I have an unusual problem with food

[ThePigandPear]

And would love to get some advice that the Dr hasn't been able to offer.

I don't have any disordered thoughts or body image issues regarding food.
But ever since I was young (I am 51 now), I don't feel good if I eat much of a plate. I love so many foods, and particularly vegetables, but if I load more than two on a plate, in any amount, I feel uncomfortable for a good while after eating.

I don't eat fast food and have a decent diet, well balanced, because I make sure of it. I am a healthy weight (8st 4) and am active and happy enough, but mealtimes are a pain in the arse. This is getting old and I just wish I could eat how I want to.

So my preferred way of eating would be : small breakfast with either oats or toast and peanut butter. Fruit for lunch or something equally small (if I am honest I would skip lunch altogether, but don't because I need the calories).
For dinner I would like around 4 wholewheat crackers with olives, a bit of cheese, pickles, nuts and some scattered berries.
Or a bit of sushi rice with two veg and tuna, etc.

So I feel like a small rodent, and deliberately eat more to keep healthy.
When I have let myself eat how I want to, I have lost too much weight.

What I would love to know is, is there a way to enjoy my preferred meal sizes but pack in enough nutrition? To get all that I need per day?
I employ peanut butter, eggs, cheese and decent proteins to keep on top of it, but i struggle with a pile of veg. Tonight we had roast chicken with 4 veg and felt like shit. I do this because I know it is healthy.

I don't like the idea of protein / food shakes at all as I need some crunch and mouthfeel. I think this is just who I always was, and I have spent my life forcing stuff down me that I don't really want just to keep on top.

Any tips or advice welcome.

This is helpful thank you!

If you’re eating excessive veg then maybe it’s giving you wind, causing the uncomfortable feeling.

It's the massive overthinking that suggests disordered eating. The obsession with having to eat piles of veg/12 a day lest you end up with brittle bones. Desperate for nutrients but they can't come from vitamins or shakes. "I want this...but here's a spurious reason why I can't have this" mentality.

I very much do get a lot of wind! I get a very full feeling in my upper abdomen and feel sluggish for hours after a regular sized meal. I tried eating maller ones through the day and that didn't feel good for me, I never felt satiated.
I am a bloody conundrum!

I love the idea of a dinner that comprises a slice of wholemeal bread, toasted, with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and olive oil. Perhaps a bit of salad added.

If I stick that onto my daily eating it still comes out too low calorie.
It pisses me off.

I dont want to drink my fucking meals unless I am very ill, surely that is understandable?

My mother had osteoporosis, so that concerns me. If I said I was overweight, would you consider that disordered thinking? It isn't unusual to be concerned about calcium if you have a shit appetite.

Have you had your gallbladder checked?
I have gallstones and one of my worst ever flare ups was after cabbage and broccoli.

Yes, I have had a colonoscopy due to IBS and all seems fine medically.
I don't seem to have any food allergies either. Just prefer small plates.

I would cut out the amount of veg, 12 a day seems so excessive and the wind off that would have me crippled

But you don't enjoy eating and are worried about getting enough nutrients and calories in? A drink is a good, easy way to get extra calories in.

You also don't want to take supplements but are very worried about osteoporosis

It's understandable that you don't want to live on a liquid diet.

It's not understandable why someone who is really concerned about their nutrition wouldn't even consider adding a smoothie into their day to get extra calories and fruits/veg.

It's also not understandable why a calm, logical and bright poster would immediately jump to the assumption that they're being asked to 'drink their fucking meals' rather than just add a smoothie/shake into their diet. The immediate change in tone you've had there is again indicative of it being more of a psychological issue than physical.

I would be open to a smoothie or drink, but it feels odd to me, possibly because i have never done that before.

I would prefer to get my calcium from solid foods, but I appreciate the idea of small meals might not accomodate that. It's pain in the arse.

I might have small appetite but I do need and love my food. I just wondered if there was a solution in solid form.

I’d relax the stringency with the veg and fruit. Maybe make drinks with full fat milk? Milkshakes? That can be good for calcium.
Honestly OP I dunno how you can commit to 12 a day every day, I’d be on the verge of shitting my pants on a daily basis

You don't feel good if you load more than two veg (for instance) on your plate, and it doesn't matter what amount of the foods you put on your plate?

You use the word 'load' when you could be putting a teaspoon of peas and three slices of carrot and a tablespoon of sweetcorn?

And afterwards you would feel 'bad' for a while? Bad emotionally or physically? A mix of the two? Tense, reproachful, fearful, guilty, and/or sick, indigestion, gassy, bloated?

And you struggle to keep weight on.

I honestly think you should talk about this to someone qualified to address eating disorders. Go in with an open mind. You have nothing to lose and you say you're tired of doing this and worrying about nutrition.

If you have been medically investigated and no problem identified, perhaps you just have a small appetite.

This is a good source of fibre. (I've tried some others in the range and this one is my favourite.) if you feel you can't reduce the already small amount of vegetable you eat, because you need the fibre, but also need the volume to increase your calories, perhaps you could try replacing some of the veg with fibre mix? I would also recommend adding probiotics and naturally fermented foods to your diet. A disrupted gut biome can adversely affect your appetite and how you feel after eating.

Does every meal need to be veg packed and full of “roughage”
Maybe more fat would help with the calorie density.

If your only eating around 800kcal a day, especially if it's compromised of crackers, olives and berries then you will feel excessively full and sluggish after a normal meal. That's not a bloody conundrum that's normal. Your body is not used to it. Especially if you then add in high quantities of fibre

Your GI system slows down. It takes a while for your body to get used to the increase in food and increase in fibre.

I do agree that your posts sound disordered. Small meals aren't that difficult to accommodate. You either need to eat 4 or 5 small meals a day, or add in additional drinks to increase your calories and nutrients. There's no way you can eat 2 small meals a day and maintain a healthy body. No

Ok then I must have an eating disorder because I feel lull after multiple veg and large plates.

I will make a GP apt and see what she thinks.

Yes, being overweight also indicates disordered eating. I know we live in a curvylicious world, but I'll stand by that.

Sorry, I haven't read the whole thread. But this sounds like how I eat. I never finish a plate of food if we go out to a restaurant - my H finds it quite annoying (especially when we go somewhere a bit fancy) although he always hoovers up the leftovers.

I eat little and often, always have. So today I had one crumpet with marmite and a bit of iceberg on the side for breakfast, then a snack pack of salmon sushi late morning, houmous and carrot sticks mid afternoon, a small pork fillet with veg for dinner and a yoghurt and grapes after. I physically can't eat what other people do in one go - i once went to a friend's birthday celebration at a very nice all you can eat place and it was a total waste of money 🤣 I had some prawns, two slices of beef, some broccoli and a potato. Again H was annoyed but if you're full you're full!

I am not eating 800 cals per day, I said I would if i could do what I felt happy with.
I eat around 1300 currently at 5"4 and 8st 4.
I make sure I eat enough but wanted advice to have smaller plates with dense nutrients.

Sorry just seen you can't do little and often. So ignore my comment 😬

Thank God, someone like me!

I think I feel pressured by the advice to eat 12 per day, even though I can't do it.
There is so much info one can become dizzy with it!

I love crumpets!

What kind of nutrients? Calcium? Protein?

If you have concerns re osteoporosis, maybe use full fat cream, cheese and milk in recipes just to up the calcium

Less of the veg and more protein/fat for energy and calories

Salads? Bruschetta? Poke bowls?

OP I wouldn’t pay attention to the 12 a day advice, that’s impossible unless you’re a rabbit