day 8 of 42 days

Yesterday was a very busy day, and I barely had time to comply with my diet. I did, however, successfully stay on my diet. 8 Days with only eating veges, fruits, and nuts!! My wife, however, cheated yesterday when she went out to eat with her sisters at Cabos Rest. She ordered a burrito w/out the tortilla (the rest was beans, lettuce). She eventually couldn't resist the tortilla that was sitting on the side of her plate. I said "that's ok, I'll just have some salmon tomorrow". I didn't really mean it, just an idle threat. I really want to try this diet, strictly for 6 weeks, and see what comes of it.

One frustration is that since being on this diet, I am completely unable to sleep at night, and I think in large part it is due to the fact my nose has been stuffed ever since the diet. I have to breath out of my mouth, which I am unaccustomed to(I have to breath through my nose). I'm hoping that somehow this diet is just cleansing my nasal passage as well, and in a few days I'm back to normal.

Other than that I'm doing very well.

day 7 of 42 days

I wanted to write in this thing more faithfully, but have been preempted by work and school and putting in a fence, etc.

It has almost been a week since we started our diet, and I have to say I feel much better. The first couple of days were really very hard, but we made it through. I still have difficulty eating greens (with no salt or butter), but somehow we've managed to stay on the diet, observing the strictness they've imposed.

My mind is not so clouded as it was just a week ago. I think on more clearly now, and I'm guessing it is the lack of sugar and fats, or perhaps, it is just the nutrients that my body is absorbing now. The book we're reading is called "eat to live". It's really quiet impressive, and I can't wait to continue on with it. The book actually contains the diet we are currently on.

A few thoughts about the diet and its usefullness and effectiveness. Since I started the diet, my bones/ligaments have actually been "popping", and my left shoulder is actually sore. I don't know if that's from the food or just coincidence. Anyway, I've been unable to sleep at all the last few days. I just sit in bed and count sheep. Funny thing is, I'm not tired in the morning or throughout the day, except for last night when my wife and I were saying our prayers and I fell asleep while saying prayer! It was rather embarrissing and funny.

Another weird thing, my bowel movements have been much smoother, but not as frequent as I had hoped. Ironically, the book talks about curing the "eternal runny nose". Well, since going on this diet, I have had a really bad runny nose, which I'm hoping will go away soon. Maybe my body is still releasing all the toxins stored for who knows how many years.

I'm glad to be on this diet and making such a serious committment to health. My wife and I were just talking about doing it once a year (for the entire 6 week period). Our health insurance is so bad, it is just good common sense to take care of ourselves.

day 3 of 42 days

Last night, my wife and I took the kids on a ride into Pleasant Grove where we helped some friends move into a newly purchased home. We were really happy for them, and it appears that they got a great deal.

Just after the move, we went to a nearby Macey's food store, where we purchased about 60$ worth of food for our diet. We bought all sorts of fruits and vegetables, ranging from strawberries, pineapple, etc, to garbonzo beans, black beans, etc., to green leafy salads. We also purchased some items that were OK for the diet such as whole-grain pita's, two varieties of hummus (originial and roasted red pepper), and some tofu. The diet is very strict, forbidding any kind of oils, salts, sugars, fats, etc. Having said that, you are allowed to eat hummus which, consequently, contains traces of both oils and salts, but that's it!

Anyway, today I woke at 5:20 am after beginning a church fast the evening before. I woke up with no energy, having eaten just fruits and veges very sparingly the two days before. After my church meetings, I came home and helped Anne with the kids. Even at 8:40 in the morning, my energy levels were down to "0", and the day was only beginning. After running after my son all day at church (my daughter was actually very well behaved), I felt even more tired. When church did get out at high noon, I felt a tremendous sense of relief, but knew it would still be a difficult day because not only was I on a vege diet, but I was also fasting (no drink or water) until 5 pm tonight.

So far I haven't noticed anything remarkable about the diet. I have noticed, however, that the western american diet, high in fats and sugars, is everywhere. Not many stores, especially restaurants accommidate a diet low (or in our case non-existant) in fats/sugars. My wife is concerned that we won't have enough money to do the diet. I believe that we will actually have more money because of all the junk we are cutting out of the diet; no more Big Macs, no more hostess HO HO's, no more $15.00 steaks. It is actually quite reasonable.

Having been on trips and just being with people in the food industry, I have eaten a lot of junk the last 2 months; ice cream almost every day, lots of meat and dairy, very little salad. My body is going through major with-drawals, and I hope my body can survive. I am determined to do this diet, and know it will be for our better health, no matter how much my body screens, and pushes and pulls these next few days. We understand through others that have been on the diet, that the first 5 days your body just screams for the fats, oils, salts, and sugars it is used to having. I now have been sugar-free for almost 3 whole days!!! That must be a first for me.

6 week course - introduction

My wife and I are going through a 6 week diet in which we are projected to both lose weight and become more healthy. My wife's motivation for the diet is to lose weight. My motivation is more to rid myself of some physical ailments I've felt in the last few months (or perhaps my whole life, but didn't know it).

Among my hopes for the program:

• lose headaches

• more energy throughout the day (right now I must take a nap on a daily basis)

• better mind energy (ability to digest information and learn-I forget things, if I ever learn the concept in the first place!!)

• sleep better at night

• less frequent urination (when I have to go, watch out!! It's more my body's inability to hold it). During the night, sometimes I will have to go to the bathroom 3 or 4 times. Needless to say, this is horrible on a person's sleep schedule.
  

• better endurance when running/exercising

• prepare for a healthier lifestyle throughout the coming years (I don't want a quad-bypass)

• lose the itching scalp syndrome I've had for over 15 years (no joke! 15 years). Others in my fam have it as well, but we've never nailed down the cause.
• cold like symptoms - I often have allergies throughout the year where I experience runny noses, extremely loud sneezing, etc. I anticipate that this diet will improve my immune system. Each time I wake up I go into sneezing conniptions which will, in turn, wake up my poor wife. She's told me if this program didn't work, I'm to seek medication.
  
• ability to focus better: althroughout my life, I've experienced problems with focusing and understanding material at school. When I did understand it, I would forget it just as quickly.
  

What I plan to do:
I'm going to get up every morning at 6:30am(latest), run for 1 mile, read my scriptures, etc.
The only thing I will eat is raw/cooked vegetables and fruits with a little nuts (IE, no meats, oils, butters, salts, sugars, dairy, etc). Fruits and Vege's are the extent.
This will occur from sept 03, 2004 - oct 15, 2004.
I will be writing daily to determine the success of program by recording actual events vs expectations.

day 2 of 42 days