The 30-Day Nightmare Mode Experiment
Last year we carried out an experiment and spent 30 days in Nightmare Mode. Normally, we would have used rats for this experiment, but we find ourselves to be cheaper and easier to care for. In the past, we had mostly used Nightmare Mode for self-flagellation. Our 30-day Nightmare Mode experiment was different. We were not punishing ourselves. We did it because we were curious how it would make us feel. How would it affect our sleep, our workouts and overall energy levels?
We can now say in no uncertain terms that 30 days in Nightmare Mode is completely overrated. Our sleep patterns did not change. We felt no more energetic in our workouts than we did while drinking.
We can now say in no uncertain terms that 30 days in Nightmare Mode is completely overrated. Our sleep patterns did not change. We felt no more energetic in our workouts than we did while drinking.
Fact: Steven insists that the 30-day Nightmare Mode challenge is like volunteering to spend a month in a cage at Guantanamo. Andrea thinks that this is way overstated.
Andrea says it’s more like spending 30 days on a flight to nowhere, in a middle seat, in the back of the plane, next to a crying child and with a toddler endlessly kicking her chair from behind. Oddly, Steven finds this too extreme.
What surprised us most on our extended journey into Nightmare Mode was that eating out was easier than cooking at home. Not having a drink with dinner at a restaurant isn’t all that noticeable.
When we went out, we ordered iced tea or sparkling water without feeling particularly deprived. When we stayed at home, however, not opening a bottle of wine or uncapping a beer was painful. One night we grilled beautiful grass-fed porterhouse steaks. We served them along side our favorite side dish, Perfect Kale. A glass of red wine or a dark beer would have perfectly balanced the meal. We stayed strong and drank only water, but we couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. It was like listening to the Rolling Stones with the bass turned all the way down.
On the plus side, we both lost a couple of pounds. We have always maintained that cutting out the calories in alcohol speeds up weight loss and we experienced that firsthand. It also turns out that eating out is far less expensive for non-drinkers. Every time we ventured out, the bill was half the usual price.
We completed the experiment, but we certainly don’t recommend it to anyone else. The whole point of Drink Your Carbs is that if you eat well and exercise you can reward yourself with a drink at the end of the day. Take that away and most of the joy of this diet goes with it.
When we went out, we ordered iced tea or sparkling water without feeling particularly deprived. When we stayed at home, however, not opening a bottle of wine or uncapping a beer was painful. One night we grilled beautiful grass-fed porterhouse steaks. We served them along side our favorite side dish, Perfect Kale. A glass of red wine or a dark beer would have perfectly balanced the meal. We stayed strong and drank only water, but we couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. It was like listening to the Rolling Stones with the bass turned all the way down.
On the plus side, we both lost a couple of pounds. We have always maintained that cutting out the calories in alcohol speeds up weight loss and we experienced that firsthand. It also turns out that eating out is far less expensive for non-drinkers. Every time we ventured out, the bill was half the usual price.
We completed the experiment, but we certainly don’t recommend it to anyone else. The whole point of Drink Your Carbs is that if you eat well and exercise you can reward yourself with a drink at the end of the day. Take that away and most of the joy of this diet goes with it.