Day 10 & Day 11: Ending It Early? Nah!

To be honest, I didn't even think about this thing on Wednesday or Thursday. My mind has firmly adjusted back to my normal routine, and it feels good. Not as much stress, feeling stronger and actually BETTER after getting almost back to my previous state. Not sure if I'm there yet and maybe it's just the initial high after returning from such a down place last week, but we'll see. I still plan on the day 21 update, but I'm not sure there is going to be much to report between now and then.

Day 9: Full Power?

My dad always had a term he used, "full power", which he would always tease me about as a kid and ask everyday when I woke up, was I at "full power?" Yesterday, I felt it. Plenty of sleep, nice lunch, good workout and some other positive things. If only all days could be like Tuesday August 17th, 2010 was!

Day 8: Back in Action FINALLY!

Long ass day at work, some minor annoyances, but stayed focus, came home and FINALLY was able to keep a decent pace up running. 3 miles in about 42 minutes, not the greatest pace, but did so without pain and numbness in the legs. Killed it on the egg whites too, and felt much better, although eating 10 egg whites is maybe a little overkill haha. The first day since day 3 that I really felt normal, and was able to do some slight lifting before bed this evening. I'm betting by day 21, I'll be right back on track, and today was the first day I felt that confident.

Day 7: Relaxing Sunday

It was Sunday, the best day of the week. It's usually relaxing, and today was. Had to work, but that didn't really bring things down. I finally felt myself most of the day, was able to do a decent workout and then go for a nice walk after dinner. It was my first HUGE meal since Wednesday, a sweet potato, apple, 8 ounces of chicken, 2 bowls of broccoli, 5 egg whites, onions, peppers, grapes, a couple bottles of water and some other various side items. It felt good to finally feel full on some of these items. The workout was alright but it was exhausting, and even on the walk in the evening, I felt that lack of energy. Not what I was used to. I can normally go without really feeling physically exhausted, even after a tough run. I guess you still have to build that stamina back up, but this alerted me that it may take a little longer than expected to get back into that peak shape. It's going to be a easy Monday, and since I'm off work Tuesday and Wednesday, we're gonna really push myself one of those days to see how hard I can really go.

Day 6: Moving Toward Normalcy?

It was a rough morning, but I felt pretty decent. Other than having to return to work and do something I really don't enjoy at all, today was good. Got my fluids in, ate really well with apples, bananas, egg whites, sweet potato and other quality fiber/protein sources. Most importantly, I was able to sustain a decent 3-mile workout with only very light cramping/pain. Hopefully tomorrow I can go a little more intense, even though I'm not sure I'm ready for 5-6 miles yet. Muscles still a little sore, so weight training has to wait another day, but overall, this was the first day of actually feeling pretty normal.

Still a little down after seeing the affect this has on everything, but even more motivated to show that it can be reversed in a short amount of time. Tomorrow means even more fluids, and an increased energy intake/output.

Day 5: Reality Is Setting In...

Today there isn't much to report, so I'm gonna keep it short. Tomorrow is my first day back to work in a week, I'm feeling pretty crappy, both physically and mentally and I'm still sore as hell and unable to really do any physical activity. The daunting task ahead of giving up the easy/sedentary lifestyle and actually getting back into a responsible eating and physical activity routine is weighing on me, even though I've done it for over a year now without issues. I'm still amazed how only a few days away from it can literally warp your mind/body into forming such unhealthy habits that can easily become a normal day to day thing. The majority of the day was spent sleeping, sitting around and preparing for the next few weeks. I did go for a brief walk/job today, about 2.5 miles, and walked the dog for another 2 miles, but again, it was rough on the calves and I was actually tired (especially after the jog). Tomorrow I plan on intensifying the running a bit and starting my first full day of lifting weights (everything has been to sore to really do so). We will see how it goes. The key to getting through the weekend is going to be fluids and easing my body back into a normal amount of food and feeding it stuff that can aid in digestion and boost metabolism, instead of completely stunt/warp it.

Day 4: Post-Experiment Statistics; The Cleanse Begins

Thursday morning, following a 72-hour intake of calories that would normally be suited to be consumed over 30 days, not three. I woke up and felt awful. I was sore all over, my head was killing me, my stomach hurt and at the same time, I was starving. My body, apparently after growing accustomed to this eating pattern, wanted more, and unfortunately for it, my mind denied it of everything. After packing up, I took a shower, grabbed a couple of apples, a bottle of water and was on the road home (literally and figuratively).

The drive home was peaceful. Listened to music, contemplated what I had done, tried to study closely how I felt and what my body was telling me. I have to say, despite numerous distractions, every sign I passed advertising a cheeseburger or tasty dessert, tempted me. I began to feel a slight addiction to this food, even though I kept telling myself not to eat anymore, I wanted to. There was some sort of desire that made everything else feel inconsequential, that we could always "get on the wagon next time." I saw first hand how easy it is to just continue a lifestyle like this on a daily basis and put off taking control and getting into shape. It got worse as I got near home, a stop at a gas station saw me go inside and pass up so many tempting items that just a day ago I would've had a field day with. I ended up settling with a pack of gum and a banana. Let me also add that the gum is a great way to stop intense cravings, and I figure to go through quite a bit immediately following the experiment.

As I arrived home, I unpacked everything, and then knew it was time to face the facts. It was time to take my stats again, and see exactly what the 72-hours of sabotage had really done to my body. Keep in mind, despite feeling crappy, looking worse and battling my mind (and appetite), I knew the telling signs would be the statistics. And despite drinking a few bottles of water, eating three apples and a banana thus far on the day, I wasn't really prepared for what the numbers would really say. They are below:

Statistics as of 5:30 PM on 08/12/2010:

Age: 26
Height: 5'7
Weight: 161.4 lbs
Waist: 35.0 inches
Midsection: 35.0 inches
Blood Sugar (fasting): 111 mg/dL
Blood Pressure: 122/70
Pulse (resting): 69 BPM

The evening of 08/12/2010, I attempted to run, on a slight incline, for 8 minutes at 6 MPH. My legs cramped up and I had to stop and only maintain a light jog the rest of the way. I ended up walking at a 3 MPH pace for another 42 minutes, but after the workout, my feet were almost numb and I was visibly tired and winded. I felt completely spent after a workout that would generally be something I could do very easily.

After this, I decided to take some Tylenol, eat a couple of egg whites and another apple and hit the hay for the night. I figured it may be a rough night because my body was being deprived of the routine it had come to expect over the past 3 days, so I got comfortable and expected it to be a LONG night.