The book, as I see it so far — chapter by chapter.
This is the loose shape of the manuscript — the arc from the morning at Menards to the jiu-jitsu mat, eight years later. Kept here as working notes so the spine is always visible while the prose is still being written.
Chapter 01
§01
How It Started
The wisdom-teeth origin, the forced reset, and the question that started it all.
Plate I · Wisdom teeth X-ray
A 6 a.m. shift at Menards that ended in the dentist's chair
Three separate visits — swelling kept blocking the full extraction
Roughly six weeks of soft food: soup, mashed potatoes, smoothies
Effectively one meal a day, and weight coming off quickly
The quiet question: "Is this actually good for me?"
Chapter 02
§02
The Battle of the Mind
Training slowly, failing honestly, and winning the fight with myself.
First six months eased in — a 4 a.m. protein shake and black coffee
Pushing for a full 24 hours and failing every day for a month
Hiding snacks in the lumber-yard barn — and the guilt that followed
The mirror habit, the shift to "what I say, I will do"
First successful 24-hour fast; a rhythm I could actually keep
Chapter 03
§03
Losing the Rhythm
Two years back in Chicago where everything I'd built came apart.
Ace Hardware and an unpredictable schedule
Burger King and Chipotle slipping into the default four nights a week
Weight creeping back, energy dipping, old guilt returning
Distance from family and friends — living inside a loop
The realization: I need structure. A new schedule — and a new job.
Chapter 04
§04
Chapter Four
Forthcoming — the rebuild and the road to longer fasts.
Working for Cintas
A new schedule and a new rhythm
A crazy amount of free food — and what to do with it
Finally reaching 72-hour fasts
The social cost of the longer window
Chapter 05
§05
Chapter Five
Forthcoming — what eight years gave back, from small inconveniences to the larger things.