This is it, the final day. Oddly, I'm not that excited about eating normally again. It's almost as if some homeostatic switch has flicked off. Though last night I baked some bread, and I think I ate half the loaf before I went to bed. It was all ... just one more slice ... just one more slice ... but there's something about bread hot from the oven that is hard to resist.
So here's my final verdict:
Weight Loss: I'm down nine pounds from last Thursday night. It's definitley a mix of fat and muscle. I tried to get my body fat tested at the gym to figure out how much of what is missing, but they were busy. My measurements make me think it was mostly muscle: arms, down 1/2 inch (bad); waist down 0.5 to 1.5 inches (it fluctuates but 8 pounds of fat = 2 inches in the waist, so I'd have hoped for more); chest, same; hips, down 2 inches (huhn? not sure if that was fat or muscle); legs, down one inch (bad! very bad! I like big legs).
Energy: I'm under the illusion that I have this extra energy, but the illusion is exposed whenever I exert myself. I went back to the gym, pumped out fifteen pull-ups right off, and was kind of amazed. Twenty minutes later I was exhausted and every muscle was sore, and all along I could barely lift 2/3 of what I normally could. I think this burst of energy people talk about is more a factor of, we've slowed down, we're calmer, and so more coherent in our thoughts and actions. I get more done at work - but it's more due to being less spastic.
Health: Good. My body feels good. Weak, but good. My skin feels a lot cleaner, if a bit drier; allergies are down (I can play with the kitties without getting red eyes); and I have an overall sense of being a bit more robust. This, I think, really is due to cutting down on calories. Although even here, I'm sure there's additional benefits from cutting down on coffee, eating lots and lots more veggies than I have in years, and sleeping more.
So ok, it was a good experiment. Fasting has benefits. I'll do it again, with modifications. And - since I broke all the rules and got the same benefits - I feel pretty safe in saying that Master Cleanse is bullshit. Game, Set, Match, I win.
Now it's time to go put on some weight. As soon as the sun goes down.
So here's my final verdict:
Weight Loss: I'm down nine pounds from last Thursday night. It's definitley a mix of fat and muscle. I tried to get my body fat tested at the gym to figure out how much of what is missing, but they were busy. My measurements make me think it was mostly muscle: arms, down 1/2 inch (bad); waist down 0.5 to 1.5 inches (it fluctuates but 8 pounds of fat = 2 inches in the waist, so I'd have hoped for more); chest, same; hips, down 2 inches (huhn? not sure if that was fat or muscle); legs, down one inch (bad! very bad! I like big legs).
Energy: I'm under the illusion that I have this extra energy, but the illusion is exposed whenever I exert myself. I went back to the gym, pumped out fifteen pull-ups right off, and was kind of amazed. Twenty minutes later I was exhausted and every muscle was sore, and all along I could barely lift 2/3 of what I normally could. I think this burst of energy people talk about is more a factor of, we've slowed down, we're calmer, and so more coherent in our thoughts and actions. I get more done at work - but it's more due to being less spastic.
Health: Good. My body feels good. Weak, but good. My skin feels a lot cleaner, if a bit drier; allergies are down (I can play with the kitties without getting red eyes); and I have an overall sense of being a bit more robust. This, I think, really is due to cutting down on calories. Although even here, I'm sure there's additional benefits from cutting down on coffee, eating lots and lots more veggies than I have in years, and sleeping more.
So ok, it was a good experiment. Fasting has benefits. I'll do it again, with modifications. And - since I broke all the rules and got the same benefits - I feel pretty safe in saying that Master Cleanse is bullshit. Game, Set, Match, I win.
Now it's time to go put on some weight. As soon as the sun goes down.
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