It is a truly bizarre array of physical feelings that my slowly waking metabolism is putting me through. After laying dormant for so long it seems to be still blinking its eyes to the light as my body runs the gamut. Right now I am on 1800 calories a day, which is more than double what I have been consuming for at least the last year. Strangely enough though, most of the time, I seem to want more. Of course, right now, I can’t have more because there is a regemine set up here, but it doesn’t stop me from longingly predicting what might next be put on my plate. I’m not always necessarily stomach-growling hungry, per-se, I more just feel an emptiness that spends its time fantasizing about nourishment. In fact, the persistance of this desire even later in the day, when I do already feel physically sated with my abdomen hurting and my intestines cramping up, is one of the oddest sensations I have ever dealt with.

The method behind the madness my body seems to be delving into is one of known success however. Upon arrival we are each started on the 1800 calorie per day diet, no matter what we had been previously consuming, and for the first week we stabilize on that. Then, not so slowly, the additions come. after that week the dawning of the next Monday in line brings with it an additional 400 calories, raising the daily bar to 2200. Then Wednesday, only 2 days later, with another 400 tacked on, and Friday with a third 400. The additions continue on those same days each week until a daily consumption of 3000 is reached and they alternate between the adding of food at meal times and various Ensure shakes wherever they best fit into our individual regemines. All of this is based on the logic research has proven true behind a hyperactive metabolism.

we each need a certain number of calories per day to live and perform basic functions in a successful healthy manner. It varies greatly from person to person as to what that daily need might be but, its safe to say, that any full-grown adult needs at least 1200 and most need more. When a person drops below that required amount for a certain amount of time it will eventually send the body into a starvation survival mode. To conserve what little energy remains in the system our metabolisms go into a kind of hibernation and stay there.

Once they are jostled awake again by the onset of a more natural diet they set to work. With elation they continue to work more, with gusto and fervency, falling into the overactive state and burning more calories than a body would naturally normally need…and here that need is fed. It has to be somewhat gradual because, when anything awakes after a period of deep sleep, a time for adjustment is needed. Almost always, however, in a situation like this, underweight people in the act of refeeding wind up actually losing more weight even on an astounding caloric intake before things start to slowly even out.

As much as I think this is an amazingly good well-organized program I am still a little nervous that, due to this metabolic roller coaster, I may wind up having to stay longer than the planned time in order to gain the weight needed to proceed. It is an ungrounded fear though. All I can do is my best, continue to eat everything they put out in front of me, and keep trusting that they know whats best. My life is litterally in their capable hands.