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.

I am going to go all out and get myself looking like Arnie so I don't have to give up biscuits at 50!!

Thank you, @ForDecorativepurposesonly, I need to try to find a good non dairy probiotic to try, and will talk to the doctor re: movicol

Yes hyperthyroidism will affect metabolism as it’s all linked to hormones.

I’d try a few of those tweaks though as it’s good to be nourished. Try and up your protein. It will make you feel fuller for longer.

The culture of deprivation that some of these threads get into is ridiculous. I'm a tall size 14 with a BMI of 19 - all of these silly numbers really don't mean as much as you think they do!

Dude, I relate. I'm finally diagnosed as underactive thyroid after a ridiculously long battle, but my medication is likely way too low and my gp will not increase it 🙃 so I'm better off than you, but the battle is far from over.... and probably won't ever be.

When they checked your thyroid, did you get a print out of the results?

It doesn’t taste very nice but it works really well !

For anyone interested in nutrition/exercise/ balancing hormones throughout the peri menopause and menopause there’s a good book called ‘Next Level’ by Dr Stacey Simms.

The main takeaway is - lift heavy weights to counter the inevitable muscle loss. Muscle then burns fat. Don’t undereat - that screws your hormones and metabolism. Up your protein. She also has a good section on what supplements can help.

yes sorry apple cider vinegar. I had it about an hour before eating a meal - just a dessert spoonful. I wouldn't use it permanently (not great for teeth) but I did it for a couple of weeks while I was trying to stabilise my blood sugar. Now I'm generally eating better I don't feel I need it every day.

Thank you for the recommendation, I've been looking for something like this.

Why have you bought a wedding dress that is one size smaller than the small size you are already?

That’s actually not true. Many people who have gone in to starvation mode don’t actually lose weight. Doesn’t mean they are fuelling themselves correctly.

Yes, all middle of normal parameters. My only malfunction is a significantly compromised ability to process carbs. They are questioning whether it is type 2 diabetes or the onset of LADA, since there is a strong family history of the latter. When I was obese, it was assumed to be T2, but now I’m right down to an ideal weight and still have wild blood glucose spikes after modest amounts of carbs, it’s looking more like LADA.

Thanks - it is hard but I've had a long time to get used to it and some of the new drugs in the pipelines are doing wonderful things in the trials by all accounts Got my fingers crossed!

@Gingerboy22 I bought a second hand wedding dress from 15 years ago without considering the effect of vanity sizing. So a 15 year old size 8 dress does not fit a 2023 size 8 body.

It’s a really good book. She’s done quite a few podcasts too on female hormones and health. She also has a PHD in the menopause and I’ve never read anything so detailed on the subject in terms of nutrition and exercise.

@catalinamia I will cross my fingers for you too!

To make it less terrifying, OP, I'm in my 50s and menopausal, 5'4 and need around 1800 calories to maintain around 9st4. I battled with my weight most of my adult life but cut out the cake.and biscuits and the battle was over.

I do eat a.daily banana, plus regularly eat crisps and nuts and drink alcohol.

That hot dog dinner is more like a whole day's food!

That gives me some hope. I love food I don't want to end up restricting to these levels.

For those interested in apple cider vinegar- I use a metal straw as it’s very bad for the teeth!

I did. It was really shocking.

But OP I hate to join the chorus of "you just wait"-ers. But I was like you in my 30s and even 40s... 56 now and everything has changed.

I have absolutely no clue what 1200 or 1500 or 1800 calories even looks like and neither should anyone else. Counting calories seems to be a MM favourite but imo it’s one of the most destructive things you can do to your body.

If I start to feel a bit podgy and my clothes get tight I cut out puddings and eat fewer carbs for a bit and hey presto, then it’s fine.

I think the people who find it hard to lose weight are those who have yo-yo dieted and f*ed up their metabolism. If you just keep an eye on things then you’ll never get to that stage in the first place.

Yep. I genuinely couldn’t tell you how many calories I eat per day. I only track protein to make sure I’ve eaten enough and can often be found mainlining Greek yoghurt before bed.

OP 'I am going to go all out and get myself I am going to go all out and get myself looking like Arnie so I don't have to give up biscuits at 50!! looking like Arnie so I don't have to give up biscuits at 50!!'

Weight training is the best thing I have ever done for my diet and body image. With being focused on building muscle, I tend to look at foods with a view to what my body needs and make choices that are basically based on being nutrient dense. I wouldn't eat a biscuit when I could eat an apple (?similar in calories) which would tick more nutritional boxes.
I don't see this as any deprivation, rather as a way of nurturing my body.

It's also significantly changed my perception as to what a healthy body looks like.
And I even go mad and eat a banana sometimes before training.

I hate the misinformation spread by people about how many calories we need each day or how bad it is to eat carbs etc etc. I am 5 ft 6 and weigh 53 Kg. I eat 2500 calories per day. Any less than this and I would lose weight and be unhealthy. Those who are following extremely restrictive diets eg 1200 calories or fewer are not getting the nutrients they need for a healthy body. 1200 calories is what a toddler needs, not an adult.

Ancel Keys did a study on the effects of starvation in the 1950s and he fed his volunteers 1500 calories per day. They all experienced physical and mental effects of starvation and yet 1500 calories is often recommended is as a number to hit if you are dieting which is absolutely crazy really.

Where do you people get your nutritional information from?

It's not the same!!! Bloody hell ever heard of fibre?

Please stop posting stupid comments for people to see and god forbid believe silly nonsense like this.

"Carb intolerant" might be officially the dumbest thing I've come across. These threads on MN are absolutely batshit but this takes the cake.