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Original poster

Is this too much food?

93 replies

Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 16:49

My eating is so messed up, I'm no longer sure what's normal. Is this too much food for a day? Too many calories? This is yesterday's food.

Breakfast - medium sized bowl of sultana bran cereal with semi skimmed milk.

Went out to a cafe with a friend and had a milk hot choc with a small flake and 2 marshmallows. I was annoyed at myself for having this but did walk away from the tempting food. I hate to think how many calories this was.

Late lunch - medium sized jacket potato, 3/4 of a can of tuna with veg (peas, mange tout and leak).

Due to late lunch I didn't make a proper tea but had quite a few grapes and cherries. Maybe half a punnet of cherries and a quarter of a punnet of grapes.

Is this too much? Too many calories?

OP posts:
Original poster
Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 17:37

Chooksnroses · 11/03/2023 17:35

Please don't tell her it sounds healthy. The OP clearly has an eating disorder, and what she has eaten is very little, yet she's worrying it was too much.
@Burgandybook , do you see a dietician?

Show quote history

No I don't see a dietician. I'm on a waiting list to see the nurse at my GP surgery who deals with weight. I can only be referred elsewhere once she's seen me.

OP posts:
Georgyporky · 11/03/2023 17:39

How about Weight Watchers ?
Apart from the meal plans, the support at meetings is very helpful.

OnMyWayToSenility · 11/03/2023 17:43

I only eat when I'm hungry. So I think what you did was fine for that day
Obvs don't want hot choc every day. You had a late lunch and weren't hungry later. Absolutely fine

You probably woke up hungry the next day.

Agree with protein try and up that and include more veg and good fats.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Weight management
gamerchick · 11/03/2023 17:45

Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 17:06

I've just done a protein calculator online and it looks like enough?

How much protein was it?

Original poster
Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 17:49

gamerchick · 11/03/2023 17:45

How much protein was it?

Show quote history

About 75g

OP posts:
Original poster
Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 17:49

Georgyporky · 11/03/2023 17:39

How about Weight Watchers ?
Apart from the meal plans, the support at meetings is very helpful.

I've tried things like this about 10 times.

OP posts:
Cakeandcardio · 11/03/2023 17:51

I think maybe you should read Alex Light's book 'You are not a Before Picture'. You honestly hardly ate anything.

Gingerkittykat · 11/03/2023 18:04

The only way you can tell if it is too much food is to calorie count everything.

How much cereal is in a medium bowl? It's really easy to get the portion sizes wrong.

How many calories in the hot chocolate?

I don't know if today is a typical day but it looks like you need to eat more regularly and have more protein.

gamerchick · 11/03/2023 18:05

I calculated at 51g. Over 200g carbs and under 1200 calories. I'm surprised you weren't feeling hungry. Not a lot of fats in there either. I'd have been chewing my arm off. You're setting yourself up to fail

These threads don't help if you have disordered eating OP.

grannyjacob · 11/03/2023 18:06

Please don’t go to Weight Watchers, or any other similar organisation, their ridiculous “rules” only encourage disordered eating.
I’ve been following “The Fitness Chef”, Graeme Tomlinson on Instagram for a good while and his posts have really made me think about what I eat. My weight is dropping slowly but steadily and that’s starting from 17st. I’ve totally upped my protein intake, but still enjoy ice-cream, chocolate, etc. Food is to be enjoyed, and should not have you constantly berating yourself over what you’ve eaten or not eaten.

piedbeauty · 11/03/2023 18:08

If you have messed-up eating or are often on a diet, you will know how many calories are in each of those things, and you will be able to add them up. You will also know the number of calories that an adult woman needs each day. If you don't know these things, you can look them up.

You must know that's not much food for a day. What do you want us to say?

GBoucher · 11/03/2023 18:17

Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 17:49

About 75g

Show quote history

Sorry, unless your can of tuna was industrial sized or you had three gallons of milk with your cereal, you can't possibly have had 75g of protein over the day. I'm a health freak and take my macros seriously. I'm very used to calculating macros and setting specific targets for them, so I know what 75g of protein looks like. Milk with cereal and 3/4 of a standard sized can of tuna definitely cannot yield 75g of protein. If this is representative of what you eat on a daily basis, you are not only lacking in protein but also healthy fat. In fact, it is very heavy in simple carbs/sugar. A healthy diet is not only or even predominantly about how many calories you eat, but about what it consists of.

Original poster
Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 18:25

GBoucher · 11/03/2023 18:17

Sorry, unless your can of tuna was industrial sized or you had three gallons of milk with your cereal, you can't possibly have had 75g of protein over the day. I'm a health freak and take my macros seriously. I'm very used to calculating macros and setting specific targets for them, so I know what 75g of protein looks like. Milk with cereal and 3/4 of a standard sized can of tuna definitely cannot yield 75g of protein. If this is representative of what you eat on a daily basis, you are not only lacking in protein but also healthy fat. In fact, it is very heavy in simple carbs/sugar. A healthy diet is not only or even predominantly about how many calories you eat, but about what it consists of.

Show quote history

Maybe I miscalculated then. Mind you, it's a million times healthier than I've eaten for a long time. I'm very aware it's what you eat and not just quantities thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 18:25

piedbeauty · 11/03/2023 18:08

If you have messed-up eating or are often on a diet, you will know how many calories are in each of those things, and you will be able to add them up. You will also know the number of calories that an adult woman needs each day. If you don't know these things, you can look them up.

You must know that's not much food for a day. What do you want us to say?

Not exactly helpful.

OP posts:
GBoucher · 11/03/2023 18:47

Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 18:25

Maybe I miscalculated then. Mind you, it's a million times healthier than I've eaten for a long time. I'm very aware it's what you eat and not just quantities thank you.

Show quote history

Well, in your original post you did ask if what you had was too much food or too many calories. I was trying to point out that perhaps you were focusing on the wrong thing. It wasn't too much food overall but it was too much of the wrong type of food and too little of some essential nutrients. That's all. I didn't mean to offend. Sorry if you took it that way.

Original poster
Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 18:49

GBoucher · 11/03/2023 18:47

Well, in your original post you did ask if what you had was too much food or too many calories. I was trying to point out that perhaps you were focusing on the wrong thing. It wasn't too much food overall but it was too much of the wrong type of food and too little of some essential nutrients. That's all. I didn't mean to offend. Sorry if you took it that way.

Show quote history

No offence at all. I appreciate your thoughts but I'm a long way away from calculating macros etc I think.

OP posts:
Enthrallingstoryofstillness · 11/03/2023 18:50

WeCome1 · 11/03/2023 17:06

Yeah but by that logic then she had hardly any lunch.

Show quote history

Well it depends on your appetite doesn't it? I'd have probably eaten about that in a day just the tuna and potato for dinner. It's a bit worrying that the OP thinks it's too many calories though as I know I don't eat very many but have a small appetite

Enthrallingstoryofstillness · 11/03/2023 18:53

GBoucher · 11/03/2023 18:17

Sorry, unless your can of tuna was industrial sized or you had three gallons of milk with your cereal, you can't possibly have had 75g of protein over the day. I'm a health freak and take my macros seriously. I'm very used to calculating macros and setting specific targets for them, so I know what 75g of protein looks like. Milk with cereal and 3/4 of a standard sized can of tuna definitely cannot yield 75g of protein. If this is representative of what you eat on a daily basis, you are not only lacking in protein but also healthy fat. In fact, it is very heavy in simple carbs/sugar. A healthy diet is not only or even predominantly about how many calories you eat, but about what it consists of.

Show quote history

I need you in my life! I wish I knew how much protein I was eating in a day, I suspect not nearly enough

Shouldbesleeping8 · 11/03/2023 18:53

Oh come off it. Either you're attention seeking or you've got a broken relationship with food. Neither is good.

Original poster
Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 18:57

Shouldbesleeping8 · 11/03/2023 18:53

Oh come off it. Either you're attention seeking or you've got a broken relationship with food. Neither is good.

I'm not attention seeking. Think before you speak for goodness sake. I'm really trying to get my life on track and people like you make it bloody difficult. Are you really this awful in real life or just on screen?

OP posts:
zurala · 11/03/2023 18:57

I would be absolutely ravenous if that's all I had eaten. Why only 3/4 of a tin of tuna? They are tiny already. Cereal isn't filling or very nutritious.
I think you should do some healthy meal plans to help you ensure you are eating well.

Original poster
Burgandybook · 11/03/2023 18:58

zurala · 11/03/2023 18:57

I would be absolutely ravenous if that's all I had eaten. Why only 3/4 of a tin of tuna? They are tiny already. Cereal isn't filling or very nutritious.
I think you should do some healthy meal plans to help you ensure you are eating well.

I wouldn't get away without giving the dog some tuna 😂

OP posts:
WinterMusings · 11/03/2023 19:02

Enthrallingstoryofstillness · 11/03/2023 17:05

Tbf the OP had dinner for lunch really didn't she

errr no, she had lunch for lunch.

JennyDarlingRIP · 11/03/2023 19:04

If you're trying to lose weight you're eating the wrong things, small amounts of refined carbs (cereal) empty calories - hot chocolate marshmallows flake, have led you to skip a meal. That's not a healthy approach. Start the day as you mean to go on, have porridge or poached eggs to fill you up rather than cereal. Jacket with veg and tuna is fine for dinner, or lunch, but fruit is again sweet and not filling (not demonising fruit it's essential for a balanced diet) and you're likely to wake up very hungry in the morning, making it more likely you'll opt for refined carbs.

WinterMusings · 11/03/2023 19:15

@Burgandybook

do you eat eggs?

cereal isn't a good start to the day. It's really just carbs, which your body turns into sugar. Could you have an omelette for breakfast?

you'd have been better having salad veg than fruit in the evening.

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