Issues with calories!

You want more fats? Olive oil is your friend. Hundreds of calories goes down like nuthin’.

I don't understand your post. Weight loss is about calories. Fat doesn't make you fat within calorie limits, and you need a certain amount of fat. When I was losing 80 pounds I was eating 40-50% of my calories from fat. I didn't limit my salt, it just took care of itself with by my choosing mostly whole foods and fresh or frozen vegetables. I did limit prepared foods and breads and those are high salt.

If you want calories, fats are the way to go for a smaller amount of food. Cheese, oil, butter, full fat dairy, eggs, hamburger, some cuts of pork and beef, some fish like salmon, any kind of nuts or nut butters.

As far as vegetables, stir fry in a bag is low salt and low calorie/fat. Don't buy the ones with sauce, just buy frozen mixed stir fry vegetables. Read the labels before you buy it. Add chicken or other protein and a little sauce, either from a bottle or homemade with spices and oil. You can control the salt and fat by using bottles or homemade. Homemade stir fry sauce is super easy, just go to allrecipes.com and look at a recipe. Salt isn't bad in moderation and you need a certain amount of fat for proper body function.

What is your actual problem? Calories or cooking? Cooking is easy, I don't spend more than 20 minutes on any of the meals I prepare (other than waiting for some things to cook, like rice or potatoes.)

There are meal plans online.


Salt - Just cut back on bread and lunch meat and anything that comes in a can or bottle. Try eating oats and fruit with some milk and nuts for breakfast, or yogurt with oats and fruit - then you can have a dinner with a larger proportion of salt if you sort of "save up" for it.

I don't have a meal plan. I do have quite a few favorite meals and the key is to have some of the basics in the pantry or refrigerator. I try very hard to stay under the recommended 2300 for salt, but do you need to be lower than that?

If you have to limit salt for medical reasons like diabetes, maybe your doctor can refer you to a Dietician for help setting up a meal plan. I would think that would be part of your diabetes care program.

I’m not strictly eating Mediterranean, but I agree that and traditional Japanese diets are probably ideal. I like curries as well, and I make those vegetarian (chick peas or lentils and lots of vegetables).

I only heard of shakshuka last year and gave it a try and loved it. Since you like peppers, tomato, and cucumber, be sure to include those! I like to spice it with cumin. It qualifies as Mediterranean.

Do you like fish? I like to cook a filet on a griddle with zucchini pieces, add garlic, lemon, and olive oil - maybe a splash of milk or cream at the end.

One thought - are you sure you’re tracking your calories fairly accurately?

1550 calories should be very easy to get to.

If keeping up with counting calories is difficult for you, would you be able to keep track of how you are feeling? I don’t track calories myself, but seem to manage to eat around the same amount daily. I lost weight while eating juuuust enough to feel not actively hungry anymore - but never “full.”