Everyday Systems

I tend to eat a few bites while preparing food and sometimes while cleaning up. How does that fit in?

It doesn't really fit the plan, but there are plenty of modifications. This might fall under virtual plating?

My personal rule--1-2 small tastes while preparing food to make sure I have the seasoning correct is perfectly acceptable. Note--this isn't a big problem for me and doesn't lead to me taking excessive tastes. I know that's an issue for some people and they might want a different rule.

Tastes while cleaning up serve no purpose, so I would think of those as being like seconds. Again, that's just my personal rule.

When you finish the food on your plate, you're done.

Tastes according to Merry's guidelines sound fine. Popping bites in just because they're there is not. It's unlikely you will eat less at the meal even if you do, nor will you experience the same enjoyment of those first few bites eaten civilly while sitting down, either. Save spontaneity for S days; then you'll have something to compare it to.

I know we aren't calorie counting but I used to guesstimate 30 calories per bite of a savoury item and 50 for a sweet or very high fat item. This is not that accurate but it is close enough to show how a few bites will add up through the day.