I've been wanting to take some time just to record how I have been feeling and the results that I have seen since I have completed this fast.
I remembered when I first started this reading reports of people who have done similar fasts. I kind of felt like they were overstating their results a bit perhaps to justify their actions. But I must say, I really do feel much better than I have in a long, long, long time
Some of my dear friends who are following this know that I have had a really rough go for quite a few years. It is hard to explain how great I feel now in comparison.
One of my biggest struggles was depression. That coupled with a very negative attitude. I'm not sure which one leads to which but certainly they both existed pretty significantly together, not too mention a significant amount of pain in my back, and some other things as well. I was to the point where I could not maintain a normal life without getting medication. I was taking 60 mg of a particular antidepressant. I have to say that it did help and it had an unusually low degree of side effects. Just before starting this I decided I would try to cut back a little bit. As I went through the 30 day broth fast, I kept cutting back on my meds. By the time I finished the fast I was down to 20 mg per day. I'm not sure I really even need that much but I don't want to mix things up too much at this time.
The irony is that I'm feeling so wonderful. It would make sense that if I'm taking less of an antidepressant that I would be feeling more depressed but the exact opposite has been the case. I truly believe it's because of this diet and eating properly. I find that I am not tired during the day. I'm happy to stay up a little bit later than I might normally and I feel fine with less sleep than I had been getting prior to this fast.
Additionally, and quite significantly, my self-image has gone up greatly. Although I have demonstrated a good degree of arrogance in the past, much of that was probably covering up my poor self image. I remember speaking with a counselor once told me that I should look in the mirror and tell myself, "I love you". I thought that was a little odd and thought perhaps I would try it. I was unable to do finish the simple task. Now things have changed. I caught myself brushing my hair and looking at myself in the mirror and thinking, "you're okay", "you're doing alright". That is probably the most significant self-affirmation statement I feel like I have ever made in my life.
Perhaps all of this is too personal but there it is. Also my relationship with my wife has improved significantly. I find myself more in love with her than ever before. Amazing to think that we've been married 15 years and I feel like we're just beginning to date.
Another result that I have seen is my quantity of food intake has dropped quite significantly. I have heard people say that your stomach shrinks. I don't know if that is true, but I do know that I am eating a whole lot less. Dr. Saunders told me that my taste buds would change. I found that a little bit hard to swallow. Yes, that is a pun. But yet this morning at breakfast I ate two very large tomato slices. That may sound insignificant but I was that guy who really did not care for tomatoes. I am really enjoying the healthy fruits and vegetables and nuts.
Overall, I kind of feel like a bit of a new person. I almost feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I have a feeling that losing this weight, and more importantly changing the way my body metabolizes foods, will be a way of life for me and not just a flash in the pan. The results have been so fantastic, that I would not want to take the chance of reverting back to my old and unhealthy diet.
Overall, I'm doing great! I feel better than I have in years and years.
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