Day 5 started out wretchedly as I awoke to a stomach ache and I felt like I hadn’t gotten any sleep at all. Kitties pouncing on my tummy all morning prolly did not help things. I was stooped over in pain and having to take deep breaths just  to get ready for work. I sat down constantly just to put a little pressure on my gut.

As I headed out for work, I succumbed to Starbucks and got a Venti Skinny Mocha with coconut milk. As soon as I started drinking it on the drive, I started feeling enormously better. By the time I got to the office, I felt almost normal.

Almost. My stomach started talking for the rest of the day, rumbling and gurgling noisily. The upshot of all this is my cravings were lessened considerably–prolly because I was self-conscious of my chatty colon (and the coffee worked to suppress my appetite). I had fleeting pangs of cravings throughout the day, and while I was still planning what bingefest I’d be breaking my fast with, I was a little less enrapt with the notion.

Despite the tummy talking, I felt more energized for the rest of the afternoon. I suspect the caffeine had a more potent effect on me now that I’ve "detoxed". I hate that word btw…our bodies (as long as we’re relatively healthy) have its own mechanisms for detoxifying. The modern usage of "detox" has come to refer to new age rituals, cleanses, purges, and all sorts of strange concoctions and services that people undergo to rid themselves of perceived poisons.

it would be better to say that my body was functioning in a more natural, pure octane state, since I haven’t consumed anything to promote inflammation, suppress my metabolic function and otherwise have an adverse effect on my body. Despite that I felt a little fatigued all day, my outlook was positive, full of energy. I had plenty of Yelping done and I wasn’t bothered by the barrage of dining suggestions and food porn on the site.

TMI: Well I was surprised to have a movement today, given that I had thought my system emptied on Day 2. 

My weight training turned out pretty good. I did squats, bench presses and rear delt rows and wasn’t wiped out afterwards. I even had the TV on watching Food Network, and while I was captivated by some of the recipe ideas, I didn’t feel like rushing out to buy a ton of food and snarf it all down in one sitting. I was certainly hungry, but I wasn’t craving in a way that took over my thought processes and steered me into a collision course with an large thin crust pizza spinach chicken alfredo with extra garlic, anchovies and 2 dozen wings on the side. Even writing about it remotely triggered some cravings, but not as urgent as it used to be.

After playing with kitties, getting in a game of Diablo 3, I realized I still had plenty of energy at 12 midnight. A complete 180 from when I woke in the morning. But knowing there could be dire consequences the next day I hustled myself into bed at 1a. I planned on weeding the garden on Saturday. 

My ending weight was 143 lbs. My blood pressure started within normal range in the morning, about 100/70. After arriving home from work, it was in the 140/70 range. I’d like to see more improvement with my bp. 

I suspect it is the reCAPTCHA plugin that’s breaking the MFP blog. Or that there is an initial limit to how big an entry I can enter before trying to add a new post.

Day 4 seemed to progress the same way Day 3 went. I was a little fatigued throughout the day, but I was mobile without too much effort. I did take 2 acetaminophen earlier in the day, so I was pain-free throughout.

That escalation meeting I was dreading during first half of my day turned out okay, with most of my frustration targeting the project manager of my account. For the most part I was happy that none of the blame fell on me, but I ultimately I’m glad I didn’t experience any anxiety or emotional rollercoasting.

Cravings still came and went during the normal times. I made it worse by looking at Yelp, and planning a bingefest post-fast. Which is not the proper thing to do, given my stomach will be thoroughly empty once I break the fast. One of the activities I wanted to do which happens on Day 7 is attend a showing of Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka at a dine-in theater. I’m still debating whether I’d like to break my fast early and see the movie. BTW: Dine-in theaters are big in Texas, and that’s the only way I watch new movies now.

I had a chance to funnel some creative energy at the oil change station while waiting for my truck to get worked on. I was sketching some wall decor/catification ideas in a sketchpad that I brought with me. Focusing on this endeavor, I was able to forget about my cravings for about 15-20 minutes. But the close proximity of restaurants brought them back in full force once I was on the drive home again. 

When I got home from work, I skipped the workout due to my weariness. I hit the game and found that I was doing okay with reflexes and alertness. I did get frustrated when I died on a few occasions, but I was playing on higher difficulty levels and pushing progression. However I hit my limit about an hour and half, especially when a little nausea crept in at the end. I suspect sitting down for so long and the onset of bedtime was telling me sleep was in my immediate future. Looking at my step counter, I only logged slightly over 1k steps in total for the day; in others very low activity.

My ending weight was 144.4lbs. I still didn’t get a chance to check my BP, but if the fasting literature is correct, it will be back to normal and I can stop taking my meds. 

Really frustrated that MFP blogging is broken…it takes several attempts to post an entry.

Day 3 started much easier than Day 2. I had taken some acetaminophen in the early morning, but the heaviness and achy feeling was sufficiently reduced to allow me a little more clarity in thinking.

Cravings started about the usual time, between 12p and 9p, though less intense as I tried to steer clear of triggers, such as smells, imagery, and blogging about food.

Work provided occasional distractions to keep my mind off food, and with an escalation meeting looming on Thursday, I focused on keeping emotionally balanced. One of my worries about fasting is staying in touch with my moods and remaining stable.

Another thing that has occupied my thoughts are creative endeavors related to home improvement. While I haven’t applied pen to paper enough, I’ve been mulling ideas about little craft projects around the house.

Energy-wise, I do feel that I am still dragging slightly, though when I take a short walk, I get a short boost of stimulation. I did head out to my fave clothing store and bought a few pieces to buoy my spirits.

For my Wednesday workout, I completed a 5×5 squat-bench-deadlift routine, though the 145#s deadlifts really sapped my energy. I had attempted to do straight leg deadlifts at 155#s but found it too much, so I scaled back. I am thinking of adding some yoga or bodyweight routines to Thursday’s program just to help with the fat burn.

One thing I should be checking is blood pressure, as I am still taking the meds during the day.

I am also taking supplementation during the evening, though literature about supplementing during fasting suggests that taking them is more potent with meals.

I did experience a brief bout of nausea post workout when I sat on the couch, playing with the kitties. But I got up and walked around a bit, and the nausea passed. 

I did not do any gaming, so I didn’t get a chance to assess my reflexes.

Got to bed a little earlier.

I ended day 3 at 146.4 lbs. Not as exciting a difference between Days 1 & 2, but it’s still a downward trend, so I’m satisfied. 

The day started out as one gigantic effort. Waking up in the morning I felt very sluggish, like a tremendous heaviness kept dragging me down, and gravity worked against effort I made. There was a weight that pressed on the top of my head which persisted all day.

Despite this, I still experienced intense cravings during the normal hours between 11a to 9p. These came in waves, though they diminished when I had to attend an escalation meeting mid-afternoon. In order to avoid some of the triggers when coworkers started prepping their lunches, I took a brief walk in the warehouse or checked on my accounts on the production floor. If I even smelled food, it was enough to get me salivating, so I had to get out of the area immediately.

The ride from work to home was also long, filled with temptations which I tried to blinder myself to. During the drive, listening to the radio became more irritation than pleasure, so I puzzled over the sense of heaviness and frustration that pervaded my day. I decided to stop and shop at my fave clothing store, Maurices, to see if the visit would provide some stimulation while getting to walk around for awhile.

It occurred to me that the previous day’s exertions may have sufficiently starved me of energy. (That transition from sugar-burning to fat-burning is rough!) I also didn’t get enough sleep. So now I have to be wary of the next exercise routine and be sure to get plenty of rest afterwards.

I also noted that once I was home I was exhibiting some signs of inattentiveness and sluggish response times. I was repeatedly dying at Diablo 3 and some conversations required too much effort to make decisions. Even playing with the kitties was quite exhausting, lifting my hands to dole out string teases was taxing.

I eventually decided to take 2 acetaminophen during the evening to relieve some of the achy heaviness. I also got into bed an hour earlier than previous.

Even though I felt too worn out to enjoy the accomplishment, I did experience a sense of victory in completing the 2nd day of fasting. 

Day 1 started at 151lbs.

Day 2 started at 147.8lbs.