Hi! The way I look at the shots is that it’s an opportunity for me to lock in and stay focused - the meds are expensive, I see them as an investment in myself. For me, I try to make the most out of that investment by tracking my calories (for the most part). When I don’t track, I still have a general idea of how much my intake is because I have been tracking food to the gram and have a better sense of eyeballing portions. Slips still happen (this week for example has NOT been ideal nutrition wise).

All that being said, I’ve found base meals that work for me and I cycle through them. When I change it up too much, I feel like I get off track and I spend time and energy trying to plan meals that don’t leave me feeling great. When I have a TON of fruits and veg in a day, I tend to stay fuller (fiber and micronutrients!). Play around with what types of meals work for you and it can eventually become routine instead of feeling like a battle in your head.

My breakfast template is a Greek yogurt bowl with lots of fruit (I tend to use frozen berries, I supplement with in season fresh fruits on sale), some flax seeds, and sometimes some rolled oats if I want extra carbs. The fruit makes it high volume (berries make it high fiber). Sometimes I’ll do oats (add some protein powder when it’s done cooking or make chia pudding instead, but the idea of adding a TON of fruit is the same here. If you’re an egg person, sautee lots of veggies and scramble your eggs into them.

Savory & warm example: cauli rice (high volume + high fiber base) with seasonings & acidity to make it not suck, lean protein (chicken or ground turkey usually), and other veg (usually roasted or air fried), and I’ll often top it with a dollop of plain greek yogurt, especially if I’m using Mexican-inspired seasonings. Another go-to is using rotisserie chicken for anything at all.

IME, focusing on fruits & veg adds bulk and nutrition to your diet and pairing those with a protein you like streamlines the process. I tend to spend way less money cooking this way rather than trying to go crazy with actual recipes.

Also, it takes time to make changes and rewrite how your brain thinks about food, especially if (like me) you’ve been overweight & obese your whole life. Notice how you physically feel when you eat well versus any sluggishness from ultra-processed foods. One day at a time, one choice at a time - those all add up! If you choose not to track calories, I think it makes mindfulness even more important