day three.

I've gotten overwhelming response to this blog. please feel free to tell friends about it, but if you're new to reading it, please read this post. I feel the need to address three issues:

First off, I am not a doctor or nutritionist, and can't say following this is a good idea. This diet may have understandable consequences that vary from person to person. In other words: don't try this at home. :)

Second, and somewhat related, I want to cover the medical issues. First of all, calories:
Many people are concerned with caloric intake. For this project, I am as concerned, although with a different motive. One thing many people seem not to understand is that cutting caloric intake drastically (under ~1200 calories/day) forces your body into starvation metabolism, in which it works hard to build fat stores and burn calories more slowly. If you are dieting to lose weight, consuming under 1200 calories/day is counterproductive.

For this project, starvation metabolism is beneficial which is why for the first week I aim to average about 900 calories a day. The idea is to use my remaining calories more effectively.

Starvation metabolism is not without risks, though. Short term, low blood sugar contributes to lack of energy and irritability. Long term, the risks are even greater. I have put in hundreds of hours of research into human nutrition, and understand the warning signs for nearly every nutrient deficiency. For example, not enough Vitamin A shows up first as poor night vision, which if left untreated can lead to permanent blindness. Vitamin C deficiency shows up as scurvy, and symptoms include bleeding gums. Deficiencies in other vitamins can affect digestive processes. Most vitamins are fat soluble, meaning they are stored in the liver. Enough vitamin A to last 2 years, for example, is stored in the liver. Vitamin C is the only major vitamin that is water soluble, and should be replenished daily. That said, my diet is completely lacking in Vitamin C. I was planning on using the potatoes for vitamin C, but they were unaffordable. Now I have $1.69 to figure this out. tomorrow.

I strongly urge people that are dieting to lose weight to spend time researching nutrition, and to take a multivitamin.

the third ting i wanted to talk about are the moral issues.... but I'll save that for tomorrow.

Physically, I feel okay. sometimes I lose my train of thought, but I'm not sure if that's caused by my diet.


Today, I ate:
1/2 cup oatmeal: 140 calories, 5g protein
4 pieces bread: 320 calories, 6g protein
1/2 cup rice: 300 calories, 6g protein
PB&J sandwich: 410 calories, 14g protein
3 tbsp spread: 210 calories
total: 1380 calories, 31g protein