Are people really eating this little?

[ABugWife]

Thread after thread after thread I see on here of people posting tiny amounts of food that they eat, or fasting most of the day. 1200 calories, 800 calories, bananas are bad for you, don't eat any carbs, no sugar ever, it goes on and on.

I am short 5'2 and fairly light at the top end of 8 stone so by these threads I should be eating barley anything but I eat every two hours pretty much, I snack all the time, I eat cheese and crisps and sweeties and cakes, sometimes I gain weight, sometimes I lose weight but it's quite steady between 8st 10 and 8st 13

I really find it hard to believe that people are eating such tiny amounts of food and not losing weight.

Does everyone here have a massive drink problem they don't include in their calories or are people lying perfectly still in bed all day long.

Where are the people that eat a normal, mostly healthy but sometimes shit diet.

Absolutely not! But my issue would be with the 600 calories, not the 5k run, which in conjunction with a normal diet would be good for you.

Unless she then died approximately 6-8 weeks later, she was pulling your leg. Nobody can survive on one packet of crisps a day, what nonsense.

I read a book about famine a while ago. It was very interesting. In a famine the first people to die are infants under 5 and very elderly people. Men tend to die next and those who fair the best are adult women.

As someone who has largely recovered from an ED, you very much can and for quite a long time.

This is really miserable and I hope things I'll motive for you soon. Your SIL needs a reality check.

They say it because the science back it up. However the variance is about 300calories, which is quite a lot if eaten in fruit and veg.

What concerns me most on this thread are the people doing it for beauty. If you eat such low fat, low calorie diets you will end up with osteoporosis and a lovely bent back for your troubles.

Yes it's true. People can live on tiny amounts for longer than you think.

Obviously not thriving

It’s entirely possible. You have a lot of stored resources even if you’re underweight.

When you stop eating and don’t eat much for long enough your metabolism slows down to conserve precious resources. Once you “run out” of extra resources like fat, your body starts to break down muscle and other tissues in an attempt to keep the essential systems running.

You will die in 2 to 3 days without water. Eating a packet of crisps a day will keep you going for months, especially if you start with a normal body weight.

Fat is stored energy. Your liver can burn the fat through ketogenesis, turn that fat into glucose through lipolysis and your body can recycle proteins and make new ones. It’s an evolutionary adaptation for survival. Pretty cool eh?

The NHS recommends a ball-park 2,000 calories a day for women. If you're bigger than average (in any direction) or more than averagely active, it'll be quite a bit more.

This thread is becoming dangerous. Even discussing just eating a bag of crisps a day and how long you can survive on them. This thread is attracting pro Ana posters now.

‘What is most apparent are the spiteful posters on here telling you to come back at 50 when you are old and fat. They are full of self hatred.’

No they’re not, they’re just pointing out that your dietary needs change as you get older and you will want and need to eat less.

The culture of deprivation that some of these threads get into is ridiculous.

Eating 800 calories of nutritious food ( plus lots of green veg ) a day for a set period of time isn't 'depriving' my morbidly obese body though. For me its about resetting my hugely distorted appetite. I actually feel less hungry and have more energy doing this than when I was having four slices of white toast for breakfast, 4 packets of crisps a day, mountains ( half a bag of potatoes ) of home cooked chips with mayo or family size portions of pasta, I had no off switch when it came to processed carbs in the form of bread products or pasta. Or potatoes in any form.

I do need to start using some weights, although carrying around an extra 60+kg all day, every day, means my legs are pretty strong but my knees hate me , my upper body and arms would definitely benefit.

I lost over 2 stone since September eating 1550-1750 calories a day and I'm 5' 2.5" and was 46 and officially perimenopausal confirmed by blood tests. I stopped making excuses for gaining weight and was able to lose it. I have chronic conditions too.

@MyTruthIsOut that seems reasonable to be eating on a diet.

Again I am not berating people that are dieting, I am dieting myself as I said. I was just seeing very extreme posts and wondering if it was really the norm.

That's why I posted in chat and not weight loss because I was hoping the rest of the site was more rational and that the weight loss boards were just attracting extremists .

And my diet has always been, and remains, very carb heavy.

Similar here, Im hovering around 1k calories following WLS, bit sick of people assuming I dont eat 'properly', I just have very small portions

I have porridge for breakfast
15g of almonds as a snack
4 prunes as a sanck
chicken salad for lunch (or tuna) or bit of spanish omelette and veg
dinner can be a curry, tofu stir fry, tarka dhal with paneer or something similar
200ml of milk for tea and coffee throughout the day
1 portion of my collagen powder

I have to prioritise protein and I track and weigh every single thing that comes through my mouth

Im on bariatric supplements of course as I cannot get my full nutrition needs through my food

Despite this, Im losing very very slowly, WLS does not result in the weight 'dropping off' for everyone

Good for you, same here. Your body is fully able to turn carbs into muscle. This stop eating carbs is nonsense in biological terms. Apparently even people who should eat low carb for medical reasons such as seizures, usually fail to maintain it. Our bodies drive us to eat.

@MyTruthIsOut, you're not getting enough protein. Don't keep this up for too long! @bellac11's list is much stronger - it looks short on veg & such, but a daily vitamin & mineral will cover any gaps.

How is it nonsense in biological terms?

Carbs don’t turn to muscle. You know you don’t ever need to eat carbs right?

I think you miss fundamental knowledge of metabolism.

your body is fully able to use the nutrients and energy provided by carbohydrates and turn them into muscle.

You need to check your science as you’ve been had by the diet industry.

Yes its very short on veg. Im getting 5+ fruit and veg a day, but not in the quantity needed (80g is a portion), there just isnt room in my stomach. As I move forward I think I can get there but not at the moment.

Carbs are a normal part of the human diet

Many parts of the world people eat almost only carbs yet develop bones and muscle - would you believe it!

A small percentage of our population has damaged their bodies and can't tolerate carbs so easily any more but for most people carbs can be cheap and healthy and filling

Why would anyone take dietary advice from people who have eaten so badly they have harmed their bodies ?

I’d agree with this. Often, you can massively cut your calories by making different choices.

I’ve done restricted calorie diets at times. They work and it usually just involves cutting sugary, fatty and carb laden foods.

if you eat lots of veg, it often doesn’t feel like you’re cutting back.

in days where I’m eating on the run, I can end up consuming a huge amount of calories and still not have a proper meal and be hungry!

also - people massively underestimate the calories they consume. That’s a well recorded issue

Well said! I've never counted calories in my life and have no intention of ever doing so. Like you if I want to lose a bit of weight I just eat less. You are also right about people stuffing up their metabolism, some people are banging on about dieting for most of their lives. Just eat and get on with living!