@nscappa Good morning, Nancy! I can certainly relate, and I bet there are a lot of others also nodding their heads in agreement.

For well over a decade I have watched my diet, following sound protocols for kidney patients. But, you know what? We are humans, and have all the emotional rollercoasters and pressures associated with that. There are times we simply don't want to follow what we "should" be doing. Times when we want comfort food, or to break the routine, or to rebel. We all get that. Is it okay? Yeah, take a day or two and let go. But get back on track for the long haul. Some use the reasoning "everything in moderation" and that will work for them. But it usually doesn't work for me. If a bag of chips is open [my husband loves them] I have to really restrain myself. Now, I ask him to take the bag to the garage so there is less temptation. There are times when I am heading for a food group that needs restriction, that my mind will go to the thought of how my body/lab numbers will be affected if I indulge too much. Sometimes that reasoning works, other times it doesn't.

Keeping foods out of your house that may be too tempting can be a way to avoid a binge. Buying a "snack" or "lunchbox" size of something can be just enough of that taste you crave to satisfy you. Have you tried that?

Kidney disease, or any chronic issue, is not for the faint-hearted. We have the right to feel overwhelmed, tempered with the responsibility to be our own best self, and take care of ourselves. Have you thought about journaling it all out, and writing a letter to yourself, and see what is discovered? You might be surprised and enlightened.
Ginger