This is interesting

The thought process that goes on as I'm preparing a meal during this half-eating week...

"OK, I really want a [whatever] but I'll have [something else healthy]. But I can only have half of this salmon burger? But it's so small already!"

Now I'm so dispirited that I barely want to make anything to eat, but my stomach is grumbling so I know I need to eat something.

Talk myself into it: "It'll be fine, I don't need as much food as I think, it's just for a few days, I'm not going to starve to death, just suck it up and be strong, transitions are hard but this will be worthwhile..."

I sit down and eat. It's definitely less than I'm used to -- that's the point! -- but it's okay. When I'm finished, I know I could eat more, but I don't. (That is a weird feeling. The fact that that is a weird feeling is really important and good to be aware of.)

And then here's the most surprising thing: I managed to not be obsessed with food all day, even though I ate much less than I normally do. I was hungry, but I was busy so I wasn't thinking about food so much.

Once in college I lost a lot of weight because I basically stopped eating for a while. I knew it was unhealthy behavior but the social rewards were so great that I continued doing it. Two of my best girlfriends sat me down one evening and told me that I was on the verge of a serious problem, and that woke me up enough to change my path. Since then, I've tried to focus on being sane in my eating and not doing anything too extreme, so this "eat half what you normally do and ignore your rumbling stomach" rang some warning bells for me. But it really has been okay so far. I'm happily surprised.