DAY 10

Letting Go.

Many people get offended by this project. Friends of mine, even. I think it mostly stems from misunderstanding my motives. They think I’m giving up food to fast or for some radical new-age diet scheme.

I usually get questions about how difficult it is not eating: “Isn’t it awkward going out to eat with friends? The conversations you have must be odd, right?”

Or ones questioning my sanity: “Are you sure you don’t want a bite of this burger?” “You seriously haven’t eaten any food this month?!”

By now, I’ve stopped dreaming about food. I’ve let go.

Any initial anxiety or awkwardness I’ve had with friends or acquaintances around food & drink has vanished. It’s not that I don’t notice the smell of my roommate cooking breakfast. Or when lunchtime rolls around and folks start microwaving leftovers at the office. I just don’t have the urge to munch anymore.

To be honest, I’m not sure what exactly attracted me to Soylent when I first placed an order. I thought their video was hokey. But their blind passion inspired me. I was skeptical of the soundness of their science (or lack thereof), but I liked their ideals. Maybe the technologist in me just wanted to be a part of something, a movement towards the future. I was also strapped for cash and the thought of eating for $10 / day intrigued me.

Then I discovered design. And minimalism. And zenhabits. And it started to make some sense.

Soylent enables freedom from the burden of choice.

For 30 days, I have made 0 decisions regarding food. How many have you made today alone? How much time did they accumulate? How much thought and energy did you harness to pick the right cantaloupe at the grocery store, or McDonald’s breakfast sandwich to order? How much anxiety or stress did it cause?

Hopefully, none. But maybe you forgot to pack lunch. Or you were in a rush and skipped breakfast. Or you browsed the menu at dinner looking for the cheapest & most filling item — I’ve done it!

Yes a Soylent-only diet is extreme. But it’s also extremely liberating. I haven’t set foot in a grocery store. Each day, I have fewer decision to make and fewer household chores to do.

Maybe there’s less passion, less humanity in removing these decisions. After all, some argue that cooking food was the tipping point to actually becoming Homo sapiens. Agricultural revolutions have advanced civilizations from antiquity to modernity.

But now I can focus my energy on passion projects that have been lazily cast aside.

After all, simplicity makes you happier. Try it.

Hours slept: 7

Meal times:
8:30AM : 18oz
11:00AM : 10oz
3:00PM : 8oz
6:00PM : 12oz
8:00PM : 8oz

Weigh-in : 168lbs
Weigh-out: 168lbs