If you see me later this week, and you want to say hello, you might want to think twice.

If all goes according to plan, I will be in the middle of another detox week, and if it’s anything like last year’s week, I won’t be a pleasant person.

The plan is to once again follow the detox food plan I learned about at the start of the “90 Day Commit to Get Fit” program at Hampshire Hill, which means cutting out certain staples of my daily diet, like cheese and bread and, dread the thought, coffee.

When I did this for the first time, two years ago, I weaned myself off caffeine leading up to the week, and was fine. The lone craving I had was cheese, which struck me as a bit odd. Last year, I just stopped with the coffee altogether, and the results were borderline disastrous.

I got headaches and cravings, and after a few days, my body ached in too many places. Grumpy would have been the nicest possible way to describe me.

But like anything difficult, the reward was worth the hard work. Coming out on the other side of a detox week really is all rainbows and puppy dogs, or whatever happy things you prefer.

I went back to see what I had to say about the detox last year, and I wrote the following:

“The best way I can think to describe it is that before detoxing, I felt like I was living with a hazy, coffee-colored cloud over my senses. After, I felt like blue skies all the time. With each passing day, I actually became more productive at work and at home, and life’s daily annoyances rolled off my back in ways they hadn’t been.”

Honestly, that’s more than enough motivation to do this again, and I really think this is the right time to be doing this. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I got myself stuck in quite a rut, and what better way to jump start everything that with a week of detox.

If you’re going to try to do a week of detox, too, there are a few things to remember, no matter what plan you are following.

Dial back whatever you’re doing for a workout. Whatever exercise you do should be mild, or just enough to break a sweat.

While you’ll be losing toxins in that sweat, you’ll also need to lose them in other ways. Bathroom breaks will become a must.

Don’t be afraid to eat. Although some of what you’re consuming isn’t going to be pleasant – hello Greek yogurt – you still need to get enough. You still need the calories to function, just make sure they are the rights. Of course, you should also be doing that when you aren’t detoxing, but that’s another story for another day.

And remember, if you see me sometime after next Wednesday, tread lightly.

Joe Marchilena writes a weekly fitness column for Hampshire Hills. To find out more information about the “90 Day Commit to Get Fit” program, call 603-673-7123 or email hhinfo@hampshirehills.com.

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