If you have to work to stay slim tell me what you usually eat

[Iwouldbecomplex]

I struggle a bit with my weight - currently a size 14-16. Not massive, but the biggest I've ever been. I put on weight really really easily and it's getting worse as I get older (currently 37). I love food, I eat too much and my tastes tend towards comfort type food. I do exercise regularly.

If you're someone that is over 30, slim but that it doesn't come easily to, please can you tell me what you eat in an average day? I think I have a bit of a warped idea of what's normal. I either eat way too much or I'm dieting and massively restricting my calories. I'm not very good at moderation and need inspiration!

I've lost 3 stone. Just a stone left to go. I do a hiit dvd workout 5 times a week. I cut out breakfast monday to friday. Cut out bread and alcohol. I eat clean , money to fri but relax at the weekends.

My DS said today that I seemed to have it sorted: eat what I like, then burn it off with activities (1 hr dog walk a day, plus 1.5-2 hrs cardio about 4 times a week)

I eat 2 toast with jam or cheese or egg, or full fat yoghurt with cruesli/muesli for breakfast, coffee with milk

Sandwich/baguette and salad or sandwich/cheese toasti and soup for lunch

Chocolate bar

Normal portion of chilli/pasta/roast dinner/lasagna/pizza/ whatever for dinner (my normal is eg 4 large slices of pizza, or rice with 1 ladle of chilli, pasta typically 100 gr with sauce (if bolognesr I use 400gr lean mince for 4 people)

About 5 large cups of tea with milk throughout the day

Bmi 23-24 (so not really skinny, but that is not my ambition anyway )

God.
I need to reframe it as being strict rather as being deprived. OK ca n do that.

And the eating a biscuit as a snack... I never eat less than 4 in one go.

I am genuinely surprised that people eat like this long term, but I need to as well

I'm 5 foot 8 and about 9 stone 4. I was 8 stone 10 for years..... until earlier this year. I'm 50. I simply don't have anything in the house that I could binge on - it's just DD and me and we both eat healthily in general. I bought mince pies today as I don't like them and DD is an "in moderation" person so eats one every now and then. I'm all or nothing, so work on the assumption that I could eat the whole lot in one go IF I liked them. Oh and on that note, no alcohol.

If you can make just one change, cut out the liquid calories like hot chocolate and lots of fruit juice etc. If you have a lot of hot drinks then just switching to herbal tea can make a difference. Obviously do other stuff too, but I always feel this is a good starting point.

I'm five eight, a size ten, I'm fifty. I also low carb. It's that easiest way for me to control my appetite and either loose or maintain my weight.

I also go to the gym six days a week. Four days cardio, two days weight, That's less weight related and more about how I want my body to look, ie toned.

I think I look a healthy weight, rather than slim, but fit and toned with it ie I look like I work out, which is likely why I'm the size I am, rather than the fact I've just dieted/went hungry, to be that size, if that makes sense, exercise, particularly weights, makes you leaner.

I've been up to a size sixteen, prob pushing an eighteen a hand ful of times in my life. Before I discovered low carb. I don't like to feel I'm restricting myself. Now if I get to a twelve, as I did this summer, as I had heavy social one, I just bring it back down again easily.

So I'm not over 30 I am 27

I used to be 60kg and I am 5ft 2 I hated my body

I lost a heap of weight down to a size 6 and weighed 43 kg roughly

Now I'm at 48 and trying to bring it down after second baby in July

I eat everything but so much less then most people
I eat about half of a normal adult portion
I weighed 65 kg July 1 when I went for c section
Now 48kg

I eat like this

2 single coffee full fat milk
Drop son to nursery
Then : piece of meat fish or an egg for breakfast / brunch
Snack on fruit and another coffee

Dinner / always made from scratch but things like shep pie or soup or pasta etc
Just the norm but I eat about 2 ice cream scoop portion wise in total
On my plate

I honestly think you can eat what you want but so much less

I eat sweets but like 2 haribo
I eat crisps but half a bag of snack size

Weary with teens, uou seem very angry. I mean this gently but do you have issues with food or your weight?

I stopped working out as it made me so so soso so hungry

Low carb.

But not no carb - I drink a latte 3-5 times per week and drink far too much milk in normal coffees.

I also eat nuts and dairy.

Op, why don’t you try substituting low carbohydrate veg for some of your carbs ( bread, rice, potatoes ) and see if that helps you lose some weight ? You might not miss them much.

You could always try for 6 weeks or so and see if it makes any difference. Thats not a major life style change.

So two eggs and some veg for breakfast ( spinach, tomatoes, courgettes , whatever you like )

Lunch would be homemade - something like a chilli and rice or soup and bread. Have cauliflower or broccoli rice, you will hardly notice the difference with the strong taste of the sauce .

No bread with the soup , unless you make keto bread with seeds and nuts .

Dinner would be fishfingers chips and beans if I'm having a bad day (I revert to school dinner type food when I comfort eat!)

Fish and veg ? eg Stir fry with soy sauce / oyster sauce . Courgette ribbons with garlic butter. So many delicious options

sausage and mash with veg - cauliflower mash instead of mashed potatoes , or have it roasted with cheese.

stew - great

homemade curry - have with veg rice instead

full English is mostly low carb, just skip the hash browns / toast

or avo smash with bacon -great , just no bread

a roast dinner - great, just skip the potatoes and have more low carb veg

Just some suggestions. If you want to try proper low carbs there are lots of threads here on MN.

@Bluntness100 I had it in my head you were about 27 I'm shocked ( if this is the regular bluntness poster)

I don’t find it joyless to eat normal portions of stuff though! (And I’m not saying I don’t have the occasional blow out.) I just think we’ve lost sight of what a “normal” portion is in our culture.

Yes, I'm fifty, fifty one next week actually,,, obviously come across quite immature,,🤣

When I'm actually 'on it' I run a lot, count calories and fast, and eat low carb. This maintains my weight now I've lost enough to be 'normal' bmi. To lose weight I need to cut calories dramatically and cut carbs down to 25g a day, but if I do that I'll lose 4-5lb in a week.

@Bluntness100 well happy birthday in advance

I like your posts and enjoy the way you respond consistently
Also I'm sure I've seen a photo of your body in jeans not your head and you look great
Well done

Thank you cultmaskid, that's very nice of you and you made me smile.

@managedmis Thank you. At the age of 60 I do indeed know my own body.

@Wearywithteens - what bluntness said. You are projecting all over this thread.

I didn’t post one single word about

boiled this, low fat that, small starvation portions...just watching Nigella’s Christmas - amazing - and yet nothing she has cooked would pass muster here. That’s what I mean by ‘joyless’ - nothing to do health or nutrition. We could survive be being fed intravenously on a protein/vitamin drip which would be all the nutrients you need but it would still be a joyless existence

No one has mentioned any of this - it’s all in your head.

The Op asked what people ate and they are telling her what they do and don’t eat. Posters are trying to be helpful.

You seem to want to derail that by attacking other people’s choices and lives as joyless.

This isn’t the place.

@Bluntness100 I made you smile, that's sweet. That's made me smile because you are not that easy to charm on here.

I also agree with you and Imogen.

I'm small (5 ft 3) and over 40 so it can be a struggle to keep weight off! I'm 8 stone 10 but need to keep intake under 1200 calories to maintain. I can easily put on 2-3 lbs after a big meal out!!

I have a low carb and veggie/vegan diet (which I mostly really enjoy) and use my work days to reduce calorie intake (I have a very stressful job and usually eat a small lunch on the go!)

I run 2-3 times a week which helps too

I'm 36, 5'6" and currently dieting, I weigh 9st 11lbs. I eat 1700 calories per day and track macros. I eat 128g of protein daily and 28g fibre. After I've hit my nutrient goals I tend to have 300-500 calories left to use for less restricted eating. So every day I have something sweet or a bag if crisps or some garlic bread. I've eaten McDonalds, pizza, all sorts eating this way.
A typical day is all bran, fruit, milk and skyr yoghurt for breakfast. Wholemeal bagel or bread with chicken or tuna for lunch. Curry, pasta, stir fry etc for dinner, always with lean meat for the protein. Then I snack as I choose.

I'm 41, 5'8, 9st 10, size 8-10. In May I was 12st10 and size 14-16. I've lost the weight since I started the Low-Carb High Fat Bootcamp.

A typical days food:
B: scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, coffee with cream
L: green leafy salad with protein and fat - sometimes meat and cheese, or chicken and avocado. Full-fat Greek yoghurt with a few raspberries
D: whatever I'm cooking for everyone else, but with veg instead of whatever the carb is.

If I want a snack - don't usually - I'll have a few nuts or a piece of cheese. Mid-afternoon I'll often have an almond milk Chai latte.

I also drink 3 litres of water a day, and I've cut back on alcohol though I still have wine and occasionally a G&T.

As a way of eating it works for me, as I'm not hungry, and I enjoy my food, don't feel deprived. And I've never been this thin in my adult life - loving that.