Ash Wednesday.

What does Ash Wednesday mean to a lapsed Catholic such as me?
For many years now, I haven't given much regard to the day.  This year, I'm feeling a different attitude to this whole Easter Season thing.  Perhaps, very selfishly, I'm thinking that maybe there is something to gain from all this Lenten Fasting advocated by various religions.
At what other time of the year is there an opportunity to detox while not having to explain to friends, family, acquaintances and colleagues that you can't eat this or you can't eat that?  And then being bombarded with a million and one questions as to why you're not eating meat, or wheat, or sugar, or fat, or chocolate, or cake...
In Lent you can cut all these things out and explain it away with two little words:  It's Lent.
Perhaps this is what Lent was meant to be, something beneficial to our well being and somewhere along the line the message has become quite distorted.
What do you think?