As you may remember, I quit sugar and snacks recently, but I wanted to take it a step further and focus on my relationship with food in general, so I added a couple rules to the challenge to take it up a notch:
- Alternate day fasting (ADF)
- Eat normal human portions
Here’s how it went
Setting myself up for failure
The day before I start my “challenge,” I decided to rid my house of all the sugar and snacks… by consuming them all. This idea sounded great to my monkey brain.
I woke up the next morning with what I can only describe as a snack hangover: I felt like garbage (splitting headache, the works). To make matters worse, I had an event at my son’s school to go to after work at which my wife (bless her heart) reserved a pizza for our family. So not only did I have to avoid the cookies and pancakes at this event, I was forced to watch my family consume a delicious pizza while I fasted with a still-pounding headache. After I got home, I had some tea with unflavoured electrolytes and I was cured.
The next day was smooth sailing until my wife came home from the movies with a full refill of theatre popcorn just for me. To clarify, I did tell my wife that I was starting this challenge, so at this point I’m wondering if she’s actively trying to sabotage me or if she just pretends to listen to me.
With my willpower intact I invite her to participate in the challenge with me. Apparently one of the characters in the movie she went to had an ear piercing and she wanted me to get one too, so we made it interesting. If she could make it 40 days without sugar/snacks, I’d get my ear pierced.
To be clear, I’ve never wanted an ear piercing (not out of a fear of pain, but more out of a fear of looking like a pop-star that was big 30 years ago or a washed up Much Music VJ). I don’t know, at my age I feel like a fresh ear piercing would scream midlife crisis. The next day, I consulted with a Gen Z colleague of mine, and she assured me they are making a comeback (unironically no less). Thus my saboteur became my accomplice.
Exceptions
To be honest, I knew in advance that the first week was going to be a bit of an exception to the challenge since it was my birthday week, but I made sure to be clear with the boundaries of that exception:
- Sugar allowed on the day of my birthday.
I’m not going to tell everyone at work “no thanks” to the birthday cake they lovingly brought in for me and then awkwardly stand around while they consume cake on my behalf. - No limit at birthday parties.
I’m going to enjoy all the food possible with my friends and family at my birthday gatherings. I usually have two (one with family and one with friends). I am exempt from the “eat normal human portions” rule at these gatherings. - Birthday cake doesn’t count.
My family traditionally bakes me a birthday cake. I’m not going to try to consume the whole thing on the day of my birthday and I ain’t throwing it out, so birthday cake is exempt from the challenge until it is completely consumed. - Exceptions 1 and 3 apply to my wife as well.
After all, I’m not a monster.
Fasting was way easier now that my body had adjusted to the longer fasting window (I didn’t feel the hunger so much anymore).
About halfway through the week, I got a one-two punch to the ol’ willpower. First, new snacks appeared on the snack table at work, and then I found out my colleagues planned to have lunch at a favourite restaurant of mine at the end of the week (a fasting day). I steered clear of the snacks and begrudgingly declined the lunch invite.
Lucky for me, my eating days were lined up with my birthday gatherings. On my birthday, my colleagues brought in a ridiculous salted caramel & brownie cheesecake, and my family baked my birthday cake of choice (confetti cake (with sugar-free pudding icing this year)). I ate a copious amount of delicious food. Zero regrets.
At the end of the week, I had a problem: leftovers. I didn’t want all this great food going to waste, so I decided both Saturday and Sunday would be eating days.
The hard road back on track
Early in the week, I realized my mistake. By eating two days in a row in the previous week I had shifted my ADF schedule. Normally, not a big deal, but in this case I had a potluck to go to on what was now a fasting day.
I had two choices to correct the schedule:
- Do another two day eating period
- Do a two day (61-hour) fast
I opted for the 61-hour fast to get back on track. In the past, I had completed a 61-hour fast but it went a bit sideways. Long story short, I came down with a stomach bug just as I was about to break my fast and couldn’t eat for a couple days after that, but it was time to give it another shot.
Early in the week, I went to the theatre to see Send Help (which was a great movie by the way), and for the first time ever, I skipped the concessions. That’s right, I just watched the movie without filling myself with popcorn, candy, and soft drinks. It felt good.
I woke up the next day feeling great, no food hangover and ready to not eat for 2 days straight. At work, a coworker brought in some homemade monkeybread. Didn’t even flinch; I noticed I wasn’t craving sweet foods as much anymore. Kept it locked in all day and headed to bed early. One day down.
The next day, I woke up refreshed (even though the kids kept me up all night) and ready for fast day number two. I got to work and a catered breakfast was waiting for all of us compliments of the higher ups. It smelled amazing. I started off strong in the morning, but the smell lingered all day. By the end of the day, I was counting the hours left in my fast.
The next morning I woke up feeling weird. I quaffed a banana, walked for a half hour, and ate some CrunchMush and started feeling better. I got to work and this time breakfast is on my desk. I consumed my victory meal without regret. I had survived my second 61 hour fast, and I was back on track for the weekend potluck.
The longer I did it for, the easier it got
Were there more exceptions made in the final weeks? Yes. Life happens and I continued to adjust my schedule. Sometimes I ate one meal on a fasting day and two meals on an eating day to accommodate family get-togethers.
Did I succeed in eating “normal human portions” every day? No, sometimes I overate, but I made sure to “Fail like a cat” and not quit the challenge entirely.
After six weeks, I noticed something: it got easier. Alternate day fasting was just part of my routine. Sugar cravings went away. In fact, after the challenge concluded I had a victory sugary snack and it didn’t hit my brain like it used to. It was just, “meh.” I also noticed I was about 13 pounds lighter than I was when I started.
Did this challenge fix my relationship with food? No, but I think it was definitely a step in the right direction and I’m happy I did it.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go get my ear pierced.