Day 1, 10/27/08

Glasses of "lemonade" consumed: 8

Length of time to drink quart of saltwater: 15 minutes

Length of time between completion of salt water consumption and 1st trip to the bathroom: 20 minutes

Number of bowel movements: 4

Pounds lost from previous day: 1.2

One day down, nine to go. The day started with the delightful quart of saltwater. I don't like drinking things when I wake up. I really don't like drinking water when I wake up. I emphatically don't like drinking a quart of saltwater when I wake up. I only gagged a few times and managed to finish the entire amount. 20 minutes later I was off to the bathroom.

I'm going to have to wake up a little earlier than usual so that the majority of my bathroom visits will be completed before the market opens up. The last thing I want to happen is to have to choose between watching my stock positions and going to the bathroom. The market is so crazy in the first few minutes that lots of money can be made or lost in a very short time. I would prefer to be at peace while sitting on the toilet, eliminating toxins and waste.

The "lemonade" mixture does not taste that great. The layer of flavors tastes like a poorly mixed michelada. First you taste the lemon, then the syrup, and finally the cayenne. Not too pleasant. The taste tended to linger in my mouth and throat all day.

I tried to go running, which I normally do a few times a week, to see if I had increased energy. About half a mile into the run I developed some sort of clog in the middle of my chest and lungs and decided to head home. A block from our house I had to stop running and start walking because I was experiencing the abundance of saliva that pours into your mouth right before you throw up. A bunch of coughs and a few dry heaves later I was okay. I'm guessing that I was experiencing acid reflux for the first time in my life. I don't know if I'll try to run again with all of this lemon juice and cayenne pepper in my system.

I never really experienced hunger because my stomach was filled with liquid all day. I've never consumed so much liquid in a day in my life. I had cravings for putting something in my mouth and chewing. Other times I felt like I should be eating because I hadn't eaten yet and I'm used to eating by that time. The master cleanse book says that cravings are for specific foods or tastes. Hunger is when you want to eat a bowl of plain lettuce. No hunger yet.

The main thing that I took away from day 1 is the realization of how much of our society and culture revolves around food and beverage. It seems like every other commercial on T.V. is for some type of food or drink. People also like to eat and drink while hanging out, myself included.

Days 2, 3, and 7 are rumored to be the worst days. As I compose this on day 2, so far so good, but that might change. I'll update day 2 this evening.