Newbie

Hi, Debra. Welcome to MFP and good for you for taking the whip in hand.

I was obese for several decades, saw the hereditary health issue handwriting on the wall, started MFP at 56, and lost nearly 100 pounds. I’m now very active, something I couldn’t even dream of at my previous weight.

Have you considered “banking” calories? Deliberately eating, say, 100 calories a day less Monday through Thursday and then eating the saved calories on Friday? That would give you 500 extra calories for Friday.

Are you trying to cut too hard? What’s your calorie goal? Drinking extra water isn’t going to help the weight come off, although it’s certainly good for hydration.

Pay attention to what you’re eating. What food seems to satisfy you most?

I wouldn’t even bother tracking macros this early. Calories are what causes weight loss, but most people find a particular macro satiates them more. For me, it’s protein. For that reason I tend to eat high-protein. Lots of dairy, meats, a daily protein bar.

Other people find cats more filling, and some even report carbs do it for them. Me, if I eat a buttload of carbs and it’s like the proverbial Chinese dinner. I’m hungry an hour later.

Let us know how we can help guide you in the right direction.

springlering62 wrote: »

Other people find cats more filling

Well first of all, to set the record straight, I don’t eat cats. Have shoved a few off the sofa in my time, but cats are not for snacking.

When I was obese, I used to stay away from artificial sweeteners “for my health”. Nowadays, I realize, the extra hundred pounds was way more devastating to my health than any sweeteners could ever be. If you enjoy the carbonation, go for it. I do find I like fewer sodas every day as I go along, anyway.

I also make a lot of homemade ice creams, and bake with various flavors of Jordan’s syrups. Having access to sweet things makes me happy, and more likely to survive maintenance for the long haul.

If you’re determined to use natural sweeteners, check out flavored balsamic vinegars. They can be really sweet but are still low cal. I use some every day on cottage cheese and blueberries and adding blueberry vinegar makes it absolutely decadent. I’ve used it on yogurt, as a marinade, and love a honey/ginger balsamic on stir fry in leiu of heavier sauces. Chocolate balsamic is even good on ice cream, although I’ll typically reach for a sugar free Hershey’s or a Jordan’s “sauce) for ice cream. I buy from oliandve.com but their wholesaler sells to gourmet shops all over the country. You can recognize their vinegars by the distinctive green “wine bottle” with cork.

To get protein, have you tried adding cottage cheese or yogurt? Adding a serving of cottage cheese to a smoothie makes it thick and creamy like a shake. I add cottage cheese/yogurt/Naked protein powder to my pancakes to boost protein. I made scones yesterday and cut the calories by using yogurt, half the sugar, and half Jordan’s syrup. Also cut the butter by a couple tablespoons, and used margarine instead. That cut the entire recipe by about 800-1000 calories and it still tasted great.

Get creative. I figure if I can shave calories here, that means more snacks there.

(I am ALL about snacks and schedule them throughout the day. I usually log several days ahead. It gives me comfort and confidence to have a plan.)

So for lunch, I put diced grilled chicken in a carb smart tortilla instead of bread.

Instead of “regular” bread, Lewis Bakeries on the east coast makes a 35 calorie slice that’s “normal size” and very good. We found a similar bread when we went to the west coast last week.

Have you calculated your calorie goal by entering your profile and goal info on MFP? Unless you’re very short, 1200 seems low, even if you’re sedentary.

Another thing you might find helpful for getting more protein is this thread:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

It links to a spreadsheet that lists many, many foods in order by protein/calorie efficiency, i.e., most protein for fewest calories. Find some foods you like higher on that list, eat more of those, a little less of something else - maybe something with a high calorie "cost" - that isn't much helping you meet any of your goals.

dynakutz1 wrote: »

Right now I don't seem to crave sweets, not a totally bad thing. The 1200 calorie came from my profile where I said I wanted to loose 1.5 lb/week. I think you are right and I will change some things and see what the calorie count comes to. Thanks for the suggestions I will research what products are available in Canada. Adding cottage cheese and yogurt seem like easy way to add protein. Thanks again for your insights.

As a generality, a slower weight loss rate we can stick with steadily can get us to goal weight in less calendar time than a difficult, aggressive goal that ends up triggering deprivation-based overeating episodes, or maybe giving up altogether. (I'm glad you have the Ozempic that's helping you find your way through this - I'm just trying to support your idea of giving yourself a goal for Fridays that is more sustainable for you but will still have you losing weight at a sensible pace overall based on your weekly average calories.)

Just by way of encouragement, while I started out a bit below where you are now, when I was 59-60 I lost from class 1 obese to a healthy weight, and have been at a healthy weight for 7+ years since, now 67. You can do this!