Fasting Day 4 - The True Test Awaits

I've coined a new term to describe this 10 day "fasting" I'm practising: The SortaFast. As I've mentioned already, it's not a proper, monk-on-a-mountain type fast, but rather a severe reduction in food intake - approx 390 calories per day, which is well shy of my preferred daily intake of 14,000 and change. Rather than explain this every day, I'm just calling it a SortaFast and you'll know what I mean. Cool? Cool. 

So, day 4 of the SortaFast was much like day 3: Not to bothered by hunger pains but felt light headed and weak for much of the day. According to Miss Meathead - the resident expert on the matter - this is onset of ketosis, which is the bodies way of both acknowledging the change in diet and punishing me at the same time. 

Other than that, the only real bother is that I have food on the brain constantly, far more than usual. The principle of wanting what you can't have is in hyperdrive. I've been craving things I don't even eat that much. For example, I was watching an episode of Friends this morning and Rachel/Monica were sat at their table. On this table was a plate of 4 (I counted) cookies. Chocolate chip if im not mistaken. The cookies had nothing to do with the plot line, they were just there as a prop, probably unnoticed by any of the billion people who have seen the episode and yet I locked in to it like a Patriot Missile. For the rest of the day, I had a feverish yearn for chocolate chip cookies, and I'm not even that big of a cookie guy. I mean, I like cookies as much as the next guy,  but I don't make it a point to throw some in the trolley when I'm at the shops, I'll put it that way.

Had my 3 MREs today as scheduled - same as the previous 3 days. If I had to pick a favourite (like picking your favourite vaccine shot), it would be the power bar I had for breakfast. As I wasn't sharing, I cut that thing into 17 pieces. I'd cut it into  more if I could [a la the scene from Goodfellas where Pauly is slicing garlic with a razor blade].

Today also marks the end of my 2 weeks off which means I'm off to Brighton tomorrow. This is going to be the most severe test of SortaFast to date.  See, Brighton is 4 hours away from my house so I'm in hotels til i come back in a few days. Brighton being Brighton, I will be no more than 200 metres from every heavenly delight you can think of: Burritos, sushi, burgers, American BBQ, Korean BBQ, hotdogs, delis. All of it. All of the stuff that has visited me in my dreams these last few days, and I'll have to forego all of it, in exchange for this:

I'll have to search the murky depths of my soul to find the will to walk by a place like Burger Brothers (phenomenal, but that's a post for another day) without caving in to my most primal instincts, knowing full well my only reward is a sippy cup worth of banana water.

Ah well. Mind over matter right? 

Right??

We shall see.

Til then,

Peace!

Meathead.