.

If you do decide to try a cleanse, do your research and find one that’s right for you (tips on how to do this towards the end). The super strict plans are the most attractive because you see the biggest difference, but these plans are not the Bible. If you want to take from other plans or diets because it involves more foods you can’t live without like lean meats and veggies you actually eat, do it.

Do NOT overdo it and try and work out while cleansing. The real purpose of cleanses is to reset your metabolism and end super bad eating habits, exercise will not help that. In fact, you’re not getting enough nutrition to support a work out.

Above everything, do not make cleansing a habit by using it as a way to purge. While it might seem socially acceptable due to the popularity to spend a weekend eating poorly then cleanse, this is just as bad as binging. The big red flag is if it starts to feel like something you have to do instead of want to do. If you find yourself in this vicious cycle seek help.

If telling you to seek help seems extreme, it’s really not. While cleansing can be healthy, it is also a recent gateway to eating disorders. People have the tendency to keep the extreme cut-outs of their diet long after the cleanse is over, and that can quickly spiral into anorexia. Depending on the length of the cleanse, it is very easy for your body to adjust to the lack of food and fall into that trap.

Your best and safest bet is to slowly make changes to your diet, such as cutting out soft drinks, and then make those changes part of your lifestyle. Dieting should not feel like a punishment. It can be tough, but the key is doing to to better your health instead of using it as a punishment for bad eating behavior.

If you still think cleansing is right for you, here’s a few mixes and plans that I found AND researched heavily. This is a great one, and this one looks doable as well.

If you’re one for actual meals but are still looking to drop the pounds you want within 30 days, this is a great meal plan (the food looks yummy too!).

If you haven’t noticed, I love POPSUGAR fitness and this 40 minute workout is great for boosting your metabolism, which is sometimes all you need to start losing weight.