I despise the notion of diets. But, I do want to change my weight.

I live in California. I grow lots of my fruits and vegetables and buy really fresh foods from the Farmers Market. I turned 60 this year and I do not want to gain weight and would love to lose a few pounds.

I refuse to demonize entire food groups. I refuse to focus on micronutrients or join some cultish way of eating. But I do want to stop over indulging my appetite. Yes, it is a matter of appetite and a certain amount of greed for tastes and for gratification.

Feeling hungry has become foreign to us. Immediately we panic and try to satisfy our hunger as if we are facing a famine. Most diets and most new ways of eating are designed to avoid that feeling with stuffing ourselves with fake food or foods that are “good for us”. What is wrong with feeling a bit of hunger?

Making peace with feelings of hunger is my goal and avoiding immediate gratification. So, in many ways, I see this as a long time commitment to change my appetite and how I satisfy it.

I don’t eat processed foods and actually I do not crave them. But, you can still overindulge in good foods. Time to listen to your appetite and make peace with the feelings of hunger, I am not going to die if I feel hungry for a few hours per week. And no need to gorge in anticipation. The cycle repeats weekly.

A diet implies a short time commitment, with 5:2 I am hoping that it’s a lifetime adjustment.

This is the second week of the journey.