a serious question for under 5"5s - and anyone else who wants to chip in ( pardon pun) haa haa<ahem.

[saintBernard]

i will keep shamefully bumping this.


i have overeaten for so many years - i don't know what a normal amount of food is.

i have recently dropped 12lbs and have done various diets - but at the moment i am doing very well ( i think) re-training myself on portion sizes and not snacking.


today i ate for dinner 2 sandwiches ( 4 slices of small wholemeal bread) with beef salad.

then for tea i had a small portion of lasagne with a very small amount of chips ( around 10 chips if that) and beans.

i had 2 drumstick lollies from trick o treat bag.


now i know about healthy eating etc. what i dont know is what normal people eat day to day.

yesterday i had cous cous for dinner at work ( small portion) then i had about half a frozen pizza

please help me out

i seriously dont know what normal people eat day to day.

[harpsichordsgoingBANGandWHOOSH]

what do you eat for breakfast?

[lucy5]

I don't want to offend but it doesn't sound terribley healthy. You could eat bigger portions if you ate healthier food. Don't listen to me though as i know the theory but not so good at the practise [sp].

[saintBernard]

i know i should but i dont - i know i know i know about kicks tarting metabollism - i know - i just can't i have coffee - usually in travel mug whilst i am halfway out to the car screaming at kids " dont forget your pe kitttttttttt" as i am driving off.

[Socci]

Message withdrawn

[harpsichordsgoingBANGandWHOOSH]

imo you are significantly undereating - sorry.
it is madly important to eat breakfast - MADLY important.
imo and ime it is important to eat small amounts regularly to keep your metabolism going.
small amounts of processed food will mess with your metabolism, and you can't separate healthy eating from portion size.

[saintBernard]

will try and eat a weetabix.

dont be sorry i am asking for advice. and thank you

[Socci]

Message withdrawn

[brimfull]

Well done on losing 12 lbs.

To me it doesn't sound that much ,although agree if you changed to less carbs ie,bread ,chips, pasta and increased veg and fruit you'd probably lose weight.

[harpsichordsgoingBANGandWHOOSH]

OK the other thing I would say, try giving up bread for while, that is a good way to make you change your eating habits. and makes you think about what you are eating so you get creative.
try eating a whole load of fruit for breakfast.
and I agree about lots of water. LOTS of water, just carry a bottle around with you all the time.

[saintBernard]

no your misunderstanding me - i dont want advice on losing weight or evn healthy eating - believe me i know most diets and healthy eating is much common sense.

and i know you might think it stupid - but i dont know what normal sized people - up to 14 is my own very personal definition - eat.

i do have a mixture of foods. sometimes its very healthy - sometimes its frozen pizza depending on the day. but i have lost sight of what is a normal amount.

on atkins you can eat as much as you like as long as its limited carbs.

or healthy eating - eat as much as you like as long as its not saturated hydroginated etc.

green day red day - slimming world
under 18 points weight watchers

all these do is say - eat as much as you want....as longa as its only this or this.

then i come off diet andd eat as much as i want of everything.

i know you all probably think its a daft question.

but what is a normal day.
don't go all lentil weavery on me

[harpsichordsgoingBANGandWHOOSH]

oh I see.
I think you are asking the wrong question
OK this is what I would eat:
breakfast - slice of toast/butter/marmite, piece of fruit
lunch - ham sandwich, packet of crisps, maybe a bowl of soup
dinner - maybe some pasta and sauce and veg, or ham egg and chips, or beans on toast, or some fish/potatoes and veg.
I would also have biscuits and some choclate during the day. and several cups of tea and lots of water/juice/squash.
I am 5 5 and size 12-14
I am bf at the mo though, and I would say my food intake varies from day to day depending on how tired I am and my activity.
I can't emphasise enough IT'S ABOUT YOUR METABOLISM and you need to concentrate on that imo

[saintBernard]

cworr - i like the sound of that!

i'm only 5"2 but my metabolism is normal i had it checked for something unrelated a couple of years ago.

[harpsichordsgoingBANGandWHOOSH]

yes but... you affect your metabolism day in day out by the type of food you eat, how active you are, and how often you eat ime.

[mymama]

I am 5'7 and size 12-14. This is what I would eat most days

bfast - slice of wholegrain toast with tomato/ham
piece of fruit and 2 cups of coffee

morning tea - 2 biscuits and piece of fruit

lunch - ham/chicken and salad sandwich or toastie
can of diet coke

afternoon tea - crackers and cheese or piece of cake and cup of tea

tea - meat and vegetable/risotto/stirfry or similar, cup of tea and biscuit.

I drink lots of water and walk to school and back 3 times a week (25 mins).

I struggle with my weight and have to watch portion sizes.

[KristinaM]

I am 5 4 and 3/4 does that count?

B'fast - I have wholemeal toast, black tea, piece of fruit

Lunch - salad with cold meat, lots of fruit and salad veg, fruit juice or homemade soup and bread

dinner - potatoes or pasta or rice etc with meat or fish and lots of veg

dont drink any fizzy drinks, only water and black tea, perhaps one choc biscuit a day. no puddings normally

i am also bf so sometimes get hungry in teh night and have cereal and fruit or toast

woudl only have chips or pizza as a treat

I'n not sure I really understand your question - surly " healthy eating " IS what normal people eat day to day??? Its not just teh amopunt its WHAT you eat

[Miaou]

Im 5'2", size 10-12 and this is a typical day's food:

Breakfast: two weetabix with a bit of honey on, or cornflakes, or a slice of toast, with a cup of tea.

Lunch - a bowl of soup and slice of bread or a roll; or a sandwich (two slices of bread), sometimes followed by an apple or some yoghurt. A glass of water with it, then a cup of tea afterwards.

Tea: - medium portion of lasagne, or stew, or tuna pasta bake, maybe with some extra veg if there isn't much in the main meal. Drink of water with it, cup of tea afterwards.

Snacks - couple of cups of tea, occasionally a couple of biscuits if we have them, but I don't usually bother. Not a big snacker.

I don't think I eat a lot really but it's not a conscious thing - I eat as much as I want to.

[SofiaAmes]

Hi saintBernard...well done for your efforts...it can't be easy. The latest scientific theories are that overeating can be due to your body being desperate for certain nutrients that it's not getting in unhealthy food, so it keeps triggering you to eat until you get the nutrients, but if you are eating junk, then you never get them and just keep on eating. Conclusion, if you want to lose weight and keep the weight off with regular habits, you have to eat healthily.
So, what do I eat (I am thin and have never dieted or watched my weight).
Yesterday I had:
Breakfast: 1 1/2 thinish slices of chocolate chip challah bread (fresh from local jewish bakers) + 1 cup of tea (with 2 sugars and milk)
Lunch: 2 smallish corn tamales, one cheese, one chicken (these are from a local food chain that does healthy preprepared foods) + 1 persimmon
Dinner: 1 roasted chicken drumstick + 10 small roasted potato pieces + 10 string beans (dressed with lemon, garlic and olive oil) + 1 artichoke (with olive oil and lemon dipping sauce) + two shots of B&B (brandy).
Snacks: during the course of the day I ate bits of a chocolate bar that added up to about 1/3 of it. I also drink diet coke all day.

Most days I eat 1 more piece of fruit than I did yesterday and most days I eat at least 1 more serving of vegetables than I did yesterday. I generally only eat sweet desserts when I am out at a restaurant.
It's also important to teach good eating habits to your children. Mine ate pretty much exactly what I did yesterday except they had a small sandwich for lunch instead of the tamales. And they always have milk with every meal. They get fruit for dessert and like me only get sweet desserts when we are out to dinner.

Cooking can be time consuming, but like anything, it becomes easier as you practice. Get some nice simple cookbooks and try simple recipies that don't use butter. If you don't buy preprepared foods EVER, you will probably find that that in and of itself helps you lose weight. And DO NOT keep sweets or desserts or crisps or juice in the house, EVER.

[GarfieldsGirl]

I'm 5'1", and a size 8-10.

For breakfast I will have toast with butter or a sandwich, and munch on a few biscuits while making ds1's lunchbox.

Then I'll have a bacon sandwich or something similar at about 10am.

Lunch will be a sandwich (usually meat filling), and whatever's in the fridge, e.g. cold chicken, sunday dinner leftovers, more biscuits/chocolate bars/cakes. I'll try to have a bit of fruit, usually grapes, apple or satsuma. My big thing at the moment is chocolate muffins or my mars bar cake things that I make.

Dinner is usually steak & chips, chops & chips, fish & chips, or occasionally jacket potato (with lots of butter) with chicken breast or fish.

Then in the evening I'll just pick at whatever is in the fridge and cupboards, so lots of bread, meat & chocolate!

My problem is, if I'm in the kitchen, I have to eat! So I tend to be snacking all day really.

I know this is far from normal, so not sure if it helps, but I'm not really sure what 'normal' is.

[mumfor1standfinaltime]

Crikey! You all sound so good at eating! I am terrible!
Today I had some battenburg cake for breakfast (don't normally eat any bkfast as I start work from 6am and don't have time or feel like it) and cuppa tea. Had a sausage sandwich for dinner as I was out shopping, normally have a cheese sandwich or cup of soup. Haven't had tea yet, but is usually a ready meal or something quick and easy like pasta etc.
I cook ds seperate meals to me and I don't cook for dh as he has a cooked meal for lunch at work so he helps himself to something when he comes in. At weekends dh and I will have take away or something like a frozen pizza!
I find meal times extremely depressing though as dh doesn't eat any veg or fruit. He lives on meat and that is about it! Having trouble at the moment getting ds to eat veg.

[DimpledThighs]

you have lost nearly a stone so something is going right.

I am 5'6" and 12/14 I have always struggled with my weight and weighed 16 stone in my early 20's and lost it by eating properly, feeling hungry and exercising. Keep doing what you are doing!

I am dieting at the minute.

Breakfast - 2 cups white coffee yoghurt (sometimes nothing if can't face it)

Lunch - sandwich or soup

Supper - whatever am making for family (jackets potatoes, pasta, chicken etc.) but usually cut out the fat part for my - i.e. no cheese, roast potatoes etc. No pudding and no sweets as dieting.

NOTHIGN BETWEEN MEALS (well that's the plan...)

if I am hungry inthe evening I have a big 2l bottle of sparkling water and keep drinking and drinking to feel full. Don't keep 'easy' food in the house so if I want a snack it involves preapration adn time to think myself out of it. For children I buy stuff they like but I don't or only buy enough for the lunchboxes so if I rais it I have to go out to the shops.

I am a bit obsessive about food, but comes from having been very overweight in the past.

Good luck!

[DimpledThighs]

sorry misread the under 5'5" bit of the title!

[mumfor1standfinaltime]

Oh yes, I am 5'5 and a size 12, (used to be a size 8 before ds was born)so don't think I am over weight, but could be healthier!

[Mercy]

I'm 5'2" and size 6/8. And I eat almost exactly the same as Miaou!

But I have snacks every day. Usually at least 2/3 biscuits, a bit of chocolate etc. But recently have cut tried to cut them down and have dried fruit, nuts, seeds etc instead. I also drink lots of wine .

I also eat more 'stodge' during the winter months. Cooked breakfast at the weekend, more roasts, sausage and mash etc. And I have to eat within half an hour or so of waking up - I'm on the verge of fainting otherwise!

[sophy]

5' 3" sz 12/14.
Bfast: porridge with fruit, oj, and tea
Mid-morning: white coffee
lunch: soup and bread or cheese or ham sandwich, apple, water, white coffee
kids teatime: snack on bread or crackers and cheese while they eat, and finish their leftovers
dinner: fish or meat (occasionally pasta or risotto), two veg and 1 or 2 glasses wine.
During day snack on brazil nuts and dried fruit.

[oxocube]

I am crap at eating. I am 5'7 and about 9 stone at the moment which is huge for me. I know I have eating/body image issues and at the moment am trying various diets. Last year I was about 8st 7 which made me stupidly happy but I eat when stressed, unhappy, worried etc. I eat in a very unhealthy way so am probably not very qualified to add to this thread. I love to cook, not only for my family but for friends, events etc and pick contstantly thoughout the day. Sometimes I review what I have eaten in a day and it is all carbs, sometimes all protein and salad, not at all balanced. and usually with several glasses of wine! What is normal? I don't know. I know I don't eat convenience/processed foods very often. the funny thing is, I make sure my kids eat a very healthy, balanced diet, almost to the point of being a pain. Am sure this doesn't help you Saintbernard