I'm only a couple pounds in and the overstriding thing is what I keep catching too. Does the quick-step cue feel less fake to you now than it did the first week?

what do you dust the chickpeas with before roasting? I tried them once plain and they came out chalky

7.5 was where the food noise actually went quiet for me too, and the mild queasiness I had at 5 never showed up again. My loss has been slow and steady so far but the quiet is what I care about most