Thread 2 because we have reached our goal weights and we want to maintain not regain. We might be going cold turkey or titrating down or staying on!

[MargoLivebetter]

Can't believe we filled up a whole thread! Welcome to thread 2.

On a positive note to start us off, I've lost 1lb of the two that I gained from my autumnal apple crumble caper. Filling full of resolve and pleased to know I can gain a pound or two (which is of course completely normal) and then lose them again.

Yeah, I'm quite short so my TDEE is low, and I'm never going to sacrifice a bite of something lovely (like a prawn cocktail) to force down a protein drink!

I get 25 grams from the collagen powder I take. Then meat with most meals, and eggs/meat/shellfish as snacks.Total greek yoghurt for pudding or breakfast when I have it.

If you're a veggie I'd imagine the sheer quantity you would have to ingest of high protein veg would be too much to hit high.

I'm with you! My TDEE is also low. Everything I put in my mouth I want to enjoy!
A balanced diet but I think it's all got very confusing and complicated!

I find it really hard to get the fibre in, so I take psyllium husk. Protein I don’t mind the ufit shakes and Aldi mousses, so often have one or both of those to up my intake.

I wish I like the puddings but they are rank
I don’t mind these milkshakes and buy then when on sale

https://amzn.eu/d/eT4ZPx5

refuse to pay £20 but happy to pay £10 and stock up when half price

Each meal based around protein eg
greek 0% yoghurt (breakfast) say 25g
lunch tin tuna 30g
mid afternoon either tub of cottage cheese or protein shake (30g)
dinner chicken breast (35g - 40g)

also eat a lot of white fish
i add egg white (two chicks) to eggs to make omelettes

I’d say my macros are
120g protein - 480 cals
100-120g carbs 400-480 cals
fat - the rest - mostly fat that come with protein or healthy extra fat

I'm getting some bloods done on Wed morning for fasting blood sugar, prediabetes and cholesterol levels. Finally went to new GP for a diff issue and mentioned it and they have agreed for me to have some bloods. Apparantely I only get an nhs healthy heart check every 5 years.
I did get a female hormone blood test done privately and it was all optimal luckily, which was unexpected at 43 almost 44!

@20bloodypounds I hit 83g protein today, 953 cals, 100g carbs 40g fat. I didn't have any protein shakes today it was a high protein yoghurt, chicken, cheese, eggs and meat. I skip breakfast and have coffee with collagen in to keep my cals for later. There are days ive hit 105g protein with 1200-1300 cals when I have a protein shake too.
My tdee is 1530 as I'm only 58.7kg now 5ft 3".

What collagen do you use @Mysticmaiden ? My ancient and Brave has 25gs protein in it...that would get you there (while adding 100 cals or so)

Would get me where?
I use a multi collagen powder. It's 18g protein in 20g powder, I use only 10g in coffee. I'm having plenty protein for my weight of 58.7kg and I don't exercise at all, so anymore would end up as waste. I actually had 88g protein as forgot to add the cheese I used with an extra 40 odd cals! that was without much effort of high protein, I was just eating anything I fancied and logged it all recently to check what I hit. My TDEE is 1530 so I don't really want to go much above 1000 cals to lose.

Ah, I mixed you up - I thought you were trying to get to 100grams

I'm another who's found getting enough protein in to be really hard sometimes. I'm veggie so that doesn't help, plus I get constipated really easily so need loads of fibre or I regret it!

I'm also cooking for the family who are carb fiends so my ideal diet won't work for them, I aim for somewhere in the middle as I don't have the energy to make 2 separate meals.

I was aiming for 60g as that's 1g per kg... I heard that as recommended when I first started on mounjaro. Although various places now seem to be suggesting it should be higher, especially for menopausal women like me.

I do resort to plain whey protein powder & unflavoured Huel or I'd just never manage it some days. I try to get as much from my diet as possible - I like Greek yog, lentils, eggs, cottage cheese etc. Quorn is great too, but I am trying to limit processed food where possible.

@OneThirdLess I'm not a veggie but meat is extortionate these days, so I'm eating more veggie options. Can you stomach tofu? That has quite a lot of protein and is low fat and low calorie.

@Thelittlestranger which ancient & brave collagen powder do you use? Does it taste of anything?

@MargoLivebetter I like tofu and will happily eat it... the rest of the family not so much! So I tend to use it when it's just for me, or I can easily make a veggie & non-veggie version of whatever we're having.

Silken tofu blends really well in a fruit smoothie though and so far the kids haven't cottoned on. 😆

For those who like the Greek yoghurt, I make my own and it is delicious, much nicer than shop bought I think. Dead easy to make and the machine is quite small and cost less than £25.

Same @OneThirdLess. 1g per mh was what I was told - I’m now 66kg so try and do 60/70

if I have

b ommlette or shake
l jacket tuna
chicken veg

I usually hit it but I don’t always want to eat that

Yes 1g protein per kg body weight to maintain but ideally 1.5-1.8g to build muscle and for menopause and perimenopause I've seen and heard in many podcasts. Also protein uses up more calories when metabolising it compared to carbs and fat and a higher protein diet means fat burning starts earlier, compared to lots of carbs which the body will utilise first.

@MargoLivebetter the bovine one. I can't stomach it in coffee. I can't taste it in squash, so I usually get a big squash that I drink with it in all morning...

Thank you @Thelittlestranger . I'm wondering if I will be able to stomach it at all!!! My "gip" only increases as every year goes by. 😂

I buy everything in capsule form as I’m a complete wimp 🤭

Just don't smell it. Then I'm ok.

I tried kefir recently - it has great effects, but I haven't gipped like that in a long time!!

1g per kg is fine pre menopause or if not in a deficit (when there is a risk of muscle loss). 1.5-1.8kg will help maintain muscle in a deficit and also we age we are less good at absorbing hence need for a bit more. But really it’s not to “stay alive” / stay healthy it’s just to try and prevent muscle breakdown.

That's a lot of protein! I don't disagree, but I do look at the numbers and despair. For me, at around 60kg, it's 108g. I maintain at around 1600 cals a day, so for each 100 calories I'd need to be eating 6.7g protein.

Like @Blondeshavemorefun's example, that's doable - on a good day! I've found though that if I want to have slightly more carbs, or even just a treat sometimes, it means I either have to go over my calorie allowance to fit in the missing protein, or I go short.

So I just try and do what I can, and if I know I had low protein one day, try to make up for it the next. I didn't expect to have to keep such a focus on food on maintenance, I (foolishly) thought it would be easier!

Hello, 👋 I started in May and as i am approaching (very slowly) my GW i am starting to think about maintenance.
i still want to lose around a stone but i figure i need to start ordering from a maintenance friendly provider now.
my plan is to stay on MJ long term, maybe doing 1.25 every 7 to 10 days (im on 2mg every 4.5 days at the moment).
someone mentioned a spreadsheet for maintenance providers?
also how many months do i need to order before i qualify for maintenance? (Especially the type of plan where i could stop ordering for 6-7 months but then start again)
many thanks

I eat 1100-1200 on average and I can hit the high protein goals, I reduce my carbs to do this, its easy to do just have protein at every meal and focus on protein snacks. I currently have 38% muscle mass and started at 43.5% so it is high for a woman and I am strong, can easily lift 20kg and I find protein fills me up and helps me hit the low cals. I weigh 59kg, I range from 70 to 105g protein a day depending on whether I have a protein shake for breakfast or not. I also add collagen to my shake and peanut butter powder. I used to be very poor for protein and craved carbs and was prediabetic so I don't want to go back to that.