Well I have decided to revisit an old friend – I'm partaking of the Master Cleanse (or colloquially known as the "lemon cleanse"). You can read a synopsis of the program here. I've tried to do this ten-day process about once a year – to varying degrees of success. The last time I tried to do this was the beginning of Autumn quarter last year, but I gave up after only a day and a half or so. Strangely enough, that's the point at which I am currently, and am definitely feeling like going back to real food. However, given my current physical state, I'm not surprised – it is quite a transition for my body to switch over to a meager 650 calories a day from large portions and salty, sugary, fatty processed food. I have read that as the body begins burning for energy (instead of carbohydrates), a person gets very tired since it is harder to break down and utilize the fats.

Why would I put myself through this torture? After training for the Columbus Marathon in 2008, I have definitely let myself slide and have gained quite a bit of weight (and it's not muscle!). It's time I get back to the discipline I had back then. After deciding to train for the marathon, over the course of about two and a half months, I lost about 50 pounds – going from 250 down to 200. I started with a lemon cleanse, which lost about 15 pounds, and then proceeded to lose about 4 pounds a week after that. How? Exercise and diet. I was exercising about an hour every day – my training program for the Columbus Marathon provided a base and then I added in some cardio exercises and weight training on my off days. I also by limited myself to a 1200-calorie balanced diet, using the software from Calorie King to plan and keep track of the grams of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats – I highly recommend it.

Keep in mind this was all before I started taking classes – I spent a lot of time working on my health and not so much time working on anything else. Trying to give time to classes, homework, practicing, my job, spiritual life, exercise, and nutrition wasn't working and certain things were left out. I found myself so busy I was eating convenience foods (not usually nutritious) and lots of them. Oh, and let's not forget trying all kinds of new beers…! (While I have enjoyed trying now foods and drinks, it really is time for me to get back to a healthy lifestyle. I'll post up my recipes and reviews later on, though!) This school year I am resolving to give the proper amount of time to my activities and lead a balanced life.

I'll also post the results of my Master Cleanse so others can have a resource if they should choose to participate one day!