u/Equivalent_Bear_7501

I'm not vegetarian, it's just that meat is expensive and doesn't keep in the fridge very long, and if you freeze meat you have to plan ahead to thaw meat the night before, and if plans change and you don't cook the thawed meat...anyway, yeah.

When I center my meals around things like beans/legumes and Greek yogurt, I am well below my protein goal. I am obese, so my goal is currently 122 grams.

I just started on a GLP-1 so protein is important.

Do I really need meat every day?

I have been "only" PRE-diabetic for several years. The highest my A1C ever went was 6.2. Most recently 5.4.

I have also been obese for several years. Partly from side effects of my mental health medications, particularly Zyprexa/Lybalvi/Olanzapine. My first year on meds, I gained 100 pounds. But every time we have tried newer drugs with less weight gain, I end up in the psych ward.

I had planned to use the Medicare Bridge Program to get on Zepbound in July. But after a ton of runaround, I was denied.

So...my doctor gave me the "official" Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis, and prescribed it as Mounjaro...and it was APPROVED!! For the same copay as my regular prescriptions!!

The first box is in my fridge at home. I am so incredibly excited. I have been waiting YEARS for this!

But, the bittersweet part is...I'm officially diabetic. Even if I lose 100+ pounds...I'm always going to be diabetic.

To add: No, my doctor is not committing fraud. I have been on other medications like Metformin, Farxiga, and Januvia. If I was not medicated, my A1C would have likely been higher.

I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem: simply DECIDING what to eat, every day, every meal, every snack.

I know there are millions of healthy recipes. But there's more to it than that.

You have to buy the food at the grocery store, possibly comparing prices with other stores.

Then decide am I having the chicken tonight? Or the pork? What sides? How am I cooking the vegetables? Do I want to plan on a small dessert?

every.single.day.for.the.rest.of.my.life!!

I'm so burned out.

I'm single and live alone, but I very much dislike leftovers, and very much dislike eating the same thing over & over. So meal prepping doesn't appeal to me. And most recipes are for 4+ servings, and many are hard to scale down.

I've tried meal kits like Hello Fresh and EveryPlate. But they are too expensive after the discounts are gone, and, it's all 2 servings and fairly high calories.

I also occasionally visit the food bank, I am low-income. Honestly the best part is that they give me unique food I wouldn't have thought of. But I can't just keep going every month, other people need it more than I do. I only go when absolutely necessary.

Anyway...does anyone else struggle with decision fatigue? What do you do about it?

Do you think it helped or hurt my progress?

I walked up & down like every single aisle, and got my heart rate up enough to trigger active minutes on my FitBit.

But, there's that old saying: "you can't outrun your fork!"

I got almost every single sample they had. But of course, tiny portions, and nothing was particularly "junk" in fact some were quite healthy.

I did NOT get a hot dog at the cafe.

A) Do you think I had a net positive or negative result towards weight loss?

B) Would you track the samples? How?

I live alone, so I have to position the BP cuff myself. It seems nearly impossible to get that indicator arrow to point at my artery. How inaccurate are my results?

I have been pre-diabetic for several years. But the highest my A1C ever went was 6.2. Most recently 5.4.

I was trying to get on a GLP-1 for weight loss under the new Medicare Bridge Program. But I was denied because I guess my chart says I have Type 2 Diabetes, not just pre-diabetes.

My doctor resubmitted the prescription as Mounjaro.

Part of me is extremely excited to quiet the food noise... but the other part of me is sad that I am officially Type 2.

I was on Metformin for WAY to long before they finally listened to me about the horrific 💩 💩 💩 diarrhea. Then they put me on Farxiga, and later Januvia. So, I guess, if I wasn't medicated, my A1C would have been above 6.5.

I sat and figured out the sales tax, and pulled up my grocery store's app to find out the most "bang for my buck" I could get.

Technically not even a "binge" but definitely disordered and impulsive.

I should note that I am on disability for Bipolar, and my sister manages my finances - thank god, otherwise I'd be binging all my money away. But yes I do have more money, just not where I can access it.

I have a full set of dumbbells at my apartment's gym, from 5 pounds to 100 pounds. Also an adjustable bench.

I am trying to learn different exercises.

I can't figure out how to word my search correctly on Google.

I don't want a full 30-minute workout: I just want like a short video clip demonstrating one specific exercise.

Anyone know where to look?

Thank you!

I do.

I currently have 53 cents cash until Wednesday. And I was just calculating what I could buy, considering sales tax. Ridiculous!!

Thankfully, my sister is my Representative Payee for my SSDI, so I do still have all my bills paid, and some savings in an ABLE account. I am extremely grateful for her help.

But literally every week when she sends money, I spend it on things I shouldn't, like unhealthy food. And it feels impossible for me to put anything aside and save for something bigger.

I'm not manic.

Is this just a common trait of Bipolar, even without mania?

I am either 100% committed to my health, exercising, staying active even beyond exercise, eating healthy, whole, natural foods, tracking accurately and staying in a good calorie range...

OR..

I give up, and do everything I shouldn't do.

There really is no "moderation" in my mind.

How do I keep myself motivated to stay on track?

How do I prevent the damage when I'm in a bad mood?

I recently bought a new home blood pressure monitor. I was previously using a wrist cuff - which I still have - but I thought an arm cuff would be more accurate, plus the one I bought syncs with bluetooth to the same app as my blood sugar meter.

I'm fat. The cuff *kinda* fits my upper arm, but is very painful when it squeezes.

Would using the cuff on my forearm be accurate at all? Or should I just go back to my wrist cuff?

The one I bought is used and non-refundable.

I am in a situation where I need to visit the food bank occasionally. Today, I literally have .40 cents in my bank account, and a week until payday.

The best part that nobody ever really told me about, is the unique and different foods you get to try! Stuff you never would have purchased, possibly never knew existed. Premium/expensive items.

Right now I am eating goat cheese spread on fancy crackers!

It helps me feel a little bit "special" and less like a poor person.

Or will I be on Levothyroxine the rest of my life?

I'm working really hard on nutrition & activity, partly to get off my meds for blood pressure and blood sugar.

But...there really is no "diet & exercise" way to fix Hypothyroidism...is there?

This is something I have ALWAYS struggled with!! And I see very opposite opinions on how to deal with it.

I will go to all the trouble of cooking and eating a very good, well-balanced meal. I will sit down and eat, without distractions, and try to listen to my hunger cues, and eat until satisfied.

THEN...I'll put away leftovers, dishes in dishwasher, tidy up, sit down, and....

HUGE OVERPOWERING CRAVING FOR SWEETS!!

I am NOT physically hungry. I just ate.

I usually do NOT have goodies stashed somewhere calling my name.

I often end up creating something with basic ingredients like flour & sugar.

HOW DO I STOP THESE CRAVINGS?

Sometimes I'll try sugar-free candy or Jello. But I'm not sure if that helps or hurts.

I try to have fruit at the end of my meal. Again, I'm not sure if that helps or hurts.

If I try "just one piece" of chocolate...I'll end up eating the whole bag.

Normally, I actually sleep **too much** so I sleep right through all of quiet hours (10:00-7:00).

But recently I have been waking up at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning, and I can't get back to sleep.

I am very cautious about noise during the daytime, but extremely worried about it in the middle of the night.

I was even afraid to flush the toilet! But I 💩 so I had to. Most nights when I just wake up to pee only, I don't flush.

I am hungry and would really love a smoothie, or a homemade egg mcmuffin, but I cook the egg in a microwave dish, and not only is the microwave loud, but the eggs often make noise or even explode.

I have a new power reclining sofa, and it makes a bit of noise to get up & down.

Anyway...am I just worrying too much? What level of noise is acceptable at 5:00am?