I have come to realize how often I eat for entertainment/socializing, personal pleasure, or just out of habit. This recognition came as a result of my fast that ends today. “Can I Rebuild Myself” explains my motivation.

Today is the final day of the fast and I will begin to transition back to food. For nine (9) full-days I did not eat anything. I consumed only water, one daily glass of water mixed with sea salt, one cup of tea, and a daily 60-ounces of a lemonade recipe. I understand how shocking that might sound to some. I had similar feelings. Would I get sick? Could I last? I had no idea if I could do one-day without eating – I never had. Nonetheless, I did nine days and could do more if pushed.

Never was I hungry. Say what!? It’s true, I never felt hungry as strange as that is to say. The first two days I had a bit of craving (and maybe withdraw) for sugar and caffeine, but nothing intense. I wanted to eat, but it was out of instinct or pleasure. As days passed this became easier to manage.

The only difficulty came with depriving myself of eating for pleasure or entertainment, and breaking my habits. I had every regular meal with my family. I just sat down with an empty plate and fork, whether it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and talked and drank – no eating. As a result, an illusion was created for the kids, in that they never noticed that something was different – thus I didn’t have to explain to them what I was doing which might have been challenging.

I exercised, through more moderately than usual, because I was unsure how my body would respond. All along, I felt strong. Never did I have the weak feeling that you get when sick. If anything, my energy level elevated.

I endured a Superbowl party – that dip looked good! Managed shoveling and snow-blowing the driveway for three storms. Went to hockey game. And did everything else as normal, but without food.

I slept fine, if not better than usual. My skin got clear. I lost 13 lbs in total, going from 178 to 165 – but I am sure I’ll pack several back on.

The long term benefits are yet to be determined, but I am encouraged. My major issue, back pain, has improved greatly. I can’t tell you how excited I am about that. Is it because I lost 13? Maybe, and if so, that is really good to know. Or did my body actually heal itself, as I was hoping? Too soon to tell, but I’ll let you know.