Day 1

Day 1

Today marks the first day of my second, 40 day water only fast. I am a 60 year old man, 5' 9.5" and weighed in this morning at 239 pounds.

My first water only fast took place Aug/Sept, 2017. which I broke on the 41st day, with some very delicious watermelon. Before that day, I never knew watermelon could taste so good.

Before I began this first fast I weighed 240 pounds. When I weighed myself, on the 41st day, I weighed 191 pounds. I was impressed.

The reasons I gained the weight back, after my first fast are twofold: First, I did not have a good plan of action for after I broke my fast; second, and related, I was (am) grieving the death my 26 year old son who managed to prematurely end his life by taking a fatal overdose of drugs. My heart forever broke the day I found out he was gone.

His death has really limited my ability to make plans for the future. I've been living through each day as it comes, bearing a very heavy emotional burden.

My first fast was a part overcoming that. I thought it might serve as a catalyst for change. It wasn't. It was too soon. It did have some very positive health benefits but I've backslid and have undone much which my first fast accomplished.

Well, I can't live like that anymore. This fast is my effort to begin to move forward and try to reclaim some degree of health and happiness before I depart this world.

Losing weight and achieving some level of fitness, again, is the beginning of my effort to try and live in a world without my son. It's about me having to accept what is unacceptable. Wish me luck.

I'm including with this fast ingesting 1 tablespoon of food grade diatomaceous earth, in 10-12 oz. of well water, in the A.M., and 2 tablespoon of organic, unfiltered, unprocessed Apple Cider Vinegar with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, in 10-12 oz. water in the P.M, for at the least the first ten days, as a way to kick off the natural process of detoxification.

At the end of 10 days I'll decide if I want to continue this practice or not. It will depend entirely upon how I am feeling at that time. I will consume no alcohol for the duration of my fast.

A little more history, I was very physically active in my 20s, 30s, and 40s. My college weight was 175-180 and I rowed on the crew team and completed some long triathlons. I was a gym rat and very fit.

During my 30s my weight crept up to the 190s. I was still physically very active working as a professional Firefighter/EMT and regularly haunting the gym, working very hard to keep fit. And, beer.

In my 40s I broke the 200s, while less active I was still pretty active. I worked in the Corporate world and still liked beer.

With onset of my 50s my levels of physical activity dropped. I went through some emotional turmoil related to job security and relationship issues. I discovered Vodka, too.

Deep depression set in. Certain things didn't seem very important anymore.

Slowly, over time, I became more and more sedentary, to the point where my weight increased to today's 240 pounds, much to my chagrin. Drinking too much alcohol, over the course of this time, didn't help one bit either. Then disaster struck 29January2017 and my son was forever gone!

I will try to update this blog regularly, if for no other reason than to have my own personal record of this fast. If you've come across it and find it interesting, please comment. Encouragement is much appreciated.

Jack