SHUHEI MATSUO
Assistant Online Editor
In the Sept. 7, 2006 issue of the Graphic, then sports editor, Jane Lee (current Editor-in-Chief), wrote a column and claimed that eating is not a true sport, despite saying it’s on her “Julie Andrews-esque list of ‘my favorite things.’”
The petite young woman, who is 5’3’’ and barely weighs 110 pounds, says she loves eating and calls herself “your meat and potatoes gal.” She must try very hard to stay healthy.
Well, even if she was serious, I would have to disagree with that statement.
I, too, love eating so much that I can gain seven pounds in a week, which is what I did over spring break by simply losing self control in this department. I sometimes wish I could seek fame out of this, like those Independence-Day hot dog eaters, who can munch up to 66 hot dogs and buns in merely 12 minutes.
Just like any other athletes, those big eaters train with much dedication and discipline. Plus, the world’s hot dog championship receives better viewer ratings than bowling, any Orioles-Rays match-up or a Pepperdine-Gonzaga basketball game on ESPN. If eating can entertain so many viewers, it deserves to be called a sport.
In general, athletes are very cautious about what they eat. Many of them have specific diets that are part of their training. They sometimes have to consume food they dislike to obtain more strength, speed and endurance. That’s dedication.
Speaking of dedication, you know what also really should be a sport? Not eating.
I’d never fasted before because I just didn’t see myself putting so much effort to give up something I love, until my mom showed me a book on fasting over winter break. The book explained a number of benefits and didn’t state anything negative except for possible bad breaths and, of course, severe hunger. It fascinatingly changed my perspective on fasting.
Pre-Fasting
So after a seven-day road trip in an RV, I weigh myself at the gym. The scale reads 195 pounds. OK, I remember the Body Mass Index chart in my Nutrition 210 book says 185 is just in between normal and overweight for my height (6’1”). I’m now comfortably in the overweight range. This is a perfect opportunity to try out fasting.
I decide to give myself two days to prepare and two days to recover. My roommate Nick Corjon, a senior, joins me in this challenge. To prevent foul behaviors, we write what we can consume while fasting – water, fruit and vegetable juice – and sign the contract.
Day 1
We skip one meal Sunday, March 9. By the end of Sunday, we have already taken off four pounds. Nick, who wants to maintain his weight, is complaining about the sudden weight loss.
Day 2
Monday is a one-meal day. I only have a ham sandwich at 3 p.m. and starve the rest of the day. Eating your final meal before a fast is like urinating right before the start of a half marathon that you have decided to complete without stopping. I just realize my body contains a large stomach and a tiny bladder.
Day 3
Tuesday is the real game day. After having a glass of orange juice and V8 in the morning, I head to school. I text Nick to remind him not to eat. He writes back: “I hate to tell you but I stopped. I already lost seven pounds.”
A shocking response. But I’m sticking through. I pound two more cans of V8 in the afternoon and head down to the gym to weigh myself. It reads 188. Mission accomplished. But it’s not done. I have to eat light for two days to recover. I feel like my stomach has shrunk to the size of a baby’s fist.
Day 4
Surprisingly, the hunger is gone in the morning. I eat yogurt, the first food in 42 hours. Can’t believe a combination of milk and bacteria tastes this scrumptious.
Post-Fasting
After two days of eating light, I am back to my normal diet. Now I appreciate food even more than before. Thanks to that, I’ve already gained back four pounds in a week.
But hey, I now know the secret of losing weight: just stop eating. Anorexic? Sure, I finally found a way to fit in the Pepperdine community after four years.
Actually, I love food way too much to fast again. I should probably ask Jane for advice.
03-20-2008
