-Emily-
So I've been living off just Soup and Water for two days now... to try to understand just an ounce it what it may feel like restricting myself, and actually feeling hungry (which i rarely feel!) I succeeded in persuading my housemate to do it with me, so we've got each other to compare hunger levels with and to stop each other from just reaching that cookie that another housemate helpfully 'left out for us!'

The first day, Monday, was very difficult, which I think was partially just the shock of not being allowed to just eat what I wanted, when I wanted. I found I couldn't stop thinking about food, everything around me suddenly seemed so much more appealing and irresistible. It was also quite interesting to see how our minds work when doing this: Even though I wasn't actually hungry as I'd eaten about 3 different bowls of soup, I still thought that I SHOULD be hungry, which then made me hungry. But in terms of the purpose of Poverty Week, it's certainly made me realise what it must feel like to just not be able to eat what you suddenly feel like eating.....and I'm glad I decided to do this to actually experience this!

So Tuesday, I woke up feeling quite hungry but I've actually had a really enjoyable day surprisingly, I enjoyed actually spending time chopping up the veggies, getting the blender out, and making a nice big soup for the day, and I felt determined to not feel as sorry for myself and pathetic as I did yesterday!

I spent a long time on campus working and as all I can eat is soup, I couldn't take any with me to uni for the day, which was another really good test for me: to be able to study, concentrate and just get on with my life whilst ignoring my hunger pains! I actually found myself feeling liberated after a while, in that my life was not dictated by food which unfortunately I think a lot of us in this country experience. Today I've really realised that we do (or at least I do), eat so much more than is actually necessary, and when I finally got home to my dinner soup, I'd never appreciated soup so much in my life before!

I've definitely learned at least a portion of what it must be like to actually have a restricted diet, which is really shocking considering I'm still able to eat three times a day and drink clean water all day.....so How do they do it!?? And how can we as a nation get away with such mass consumption of food whilst so many others are starving, near to death, across the world!?

Roll on Day 3 I say! (unless I've fainted by then.....!)