There comes a point a couple months into your first year of college when you realize you’re actually not on vacation and all the late night munchies and ice cream runs are catching up to you. This is a very hard conclusion to accept, but it is one that needs immediate attention. One of the very popular ways to reverse the effects of the looming freshman 15 is to go on a cleanse. Cleanses are meant to “reset” your body in a way; to clean out your system, start fresh, and hopefully lose a couple pounds along the way.
There is a large range of cleanses from juice cleanses to raw food cleanses and they all last a different amount of days. It is quite a process finding the right one for you, but it all depends on what kind of results you are looking for. Recently, I took on the challenge of a full 10 day cleanse. This meant I got 2 prepared shakes, 1 vegetable and 1 fruit per day for 10 days. That’s it. For 10 days. That meant no parties, no dinners out and no munchies in between class.
The first day came with a lot of preparation and excitement. I was ready for a change and for my body to feel good again. It was weird replacing my normal dining hall meals with a single apple or reaching for my shake instead of the candy out on the table. There was an adjustment period, but the first two days went well and I knew I would be able to get through it.
Then I hit day 3. The worst of ALL the days. The adrenaline from trying something new had worn off and I was so empty that I felt starving. My head throbbed all day and everyone in my classes could hear my stomach rumbling. I napped as much as I could just so I wouldn’t be hungry and I went to sleep super early.
Days 4-7 came and went with ease. I was in a solid routine and I started to feel less hungry. I even had enough energy to go to my daily spin class. I began to realize how better I felt eating so clean and simply. The nights were the hardest when I just wanted a little piece of chocolate before bed or a snack to go along with my studying. I had to say no to parties and one night I went out to ice cream with friends to support a philanthropy and I bought an ice cream for someone else while I sat and chewed my gum.
Days 8, 9 and 10 felt extremely long. I was so over it at that point, but at the same time I had to remember why I started and get to the end. I kept going to spin class and working out, which was just another hour I didn’t have to think about eating. By the time it got to day 10, I was beyond ready for a real meal.
Overall, the cleanse was probably the 10 hardest days I’ve had so far in college. The whole time I just kept reminding myself “you can do anything for 10 days”. In the end, I got exactly what I wanted out of it and I know every minute was worth it. Sometimes it takes an extreme like that to make a change and now I am completely refocused on health and fitness. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re willing to commit and have a goal worth reaching, it is definitely worth it.