Does this sounds like a normal diet?

[Cantwaitfordinner]

For a woman. Late 30s. Bmi 21.

Breakfast - 40g porridge made with semi skimmed milk and mixed berries

Lunch - 1 wholemeal roll with chicken, salmon/tuna or egg. At weekends a more substantial lunch maybe a cheese toastie, soup and crusty bread, sub roll with salad cured meat and cheese.

Evening meal - Fajitas, spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne, homemade curry, homemade pasta dish, roast. All very normal sized portions for example curry would be 100g of chicken, 75g of rice, half a naan and a ladle of sauce.

A yoghurt for dessert each day either Greek yoghurt with fruit or a muller corner type thing.

Other treats rarely. So crisps, chocolate or a takeaway once a month. No booze.

Would you lose, maintain or gain weight?

Think it depends what your general activity level is like day to day, as well as formal
exercise classes/sport.

By general activity, I mean do you do a desk job where you are sitting down all day and then tend to drive everywhere? It's very easy to have a sedentary life these days.

I have a desk job however I also end up doing about 12-15k steps a day from the school run/dog walk/walk to shops etc. I do spinning classes and go running/swimming as well, but the general walking about day to day is just as important.

and I agree with what someone said about porridge, I do eat it fairly often, but Im hungry and will have a milky coffee and snack about 3 hours later, it doesn't fill me up for too long

it also sounds quite regimented

Have you tried eating more protein in the morning, and having a bigger lunch?

Sounds like your dinner is the biggest and most nutritious meal, yet after dinner I assume you're only up for 4-5 hours and not doing as much as the energy spent literally all day where you underfuel yourself.

I think I'm going to try mixing up breakfast a bit having eggs, Greek yoghurt and seeing how that goes. Might bulk out my lunch a bit too.

Any ideas what I could add to my lunch?

Frustrates me that I put on weight easily. I know weight isn't everything but I feel most comfortable at around bmi 21.

Going by some post I am quiet sedentary. I exercise but I don't walk anywhere.

I’d probably lose weight on that (but I weigh more than you) and I’d probably also pass out with hunger by mid afternoon! There’s not enough fruit and veg to bulk it out for me.

Sounds like my diet and i maintain like this. I always had a bmi of 18-20 and got very big in pregnancy. Had trouble losing the weight i gained, so went on a very strict diet. I lost it all and maintained now for 6 years. Im not counting calories anymore, but your food is very similar to what i eat.

Those saying more fruit and veg, I agree I prob don't eat enough fruit and veg. But what would you specifically eat more of?

I'm having fruit/berries with porridge, some salad with lunch lettuce tomato, cucumber albeit not loads.

There's usually 2-3 types of veggies in my dinner in the recipes.

What are people eating?

No I think that sounds like quite a restrictive diet actually and is certainly less than most people I know eat.

You are far from overweight so eat what you love. Unless you have health issues, food should be enjoyed.

Is this what you would eat if you could eat what you really wanted? If yes, then it’s fine. If not, then it’s not.

I eat similar to that but with loads of snacks on top! I'd loose weight on that

Yes and no. I love my evening meals, I wouldn't really know what else to have for lunch and I do enjoy having different types of sandwiches. I probably don't love porridge but can't really think what else to have. Apart from eggs.

I'm really intrigued what other people eat if they are a so called healthy bmi.

Most people I know either seem to eat super restrictive or loads of junk food.

At work people are either buying Greggs and McDonald's or bringing in ready meals every day or there are the ones who will literally just have soup with no bread, or a couple of ryvita,

To answer your question, I eat what I enjoy. Today it was:

Breakfast - udon noodles in miso broth with 2 boiled eggs (I have this for breakfast probably 5 days a week)

Lunch - jacket potato with coleslaw and a salad with vinegrette

Dinner - same as lunch because kids had activities and dh had a poorly dog to take to the vet, otherwise it would have been a seafood strew (tomato based) with buttered toast

That’s not vastly different from what I eat most days. Breakfast is the noodles in miso broth. Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner the night before or might have scrambled eggs with toast. Dinner is anything from pasta to a roast to eggs and chips or salmon with rice, etc always with a veg.

My BMI is probably somewhere between 30-34, so I’m not slim, but I’ve never restricted food because life’s too short not to enjoy what you’re eating.

Please can I come to your house and eat?

Thanks @mindutopia all sounds very nice.

A more hearty breakfast might be the way forward for me. Porridge is a bit shit 5 times a week, I've just got in to the habit. I suppose breakfast doesn't have to be a traditionally breakfasty meal.

Can you have an omelette packed with veg for breakfast?

How much water do you drink a day?

I think you need to be having a bigger lunch, and maybe a snack about 3ish depending on when your dinner time is.

It sounds very sensible, and I would almost definitely lose weight on that. Especially with no snacks and booze

I'd say I'd lose weight on that. And feel hungry. My bmi is similar, size 10.

Plenty of water. Several glasses a day.

I'm going to try a veggie omelette a couple of times a week or maybe poached eggs.

I think I'm not eating enough/the right things early in the day and so I'm burning out by 4o'clock.

Bit if a drip feed not to mention the fruit and veg you're eating.

I'd add more veg - leafy green veg and things like green beans are less carby - and more protein will make you feel fuller, e.g. Greek yoghurt with fruit in place of the porridge or overnight oats. The gym I go to advocates veg or fruit with every meal.

There's little point comparing yourself with others - you need to consume fewer calories than you expend to lose weight. That will depend on your weight, measurements and activity levels. How you do that is up to you, but if you do strength training (lift weights and/or use bodyweight) and build muscle then you'll be more efficient at burning calories, even when you're inactive.

If you are restricting what you eat in order to lose weight then planning ahead and having the same or very similar foods every day does make it easier.

I'm in my 50s and metabolism has certainly slowed down. However, I'd be hungry on your diet. I'm fairly active though, walk to work (not that far admittedly), do all our food shopping on foot and both of my jobs are active. On top of which I do a couple of exercise classes and regularly go for walks.

You could have a wholemeal bagel, scrambled eggs and spinach/asparagus/green beans for a really filling breakfast.

That's a similar diet to to me (mid 30s, low BMI) apart from I have a bigger lunch - eg, I'd have some fruit and some crisps or a kit kat with a sandwich at lunchtime.

Also if I fancy pudding after dinner I'd have something more exciting than a yoghurt (usually a handful of minstrels and a cup of tea so not that exciting to be fair)

Sounds a lot to me, I don't do carbs though.

Try having more protein, maybe a protein breakfast drink alongside porridge, or egg/meat with lunch. That'll fill you up more and keep you fuller for longer. A snack between lunch and dinner of fruit/veg sticks might stop that ravenous feeling. If you're that hungry every day, consistently then you're not eating enough or not eating the right foods.

Have a look at Glucose Goddess on Instagram. I've found eating to keep my blood sugar more stable means I don't have nearly so many cravings for crap.
My breakfast is Greek yoghurt, blueberries, seeds.
Lunch maybe eggs, sourdough, salad with avocado in it. Or sardines on toast and salad.
Snacks if I need them 90% chocolate and nuts