To think this is more than enough calories in a day

[user1486841477]

My parents are concerned that I do not eat enough. I do seem to be losing around 2 lbs a week but I'm not sure why. I am sure I eat 2000 calories a day.

I have:

Bircher muesli (0% fat natural yogurt, strawberries, 1 cup of whole meal oats, ground almonds, 1 tablespoon peanut and cashew butter)

Lunch: chicken breast sandwich with Philadelphia cream cheese, tomato and lettuce side salad,
potato salad, beetroot, homemade flapjack Made with oats, butter, agave syrup, apricots, raisins and cinnamon.

Snack: fat free natural yogurt, beef slices.

Dinner: wholemeal pasta, extra lean beef burgers (homemade), homemade tomato sauce using herbs and tin of tomatoes.

Dessert: fruit salad and 2 nutri grain cereal bars.

Drinks: tea, coffee, water, 2 skinny lattes. No sugar in my drinks.

To me that seems like a lot of food and I have quite big portions. How can I be losing weight on that?

I walk around 5 miles a day at a brisk pace for exercise.



AIBU to think my parents are being unreasonable to think I need more calories and my weight loss is probably nothing to worry about?

If I lose more I will go to the doctors but in terms of my diet, I think it's absolutely fine.

[AYankinSpanx]

Are you a healthy weight already OP?

[SorrelSoup]

Are you saying that you're slim and losing 2lbs a week?

[Thecontentedcat]

In terms of calories it is probably ok but you need more fat.

[user1486841477]

I'm a healthy weight at the moment. I weigh 10st and I'm 5ft6. Probably best if I stay at this weight though. Anything upto 9st is fine for me. Any less and that's getting very slim.

[AYankinSpanx]

Why not switch to ff yoghurt and milk? It's upping the fat content without changing the diet that you're happy with. Unless you deeply love the non existent taste of ff dairy, of course.

[Fackorf]

That's a pretty low-calorie diet for someone covering 35 miles a week...

But if you have suddenly started losing weight (outside of food/exercise changes) then you should see your doctor.

[user1486841477]

I've always stayed the same weight but I have started walking 5 miles a day instead of my usual 2 so this could be the cause.

I am visiting an ill frind and can't afford to get there any other way so I'm having to walk 2.5 miles each way. Sometimes I do shopping on the way back too so some days it could be 6 miles.

I don't know how much fat I have but I only eat extra lean meat like chicken breast. I don't cook with any oil or have any butter or margarine.

I do drink a good amount of semi skimmed milk, have full fat cream cheese, peanut butter and there's fat in the flapjack and nitro grain bars.

I don't have the same menu every day but it's just an example.

I would guess I have 30 grams of fat a day but that could be wrong.

[LostMyDotBrain]

How long have you been losing for while eating like that? How big is the total loss?

You're eating far more than me and losing more...and I'm actively trying to lose weight.

Might be worth a pop in to the doctor if it's been going on a while. Hard to hive certainties without portion sizes though. Try logging your food in My Fitness Pal for a few days to get an accurate read on calories in and out to check your perception is right.

[AYankinSpanx]

You're around the same as me, give or take. If you're worried, OP, you know the advice. GO and see a dr.

But the reality is that you're eating a balanced diet, and taking regular exercise. If you don't want to lose weight, increase your food intake with more healthy fats.

[harderandharder2breathe]

Well if you're losing 2lbs a week then that's not enough calories to maintain your weight

Agree that swapping fat free yogurt and extra lean meat for normal is an easy way to up the calories without increasing the amount

[Cherryskypie]

The food sounds lovely. If you are dropping below the zone you're happy with swapping to full fat dairy as mentioned above should help you stabilise.

[user1486841477]

I have lost 12lbs in the 6 weeks I stayed visiting my friend.

I was 11 stone before. Still within my healthy weight range.

[user1486841477]

My friend who is a doctor says I am eating more protein than necessary and I should up my calorie intake to at least 200 calories more as I'm burning 500 extra.


I'm just not sure :-(

[LostMyDotBrain]

Definitely try logging your food and exercise then. For at least a week, maybe 2. If you consistently have a calorie deficit, that's all the explanation necessary. If you usually eat around the amount you need to fuel your lifestyle (or more) but are still losing, book yourself in at the doctors and carry on logging in the run up to your appointment.

[AYankinSpanx]

So that makes sense, right? YOu're burning more calories. That seems to explain the weight loss, no?

Are you going to just start eating a bit more then?

[Nomorechickens]

Agree you need a bit more fat. A bit of salad with olive oil dressing? And just eat a bit more to balance the extra walking. Cut back again if extra walking ends.

[Diemme]

You and your parents are both right. You're right in thinking that for an average woman that's easily enough calories to maintain weight. But walking 5 miles a day means you're not an average woman! You're way more active than average so your parents are right in saying you've got a calorie deficit that you need to rectify. Maybe fortify your meals with healthy fat, avocado, olive oil based sauces etc.

[user1486841477]

I can do but I feel pretty full on the dirt I am and I'm worried any changes will have me gaining weight which I don't want.

I walk 5 miles a day. I wouldn't have thought that would make any difference to my weight. It's only walking, not heavy exercise.

[user1486841477]

Diet*

[Cherryskypie]

You are still well within the healthy BMI range at 10 stone. I know how that looks can vary from person to person but I can't imagine you look worryingly thin.

Do you have an history of eating problems that might be making your parents worry?

[PurpleDaisies]

It depends on your portions. That could be much more or less that 2000 calories. Unless you're weighing things I don't know how your doctor friend could tell you you were eating too much protein/not enough calories etc. And diets high in lean protein are usually seen as a good thing.

[EpoxyResin]

Well look, if you're losing 2lbs a week and you really don't need or want to be, it's either the food or the portion size. If it were the other way round and you were GAINING 2lbs we'd be saying it's either the food or the portions.

As pp's said, there's not a lot of fat there. There's the potential for sufficient calories, but if you're losing weight your "big portions" aren't big enough - fact - so I'm afraid your parents are right.

What I will say is it sounds like an exceptionally ...considered... diet for someone who, far from wanting to lose weight, actually admits they would be unwise to. All I'll say is that rings alarm bells for me. And I know a bit about it.

No-one can tell you that diet is fine and your parents are wrong, no matter that you want us to. When it comes to food your body speaks for itself. Obviously consult a doctor if there's any doubt, but I don't think your parents are wrong on this one.

[PurpleDaisies]

What I will say is it sounds like an exceptionally ...considered... diet for someone who, far from wanting to lose weight, actually admits they would be unwise to. All I'll say is that rings alarm bells for me. And I know a bit about it.

I agree. This sounds to me like someone with an eating issue wanting validation that their diet is fine. Apologies if that's way off base op.

[EpoxyResin]

Ah, thread's moved on, sorry!

Don't worry about making changes making you put on weight; you geta lot of warning with weight gain, I promise you, and you're going to get past some imagined "point of no return" without seeing it coming for a looong time first :)