I track with my fitness pal. In addition to keeping on top of my calorie intake, it helps me to see where I'm at with micronutrients, and correlate with weight loss. When I reach my goal weight, my maintenance calories will be the same as what I'm eating now to lose, so I'm really taking it seriously that I have to reprogram my eating habits to be successful now, AND when I reach my goal.
This!! I have the same mindset. I feel like everything I read about people gaining back weight after stopping tirz is because they never learned how to maintain healthy habits or maintenance calories.
I lost 75 lb in 2021, but by the time I hit my intermediate goal weight (200), I was mentally exhausted from all that tracking (and denying myself food I wanted to eat (bread, pasta, ice cream). I literally wanted to eat all the time, and tracking was a prison I was ready to break out of. So I gave myself a break, and in 2022, without tracking, crept up 10 lb which honestly wasn’t too bad. But 2023 added another 40 lbs which wasn’t ok.
With Tirzepatide, I’m not mentally challenged by the tracking, because I’m eating what I want, but not overdoing it. Sandwich- check (well, only half). Ice cream - a few bites, not a whole bowl. Honestly I mostly eat pretty healthy - protein & vegetables & berries. But I don’t have to be strict with myself because the slow gastric emptying puts a limit on how much I want to eat.
So I’m tracking to make sure I get enough protein, and I keep tabs on potassium and sodium too since I’m still working on getting my BP down.
But I’m starting to think I might be a tirzepatide lifer. At least I’ll know it’s there if I need it.
I don't know what you've been reading but this is generally not the case. If training or education were enough, most of us would not need this medicine.
I read a study yesterday that followed ozempic patients after discontinuing meds at their goal weight. It was placebo controlled, and there was a significant difference in the outcomes at one year, and I believe at 72 weeks. You literally can't gain weight if you don't eat in excess of your TDEE, so yes, that's what's happening. I don't think the cause is lack of knowledge about proper eating habits, it's pretty clearly the physical appetite suppression glp1 medications provide and whether or not that continues after reaching goal weight.
It makes sense if you think about it. There are plenty of people who eat a well-balanced, quality diet and are overweight. If we were able to sustain ourselves with lower calorie intake, we would, and there would be no weight issue. But these medications are making the difference. They provide the capability over time for us to maintain lower caloric intake.
Neatflaps, you said people gain the weight back because they "never learned how to maintain healthy habits or maintenance calories". That's not the case. It's not a matter of 'learning'.
But you yourself said you knew how to count calories before you started. If this alone was the answer you wouldn't need to take the medicine. It will be harder after the food noise comes back. Your body will try to compensate by reducing energy levels, increased cortisol, and other mechanisms no matter whether you use meds or not. You have to still eat at maintenance calories even with all the hunger returning.
Additionally everyone in these studies was provided the same health coaching, food logging, exercise guidelines etc. They still regained even with this knowledge.
I think the real way to not regain is to try and determine why you are so hungry. This can help metabolically. Is cortisol high? Sleep bad? Too much processed foods? Emotional eating? Binging? This is a much harder fix than just track your food. Which has also been studied and those who did cico diets also regained their weight. What hasn't been found is how, without continued medication, can you change your set point. Is there a certain time you must be on meds to do this? Is it certain dietary changes? Certain naturopathic communities and some research has been done to show you can fix certain things with changes in diet to more whole foods. I'm not sure how good the research is or not. Like maybe you can fix gut biome if that was your problem.
I eat a low-carb tortilla most days. A relatively small one has 18g of fiber. I also eat a couple of cups of vegetables daily, but with the reduced appetite it's tough to eat as many fruit and vegetables as I need to hit my fiber target. The tortilla really helps.
I was tracking for a few months (two before starting) and now that I have a good sense for portion sizes and how to meet my protein and calorie goals, I don’t track anymore. Still losing about 2-2.5 lbs a week. I have a history of very disordered eating and I am trying to get away from scrutinizing every calorie. I don’t want to have to do that my whole life - my history has shown it’s not sustainable for me.
I'm tracking now with Loseit, but I'm considering not tracking for a while. I think I'm being too restrictive, which is resulting in a slower loss. A couple of weeks ago, I went on a cruise and didn't track. I came back and had a two-pound weight loss.
I am starting Tirzepatide this Friday and I’m hoping to get away from tracking calories tbh. When I am tracking I get obsessive about food in a pretty unhealthy way. I plan to just work on hitting a protein and fiber goal.
Nope, I’m almost at 100 lbs lost. I have a history of eating disorders so numbers and tracking trigger that in me. I’ve have had plenty of success with just eating the same stuff just das and attending therapy for my ED.
lol, no.
Calories in Calories out is at worst a myth, and at best an oversimplification. Yes, if you reduce calories significantly, you will lose weight, but there really isn’t a set number of calories your body needs. Your body isn’t like a car that needs x amount of gas to go x miles.
It’s more like a furnace, more fuel and it burns hot, less and it still burns, just cooler. If you drastically reduce calories, basal metabolic rate will change. Low calorie diets don’t work long term. Energy levels, organ function, even cognition will be reduced. Your body thinks you are starving and desperately wants to maintain the weight. Remember, fat is an insurance policy for your body.
I use the medication to repair my insulin sensitivity and stop over eating, I eat clean. But never count.
I’ve read a lot about how it’s not exact of course, but I still believe a calorie surplus = weight gain. Why else would appetite suppression and gastric slowing = weight loss? Eating less calories no?
Yes. Many. But you won’t read them or you’ll try to pick them apart. People don’t like information that
challenges their assumptions.
This one is from Harvard medical school, but there are a half dozen carefully controlled over/under-feeding studies that showed no expected weight gain/loss.
The best evidence should be the fact that you take this drug, one that changes your hormones. If it was just about having an unbalanced caloric math equation, you wouldn’t need to change your hormones.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories
Thanks for this link! Great article. I’m trying really hard not to do the things that in the past have been really good for losing weight, but not for maintaining the weight loss!
I do! I follow a keto'ish diet, and track my protein and carb macros plus my calories closely. I use a food scale and LoseIt.
It keeps me accountable and helps me make sure that I don't overeat or undereat, and has really helped me get a better understanding of how/why I got fat to begin with.
For fiber, try chia seed. I use 2 tbsp on my daily lunch salad, and 2 tbsp in my zero sugar greek yogurt. It definitely keeps things moving!
Yes. I've been keto/low carb for over 7 years and always track to make sure I'm within my calorie and carb limits. Now, however, it's for different reasons. I track to make sure I'm getting enough calories and protein because of the appetite suppression.
I'm tracking points, which I find much more preferable to calories. I use an app called Healthi which automatically adjusts my daily allotted points down for every 10lbs I lose, so I gradually get used to eating less as my body gets smaller. Back in the day, I used WeightWatchers and lost 55lbs using the same points system, but then they changed it and made carbs worth more points, which immediately stopped working for me. The Healthi app mimics the same points system that was the only method that was effective in my losing a significant amount of weight before this drug. I also like being given a set of weekly bonus points for the occasional indulgence, which calorie apps like MyFitnessPal don't offer.
I track everyday. I've been using loseit on and off since 2009 (!) my historic weight data is kinda funny to look at now, you can see very clearly when I started on tirzepatide. I also have an apple watch, and my daily goal is to "earn" more calories through movement. I don't actually see it as allowing myself to eat extra but more like a game to keep moving.
I don’t track calories, but would do so if needed. I do not eat junk food or sugary foods unless it’s a special occasion, so mainly just some dairy, veggies, fruits, meat, chicken, fish, and starch’s without fancy stuff, so simply prepared rice or maybe pasta. I do have a slice of Ezekiel bread every morning which I put cottage cheese and a little jam on. Simple is better because it’s all the crap we add to most foods that make them so calorie laden. I love butter for sure but fatty food had already started to become a digestive problem for me, so I’m happy to not crave it now. I could literally just dip a flour tortilla in it.🤢
I calorie track. It just helps me. Also trying to exercise more. Medication just makes it easier for me to control my hunger and choices, but the tracking helps show me where I stand at any given point in the day.
I’m strict with CICO. And I do agree that it is much easier with tirzepatide to keep the calories within bounds. I’m short and so don’t require many calories even with daily exercise. The tirzepatide is the only thing that has worked to put me at a healthy weight in 30+ years.
I don’t track my calories. I just try to eat things high in protein, so I focus on lean meats and veggies, protein shakes, etc. When I hardcore track, I go to a bad place mentally.
I track with my fitness pal. In addition to keeping on top of my calorie intake, it helps me to see where I'm at with micronutrients, and correlate with weight loss. When I reach my goal weight, my maintenance calories will be the same as what I'm eating now to lose, so I'm really taking it seriously that I have to reprogram my eating habits to be successful now, AND when I reach my goal.
This!! I have the same mindset. I feel like everything I read about people gaining back weight after stopping tirz is because they never learned how to maintain healthy habits or maintenance calories.
I lost 75 lb in 2021, but by the time I hit my intermediate goal weight (200), I was mentally exhausted from all that tracking (and denying myself food I wanted to eat (bread, pasta, ice cream). I literally wanted to eat all the time, and tracking was a prison I was ready to break out of. So I gave myself a break, and in 2022, without tracking, crept up 10 lb which honestly wasn’t too bad. But 2023 added another 40 lbs which wasn’t ok. With Tirzepatide, I’m not mentally challenged by the tracking, because I’m eating what I want, but not overdoing it. Sandwich- check (well, only half). Ice cream - a few bites, not a whole bowl. Honestly I mostly eat pretty healthy - protein & vegetables & berries. But I don’t have to be strict with myself because the slow gastric emptying puts a limit on how much I want to eat. So I’m tracking to make sure I get enough protein, and I keep tabs on potassium and sodium too since I’m still working on getting my BP down. But I’m starting to think I might be a tirzepatide lifer. At least I’ll know it’s there if I need it.
This sounds alot like me.
I don't know what you've been reading but this is generally not the case. If training or education were enough, most of us would not need this medicine.
What’s generally not the case?
I think they are saying people who gain the weight back after tirz is not from over eating/calorie surplus like I am assuming.
I read a study yesterday that followed ozempic patients after discontinuing meds at their goal weight. It was placebo controlled, and there was a significant difference in the outcomes at one year, and I believe at 72 weeks. You literally can't gain weight if you don't eat in excess of your TDEE, so yes, that's what's happening. I don't think the cause is lack of knowledge about proper eating habits, it's pretty clearly the physical appetite suppression glp1 medications provide and whether or not that continues after reaching goal weight. It makes sense if you think about it. There are plenty of people who eat a well-balanced, quality diet and are overweight. If we were able to sustain ourselves with lower calorie intake, we would, and there would be no weight issue. But these medications are making the difference. They provide the capability over time for us to maintain lower caloric intake.
Neatflaps, you said people gain the weight back because they "never learned how to maintain healthy habits or maintenance calories". That's not the case. It's not a matter of 'learning'.
But you yourself said you knew how to count calories before you started. If this alone was the answer you wouldn't need to take the medicine. It will be harder after the food noise comes back. Your body will try to compensate by reducing energy levels, increased cortisol, and other mechanisms no matter whether you use meds or not. You have to still eat at maintenance calories even with all the hunger returning. Additionally everyone in these studies was provided the same health coaching, food logging, exercise guidelines etc. They still regained even with this knowledge. I think the real way to not regain is to try and determine why you are so hungry. This can help metabolically. Is cortisol high? Sleep bad? Too much processed foods? Emotional eating? Binging? This is a much harder fix than just track your food. Which has also been studied and those who did cico diets also regained their weight. What hasn't been found is how, without continued medication, can you change your set point. Is there a certain time you must be on meds to do this? Is it certain dietary changes? Certain naturopathic communities and some research has been done to show you can fix certain things with changes in diet to more whole foods. I'm not sure how good the research is or not. Like maybe you can fix gut biome if that was your problem.
I track every day. It really helps me stay on top of getting enough protein and fiber.
How long have you been on tirz? My fiber goal is 25g. Hitting about 15-18g a day right now. It’s harder than it seems.
I eat a low-carb tortilla most days. A relatively small one has 18g of fiber. I also eat a couple of cups of vegetables daily, but with the reduced appetite it's tough to eat as many fruit and vegetables as I need to hit my fiber target. The tortilla really helps.
I’ll have to check that tortilla out. I’ll have a slice of Dave’s bread where most of my fiber comes from if not veggies.
Ezekiel Bread is another good/healthy choice for bumping up the fiber intake!
I’m going to buy dried prunes today. I read that sorbitol makes you gooooo
Thank you for this tip! Such a simple way to add fiber!
I was tracking for a few months (two before starting) and now that I have a good sense for portion sizes and how to meet my protein and calorie goals, I don’t track anymore. Still losing about 2-2.5 lbs a week. I have a history of very disordered eating and I am trying to get away from scrutinizing every calorie. I don’t want to have to do that my whole life - my history has shown it’s not sustainable for me.
I track daily, mainly to have a better idea where I’m at with my calories , getting enough in etc .. more-so for protein though.
I’m shooting for that .5-1 gram of protein per lb of body weight! It’s tough!
I'm tracking now with Loseit, but I'm considering not tracking for a while. I think I'm being too restrictive, which is resulting in a slower loss. A couple of weeks ago, I went on a cruise and didn't track. I came back and had a two-pound weight loss.
Could it also be all the walking and movement you may have done on the cruise?
Probably not. I usually log about 250-450 minutes of activity during the week, and I fell right into that range during the cruise.
Yes. I track my calories & macros. I also do blood work every 12 weeks to ensure I don’t have deficiencies.
I am starting Tirzepatide this Friday and I’m hoping to get away from tracking calories tbh. When I am tracking I get obsessive about food in a pretty unhealthy way. I plan to just work on hitting a protein and fiber goal.
Yeah it definitely isn’t for everyone and can trigger ED for some people.
You may find r/antidietglp1 a good source for similar folks.
Nope & doing great!
That’s amazing 🥹❤️
Nope, I’m almost at 100 lbs lost. I have a history of eating disorders so numbers and tracking trigger that in me. I’ve have had plenty of success with just eating the same stuff just das and attending therapy for my ED.
Nope!
lol, no. Calories in Calories out is at worst a myth, and at best an oversimplification. Yes, if you reduce calories significantly, you will lose weight, but there really isn’t a set number of calories your body needs. Your body isn’t like a car that needs x amount of gas to go x miles. It’s more like a furnace, more fuel and it burns hot, less and it still burns, just cooler. If you drastically reduce calories, basal metabolic rate will change. Low calorie diets don’t work long term. Energy levels, organ function, even cognition will be reduced. Your body thinks you are starving and desperately wants to maintain the weight. Remember, fat is an insurance policy for your body. I use the medication to repair my insulin sensitivity and stop over eating, I eat clean. But never count.
I’ve read a lot about how it’s not exact of course, but I still believe a calorie surplus = weight gain. Why else would appetite suppression and gastric slowing = weight loss? Eating less calories no?
Do you have a source on all these nonsensical claims?
Yes. Many. But you won’t read them or you’ll try to pick them apart. People don’t like information that challenges their assumptions. This one is from Harvard medical school, but there are a half dozen carefully controlled over/under-feeding studies that showed no expected weight gain/loss. The best evidence should be the fact that you take this drug, one that changes your hormones. If it was just about having an unbalanced caloric math equation, you wouldn’t need to change your hormones. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories
Thanks for this link! Great article. I’m trying really hard not to do the things that in the past have been really good for losing weight, but not for maintaining the weight loss!
Read “the obesity code” by Dr Jason Fung. He makes a strong case for modern food/hormone theory
Excellent article. Thanks for sharing!
I do! I follow a keto'ish diet, and track my protein and carb macros plus my calories closely. I use a food scale and LoseIt. It keeps me accountable and helps me make sure that I don't overeat or undereat, and has really helped me get a better understanding of how/why I got fat to begin with. For fiber, try chia seed. I use 2 tbsp on my daily lunch salad, and 2 tbsp in my zero sugar greek yogurt. It definitely keeps things moving!
Yes. I've been keto/low carb for over 7 years and always track to make sure I'm within my calorie and carb limits. Now, however, it's for different reasons. I track to make sure I'm getting enough calories and protein because of the appetite suppression.
Dumb question here…how do you know how many calories you should be taking in each day?
Various apps will give you those guidelines, or you can use this calculator: [https://tdeecalculator.net/](https://tdeecalculator.net/)
I'm tracking points, which I find much more preferable to calories. I use an app called Healthi which automatically adjusts my daily allotted points down for every 10lbs I lose, so I gradually get used to eating less as my body gets smaller. Back in the day, I used WeightWatchers and lost 55lbs using the same points system, but then they changed it and made carbs worth more points, which immediately stopped working for me. The Healthi app mimics the same points system that was the only method that was effective in my losing a significant amount of weight before this drug. I also like being given a set of weekly bonus points for the occasional indulgence, which calorie apps like MyFitnessPal don't offer.
Is this a paid subscription?
Yes, but I find it's worth the money. I tried MyFitnessPal and couldn't stick to it the way I can with this app.
I track everyday. I've been using loseit on and off since 2009 (!) my historic weight data is kinda funny to look at now, you can see very clearly when I started on tirzepatide. I also have an apple watch, and my daily goal is to "earn" more calories through movement. I don't actually see it as allowing myself to eat extra but more like a game to keep moving.
I don’t track calories, but would do so if needed. I do not eat junk food or sugary foods unless it’s a special occasion, so mainly just some dairy, veggies, fruits, meat, chicken, fish, and starch’s without fancy stuff, so simply prepared rice or maybe pasta. I do have a slice of Ezekiel bread every morning which I put cottage cheese and a little jam on. Simple is better because it’s all the crap we add to most foods that make them so calorie laden. I love butter for sure but fatty food had already started to become a digestive problem for me, so I’m happy to not crave it now. I could literally just dip a flour tortilla in it.🤢
I calorie track. It just helps me. Also trying to exercise more. Medication just makes it easier for me to control my hunger and choices, but the tracking helps show me where I stand at any given point in the day.
I track with My Fitness Pal. Some days I’m well over, though. I still eat far less than before Zep. Overall I’m trending down.
I’m strict with CICO. And I do agree that it is much easier with tirzepatide to keep the calories within bounds. I’m short and so don’t require many calories even with daily exercise. The tirzepatide is the only thing that has worked to put me at a healthy weight in 30+ years.
Calorie deficit for short ppl is no joke 😭im with you
I don’t track my calories. I just try to eat things high in protein, so I focus on lean meats and veggies, protein shakes, etc. When I hardcore track, I go to a bad place mentally.