What do normal sized people eat?

Also, and I meant to say this… I am pretty sure I have a high metabolism. Everyone in my immediate family eats and drinks a lot and doesn’t diet… but equally everyone is very active. No one is overweight. I think the hard fact is metabolism and genetics play the biggest part.

I fast and have 1 big meal because I like big portions.
I find the best way for me to cut fat is to go low carb. Always high protein as I'm a weightlifter.

Same here. I eat a huge high calorie takeaway about once a fortnight. I eat a lot more and a lot more calories when I'm on holiday or have friends staying, this would be on average once every three months or so. But then a lot of the other days in general I won't eat nearly as much.

I’m 35, bmi of about 22 and that’s pretty stable.

A typical day would be:

Breakfast: slice of toast and an apple

Lunch: supermarket sandwich and a chocolate biscuit (or three).

Snack: bag of crisps, piece of fruit, nuts or bar of chocolate like a bueno.

Dinner: Jacket potato with tuna and cheese and broccoli on the side, pudding would be fruit and yoghurt or ice cream.

I might have a snack later, like a couple more chocolate biscuits or more nuts

Oh, and I don’t exercise much. Just normal walking round town a few times a week. I do not go to the gym or run or anything like that.

Today I had a fancy porridge (it has some dried fruit and seeds etc already in it) 40g with 140ml full fat milk. Instant coffee with full fat milk. That was breakfast.

Handful of KP paprika seasoned peanuts as mid morning snack, bottled water.

Lunch was two slices of Asda's medium white bread toasted with some Sainsbury's basics hummus on, packet of ready salted Sainsbury's crisps, three Sainsbury's basics raspberry mini rolls...very unhealthy I realise! It's often not this bad I promise, hah. Decaf tea with full fat milk, bottled water.

Snack was 3 Jacob's cream crackers with a very sparing spread of Philadelphia garlic and herb on, bottled water.

Dinner will be a 'tortilla pizza' which is two Sainsbury's basics white flour tortillas together with some Od el Paso refried beans, Asda's blacked beans, Sainsbury's basics mild cheddar cheese, tomato and shallots on. With some vegetarian dolmeh that my relative bought me from a restaurant in a local city as impossible to get her and he knows its my fave. Bottled water.

Snack will be some dairy milk caramel crunch chocolate with either a decaf tea or coffee and full fat milk.

Not a great day health wise admittedly! We need food shopping, got hardly any fresh fruit and veg in atm.

I was a healthy BMI of just under 20 at my booking appt. I'm 20 weeks pregnant and put on around 4 or 5kg so far I think, which is slightly more than in previous pregnancies at this point.

I should point out all these comments, mostly don't include people's heights or activity levels which obviously can affect how many calories people need to eat. I'm 1.65cm and at the moment pretty sedentary sadly, although hoping to get a 20 minute general pregnancy exercise video in tonight.

I’m like @Commonsense22 and seem to eat a lot more than others but have a lower end of healthy BMI. I think it’s because I eat big meals but don’t snack and generally eat quite healthily. I have friends who comment on my portions compared to theirs, but what I’ve realised is that for example with a spaghetti bolognese I would eat a much larger portion than they would, but they’d have cheese and garlic bread with theirs and I wouldn’t. And they’d cook it with bacon, whereas I’d bulk mine out with veg and lentils. It’s not a criticism of others diets or a claim that all my meals are super healthy, more than I know I want to eat large portions so tend to stick to lower calorie options

I’m a size 10, normal BMI but on the flabby side.

breakfast is usually poached egg on toast with baked beans

lunch pasta with chorizo, broccoli and cheese

dinner anything from spag bol to fajitas, sausage and mash, Thai green curry etc.

I don’t have massive portions.

I have binge eating disorder Which is why my weight isn’t as low as I’d like, I eat loads of shit when I’m in an episode

It’ll depend on your activity levels too OP.

I eat up to 2500 calories a day but I do lots of running, weights and play a sport. If I’m less active I eat about 2000 calories a day. 3 meals and 2/3 snacks.

I don’t think anyone should get their advice about food from mumsnet OP. It has a reputation for verging on a pro ana site on this topic. Lots of the ‘what have you eaten today’ threads are full of people who live on an apple on one small meal and coffee a day whilst telling everyone that people eat too much, others saying they couldn’t possible eat a whole sandwich. Their bodies must be in a right state inside if not out.

Get done proper nutritional advice from an expert.

In my 40s, BMI of 20 and stable weight. I don’t eat from after dinner, so maybe 7pm, until at least midday the next day (intermittent fasting). And I mostly eat low carb meals, although I’m not religious about it. Usually breakfast or a light lunch around midday and a decent sized meal in the evening, but still watching the carbs. If I’m eating out though I’ll have whatever I fancy.

Today

breakfast was espresso to drink & 40g porrige made with water with a teaspoon of peanut butter in it & a splash of oat milk. Soemtimes I sweeten it with apple puree

lunch home made veg & bean soup. No dairy & no bread

afternoon snack decaf espresso and 2 digestive biscuits

Dinner will be slices of raw fennel & orange with olive oil & black pepper, defrosted prawns, raw courgette ribbons marinated in olive oil, chilli & lemon and maybe some olives.

Dessert will be strawberries with nothing on them

2L water
As It's Saturday I will have 2 glasses of white wine with dinner

Yesterday
espresso & 2 digestives for breakfast
lunch was one slice of left over homemade pizza abundant with veg
Snack - Banana
Dinner was a fillet of lemon sole, new potatoes & salad
Fruit for dessert
1 G&T pre dinner
2L water

10k daily. I'm in menopause too

I think there are two types of people at a healthy/slim weight - those who work hard to control it and those who have established a healthy relaxed relationship to food. Both will approach differently!

For me, I'm BMI 19 and genuinely just eat what I fancy when I'm hungry. Fruit & cereal for breakfast. Often skip lunch but snack all day (anything from biscuits to yoghurt to cheese). And then have a big dinner - pizza, pasta, roast dinner etc. Try to add veg. Normally an ice cream or some chocolate after. I'm very aware of when I'm full or hungry which helps I guess as I don't like feeling too full. And I run & do yoga. But you'd probably think most of my daily snacks are hugely unhealthy! And still eat McDonald's and things like that.

Also. Look. The thinnest I have been has been at times when I have been eating the most. The heaviest (and fattest, I know muscle weighs more than fat) has been at the times when I have gone to the gym religiously 5 times a week. This has what has kept me consistently in shape- 1. Only eating when I am hungry. 2. Eating what I want at that point in time. 3. Never weighing or measuring food. 4. Having seconds or snacks if needed. 5. Not eating low fat or sugar substitutes- the real thing tastes better, is more filling. 6. Walking everywhere fast- no driving, just walk if it is an hour or less.

It depends on your portion sizes. Buy a smaller dinner plate or a plate with a large rim. This limits the amount of food that you will put on your plate. Reduce your carbon to a fist size portion & increase the salad/veggie portion.

Also, increase the exercise that you're doing so go out walking daily & fit in activities into your life style. You need to maintain a calorie deficit and increase your movement.

I'm a 'normal weight', bmi is 19 and eat like shite. Not that I eat unhealthy food but I just tend to pick throughout the day so some strawberries, then a bit later some homemade brown soda bread, then a bit later some cottage cheese, then a couple of spoons of cous cous salad from the fridge etc. I'm not a meal person and hate feeling really full, much prefer to just eat a small bit when hungry and move on with my day.

I don't drink alcohol because of medication I'm on and don't get takeaways because I'm in a small town and they are all expensive and poor quality.

I think it's how much you eat, not what you eat.
This came to mind earlier as I was at a buffet lunch, sat next to a colleague who is (and always has been) slim. She eats whatever she likes. We were commenting on how full we all were and she said
" Yes but we won't need dinner tonight, already had enough calories"
and she probably won't eat again for the rest of the day, maybe a glass of wine this evening.

Whereas for me (overweight since childhood), that abundance of food would have set me off grazing and eating all day and I'd still make and eat a normal dinner because it's part of my routine.
I'm actually currently on an injectable weight loss drug and I probably won't eat again today as I'm full and likely to stay that way all evening.

If I was trying to lose weight, I'd count calories

I'd probably eat 1200 calories a day plus a 3 mile jog and some dumbbell work each day

A Chinese takeaway wouldn't be able to be fitted into my 1200 cals so I wouldn't eat it

My BMI is currently 20, but I still don't eat takeaways and I still do the jog and weights

It really depends on the caloric need of the day.
If I’ve wfh and then chilled in the evening.. not a lot as I don’t need it.

If I’ve done a good shift in the gym and then spent the rest of the day out and about doing stuff… I probably then would twice as much

i’m 5’6, 9 stone 3 pounds, 37 years old, 1 child (10 month old baby). Always been very naturally active, never dieted, weight has been pretty stable (aside from pregnancy) but have been 1/2 stone heavier. Always been a size 8/12.

To counteract this I am a full time secondary school teacher who never sits down, with a baby and a large dog. I regularly walk 15000-20000 steps a day.

Weekday-
Breakfast- supermarket bought sandwich or wrap. Usually chicken or ham

Lunch- chicken salad- leaves, vinaigrette dressing/sour cream, chicken breast, mozzarella, chilli OR
Vegetable/chicken soup

Snacks- satay chicken skewers, dark chocolate and nuts, yogurt (full fat), crisps (salt and vinegar moccoys grab bag) or a graze snack box (0-2 snacks a day, if hungry)

Dinner- large portion of homemade chilli con carne, macaroni cheese, enchiladas, pasta bake, roast dinner, sausage/mash etc. Served with salad, coleslaw, vegetables, garlic bread.

Drinks- lots of water, black coffee, full fat coke (max one a day) white wine (way too much)

Weekend-

Brunch instead of breakfast/lunch- full English or 2 croissants with ham/cheese or smoked salmon

Dinner- similar to weekdays. Once a week a takeaway (12 inch Italian pizza or curry/rice or Chinese/Mexican/Thai)

I don’t really eat pudding or cakes, just not interested. Maximum once a week- chocolate brownie/cake/any crumble and cream.

I love food. It is one of my favourite things.

If sometimes eat significantly more than normal in a day but I have lower intake days too, not exactly deliberately, it just works like that.

I'm 5ft 3 and 9st 12. I put on weight if I go over 1400 cals a day. Age 40, slowing metabolism, size 12.

I walk at least 12k a day, do yoga 3x a week and drink 2 nights a week.

I have to be so careful. A typical day for me is

2x scrambled egg with half an avocado.

Tuna or chicken salad with a pita bread.

A gousto meal under 600 cals.

Unless I reduce to under 1000 cals a day I find it impossible to lose weight. I've had all the blood tests and am in early meno and slightly borderline thyroid.

It's not so much what as how much. Plus people have different metabolisms.
I went on holiday with a (very slim) friend and I purposefully ate as much as possible the exact same and amount as she did. We did the same activities. I gained two pounds! She stayed the same.
I can eat and eat though, and have a sweet tooth. Currently I'm eating 1300/day - loads of veg. Maintenance will be about 2000 and that's not that much difference - couple slices toast with butter, a piece of fruit and boom I've reached it! Depressing.

I’m lucky that slim build/fast metabolism seems to run in my family so I don’t have to be too careful with food - I’m 43, 5’8 and about 55kg. Yesterday I had granola with oat milk for breakfast; lunch was one wholemeal roll with quorn ham and cheese, salad bits, crisps and a bit of cake; dinner was homemade tofu Pad Thai (a plateful), with melon for pudding. For snacks I had a couple of biscuits, a chocolate bar and some cups of coffee. Thats a fairly average day. I try to eat 5 portions of veg/fruit every day, and make each meal reasonably balanced between the food groups. I have quite an active job (teacher) but don’t do much exercise otherwise.

Track weight over a course of time as so much weight is water / carbs etc

3 espresso and a kids rice crispy marshmallow bar for breakfast
Steak, grilled veggies and a small piece of bread for lunch
Dinner is homemade (by DH) lamb koftas with a rocket salad, bottle of Chablis to share and tiramisu for pudding because it’s Saturday night !

Get a weighing app - happy scale is good