I'm doing a similar thing coincidentally. Maybe not as extreme, but a bit of a food cut.
I tend to eat a lot this time a year and put on like 10 lbs. And each year, I sort of get tired of eating and feeling the bloat.
Its nothing that I plan or think about, but it just happens. (Stuck inside, winter, work from home, not much to do, etc).
After a couple days, gut basically goes away. (Temp bloat). Now I'll cut like 5 more lbs.
But I just replace a few meals with a shake.
Normal shake is a scoop of whey, an egg, and a half cup of oats w/ some milk.
I like to have a bit of all macros in it (pro, carbs, fat).
If I use 2 of those in the place of 2 meals, I easily drop some pounds.
The other 2 meals are also very small (like a chicken and salad wrap for lunch, small meal for dinner).
(Whatever wife cooks).
Yogurt and an apple for snack at night...
