I learned an important distinction yesterday–depeltion vs. hunger and the importance of listening to my body. Yesterday was a fast day. I started the day with my usual coffee, then a 50-minute workout DVD, then mowed the lawn in the hot sun (which I hadn’t planned on). Drank lots of water before and after. After my light lunch, ran errands in the hot sun. By 5:00 I had a bad headache. Had my evening miso soup but still felt not just hungry but depleted, weak and sickly. I had had my 500 calories but instinctively knew I needed to eat something. Ate half an apple and some cheese and almost instantly felt much better. Being consistent is important, but so is listening to your body. In three months I’ve not had any real trouble with hunger on fast days but yesterday felt different. I listened to that different feeling and honored what my body was telling me. It was a good lesson in balancing consistency with common sense.