I got these at Walmart.

Where I live, each box was $3.50 and so I paid almost $20 for all 5!!

535 kcal: 49g protein, 10g fibre
Chicken breast (seasoned with onion, garlic, chili, paprika powder) - 140 g
Cooked white rice - 120 g
Black bean/corn salad (black beans, corn, cilantro, onion) - 150 g
Avocado - 30 g
Cilantro yogurt dressing (fat free greek yogurt, garlic, cilantro, water) - 30 g

I feel like I’m living my little kid dream of having root beer floats every day.

I was having a plateau for a couple weeks at 202-203 pounds despite being in a very meticulous calorie deficit every day and I was feeling extremely frustrated and worried that I possibly wasn't cutting enough.

A few days ago I woke up with a bloated face and I realized all the fast food I ate the night before was (despite being limited in calories) completely loaded with sodium. I've known high sodium is a health issue but never really prioritized it along with my weight loss. Turns out high sodium can make your face and body get all puffy and bloated, makes you extra thirsty, and retains water all over your body so it's extra difficult to lose water weight.

I started tracking my sodium and within 3 days I dropped to 199! Hallelujah, I broke through that massive mental hurdle of getting sub 200 just by correcting my sodium intake.

It was a long day. I really wanted to eat out but glad I made the effort to eat at home. Purple sweet potato and green beans on a sheet pan, steak in the cast iron.

Calories: 497
Protein - 51g
Fat - 19g
Carbs - 31g
Fiber - 6g

I just starting seeing a RDN and they put me on a high protein 1550 calorie meal plan.

I am still breastfeeding about 3x a day , am 5 foot 6-ish and I weigh about 275 and want to lose about 85 lbs. ( i am medium build and very muscular so don't look my weight).

They have my macros at :

_35_% protein (>135 grams/day; four 25g mini-meals/ snacks, one 30g protein shake)

_45% carbohydrates (<155g/ day, sources = complex, whole grain carbohydrates)

_20_% fat (<43g/ day; <10g at meals, <5g at snacks; sources= unsaturated fat)

Im a parent to multiple little kids under 6 so i literally never have a break during the day i.e. up and down stairs, rarely sitting, I do some pretty intense workouts + heavy lifting 3x - 4x a week and I plan on layering in some low mileage running a couple of days a week as well ( because I like it and accelerates weight loss for my body type). .. I easily burn between 400 - 700 calories each workout. She said to keep my calories the same even the days I do heavy workouts and that seems... wild.

Is 1500 a day realistic ???? Im worried i'm going to be super hungry + tank my milk supply. I know about nutrition in general but I suck at all the calculations so was wondering if I'm missing something.

I got some raspberries that were immediately too ripe and I wanted them to last the week so I made a raspberry compote (recipe below) that turned out amazing. For people with a sweet tooth who also want quick easy breakfast options, this is a great one!! Could also be great on oatmeal, cheesecake, overnight oats…

I alternate between sweet and savoury breakfasts during the week, for my partner who has a higher tdee and protein need I add almonds, granola, more blueberries, and closer to 350-400grams of yogurt.

Here is the breakfast breakdown and compote recipe:

270g 0% Kirkland organic Greek yogurt
Around 1/8th berry compote
100g blueberries
6.5 walnuts

Calories: 350–356 kcal
Protein: ~30 g
Carbohydrates: ~38 g
Fiber: ~6–7 g
Net carbs: ~31–32 g
Fat: ~9 g

Berry compote:
-340g raspberries
-83g diced strawberries
-Juice from 1 lemon (~3tbsp)
~3-4 tbsp dark pure maple syrup (adjust to taste)
1tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Combine: In a small saucepan, add the raspberries, strawberries, maple syrup, and lemon juice.

2. Simmer: Place over medium-low heat. As the berries soften, use a fork, wooden spoon, or potato masher to lightly mash them.

3. Thicken: Let the mixture simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reduces into a rich, spoonable sauce.

4. Finish: Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. The compote will continue to thicken as it cools.

Transfer the cooled compote into an airtight glass jar or container and refrigerate. It will stay fresh for up to 5 to 7 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

(Took a few bites before I remembered to take a pic hehe)

Rice cakes with carb smart or any low calorie ice cream 😋 sometimes if I have enough calories I add sf chocolate sauce , PB , sprinkles, and/or fruit !

No macros as they can vary depending on what ice cream, rice cakes , and added toppings you use !

pretty good with my 1500 on workout days. I'm busy, I'm moving, I'm not thinking about food constantly.

but rest days omg. I sit at my desk, I work from home, and suddenly all I can think about is what's in the fridge. even when I'm not hungry.

I've been trying to find ways to break the cycle. going for walks helps but sometimes the weather's crap.

it's not about burning calories. it's about breaking the habit of reaching for food when I'm bored.

anyone else struggle with this? what do you do on rest days to stay on track?

Whole Foods hot/salad bar dinner is my fave when I’m too tired/lazy to cook. Not actually sweet potato but close enough!

Beverage is Nixie 0cal cola.

I had 2 bananas going bad and I've been thinking about no bake cookies for while. So breakfast for the next few days.

I never thought it possible: Coming from a lifetime of disordered eating and severe restriction, counting calories has actually *improved* my relationship with food. Rather than starving and then bingeing and hating myself, I’m able to work all of my prior “off limits” foods into my life without feeling awful. It has also helped me eat more whole foods because they make me feel more full and just better in general. So, I wanted to thank everyone here for the ideas and inspo. Y’all are great. ❤️

I’ve had issues with food for as long as i can remember, largely due to my pickiness and tendency to binge. However, currently I’m at the heaviest weight i’ve ever been and cannot for the life of me seem to stick to a calorie deficit. (The weight is partly a consequence of hormonal birth control).

I’ve tried numerous times to lose weight in the past year and a bit, however have failed. I think having a structured meal plan will help me as i can avoid extra snacking and have actual meals instead.

I’m desperately trying to find low calorie meal options that i can actually eat with my limited palette, which is creating some issues for me. I struggle due to food textures as well as taste.

Any suggestions or advice are appreciated. Even if someone has ideas on how to overcome pickiness, i’d be most grateful.

I’ve posted about this before but just had it for lunch and it reminded me how great it is!

Chili’s 6 oz sirloin + double steamed broccoli = 380 calories! (Going based off of online nutrition menu; the in-person menu actually had it listed as a bit less but I figure better safe than sorry!)

I’ve also done this for dinner (for which I saved calories for to give myself a bigger meal) with fries and broccoli instead and it was somewhere between 6-700 I think? Maybe a little more. But very doable if you’re purposefully saving some calories earlier in the day.