Everett R. Kontner (Kon)

November 10, 1917

Feels hungry at times, especially just before noon. Misses bread most; likes milk best in present diet list; craves candy.

November 16,1917

Does not like food reduction; thinks if food is reduced more he will not be able to study. Was shown his percentage loss in body-weight. Complains of being reduced too rapidly. Asked whether he did not understand that when he was selected to join the squad it was with the understanding that he would have to lose weight rapidly, and replied: "Yes; but I did not understand that I would have to reduce so rapidly that it would interfere with my regular work and put me in a position to be unable to do my work." Asked for double portion of spinach at noon, which he would have received, but there was none left. Was promised all the spinach he wanted. Several members of squad think that Kon will be all right later, and endeavor to cheer him up.

January 26, 1918

Hungry, but not more than usual.

February 2, 1918

Last three days has not had hunger pains of any consequence. Chief inconvenience has been from weakness and hunger.

February 6, 1918

Ate considerable at night.

February 8,1918

"I did overeat Monday evening. I was not ill, but had a very great feeling of fullness and produced vomiting artificially. The next morning I was all right".

Otto A. Gullickson (Gul)

November 10, 1917

Tired from overwork rather than from undereating. No complaints; has felt hungry evenings about 11 o'clock after his work at the Boys' Club. "Feel fine; never felt better in my life. Only disagreeable feelings are occasional hunger pains. Otherwise physical condition better than ever before".

November 12,1917

Has disorder of bowels (after free Sunday).

December 7,1917

Has increased weight 1 1/4 kg. Is dissatisfied because he thinks he should not have been fed so well and "now I have to starve myself again to get my weight down".

December 8, 1917

"Feel fine and dandy. Better than last week. Have recently increased about 1 kg. and think this is reason why I feel better".

January 7, 1918

Has abstained from food completely for two days (Saturday and Sunday, January 5 and 6) to reduce weight.

January 12, 1918

"I am not so effective as I should be, because of not enough to eat, I think".

January 17, 1918

Said he would eat nothing for two to three days until he had lost his 10 per cent. Had no supper the day before. Took three sticks of gum on January 17 and 18 but nothing else.

February 2, 1918

"The diet which I have been getting during the last week has been very comfortable. I could go on this diet for the rest of my natural life." "That is, you mean continually?" "Yes, judging by the way I have felt the last three or four days, I believe I could. The hunger pangs have absolutely disappeared, and those were the disagreeable part of the experiment." There have been times when he has felt severely hungry and at such times he has tended to look on the dark side of the whole situation and feel that he was more deficient in his work than really was the case.

February 5, 1918

Goes around with vest unbuttoned to relieve strain on stomach. Squad A went to Pec's to a turkey dinner and everyone "stuffed to the limit." Gul could not eat cake.

February 6, 1918

Ate an extra large serving of food at dinner. Vomited up his dinner last night. Vea remarks: "I don't see how Gul eats so much".

February 8, 1918

" I have had more 'pep' but have been eating so much that any advantage of more food has been offset by the extremely large quantity. My physical work is below par because I am eating so much. Food is repulsive after meals. Yet I do not think that I eat to the limit. I am chewing something all the time, however. This week is a spree; then I will work back to a lower diet of about two meals per day. This has been my usual custom, and I think it is one reason why it was hard for me to cut down".

Allen S. Peabodt (Pea)

October 27, 1917

"Yesterday noon following the race I felt real hungry".

November 10, 1917

"For the past few days I have taken bran at the table and it has physicked me." Can think of nothing in experiment which has caused him discomfort, except that immediately after meals for about an hour and a half he feels very hungry; has noticed this more on days when the dinner or supper has been rather light; on days when bulky food was served has not noticed it so much. Never feels hungry before or after breakfast. Likes everything.

November 12, 1917

Does not feel right in stomach (after free Sunday).

December 13,1917

With present diet thinks he could continue indefinitely.

January 12, 1918

"I do not feel nearly so good as when I was eating during vacation. I was working hard and eating then. I gained 22 pounds during vacation. This morning I am down 14 pounds".

February 2, 1918

In November, when the greatest reduction in diet occurred, felt hungry all the time. With the diet received 10 days before Christmas and again during last 5 days, he could continue indefinitely without discomfort; weight loss now 11.5 per cent. Suffered most discomfort during period of losing weight. When enough food was given to maintain weight, experienced very little discomfort; thinks with diet slightly above present could subsist indefinitely without suffering.

February 6, 1918

Ate lightly to-night.

February 8, 1918

"I have an insatiable appetite. I eat all I can hold and then want more. I eat until there is great fullness in the stomach and it hurts me and still I want more. Wednesday morning I went to sleep in class after the Tuesday evening banquet at Peckham's. I believe I am eating too much, of course, and I have little inclination to move, but after I get started I have lots more 'pep' than I used to have during the experiment. Now I have to rise to urinate between 3 and 6 a. m., and I did not have to do it when on the diet".

May 22, 1918

Thinks he is eating about normally, considering as " normal" his diet before experiment. As he manages the dining hall, he sometimes does not eat much breakfast, but has a little tendency to eat between meals. Thinks the amount no more than normal; not nearly so much as he ate just after experiment was over. He ate no pastries and cakes for a period of four or five weeks when in training. In ten days before Christmas and during last week in January when holding weight level and not reducing, thought he was getting considerable food. Thinks he could have stayed on that diet indefinitely; was getting practically enough to satisfy him. During actual period of reduction in attempt to lose 10 per cent (15 pounds or so) was uncomfortable and hungry all the time. Frequently, at night, would go to bed because of hunger, and realized he would sleep and in the morning would wake up and go through respiration experiment; then would get something to eat. "When you are getting a very small diet, for the hour and a half after the meal you notice being hungry more than before the meal; you feel almost starved, and crave any food you see; after that this condition seems to pass away. It was a hard matter to have the men at the other tables in the dining-hall eating so much and getting such large helpings and yourself be cut down so low".