To think denying myself certain foods is silly?

[PinataHeeHaw]

Day two of mounjaro. I'm 24 stone.

Today for lunch I had a salad sandwich on wholemeal and some baked crisps. I usually have a pasty and crisps. In the afternoon I usually eat loads of cakes and biscuits off the treat table at work. I mean loads. Followed by a takeaway or highly processed evening meal.

I laid off the usual afternoon cakes and biscuits, apart from one little square of flapjack.

Someone has basically said I'm letting myself down by eating the flapjack and the crisps. I think I'm making healthier choices and to ban myself from eating cakes and crisps on day 2 or ever is heading for disaster as I'll then want these more and then I'm more likely to eat them in large quantities like the me that got this fat?

Yanbu. You have reduced calorie intake so will be helping weight loss. Dont discuss with that friend if they are too critical. Good luck.

Oh come on op

you had “one little square of flapjack” and some baked crisps

Surely you aren’t asking this question seriously?

Is the packet of baked crisps and a square of flapjack bad? I had a lot less than I usually do.

And I asked the question to gauge thoughts. Your reaction to my post is odd.

YANBU. Mounjaro is a LONG term strategy. You aren't going to overhaul your food choices overnight. For now just focus on eating less, changing the substance can come later.

If I really really want something I will have it (week 7) but I have found as time goes on I don’t want things that were treats before.

I had a couple of jelly babies earlier, they were horrible. I used to love them.

its early days, it will all get easier and you will find your way

It sounds like you have hugely reduced your calorie intake, which is is great. You can have the odd treat and still lose weight. I agree that total denial is not sustainable, but just make sure you don't have them regularly.

Who is this daft someone?

It's more what you didn't have that worries me. You should be trying to have some protein with every meal to minimise your muscle loss as you lose weight. It will help you feel fuller for longer too. Some turkey, chicken/ beef/tuna in your sandwich or a side salad with some protein such as meat, fish or egg. If you are vegetarian you'll need to look into complete protein alternatives.

Everything in moderation. A lot of diets fail as they become too restrictive rather than eating sensibly. If you’re able to have one packet of crisps and one small piece of flapjack that sounds good. I would probably have added some protein to your sandwich as well - eg tuna or chicken.

Ah sorry I had tuna in my sandwich at lunch. Not just salad. And I had egg for brekkie.

I agree about the protein. It's a perfect opportunity to overhaul what you eat as well as how much. I've been taking it since Jan and have really tried to up my protein (eg today I had scrambled eggs and bacon for lunch) and cut carbs or switch to wholemeal versions.
But you are on day 2!! It's a long road, you don't need to get things right straight away or even get things right every day. You need to figure out what and how it works for you.

You do what works for you to avoid excess calories.

For some it's helpful to go hard at the start and get a good kickstart on their weight loss and see results. For some it's just disheartening thinking that's the rest of your life (when it won't be, you'll be able to introduce more calorific foods later but in smaller amounts once you've weaned yourself off the addiction/ cravings for them).

For some it's helpful to deny whole food groups (eg crisps) if they're a particular weakness and you're likely to go overboard. Some can still have one or two of their favorite foods.

You sound like you're off to a good start. Just keep monitoring when/what you're eating foods that won't be helping your weight loss and then take steps to prevent that happening again.

My thinking is that I want to build the kind of habits a thinner, healthier person has. To me that absolutely includes some crisps and a bit of flapjack.
No treats ever isn't sustainable or fun, massive grab bags of crisps and a tub of flapjack bites is why we ended up on mounjaro in the first place. But that balance of having a bit of something and genuinely being happy and satisfied is the absolute dream

Found everything you’re eating is carbohydrate I’d be thinking about eating sliced apples, chopped carrots celery few almonds to fill you up you probably got overweight because you were eating too many carbs sugar cravings of the devil think about healthy diet

I have a packet of crisps that’s usually around 80cals now and again as I used to eat normal crisps every day too. I also have something small & nice occasionally - again I check the cals.
lost 3 stone since September & still alive.

I think you need to give these things up completely

Why?

Eat whatever you want, just less of it.
Yes ideally you need to use your calories on a healthy balanced diet etc, etc but really it makes no difference to your weight loss what your calories are made up of.
Personally I can’t eat a so called healthy diet because of gut damage from cancer treatment plus I am vegetarian and have a long list of food aversions from childhood issues and autism.
So what I live on would not be considered anywhere near a balanced diet but that hasn’t stopped me losing six stones on mounjaro.
I take vitamin and iron supplements and am just fine.

I think you need to build habits that are sustainable. I eat a lot more protein consciously (protein shake for breakfast as I exercise first thing and have never eaten breakfast). Big piece of salmon with quinoa and cottage cheese then normal dinner is typical for me. I also eat a bit of chocolate here and there and a few glasses of wine each week. I think as long as you are eating in a way that you can roughly keep up it’s fine. It’s just not realistic for me never to eat something sweet or avoid wine forever so I don’t feel bad about it.

I am nearly seven months in and have hit my goal weight.

I am not on a crash diet and I haven’t cut out any food group. I also still enjoy a glass of wine.

i just don’t snack to the same extent that I used to and my portion sizes are smaller.

People will make stupid comments about what you eat, how fast you are losing weight, when they think you should stop. Ignore them.

The way I’m approaching it is that all or nothing thinking is what has gotten me to this point of being obese in the first place, so I’m focusing on making mindful choices and not getting caught up in a ‘diet’ mindset for it to backfire yet again.

I think you’re making positive changes and that will make a difference. This being mumsnet plenty people will come on here telling you that you should be only eating massive salads and grilled chicken, and if that works for them then fine, but at 24 stone you will be able to make these choices and achieve a calorie deficit without creating unsustainable expectations for yourself.

I hit my goal weight in November. At no point did I entirely give up ‘treats’… I still had things like a slice of cake, a small chocolate bar etc. 4 months after stopping taking MJ I’m still at my goal weight and I still haven’t given those things up.

YANBU!

I haven't given anything up and I've lost 3 stone in 9 weeks.

I focus on hitting my protein and fibre goals first and then I have a (usually sweet) something that still fits my calories.

Also, at 24 stone, it'll be so so easy to eat at a deficit and still enjoy a huge variety of foods. There will be plenty of time to ease into a new diet, no need to rush to eat the least amount of calories possible, that'll come as you get smaller and your TDEE is less.

When I was 18st I was eating 2800-3000 calories a day and that was a 1000 calorie deficit (my TDEE was 4000 calories). At 15st I'm still eating 2200-2500 calories a day and losing 2lbs a week.

Not to mention swapping a pasty for a wholemeal bread sandwich is an ace choice, imo!

You can always adjust and change your food choices as you lose weight. We all know an all or nothing approach does not work.

Healthy snacks are better