Meal replacement test day five: Not giving up food just yet

World Today

I’m wrapping up my fifth and final day of eating only the meal replacement drink Soylent and I admit I am glad it’s almost over. It has been an interesting experiment, but I am ready for some real food.

READ REST OF JIM SPELLMAN’S SOYLENT EXPERIMENT

Here is a look at my week eating Soylent:

A special thanks to Soylent for video of their product

Coffee and Soylent for breakfast this morning was depressing. I miss the tastes and textures and smells of all my favorite foods. I miss sitting down with friends and family. I miss going to my favorite diner.

The key idea behind Soylent is that if we give up those things, we will have more time and energy to do other things. But after a week without food, I realize that, to me, those things are more important than just about anything else I might do during those saved minutes or hours.

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A few people have asked me if I have lost weight — maybe a kilo or two (2-4 pounds) but nothing significant. I don’t think five days is enough to tell.

I’ve also been asked, delicately, if I have had any issues with digestion. I have not.

Will I use Soylent again in the future? I might. I can’t imagine giving up food completely, but I think Soylent could be a good tool to use from time to time, especially to replace some of the junk food I eat from time to time when I’m busy.

If you find Soylent intriguing, then go ahead and give it a try. It is exactly what it claims to be, but I doubt it will make believers of anyone who doesn’t find the idea attractive.

Perhaps that’s because at its essence, Soylent is more an idea than a product. The idea that we can give up food is intriguing. The idea that we can live differently is intriguing. But the reality of a life without food is pretty grim.

Thanks for following along and for your comments and emails. I’d love to hear from anyone who tries Soylent and feel free to ask me anything at: Jim.Spellman@cgtnamerica.com

I will leave you all with a question of my own: What should I eat for my first post-Soylent meal?

Soylently Yours,

Jim Spellman