Ash Wednesday kicked off one of the highlights of my year: Lent.

 To some, these 40 days of reflection and prayer can seem tedious; to me, they serve as a chance to attain something I have been striving for since September: my Daytona body.

 Yes, friends, that exotic trip to Florida is only two and a half months away. With the looming prospect of spending a week in a bikini, it is time to kick my lifestyle into high gear.

 Some Catholics find that fasting is inconvenient and no fun at all. Of course it isn't, but what dieting is?

 Instead of focusing on your hunger pangs and that delicious milkshake The Galley is offering, try reflecting on your normal caloric intake.

 With all of those snacks you're refraining from, you are saving yourself from a hideous extra pound or two. By-yah! Your thighs are thanking you.

 But wait - the good news doesn't end here!

 Think of everything you can give up! Chocolate, soda, Cousin Vinny's ... All evil temptations put on this earth to defer you from your ultimate Daytona body.

Say goodbye to these late night binges - you have a goal to meet and that means cutting out all of the extras. And I do mean all of them.

When you really break it down, you will realize that you overeat. Obesity is an epidemic, people! Thankfully, your friendly neighborhood opinions editor has got your back.

 As a survivor of the Freshman Fifteen, I consider myself an expert on weight gain. When I came to college, I went to the Crestaraunt and buffeted like it was my job. I have since learned the ways of the Annual Lenten Forty Day Fast.

 Now I can look back on that dark period at the start of my freshman year and learn from it. I know that pretty much all I did was eat extras. The bread on the bun of my chicken patty, the sauce on my spaghetti, even the lettuce on my burger was giving me calories that I definitely did not need.

 Here is my recommendation. Stick to three main food options and do not, I repeat, do not stray from them.

If it isn't water, celery or rice cakes do not ingest it.

 This may not be the most favorable Lenten sacrifice, but wait until Daytona rolls around. You will be thanking me. Forty days on this diet and you will be smokin' hot.

Oh, and just for clarification