A week of just drinking water and no food? Am I crazy?! Maybe.

I read articles, watched youtube videos and meditated a bit about fasting. Do we really need to eat as often as we do? In my search for the best way to eat, I tried small meals, 5-6 times per day. At first, it seemed to be helping, but there's something not quite right about always thinking about food or snacks.

While I am in reasonable health overall, I do have one issue bothering me for the past few months.

Pain - in my hands.

It is probably from arthritis and likely excacerbated by the amount of typing I do. Seeing a hand doctor, he took x-rays, pointed at tiny pixel sized blemishes on the image and told me I had the beginnings of arthritis. Somehow, it seems like he found a problem, but not the problem. He told me I could use pain creme, or he could give me a cortisone shot to knock down the inflammation. As much as I want the pain to go away, I want to find and fix the problem.

Rather than get lost down the reasons why I started, let us explore the pre-fast thoughts.

Today was fairly typical for a Saturday:

Gym

  • 30, 30, 25, 10, 5 = 100 dips
  • 10x7 clean, 3x10 broken = 100 pull ups
  • floor work using gliders
  • Weight - 159.6lbs

Notes: My right elbow isn't quite right, but I cautiously powered through the pull ups.

Eating

  • Breakfast - unflavored protein powder, tumeric powder, instant coffee - 8oz
  • Lunch - Soylent shake with blueberries (pro-tip, blend up your berries)
  • Snack - 2oz or so peanuts
  • Snack - 1oz trail mix (no candies), 6 oz kombucha
  • Dinner - Veggie patties, turkey bacon, guacamole, in a lettuce wrap (about 5)
  • Snack - 2oz or so peanuts
  • Snack - 12oz or so greek yogurt parfait w/ granola, hemp, blueberries

In the past few days, a few of my thoughts:

  • "Does food control me?"
  • "Do I have to do focused meal planning to eat nutritiously?"

Let us find out. A few folks asked me to keep a journal. Among the things they asked me to monitor:

  • Impact of hunger
  • Energy/Concentration levels
  • Sleep quality/quantity & sleepiness
  • Waking/Pre-Sleep disposition
  • Accomplishments
  • Interpersonal interactions