Not so easy

Happy New Year! Here, an epilogue:

My stomach didn't adjust as easily to the whole "eating" thing as I thought it had after the initial success of the Fresh Choice meal. Later that night, after I ventured down to Southern California and hung out with Mark, Chris, and Big Game James, we went to a so-so Mexican restaurant named El Ranchito and, I should say, I ate just about the whole ranchito. Thinking I could just eat my normal amount, I ate my plate o' carnitas with glee, dug in to the plate of nachos with gusto, and even worked on James's carne asada with relish (well, there was no relish; you know what I mean). I didn't feel so good shortly after, and within the hour I looked like I was pregnant.

I haven't been kind to my body since that fast. I ate a ton on the 30th (as I just related) and then on the 31st I poured a liberal amount of poison (i.e., alcohol) into it. I do not recommend this as a "What to do in the 36 hours after fasting for 3 days" list topper.

Done and done

12:30 rolled around today with little fanfare. I arrived at Mark's at about 12:32, we headed over to Fresh Choice, and very, very cautiously ate for the first time in over 72 hours.

Worried that our stomachs might rebel, we started slowly with a bottle of juice and just one plate of healthy salad-like substances. Taking a sip of juice, I felt my body start to tingle and a wave of some indescribable feeling passed through me. Taking a bite of salad, then another, I waited a few minutes to see what would happen. I felt normal, but I could tell my stomach was trying to figure out what to do with this substance it hadn't seen for so long.

Within moments I already felt my head starting to clear up. I finished off my plate of various salads. Cautiously, I then ate a bowl of soup. Then a piece of cheese pizza. Then a blueberry muffin. Then a plate of macaroni and cheese and rice. And another piece of pizza.

Is it possible that the transition can be this smooth? 72 hours of fasting and then back to normal?

And so it ends. Ultimately, I didn't reach an altered level of consciousness. I didn't discover any deep truths about myself or about life. I don't feel closer to understanding any universal truths. But I did it - 72 hours with only water and my mind to sustain me.

So Almost Done

I think I am want to go to fresh choice. The freshest of all choices.

5 HOURS TO GO!

I don't want to talk about anything too gross...but certain aspects of my bathroom journies are very odd right now.

And when I finally fell asleep....I awoke this morning with a cramp in my side like one would get from running. How does one get a cramp like that from sleeping?

I walked it off.

My New Upper

I don't know about other people, but fasting makes me so WIRED. Each night it has been harder and harder to sleep...culminating with sleeping for an hour tonight and awaking fully refreshed. Can you imagine what life would be like if we could normally survive on one hour of sleep...let's throw in not eating, too. Two of my major hobbies would be gone, so what could I do instead:

For years I have wanted to "be a writer"...whatever that means. Is starving my body of all nutrients and never sleeping the way to get there?

I have always wanted to be a late-night person that does odd chores at 3 AM...like laundry. What better time to clean one's clothes than at such an un-godly hour for such an un-godly task?

Watch really bad, late, late TV infomercials, and become an expert on them. I could be the country's go to guy for anything bought or sold on TV. Which late night dating service is the best? How do I cook piping hot vegies? What is he best way to bead one's hair. That could be me...I could be that guy who knows all the answers! I could be an expert witness for multimillion dollar trials involving people who beaded their pubic hair and are now suing because the beads not only wont come off, but also have sprouted other beads. What an area of expertise! "No, Your Honor. These people should not have beaded their privates. They are morons." would be my quote that squelches the class action lawsuit.

What about a night job? I could work the grave yard shift at a local factory yard...patrolling the grounds to make sure that no one steals auto wreckage or healthcare supplies. A little extra cash to fill up my new life of not eating and not sleeping. I would have a fun cap and a baton...and people would mistake me for a real policeman for moments at a time until they read the patch on my arm said "Don's Dumping Security Specialist Team Member" and not "Hayward PD." My suspenders might also give me away.

So yes, there seems to be many things I could do with a life full of not eating or sleeping....many promising things. Why do I keep craving cheesy nachos with extra pinto beans and salsa, then? Fear of success, obviously. Ha!

Home stretch

I salvaged my day after all. Despite having not eaten for 60 hours, I managed to build a bookshelf and 2 side shelves over the course of several hours (I was watching the LOTR Return of the King extended edition at the same time, so it wasn't like I was super focused or efficient).

As I reach the end of this fast, I inevitably ask myself, "What have I learned from this experience?" I haven't done as much reflecting as I would have imagined - I've concentrated more on simply surviving. I felt this morning and afternoon like I was in a race with death - would I be able to reach the 72 hour finish line before death caught up with me?

So what have I learned? Let me sleep on it.

Why?

55 hours of fasting sounds pretty impressive. And I think it is. I feel weak. I feel lightheaded. Today and yesterday, my only real days of vacation to do anything in my classroom and in my house, have been essentially useless. I'm too out of it to drive anywhere. Like Frodo approaching Mount Doom, consumed by the vision of a wheel of fire, I am obsessed by this fast. It occupies nearly every moment of my thinking. Each step, each breath, is experienced in the context of the fast.

So why am I doing it? A good question. It's not to lose weight (cuz that would just be silly). Here's why:

1. To see if I can - to challenge my mental toughness.
2. To develop a greater appreciation for food and hunger.
3. To reach a different level of consciousness.
4. To cleanse my body.
5. Because I thought it would be an interesting, unique way to end the year.

48 Hours

I cant believe it...I never imagined that I could do this! I really thought I was going to break yesterday...but now I feel like I have hit the peak, and am slowly moving into completion.

Do I want to eat? Oh yes! My cravings have ranged from really cheesy nachos to El Pollo Loca-esque chicken...but I'm not stopping. Not now...not when I have come so far!

I dont recommend anyone try fasting on only water for three days...but I'm glad I am doing this in some sick way.

My own body - it's what's for dinner

And breakfast and lunch. Nearly 48 hours of fasting have gone by, and I feel remarkably alert but definitely weak and low energy.

The night brought me the passive pleasure of time passing sans consciousness, but thankfully no odd dreams or visions of ice cream topped with whipped cream and caramel. Or of pumpkin pie. I've had this craving for pumpkin pie ever since about the 20th hour.

Yesterday was made easier, perhaps, by the rain. I spent nearly all day in bed, either reading or sleeping, listening to the rain falling as Robert Langdon tried to save the Vatican from getting blown up by antimatter (he did).

Only about 25 hours left.

This Is Easy

While the first 24 hours brought nothing but hunger pain, lack of concentration, and irritability....the last 24 have been a piece of cake, all things considered.

I don't feel weak; I can think rather clearly, and I'm not hungry at all, really. The thought of eating seems like a distant memory now...and I may have discovered what true hunger is: my brain telling me that it is time to eat out of habit, not out of necessity. Of course, I have completely stopped working out or doing anything physical to conserve as much energy as possible, but as I hopefully coast into the last 24 hours of this experiment, I find myself so curious as to why I am such a moron to do this in the first place.

Half Way There-ish

Fully into the second day of fasting, something funny has happened: I am not hungry.

After working all day and then teaching at night, I feel a slight headache, but nothing else. I did have some moments of concentration problems today.

I am eager to see what tomorrow brings....the last "full day" of the fast. My breath is AWFUL though....what is being shot into my mouth from not eating? I'm not quite sure. Maybe the burgers of Christmas Past are staking their claim.

Keeping your eyes closed

One seemingly scholarly article on fasting had me feeling good about our choice of water fasting (until today, of course, we had no idea there were other types!). Water fasting, the doctor proposed, was the right way to go, claiming juice fasting advocates were full of nonsense. But, he claimed, the #1 mistake fasters make is that they neglect to keep their eyes closed the WHOLE time so you can hear your "God within."

Coincidentally, I've spent a good amount of my 31 hours of fasting in a state of sleep, but I haven't heard my God within. Instead I've dreamed about self-help guru Tony Robbins, who later turned into Lindsey Lohan wearing a blond wig, still claiming to be Tony Robbins. I also dreamed about going to In n Out and ordering a 4 x 4.

In my slumberous stupor, I talked to my body about what it should do given that I haven't even reached the halfway point of the fast. I wasn't sure it was willing to listen, so I held my breath. That got it's attention. "Listen, body!" I said. "You can't get any food for a long time yet, but what you CAN eat is the fat stores along my midsection. Got it?" I then proceeded to dream about cannibalism. Funny how the mind works.

29 Feels Hungry

A friend of mine asked me today how my birthday was. Seeing as my birthday was just a few days ago, this was by no means an odd query.

I told him, "29 Feels Hungry" and so it does as I sprint past the first 24 hours of my fast. OK...Maybe not a sprint, but there is some sort of movement forward.

***

I thought since I am about 24 hours into my stupidity, I might as well look up on the internet how to correctly do a water fast...and little did I know, there seems to be a water vs. juice-fast debate that has been raging for centuries. It seems most of the modern perception is that a water-fast is "idiotic" and that "only a complete moron would try this." P-shaw! Scientific Evidence, Smientific Smevidence.

So although I could be doing a juice diet...I have chosen water. It seems harder and more of an accomplishment anyway. I am interested what I find out about myself through this endeavor.

Initially, I have discovered that I enjoy food.

I think I See Dead People

Heading towards the first 24 hours of the fast, my stomach, although it appears to be full, is actually quite empty....my head is light...and I keep wondering why I agreed to do this.

I didn't sleep well last night...and every time I woke up...my stomach was growling.

How fast will this be?

11.5 done, only 60.5 to go

So Mark and I had this crazy idea that we would finish off "our year" with a bang by fasting for 3 days. The fasting began today at 12:30 after a big, big last meal at the Elephant Bar in Irvine. Mark with his jambalaya and I with my fajitas relished each bite, knowing that it would be our last for a full 72 hours.

So now I wait. With only the delicious, satisfying taste of water to comfort me, I cautiously approach the next 60 or so hours. I, a man who loves to eat and can eat an awful lot, will fast. Ironically, the time will pass slowly.

Mark and I will post here, when the need seems dire, our reflections, general thoughts, and possibly hallucinations as we go through this foodless journey together to close out 2004, aka "our year."