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.

Don't despair, OP.

I'm post-menopausal and have a (well-controlled) low thyroid, love food, and eat pretty much what I want. I'm 5'4" and hover between 8.3 and 8.5 stone and haven't put on weight around my middle. I don't calorie count or weigh food, although I do weigh myself if I feel like I'm going up a bit. I tend to be a grazer and eat plenty of carbs (simple and complex). I exercise (running, pilates, weights) although at times it can be intermittent. I do make a point of walking places as much as possible and am on HRT.

I'm sort of a natural 16-8 (or 15-9) eater and always have been as I never want food in the morning, but it's not technically fasting as I always have a tea with milk and then a coffee with milk (sometimes cream) in the morning, and I do tend to eat fairly continuously during the eating window as I don't like large portions of anything. I despise bananas 😀but otherwise eat lots of fruit, although often combined with something fatty, like a piece of cheese or some greek yoghurt.

We cook a lot and eat loads of good food - when I spent a few weeks listing our food to see if we were doing 30 plants a week, we'd hit it by Wednesday pretty much every week. We have pasta and potatoes as part of our regular diet and I also eat a packet of crisps, milk chocolate, even a Krispy Kreme when I feel like it. I do drink alcohol, but not during the week unless I'm at some kind of social event.

The only things I pretty much never eat are low fat anything, artificially sweetened anything and supermarket bread (with the exception of a couple Pret sandwiches a month). If I feel like I'm going to the higher end of where I like my weight to be, or I've had a very indulgent few days, I just try to balance it by eating consciously for a few days - more salads and veg, grilled fish and chicken, barley or spelt instead of rice, etc.

I think the key things are to try to listen to your body, make an effort to really enjoy what you're eating while you're eating it, not deprive yourself when you really want something, and to try to not let yourself get into a position where you're letting rules around food govern your life.

This is a good post with a healthy attitude to food.

This sounds healthier to me and gives me hope for the future.

*Here is an example of an online calculator:

TDEE Calculator: Learn Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure*

I just did this (w/o entering body fat as I have no idea!).
It came up with just under 2000 a day because I do moderate exercise. I am more likely in between moderate and heavy exercise because some days I exercise hard.
Anyway, this seems about right for me. I am taller and slimmer than average but my exercise habits bring my average cal needs up.

I actually have no idea how many calories I consume, but I guess it's what I need.

I am 52 and in perimenopause and managing my symptoms myself (mainly hot flushes and poor sleep).

I’m sacrificing all the yummy, but unhealthy treats that I used to eat before, like…..

Chip shop chips with a battered sausage.
Bourbons (I used to devour them).
Maltesers!
Very regular cups of tea.
Crisps.
Nutella
Pizza!!! (and this kills me) 😂

Thankfully, every weekend on my night off, we order a Curry and that weekly reward is what keeps me going 😂

Some of these posts are so sad. People seem to swing from one extreme to another rather than put in the work to build a better, long term lifestyle.

I used to be a yo-yo chronic dieter. Miserable counting calories, fasting, wondering if I'll ever have a good relationship with food. I stopped focusing on weight loss and addressed lifestyle first (sleep, drinking, stress management, comfort eating).

I'm 5'5 and lost 60lbs, now I'm 127lbs. I'm not actively trying to lose weight as I'm in the healthy range, but I'm observing where it settles based on my current lifestyle.

Throughout losing weight and now I didn't restrict food, count calories, or do any crazy diet behaviours.

On a typical day I might have:

• Yogurt with cereal and dried fruit
• 2 bananas as a snack (yes, 2 bananas, someone on MN is probably fainting right now)
• A sandwich / toastie
• Whatever is on offer for dinner from DH, often delicious pasta or curry, we like a lot of veg in our dinners
• I think I have dessert every day probably, sometimes just a small ice cream, sometimes lots of chocolate, sometimes somewhere in the middle

Yesterday I had more dinner leftovers in the evening as was hungry. Sometimes I'll have a small glass of wine (limiting alcohol for mental health and to sleep better). Some days I'll eat a whole bag of crisps or 2 ice creams, really depends.

I'll usually lose weight eating like this, maintain weight/go up a bit if I'm on an all inclusive holiday with cocktails and more food.

I get 10k steps a day and do a really fun strength based fitness class 3x a week. I don't force myself to do any exercise I don't enjoy.

Life is good!!! Eat good food, move a little, find things to focus on outside of food. Having a good relationship with food is the best thing I've ever worked towards for myself.

I'm sort of bang on where I should be weight wise and I just eat when I'm hungry

Could mean somedays I barely eat anything at all and other days I do not stop eating, constant grazing on all sorts of food. It works for me at the moment

This sounds healthier to me and gives me hope for the future.

I should add that when I was younger, I did used to be able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted whenever I wanted without gaining much - there are clearly genetic pre-dispositions involved - and I'm not sure I could get away with that now, but I'm also not sure I'd want to, if that makes sense? I actually like being conscious around UPFs and whole foods while still being able to enjoy everything.

Also, I do want to add for all the low or no-carb people - there is some thinking that it's not a great diet for anyone with thyroid issues.
https://www.dietvsdisease.org/low-carb-hypothyroidism/

People who are very heavy find it much easier to lose weight than people with only 5 kgs. It's a very different ball game.

I have a friend with a galloping metabolism. She can eat anything and not gain an ounce. She's now in her late 50s. I've envied her forever.

I was always whip thin with the ability to eat whatever I wanted, OP, until around Xmas 2021 when I was just about to turn 37. All of a sudden I noticed my trousers were tight and the jeans I'd bought over the summer no longer did up, and to boot I was horribly unfit and uncomfortable. It was a proper shock and a wake up call.

I now eat more thoughtfully (I don't diet and I don't calorie count) and I exercise regularly and, whilst I will probably never be back to my pre weight gain shape I am happy with where I am, but I am never going to be able to go back to scoffing whatever whenever.

Enjoy your metabolism, remember everyone is different and what works for you is not what works for everyone.

I have cut carbs purely because I banged on loads of weight when we lived in Denmark as it was very easy to get hooked on their yummy cakes and amazing toasties. Came back and blood tests showed I was pre diabetic- quickest way of turning that round is to get to less than 80g of carb a day. I'm sticking at around 1300 to 1400 calories a day and ok weight lost isn't quick but it's working and 2 stone lost since November. I switched rice for cauli rice, have much much smaller portions of pasta , far more salad with tinned fish or hard boiled eggs - skipped biscuits, cake and toasties! I stopped slimming world because it was causing me to obsess about every meal - I think @Miajk had a very good point when she said to find things that are enjoyable and distract from food obsessions. I also drink a lot more water, far less milky coffees

Idly wondering, following the post by LadyFlumpalot if weight gain that is hard to shift is a feature of long covid.

After all, there was a GI variant of covid, so it might impact there in longer form. Plus fatigue/exercise resistance are known features, as is increase in rates of diabetes (suggesting there is metabolic impact)

It would be very interesting to do a longitudinal study where those on the bird-like calorie intake were put into a residential programme where they were given the amount of food they say they are eating and see what happens over say 2 months.

Then they'd go back to living at home and carrying on as normal and see what happens.

The calculator says being sedentary I burn 1800 calories a day. I f you add on my exercise (calculated using weight and power by an app) I burn off 700-2000 extra a day (some very long sessions).
I still eat 1200 calories on a quite day and if I have done 4 hours of intense cardio I might eat 1400. That does give me a calorie deficit of 600 a day on my two quiet days and the other 5 days - 1000 to over 2000. In a normal week I worked out the deficit is 9,000 calories plus.
I am struggling to lose weight and I record every morsel that passes my lips on an app. I am hoping that after a few more weeks, my body will move into weight loss mode.

Blimey, you must be physically exhausted.
4 hours of intense cardio in a day....

What kind of intense cardio are you doing for 4 hours a day, that sounds very intense! I love a body combat work out as much as the next person but 4 hours is a lot.

@AutisticLegoLover its been done by Berkeley.

I'm sure treating your body like this is a great idea and you'll thrive.

Jesus fucking christ

@bellac11 are you seriously telling me 20g of oats takes 40mins to eat and a treat is half a teaspoon of peanut butter?

I'm sorry but this is the pin up statement for anorexia anonymous.
It's not even funny but terrifying. Please get help

You can eat quite a lot on 800 calories a day. I did the blood sugar diet - Michael Moseley and lost 2 stone in 2 months on it. I was eating really well. Probably ate more leafy and cruciferous veg. Felt great on it. You do feel crappy initiallly while your body is getting rid of the sugar addiction as it's also low carb. Now I need to get back onto it. Have let things slip and must start taking packed lunches to work and properly meal planning again as I'm fatter and feel a lot worse.

There is a lot of research on low carb athletes for those who say they work out a lot and so need to pile in the carbs. Science is always changing.

Of course pastry and biscuits and cakes aren't needed for health. Who on earth would think that. Eating real food, non UPF, no E numbers, no gums and rubbish, but all food groups.. If you eat real food, you can eat well and not get cravings (it's not addictive). You can't live on cake, but a nice homemade victoria sponge is not going to make you fat if you eat it in moderation.

But chaos

You seem to go from diet to gaining to diet and think that shows the benefit of your low carb periods

Whereas people can eat carbs all the time and stay a steady healthy weight

Surely it would be better to avoid the cycles and work out why you overeat if not dieting

How long have you managed this for? Genuine question, not snarky. It seems to involve lots of will power.