Sunset Eat Fresh Day 5: Cheese was kind of my lifeblood

Who: Joanna Linberg, home editor

I gave up: Alcohol, red meat, caffeine and all sugars (except fruit).

The biggest challenge: Just before dinner and just after. This week my after-work routine was dropping my bag by the door and heading to the fridge for a cube of raw cheddar cheese. On Monday night, I cut the cheese into neat squares. By Wednesday, I was biting directly off the block. (One bite = one cube, or if not don’t tell me.) I needed something marginally indulgent and with actual mouthfeel while I made dinner! And after dinner? I don’t want to talk about it. Those were dark hours, my friend.

My takeaway: Taking breaks is good for me. Even five days is enough to make me reconsider my habits. And I’ve proven to myself I don’t have to eat every blessed thing that comes out of the Test Kitchen.

I’m celebrating with: Pumpkin pie! No, really. My husband has a craving, so I went home over lunch to make the crust (and emphatically did not lick the honey spoon) and I’ll make the filling tonight. Because Eat Fresh ends at 5, y’all!

Next time I’ll: Work harder to add more nutrient-dense food to my routine. On Day 1, I toted a green smoothie to work. (I brought a smoothie today, too, but it’s a carob maca smoothie that contains one precious date. When quitting time comes, you know what I’ll be sipping.) I wish I made the effort to do that every day. Or recalibrated my meals to be even more produce-y. But hey, I could do that starting now and get a head start on next year: The Year of Gwyneth Paltrow Level Food Righteousness.

On second thought, I’d rather have that pie.