A Russian man has apparently broken a world record by fasting for 50 days. The 46-year-old, Agasi Vartanyan, emerged Monday from the elevated, plastic cubicle where he had been since Aug. 27.

For 50 days, Vartanyan reportedly ate nothing but survived on 0.8 gallons of water a day. To pass the time, he watched TV, listened to the radio, and talked on his cell phone. Since the cubicle was situated on the banks of the Neva River outside of St. Petersburg, Vartanyan had got an electric heater in his temporary home.

Doctors who examined Vartanyan said he lost 51 pounds during the ordeal.

However, Vartanyan said he was not happy and felt offended since "only local media wrote about it," adding that he plans to submit documentation of his efforts to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Vartanyan said he was inspired by a similar effort by stuntman and illusionist David Blaine, who fasted for 44 days in 2003 while suspended acrylic box over the Thames River in London.