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.

First of all why are you dieting? I’m 5ft0 and Weight 9st 10 I wear size 10 max, you do not need to be dieting at your weight!

a lot of women forget what they’ve snacked on and drank. I know a women who swears blind she eats barely anything but when I went to hers for the day she was sneaking in bits and bobs all day which is something I’ve never done.
like they say ‘little pickers wear bigger knickers’
also some people barely exercise where as I’m out and about for 2-3 hours a day walking with my dogs and don’t tend to sit down until about 10pm.

I’m menopausal and 51.

I weigh 9.5 stone, which is about right for my 5’8 height. I eat very little otherwise I gain weight easily. It’s become the norm so I don’t miss much.

20 years ago, I weighed over a stone less and ate whatever I wanted.

I am determined not be be a middle aged, thick waisted woman.

Yeah, come back in 20 years time!!!

I'm sorry but those are shockingly bad food choices especially for someone trying to lose weight, crappy empty calories, where is the nutritional in that? Can you get some help to make better choices maybe?

I eat utter shite constantly at the moment, I'm fat as a pig justnow. Need a good kick up the arse.

I absolutely gain weight if I eat more than around 1300 cals per day

I'm 41, 5'4 and around ten stone

It's really, really hard

Did you find the cider vinegar (is that the same as apple cider vinegar) helped ? What did you do with it? I googled it, but there were differing opinions about much and how often to take it.

I am determined not be be a middle aged, thick waisted woman

I mean there are far worse things to be. Chill and enjoy life

Absolutely. With insulin resistance, it’s nowhere near as simple as “calories in/calories out”. Until the insulin resistance is addressed, weight loss is like going up a down escalator.

How can you weigh almost half a stone less then me and 8 inches taller but have a thick waist?? My waist is 28inch and I’m 5ft0 9st 10

For those that are eating very little and are still overweight. Why not try eating more? Could be worth a try. More protein, fats, not crap but healthy food. Juts more of it.

Controversial I know. But I’m convinced starving yourself is not great for weight loss or health.

A lot of what I am reading here is the menopause effecting metabolism so something else I will add to the list of things to look forward to.

I consider myself a healthy eater and I still manage to have chips, crisps, cakes etc and I eat a banana every single day between breakfast and lunch.

I was genuinely hoping that people really just ate tiny amounts through the week and ate loads at the weekend or maybe had lots of lattes or alcohol. Honestly the thought of trying to survive on 800 - 1200 calories a day is depressing.

@rockingbird me too- I literally have to go down to 1250 -1350 calories or so a day, next to no alcohol and under 70g of carb a day to lose around a pound a week.

I've just been on holiday and ate and drank maybe 2200 to 2500 a day and only put on 3lb in a fortnight - it's not so much maintaining that I find an issue- it's losing. Currently now 14st 2 from 16st 3 in November

You can’t really have got to 37 and not know that metabolisms are often completely different

Or for those eating so little do some cardio exercise everyday. I hear people calling a brisk walk exercise. It's not, you need to be properly out of breath for at least 40mins. Also increase muscle tone.

I know not addressed to me but I’ve been having a table of apple cider vinegar a day. It releases acetic acid in to the system which helps control insulin. A tablespoon a day (mix with water/lemon/ginger - whatever makes it palatable). I think it helps.

It can be any vinegar though apparently.

A tablespoon not a table!

I said losing weight. What are those normal and underweight women eating in a day?

I am with you OP, I eat every 3-4 hours at least, I eat 3 round meals a day with 2-3 snacks. I eat around 1800 kcal a day, sometimes more sometimes less. I allow myself 'treats' such as chocolate and biscuits and see them as part of a normal healthy balanced diet. I have a healthy BMI and always have done. Only recently lost a little weight due to increased training and weight training. Most people I know heavily restrict what they eat, or eat in a disordered unhealthy way such as binge eat and then restrict. People look at me like I am mad when I say I eat 3 meals a day.

OP, you must be very lucky to eat what you want at 37.

I’m 33 and this is what I do to maintain my weight:

HIIT class x3 a week
Barre class x2 a week
5km run x2 a week

Very little gluten, sugar, dairy. Alcohol no more than once a week, on average.

~1500 calories a day.

I’m just used to it, I don’t think it’s restrictive or like having an eating disorder (having recovered from an ED, I find the accusation offensive tbh).

It's quite possible to carry on with the crisps and cake and be post menopausal and normal weight

Portion size matters tremendously

So compared to the person in the office who believes they eats very little - I have a 25g bag or crisps they have the 50g bag

Replicate that over all meals and they can apparently eat less - fewer snacks - whilst actually having more calories than me even if I seem to be eating more

Thanks. I think I've got some in the cupboard so I'll try adding it to my day and see if it helps at all.

Funny that isn’t it? It’s because our bodies fight to stay the same weight and don’t like change.

I often lose weight after eating more over a weekend. I really don’t think surviving on 1200 calories is the answer.

Controversial I know. But I’m convinced starving yourself is not great for weight loss or health

At 10 stone overweight, I can assure you that consuming 800 calories a day ( plus a ton of green leafy veg which isn't counted in those calories( because no-one got fat eating kale,spinach or cabbage ! ) is nowhere near starving myself, my body has a whole other person in reserves to get through first before even beginning to reach that point !

You’re so young! Your metabolism is still very high. Wait until you get past 40 and then wait again until you hit menopause.