Before I take a little break from these challenges, I wanted to complete the potato one. :D So for five days, I only ate potatoes for dinner. I hadn't had them now for a while, because I was eating pasta and rice, but it was still quite easy. Probably because I never cut out potatoes from my menu and even during difficult times I had sweet potatoes quite often. Or I am just true Estonian who thinks potatoes are the only real food.

First day

I decided to start the challenge with a different thing and had sweet potato. I got a big one (because there aren't any smaller ones in the stores) and cooked it in the microwave (imagine this monkey emoji that covers it's eyes, because I am embarrassed). It is a good tip for when you are in a hurry, which happened to me. I stabbed it with fork a few times, then wrapped it into wet towel and put into the microwave for 5 minutes. After that I took it out for a moment, turned it around and let it do it's thing for 5 more minutes, as it was big and didn't get soft enough.

Then I cut it in half, seasoned it with salt and rosemary (rosemary is the best seasoning, my absolute favourite! Potatoes with it and garlic are the best things ever!) and added a slice of garlic smoked cheese. Then I topped it with beans in tomato sauce and put it back into the microwave for 2 more minutes.

On the side I had cottage cheese salad with tomato and I also added some pickles. I love pickles, but it comes and goes. Sometimes I buy several jars in a row and have all of them in a few days and then there is a break where I don't eat any. :D But currently I am in the mood for pickles.

Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot. I hadn't made sweet potatoes in a long time. Of course I prefer to cook it in the oven (at 180 degrees for about an hour) as it caramellizes nicely then. But it was fine like this as well.

I of course had some dessert, because it is me. I can't imagine my evening without having anything sweet. Like, the day is not finished unless I do. :D I don't even remember what I had, but it was probably pomelo, grapes or ice cream, because these are three things I never get tired of. :D

Second day

For a while I have been wanting to make mashed potato pie thingy. I got an inspiration from one site, but I changed it a lot. :D

For my pie, I used mushrooms, carrots, onion and tomato paste. Firstly I threw garlic and onion on the pan and friend them a little. Then I added cut up carrots and tomato paste with some water. And then towards the end I added cubed mushrooms.

At the same time I boiled some potatoes and mashed them up with oatmilk and garlic paste. Then I put everything from the pan to the pie dish and topped it off with mashed potatoes. Made it look all nice and then put it in the oven for 25-30 minutes. I don't really know how hot the oven was, as I had gas oven and it doesn't show the temperature, but I think it was around 170-180 degrees. When the mash was golden brown and crispy on the edges, I took it out.

My version of this dish was completely vegan, but I had some cottage cheese salad on the side. Plus some pickles, OF COURSE. At first I thought I will have the whole pie, but I realised that my eyes are bigger than my stomach. So I left half of it for the next day.

It tasted amazing! When I had had the half and went to do the dishes, I picked on the other half for a bit, because it was just so delicious. Carrots didn't get soft enough on the pan, but baking it helped and made them perfect. :D All the tastes went together well. I think I also added some rosemary, as it is my favourite with potatoes.

Of course I had some dessert as well. :D

Third day

At first I planned on having something different, but as this pie was waiting me in the fridge, I just couldn't. :D so I made the exact same kind of food as I had yesterday and it tasted just as good as well! I really recommend making something similar, you can make it with mince or lentils or vegan mince etc, there are so many options.

Potatoes are so good. This is supposedly one of the most satiating foods, according to some studies. And I completely agree. 

Anyway, it is easier to have potatoes than it was having pasta or rice. I don't have a problem with eating half a kilo of potatoes in one go, as it appears from the day four...

Fourth day

I really thought I was going to stop this challenge. Because I kind of wanted something else, but also because I was a bit scared. And not due to potatoes. Or well, maybe a little.

Because I took half a kilo of potatoes and made them into fries. I really like to make them, you just cut them into fries, season them with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary (I also added some chilli) and put them in the oven for about 45 minutes. But it wasn't just that. Usually I just serve fries with ketchup and mayo + salad, but this time I also had vegan schnitzel by Naturli. And it was AMAZING. I will write more about it on my all the vegan foods I tried in February post, but I am really happy for it. :D

Anyway this schnitzel seemed too much. And then salad seemed too much. But I still had all of it and also topped everything with a pint of ice cream.

I think it was good I made a proper meal and tested out a new thing. It seems so... normal. Who in their right mind just has potatoes and salad? I have seen people always add a source of protein which I now did as well! Happy for myself now.

Fifth day

Today I made something I have been wanting to have for a long time but always postponed. I combined pasta and potatoes and made gnocchi with veggies, olives and pesto + topped it off with some parmesan like cheese. Also had some tomatoes and pickles on the side.

This was so good. Honestly, it could have had more pesto, but it was a ready made frozen mix and I didn't have any pesto at home. I still added quite a bit of garlic and salt though, and it came out really well.

It was quite difficult to eat this, because today I went to a cafe with a friend and we had CAKE. We both couldn't decide on what to have, so we asked the waitress to cut both slices a cake in half so we could have each. :D Good solution.

After dinner I also had some more ice cream, because I still wanted something sweet, even though after the cake I thought I didn't. The ice cream wasn't that amazing and it kind of felt like a waste, but I NEVER throw away food. So I finished it. Next time I just know better and won't take this kind of ice cream again.

In conclusion

I don't think I am done with potatoes yet? Or like, it is normal food. :D I can have it when I want and I don't have a connection between this and weight gain or something. If I had to line up my favourite foods currently, then I think the first place would be pasta, second is rice and third are potatoes. :D Or I don't know, potatoes and rice are quite equal. But pasta, mmm, pasta... so good! I still have some parmesan like cheese leftover, so I will make pasta soon and top it off with that. :D

How did this potato challenge affect my weight? Well, I don't know. I have been eating a lot more and I have gained some, but I don't really know what is the reason. :D I think this potato challenge didn't affect my life at all though. Or if it did, it was positive. As my friend said - potato challenge? Living WITHOUT potatoes is a challenge.

But yeah, at the moment I will take a break from these challenges, before doing another one. I will try and have a little of everything in the meantime. To see how I am feeling and so on.

Also now for like three days in a row I have had ice cream, should change it up a little. But at the same time I don't know what else I want. I used to have an obsession with pomelo, then I ate a lot of grapes, but I am kind of over them. Ice cream is the newest obsession. But at the same time I want to try some other stuff as well. But I have this weird thing where I need to finish the whole pack. I can't have half of something on one day and then other half on another day, I don't know why that is. For example chips. I can't have only half a bag, it is impossible. It is stupid. Like, I could switch it up and have half a packed ot crisps and then half a pint of ice cream, but noooooo. :D

I made a deal with myself though, about now buying new snacks before I have finished what I have at home. And believe me, I have A LOT. I have cookies, I have chocolate, crisps, ice cream, popcorn, candies and so on. But whenever I go to the store, I still check out snacks. And no, I won't be having bigger meal for dinner or something. I want to eat trash. I could cry, I want it so bad. Please don't tell me about health and nutrition and stuff, I don't caaareeeee. I want to make up for all the vacations I skipped ice cream at etc.

It seems that I just haven't had my fill of them yet, haha. :D For a moment I thought that now that I love my yoghurt bowls for breakgast (muesli, banana, berries, soy yoghurt!), then maybe for dessert I could make some porridge... on one day I went to the store and got some Nutella-like hazlenut cream and on one morning I had my porridge with it. It was good, but needed more of it. It was amazing when I tasted it plain though. Mmm, now I want some toast with Nutella and Biscoff, doesn't it just sound amazing?

Actually now yesterday I had some more ice cream and I felt like... I am over it? :D I had written this down here right before, but see. Things change. Time to move on.

What I also wanted to write about, is people on the streets. Because me and my friend just discussed this topic another day. And the fact that when you see someone who is a lot thinner than you then... I don't know, I get two kinds of emotions. Firstly I don't want to look like them (and I don't, by now I look completely normal), but at the same time I want to? Or I don't know, I get this feeling that I am "fat". It is stupid, I know, but I just get thiskind of reaction. It is a true trigger. At least I notice it and then I can keep thinking that now, actually I WOULDN'T like to be like them. And then I wonder if they are struggling with disordered eating, what they think about themselves and so one. I get weirdly curious. It is kind of really awful. Like, when I see a normal person I never think "omg, I wonder what their life is like"-emotion. :D Or sometimes I think that oh I would like to look like them instead. Or people who aren't as thin - like, I never think "oh I wonder what is up with them". They are, well, just people! :D

I don't know what is the point of this, but I just wanted to write it out. But yeah, in general... I could never go back to restricting. Not like I used to, at least. I think there will be some worse moments, awlays, but I don't think I will ever lose weight again. Food is one of the things I really enjoy and I don't want to stop doing this. I can't imagine eating those weird protein desserts again. I can have real dessert and fully enjoy it. What is the point of doing these awful things to yourself? It is amazing how far I have become and how my thought patterns have changed. But I think it is all good.

Haaa, talking about doing these awful things to yourself I can't but to mention this one Estonian blogger Paljas Porgand and her fasting camp... :D (Paljas Porgand is her online persona, it means Naked Carrot in Estonian). Like, how far is too far when it comes to fasting? Surely having honey in order to not pass out is TOO MUCH? Really, I have no words. Her post was so problematic I don't even know what to say. People will also probably think I am just angry over her popularity or something. But actually I am a bit worried. I have followed a lot of influencers and some of them just go too far with their detox rubbish. I just pull on my hair and scream. :D I haven't seen too much of it in Estonia, but there are a lot of people from other countries who focus on it. I still think that if you have your kidneys and indestines and you eat normal food, everything is fine. If you want to live completely natural, you would have to build a farm God knows where and do and grow everything yourself etc.

And when what I am also bothered about is when people say they don't eat processed food. :D I mean, heating food is processing it. Cutting it is also. Like, if you eat non processed stuff, you can only have food to pick from a plant. I don't know, there is a limit to things.

Oh dear! I wrote about fasting and then on Wednesday watched this Expensive calories show again, and they also fasted for a day. I have so many comments. Firstly - their talking revolved around food. Haaa, this was supposed to help and shift their thinking? Yeah, sure. They showed how people discussed foods and there were no self exploration or hallelujah-moments. It happened what always happens during fasting - they got obsessed with food. It kind of reminded me this Minnesota Starvation Study, where they said men started to talk about food, look up foods, write down recipes etc. So yeah, I don't think this is a right thing to do. I suggest they should tell them about basic nutrition instead. They should teach them why carbs, protein and fat is necessary. They shouldn't just not eat for 24 hours and only drink water or herbal teas. Honestly, this was so stupid I am at the loss for words.

Secondly - they emphasised that food is DEMON. Can you say anything more sick? You need food and making it into a demon you will just ruin your relationship with it. Like honestly. I caught a glimps of one of the girls watching her calories burned on an activity monitor and saying that "oh, this is three desserts". I tell you, this makes me want to swear, I can't. At least people who I talk to on Instagram whing like me and they were not too positive about this episode.

And finally - I  think that the host just didn't know what to offer to the vegan girl, so he decided to have a fasting day.

And... of course my own first thought was that... I should fast too. :))))) Because when people recommend it and tell you how important and necessary it is to give your body a break, it does SOUND nice?! But at the same time I have learned that later I will overeat. So I don't know. I think it is healtier to eat in a stable manner...

Can you comment on it? Maybe all my thoughts are wrong and you should fast once in a while?!

These are my thoughts for now.