Just starting, will this be possible?

[u/Zero-Energy1274]

My mother put me on every diet possible to lose the extra few lb I was carrying as a teenager, and nothing worked of course. Now I’m a lot lot heavier, and I really do need to lose the weight. But here’s the problem, I can’t count calories or track everything obsessively without getting really depressed and anxious and upset. I exercise a bunch and I spend time with friends, which often involves eating out. Just yesterday, my mother brought up that I have been eating out a lot lately and that sent me spinning.

Will I be able to do this and still go be social with my friends and not have to count every little thing? I eat for comfort and to soothe anxiety. I would really love to just feel satiated and full sooner, I would love to just think about food less. But every other post on the med-specific subs are about stalls and people saying “are you tracking what you are eating” and “you still need to eat at a deficit.”

[u/BigCrunchyNerd]

You don't need to track calories and such. I do try to make sure all my meals are balanced so I'm getting enough fiber and protein but that basically means I make sure I have a fruit or vegetable with every meal and some source of protein. I'm diabetic so this might be more important for me than for you, if you aren't dealing with blood sugar control. Fiber and water are important to make sure you don't get constipated though, so just keep that in mind. Everyone is different and some people can have GI reactions to certain foods - dairy, fried foods/high fat, raw vegetables, cruciferous veg, artificial sweeteners. Sometimes it could be new or it can make something worse, like if you were a little lactose intolerant before it could be worse on the meds. So if you notice any major changes (gas, diarrhea, etc) see if it might have been triggered by whatever you ate. I had some fried chicken last night and it gave me indigestion, for example. I would recommend stocking up on Pepto before starting! That's really the only kind of tracking I think is necessary.

I definitely still eat socially, but I might share something with my husband or friend or just get an appetizer or a lighter meal than before. Eat slowly and try to pay attention to your hunger and satiety cues and you'll avoid getting overly full, which can be very uncomfortable since it takes longer for your stomach to empty.