Ever since my roommates and I planned our Spring Break trip, we’ve been working toward our personal fitness goals. Whether it’s been working out every day or drinking concoctions to detoxify our bodies, getting fit for Miami has been the only thing on our minds.

My roommates and I decided to purchase our swimsuits in advance so that we could see ourselves in them and target areas that we thought we needed to work on. Since I targeted every area possible on my body, I started to think of every get-fit-quick scheme that I had heard of. For instance, the lemonade diet — a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water — that allegedly worked for Beyoncé, crossed my mind a couple of times. However, I would rather not die trying to look appealing in Miami.

After long deliberation, I decided to continue to work out five times per week but also do a detox. There are many ways to detoxify the body. For instance, one of my roommates decided to do the Jillian Michaels detoxification, which is a concoction of water, lemon juice, cranberry juice and a tea bag. I’m not entirely sure how that works, but I’m guessing Jillian Michaels knows what she’s talking about since she’s on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” … right?

It’s crazy how many people, including myself, see these personal trainers on television, maybe working with Hollywood stars, and we assume that any product they sell is going to work. I guess that’s why I bought the “Fat Smash Diet” book written by Dr.  Ian Smith, a diet expert on VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club.”

This is not the first time I have tried the Fat Smash Diet. When I began my weight loss journey in November 2011, I started with this book because it basically teaches you how to eat right for life. I’ll never forget when I started the first nine days of this book, I lost six pounds. Therefore, every time I want to lose some pounds quickly, I revert back to the first stages of this diet — the detox.

Ian Smith’s detox is simple but challenging. I am only allowed to eat fruits and veggies for nine days, with the exception of egg whites, oatmeal, multigrain cereals, low-fat milk and other foods that I’m not too fond of. Sounds quite horrible, but it’s not.

Not only did I lose weight, I felt better inside and out. When I eat foods that are unhealthy, fried and filled with grease, I typically feel heavy, and I get tired fast. While eating fruits and vegetables, I feel rejuvenated and lighter than usual. However, it is important to be careful with detoxifications because they can make you feel light-headed.

If you ever decide to do a detox, be sure to do your own research and make sure that it is healthy.  Getting in shape is never so serious that you have to risk your life for it. Get in the gym early and make attainable goals so that you don’t have to try to get last-minute workouts in. Most importantly, remember that fitness is a lifestyle change.

It’s unbelievable how people, mostly women in my opinion, do so much to themselves to try to look or feel attractive. Seeing that I am doing all of this in order to look nice in a swimsuit baffles me because I know that little can be changed in one week. Nonetheless, I am going to go the insane route and go through with this detox for nine days. So, if you see me passed out on the Quad, please don’t simply step over me … call for help.


Ariana is a senior English studies major and features editor. Questions or comments can be sent to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .