Hey folks,

So I sort of took some time off - really just around lunch time. I had some chocolates right before, then pasta and cake w/ice cream for a birthday. I took liberties with the meal. The chocolate was okay, the cake too rich but not so great and the ice cream was good at first, then tasted bland. AFTER the cake/ice cream, I actually pulled out one of my carrots from the fridge and had it b/c it had the right amount of sweetness! haha

I feel now it's will be easy and it's a very appealing idea to go back to the plan. I also weighed myself and didn't lose weight this week (unless I'm bloated this morning - pre"splurge"). I do notice that not following the rules has partly to do with feeling that are like "hunger" but are more likely digestive distress and a habit of overeating.

The good news is that I'm comfortable eating what I'm eating and I don't have cravings. I think because of this I can tackle these habits without the same frustration from before because the cravings don't interfere. Maybe I'm still losing weight anyway but I'm transitioning or had water retention from eating beans or something funny like that? Either way I notice eating habits that aren't optimal. Perhaps whatever digestive issues I have make it more difficult for me to understand my body signals. I'll feel full one minute and have a tummy grumble the next. So anytime I can think that my body wants me to eat. The other issue is that when I feel fullness, I don't listen if there's still good food to eat. I don't want to waste it. Perhaps by following a more strict meal plan, such as specific times to eat lunch and dinner within an hour and nothing else, that may be helpful?

So I'm still figuring stuff out for me, but I am enjoying the changes in tastes and the lowered need for water. I am sometimes tempted to start a fast for it's benefits and my hubby is away... but the main reason why I don't is that I think for me it's a far more important priority to fix my dysfunctional eating habits. This will be easier to do without pressure from my Hubby. If I fix my bad habits, alter my taste buds and learn how to make meals we'll both like then I can maintain it when he's here. When I fasted then ate bad meals with him causing cravings, I didn't maintain the best diet and I was caught again with cravings at work. Then even when he's not around I'm having trouble.

The priority is fixing this. If I'm strong with habits and addictions fixed, that will have more benefit than fasting in the long run.

The last thing I just thought of about plant-based diet and water is that I haven't had any issues with UTI's and needed water to flush my system. This makes sense because UTI's have a lot to do with PH and greens help PH.

That's all, c-yall later.