Robert Britt

            Author, Columnist

Fasting Part 2

      Day 3 - Does it seem like I have done this for 60 hours already? No. I am not physically hungry, but the habit of eating is sort of lingering in the back of my mind. It's like when you leave the house and you are thinking you forgot something, but it just doesn't come to you until you reach for whatever it was. I had a great analogy for the way my brain feels right now, but the semi-cloudiness has thoughts drifting in and out. I can concentrate, but trying to recall things isn't working as well as usual.

        I got an e-mail from my Mom. I had asked her about fasting, because I know she has done it. She told me her longest fast was a vegetables-only, and no between meal vegetables either, just at meal times, and water. Forty days she did that. I think that is more of a diet shift than a fast, really, but who am I to decide what the definition of a fast is? I'll decide for me and let her decide for her.

       I have continued my routine of running every morning, but this morning was decidedly slower and less energetic than usual. I ran at 5 mph on the treadmill, which for me is dreadfully slow. I usually run between six and seven miles per hour, but I just couldn't sustain that. I did manage two miles, which is slightly below average for me, but that took a long time.

      These last few entries have been more like a blog than my usual reflections on local, national or world events, but this is where I am at the moment, so bear with me.

Follow-up

It's Monday, and I wanted to post the final anlysis.

I got a ruch of creativity between hours 36 and 50 (more or less) and by creativity I mean ideas were coming and I felt clear headed like nothing was blocking them. Deb said that one thing I wrote, Heading to the Fights, was the best thing she'd ever read of mine and that it was like being there. I wrote a lot of things, non-stop nearly for 6 hours at one shot and another for 4 or 5 hours. I updated my wealth site twice and I redid the archives section of The Library, the SWAG Files , Wealth Training Source and added a whole new section there called True Tales of Childhood. Lots got done. I also nearly finished a writing assignment (books and website content. Today I finished it)

I kept up my cardio, but Thursay morning (the third morning) I felt hard pressed to finish and ran slowly 5 mph and only did two miles. Friday morning I did not run at all, even though I ate dinner Thursday night.

I lost ten pounds. I was down to 185, but that almost all came back. I am at 193 now. Fast to lose weight probably only loses muscle and that is the start of a downward spiral. Zack and I will be hitting the gym as soon as the weather turns, so that isn't an issue.

I may fast again. Not any time too soon, but I think there were mental and physical benefits. I think I cleansed out my system a bit, and I am trying to eat a little cleaner now, so maybe all in all, positive experience. The third day, after 60 hours of not eating, was the hardest part for me. I was lathargic and couldn't focus. I guess that's the end of that episode.

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