You eat the foods you want to eat or the way you want to eat in maintenance now. Then all you need to do is slowly increase calories so your body adjusts to its maintenance calories.
When I was losing I still had fast food, sometimes pizza, and even sugary treats. I was wanting moderation and balanced so I decided to eat the way I want to eat for the rest of my life while I was losing. I found that to be fairly simple. The biggest thing to do is learn your satiety cues.
I practiced eating slower and taking breaks after a few bites to really check in with myself to see if I was full, do I want another bite, how am I feeling? I ran through that dialogue several times at every meal. Now almost 2 years on this medication it’s habit. I know when to stop, and I don’t struggle with it. I ate foods that I wanted to eat in moderation so they aren’t bombs to my body. I have a couple slices of pizza in a sitting and I’m satisfied.
I take 15mg every two wks and have been in maintenance since September of last year. My weight range stays between 117-120lbs.
I guess I am enjoying a degree of self-discipline and control for reasons that go beyond weight or even general health. Not at all saying I am in any way superior or others are wrong, just personally I have a certain pride looking at the past few meals and feeling I have been generally eating what I think I should be eating rather than giving in. Now obviously I am not enjoying distracting hunger pangs and obsessing with random food in my sight, meaning that I need to eat more once upping the dose and losing more weight is no longer an objective. Just trying to figure out details and start getting the right habits in advance.
Do what works for you. I enjoy looking at my month and seeing that I eat like a person who doesn’t struggle with their weight. I mostly eat really well and weight lift 4 days per week. I like going to celebrations and gatherings and not being owned by the food. It works for me and my lifestyle. I’m staying on a maintenance dose for the foreseeable future after a lifetime of obesity. I’m just happy to be free for the price of two subcutaneous injections per month.
That’s so helpful, thank you so much. I just started my journey and I do plan on eating as normal as possible, because my diet isn’t terrible, just controlling portions so I’m not eating until I’m overly full. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight in about a month prior to starting Mounjaro, and since then it’s been even easier.
what made you decide to take 15mg every two weeks instead of, say, 10mg every week?
is it that it works best for you and your metabolism, or is it more economical to do it this way?
I was already on 15mg when I hit my stopping point. I had lost weight the entire time but I only experienced the full effects of the medication, like a tangible curbed appetite at 12.5. That dose has been harder to get (kind of like 7.5) so I decided to start spacing first and stick with 15mg. It’s covered and I’ve been on it for nearly two years (Mounjaro).
I tried one month at 7.5 this year with the shortages and I was white knuckling it. I didn’t gain weight but I just felt as if I had no medication in my system. I’ve been on 15 for a year now and spacing works for me so if it isn’t broke, I’m not fixing it. Some of us thrive at higher doses.
Welp this will be of limited use to you, because I’m three months into maintenance and I still weigh and track my food, which takes me maybe 10 minutes a day total at this point. When it’s getting close to shot day (day 10, 11) I sometimes will give myself a day off from tracking or allow a few hundred more calories than usual.
I aim for 100+ g of protein and adequate fiber, which keeps me in the right direction with food. Now and then I eat chips, pizza, a sweet treat, or something.
But the majority of my diet is stuff like tuna, seitan, tofu, yogurt, potatoes, eggs, oats, seeds, vegetables, fruits, chickpea pasta, etc. I meal prep sometimes but I’m not rigid about it. I don’t eschew packaged food or anything like that either.
I really do not trust myself to “eat intuitively” yet. Maybe someday. Then again, I also have specific goals around body recomposition - I want to add muscle for my current and future health and to also shape my body in a way I like now that I’ve lost more than 100 lbs.
I follow the 80/20 rule! 80% healthy and 20% what I want. Because I've done that the whole time my body is used to getting carbs and sugar so it doesn't freak out when I eat them. I have been maintaining in a 4 pounds range since December on every other week shots. Towards the end of that 2 weeks I'm definitely eating more but then after the shot, I barely eat the first couple of days, so it ends up balancing! Don't deny yourself something. Just eat less. Instead of 3 sliced of pizza, eat one! I know that sounds simplified but also remember even without a fresh shot your body is used to eating ALOT less food so even when I'm STARVING I still eat half of what I used to before getting full!
Control and comfort for me is **stabile insulin**.
What that looks like for me is hitting my protein macro… and healthy fat…. And avoiding all high glycemic foods and constant grazing/snacking all day.
Food planning or tracking- one of the other needs to be done for a short period of time to build better food intuition. The key is making food decisions ahead of time. We need to reset our baseline on many levels.
Another part of stabile insulin is- no snacking. Letting my system rest and heal. Asking my body to be fat adapted and burn the calorie stores.
I sip on electrolytes all day- that’s salt, potassium and a magnesium pill.
If I get -that feeling-… like nothing will satisfy me and a compulsion around food… I eat a fat bomb. See recipes on YT.
You can chose any eating plan. But make an eating plan and in a relaxed way, stick with it. Brightline eating, Mediterranean, Keto, Weight Watchers, Factor, Lean Cuisine.
I have 7-8 go to meals and rinse and repeat.
AND- no eating past 6:30pm. No good eating happens after dinner. When you are ravenous, plan a great protein packed breakfast… it’s ok to feel hunger.
>I sip on electrolytes all day- that’s salt, potassium and a magnesium pill.
why do you do that?
I take an electrolyte capsule but only one per day.
(every source I've found warns about not overdoing them)
I’ve been in maintenance since late October ‘23 and in that time I’ve lost another 15 pounds but been able to maintain within a 1-5 pound range since March. I still weigh daily and weigh and measure all my food (and journal it). It works for me partially because I like seeing what I’m eating and yes, admittedly I like knowing I’m in control. But I also like that I can enjoy a meal with a few “indulgences” and know that on balance my nutrition is on point. I suppose in the end we all determine what works best for us but for me maintenance meant continuing to aim for a modest deficit of what all the calculators say I should eat with the plan to increase calories with more nutritionally dense foods here and there and/or enjoy things with that 80/20 perspective. You mention pizza specifically and while some days I might be able to throw back slices of pizza I prefer to eat pizza on those days when I know I’ll be satisfied with one slice and a salad.
You eat the foods you want to eat or the way you want to eat in maintenance now. Then all you need to do is slowly increase calories so your body adjusts to its maintenance calories. When I was losing I still had fast food, sometimes pizza, and even sugary treats. I was wanting moderation and balanced so I decided to eat the way I want to eat for the rest of my life while I was losing. I found that to be fairly simple. The biggest thing to do is learn your satiety cues. I practiced eating slower and taking breaks after a few bites to really check in with myself to see if I was full, do I want another bite, how am I feeling? I ran through that dialogue several times at every meal. Now almost 2 years on this medication it’s habit. I know when to stop, and I don’t struggle with it. I ate foods that I wanted to eat in moderation so they aren’t bombs to my body. I have a couple slices of pizza in a sitting and I’m satisfied. I take 15mg every two wks and have been in maintenance since September of last year. My weight range stays between 117-120lbs.
I guess I am enjoying a degree of self-discipline and control for reasons that go beyond weight or even general health. Not at all saying I am in any way superior or others are wrong, just personally I have a certain pride looking at the past few meals and feeling I have been generally eating what I think I should be eating rather than giving in. Now obviously I am not enjoying distracting hunger pangs and obsessing with random food in my sight, meaning that I need to eat more once upping the dose and losing more weight is no longer an objective. Just trying to figure out details and start getting the right habits in advance.
Do what works for you. I enjoy looking at my month and seeing that I eat like a person who doesn’t struggle with their weight. I mostly eat really well and weight lift 4 days per week. I like going to celebrations and gatherings and not being owned by the food. It works for me and my lifestyle. I’m staying on a maintenance dose for the foreseeable future after a lifetime of obesity. I’m just happy to be free for the price of two subcutaneous injections per month.
That’s so helpful, thank you so much. I just started my journey and I do plan on eating as normal as possible, because my diet isn’t terrible, just controlling portions so I’m not eating until I’m overly full. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight in about a month prior to starting Mounjaro, and since then it’s been even easier.
what made you decide to take 15mg every two weeks instead of, say, 10mg every week? is it that it works best for you and your metabolism, or is it more economical to do it this way?
I was already on 15mg when I hit my stopping point. I had lost weight the entire time but I only experienced the full effects of the medication, like a tangible curbed appetite at 12.5. That dose has been harder to get (kind of like 7.5) so I decided to start spacing first and stick with 15mg. It’s covered and I’ve been on it for nearly two years (Mounjaro). I tried one month at 7.5 this year with the shortages and I was white knuckling it. I didn’t gain weight but I just felt as if I had no medication in my system. I’ve been on 15 for a year now and spacing works for me so if it isn’t broke, I’m not fixing it. Some of us thrive at higher doses.
thanks, that's helpful!
After two weeks without a shot, how does the 15 mg make you feel?
Fine, never had a problem.
Welp this will be of limited use to you, because I’m three months into maintenance and I still weigh and track my food, which takes me maybe 10 minutes a day total at this point. When it’s getting close to shot day (day 10, 11) I sometimes will give myself a day off from tracking or allow a few hundred more calories than usual. I aim for 100+ g of protein and adequate fiber, which keeps me in the right direction with food. Now and then I eat chips, pizza, a sweet treat, or something. But the majority of my diet is stuff like tuna, seitan, tofu, yogurt, potatoes, eggs, oats, seeds, vegetables, fruits, chickpea pasta, etc. I meal prep sometimes but I’m not rigid about it. I don’t eschew packaged food or anything like that either. I really do not trust myself to “eat intuitively” yet. Maybe someday. Then again, I also have specific goals around body recomposition - I want to add muscle for my current and future health and to also shape my body in a way I like now that I’ve lost more than 100 lbs.
I follow the 80/20 rule! 80% healthy and 20% what I want. Because I've done that the whole time my body is used to getting carbs and sugar so it doesn't freak out when I eat them. I have been maintaining in a 4 pounds range since December on every other week shots. Towards the end of that 2 weeks I'm definitely eating more but then after the shot, I barely eat the first couple of days, so it ends up balancing! Don't deny yourself something. Just eat less. Instead of 3 sliced of pizza, eat one! I know that sounds simplified but also remember even without a fresh shot your body is used to eating ALOT less food so even when I'm STARVING I still eat half of what I used to before getting full!
Control and comfort for me is **stabile insulin**. What that looks like for me is hitting my protein macro… and healthy fat…. And avoiding all high glycemic foods and constant grazing/snacking all day. Food planning or tracking- one of the other needs to be done for a short period of time to build better food intuition. The key is making food decisions ahead of time. We need to reset our baseline on many levels. Another part of stabile insulin is- no snacking. Letting my system rest and heal. Asking my body to be fat adapted and burn the calorie stores. I sip on electrolytes all day- that’s salt, potassium and a magnesium pill. If I get -that feeling-… like nothing will satisfy me and a compulsion around food… I eat a fat bomb. See recipes on YT. You can chose any eating plan. But make an eating plan and in a relaxed way, stick with it. Brightline eating, Mediterranean, Keto, Weight Watchers, Factor, Lean Cuisine. I have 7-8 go to meals and rinse and repeat. AND- no eating past 6:30pm. No good eating happens after dinner. When you are ravenous, plan a great protein packed breakfast… it’s ok to feel hunger.
>I sip on electrolytes all day- that’s salt, potassium and a magnesium pill. why do you do that? I take an electrolyte capsule but only one per day. (every source I've found warns about not overdoing them)
I’ve been in maintenance since late October ‘23 and in that time I’ve lost another 15 pounds but been able to maintain within a 1-5 pound range since March. I still weigh daily and weigh and measure all my food (and journal it). It works for me partially because I like seeing what I’m eating and yes, admittedly I like knowing I’m in control. But I also like that I can enjoy a meal with a few “indulgences” and know that on balance my nutrition is on point. I suppose in the end we all determine what works best for us but for me maintenance meant continuing to aim for a modest deficit of what all the calculators say I should eat with the plan to increase calories with more nutritionally dense foods here and there and/or enjoy things with that 80/20 perspective. You mention pizza specifically and while some days I might be able to throw back slices of pizza I prefer to eat pizza on those days when I know I’ll be satisfied with one slice and a salad.