Hey Kathleen24... I really appreciate your words of exhortation. Yes... I struggle with being a people-pleaser ...and I've been a work-in-progress in that area of my life for many years now. And as I learn to stand my ground (preferrably in less offensive ways), I do find more freedom to be who I am. So when I read your suggestions of how to respond to food I shouldn't eat in a positive manner, it resonnated well with me.

The hunger during my fast issue: Just as I am learning to break free from being a people pleaser, I am also learning to break free from emotional eating. So... I am trying to not run to food when I 'think' I'm hungry during stressful times. I'm working on destressing my life as well as learning what real hunger is about. I know life will never be without it's stressors, but if I can learn to identify what is stress-hunger & real hunger, that will be a great advantage to me in many ways. Drinking hot water when I feel hungry helps me to evaluate within 10 - 15 minutes if I'm stress-hungry or stomach-hungry. Most of the time, I've been able to keep myself going until I hit my 'eating window' ...which is basically from noon until 8 PM.

Thanks for giving me your meat-not-milk input!