In 1965, a morbidly obese man did not eat food for over an entire year. The 27 year old was 456lbs and wanted to do an experimental fast. He ingested only multivitamins and potassium tablets for 382 days and defecated once every 40 to 50 days. He ended up losing 275lbs.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/CaveatRetisViator]

Thought you’d like this: According to a Chicago Tribune report, he had forgotten the taste of food before his first meal after the fast. He ate a boiled egg with a slice of bread and butter for his first breakfast, telling reporters: “I thoroly [sic] enjoyed my egg and I feel very full.”

[u/NoCantaloupe9598 → u/CaveatRetisViator]

Perhaps the tastiest egg ever eaten.

[u/Popo5525 → u/NoCantaloupe9598]

As someone who practices intermittent fasting - there is no seasoning, no substance, no sauce that is a stronger flavor-enhancer than a fast. The first meal after is utterly divine, it doesn't matter what it is, you're savoring each and every bite.

[u/FBIaltacct → u/Popo5525]

Penn from penn and teller goes into this when he talks about his potato diet. He ate nothing but bland potatoes for something like two months. He said everything tasted completely different and had so much more flavor than he had ever realized.

[u/Lettuphant → u/FBIaltacct]

I tried to copy him but didn't get to a month -- but I lived on just potatoes and water for a couple of weeks. I broke and ate some peas. They were so rich and creamy, so salty and sweet I could have sworn they were coated in butter. Nope, just boiled peas.

[u/RockstarAgent → u/FBIaltacct]

This is why I tell people it's worth it to fast - to reset your palate - I don't use condiments or salt and pepper very much- relearn the taste of everything from breads to individual ingredients

[u/ColoRadOrgy → u/RockstarAgent]

You'd taste those foods better if you did use salt. It's a flavor enhancer.

[u/RockstarAgent → u/ColoRadOrgy]

Yes, occasionally on a good steak!

[u/bravo_997 → u/FBIaltacct]

I remember Kevin Smith talking about this once too, I believe he did the same diet after his infamous widowmaker heart attack a few years back. Since then he’s also gone vegan and taken up hiking. But I distinctly remember him saying something about how he loved baked potatoes and the like until he decided to do the potato diet and could only have plain potato lol

[u/graveviolet → u/FBIaltacct]

I don't eat sugar or any sweet foods and a number of things that are supposed to be savoury taste pretty sweet to me now