To ask how much slim people eat in a day?

[InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream]

I know this is an odd question, but bear with me! I used to be a normal healthy weight when I was young, but over the years my BMI crept up to 30. I've been battling with my weight for the past few years, and have managed to wrestle my BMI down to 27. But I've yo-yo-ing up and down for a while, and I think I've lost sight of what a normal daily food intake looks like.

My worry is that if I manage to get down to a BMI of 23 or 24, with a reasonable amount of activity per day, how will I manage to sustain it long term? I know how to eat healthily, but I also like the odd takeaway, wine and occasional junk food. I suspect that slim people maybe just don't eat that much? Except for the few with high metabolisms of course.

So, it would be really helpful for some slim people in their 30's, 40's, or older, to give me a quick example of their daily diet. Thanks in advance!

Cambam2010 I'm on SW too and this is what I have issues with - it's not "free - eat as much as you want!", it's "free - eat as much as you NEED!"

I know several Slimming Worlders who just eat and eat and eat all day then wonder why they're not losing weight! Whole punnets of fruit, huge piles of pasta and potatoes, three or four Muller Light yoghurts a day...

I don't think setting out 'a typical day's eating' quite helps though. I think it is the constant discipline over a period of time that keeps weight low.

If I contrast myself with my much slimmer sister (We look very alike. Sometimes I think I only exist so the world knows what she would look like if she ever got fat) then I see that she:

-doesn't necessarily choose the healthy, low fat, low sugar option (likes a muffin for breakfast, for example) all the time, although she probably does most of the time;

-eats three meals a day, all cooked from scratch by her;

-does eat small portions, day in day out, with few second helpings;

-never drinks any drink but water or (approx twice a day) coffee without sugar. It helps that she is teetotal because she just doesn't like any alcoholic drinks;

• rarely snacks, and only does so in very small amounts (think 4 Fruit Pastilles, or eating half the smallest size packet of Minstrels then putting the rest away for another day);

-hardly ever eats dessert of any kind, even yoghurt or fruit;

-has relatively little dairy produce, modest portions of meat and carbs, filling up on veg and salad.

And she does this day after day, year after year. That's what really does the trick.

Abbie - do you think that your sister does this to STAY slim, or as a result of her eating habits, she IS slim iyswim?

Can I just say how refreshing this thread is? Maturely and honestly discussing why some folks are more prone to weight gain than others? I like that people are honest enough to say that they are a larger size because they eat too much

Some debates I listen to, and some in RL, people all claiming that they eat like birds, they are 'big boned', it's their metabolism. DSIL is terrible for it! Especially on the radio, if someone dares suggest that it's because they eat too much, they are accused of such a lack of understanding and almost cruelty.

I know it's not that simple, I know stress and emotion and media and goodness knows what else effect why and what and when folk eat, it's just nice to have a balanced and realistic range of posts.

I once had to keep a food diary for my marathon training, and it was analysed by the nutrionist that the Olympic team used (long story). Baring in mind I am very slim anyway, it was still a revelation writing down every morsel

I think it is both. She simply doesn't comfort eat (which I do), or like to eat a lot at one go, but she is also very disciplined about eating, especially about controlling her sweet tooth, in order to stay very slim.

My mother is the same. They both seem to have a fairly instinctive sense of balance, e.g. a day where they have an indulgent restaurant meal is balanced by only having light fare the day after, without much sense of effort. My husband is like that too.

I find my problematic eating is very much emotional. When I feel bad, I eat more, even past the point where the eating is satisfying or pleasurable in any way. When they feel bad, they stop eating. I think that's probably a very fundamental, innate response that isn't simply laziness or stupidity on my part. Doesn't mean I can't be slim, just makes it harder.

I lost about a stone and a half (heartbreak diet) just over 2 years ago and have maintained it fairly easily. Breakfast is a banana and yoghurt or gluten free cereal, lunch is usually home made soup with a slice of toast and dinner could be stir fry or baked potato with chicken or (if my son is cooking) sausages and potato wedges or similar. If I graze, it's usually brazil nuts or dates.

If I fancy crisps or chocolate, I'll go for it and if I fancy a glass (or 2) of red I don't stop myself. I do a sort of power walk for 15 minutes twice a day which probably helps but I'm a size 8-10 and weigh around 10 stone (I'm 5'9").

Op I think it's a mix of not snacking and having 'stealth' exercise built into your day. I used to not have elevenses and walked 4 miles a day as I worked full time in London. Now I get up a lot earlier so feel hungry mid morning (thanks kids) so snack and drive loads and the weight has come on. That and aging!

Also, when people say 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day', that's not true for everyone.

I haven't been able to eat breakfast since I left Junior school. I just can't stomach eat and despite not snacking at night, I never wake up hungry.

When I worked in a shop years ago, I used to meet my colleagues in a cafe before the shop opened. After a while, I thought I'd give breakfast a go. So at 8.30am I'd force down one poached egg on one toast.

This meant I wasn't hungry enough for lunch at 12.30pm, so would just pick at a sandwich. That meant I was really hungry at 3pm, so I would wolf down a snack in my 10 minute tea break.

That meant I wasn't hungry enough for dinner at 6pm, so I'd pick at that too and then I'd need to snack about 11pm before bed.

So for me personally, breakfast completely fucks me up

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
only for Kelloggs who invented the phrase

Eat when you are really hungry.
If you think you are hungry, drink a pint of water and wait 20 minutes : most hunger is in fact thirst.
If you are still hungry then eat a little bit.

Added and hidden sugar in foods is horrific for hidden calories.

^Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
only for Kelloggs who invented the phrase^

I agree although I never eat cereal, which is probably one of the worst things you can have for breakfast, or at any time.

Given the choice, I would have a late and large breakfast, about 9 or 10 am, a hot cooked lunch at about 2 pm and then a snack about 8 pm.

Unfortunately, due to work, I only get to do this on holiday, but generally lose weight eating this way, despite eating and drinking more than normal (but I do swim and walk a lot on holiday as well).

Interesting thread.

I am and have nearly always been slim (BMI 21 or so).

I have never counted calories, dieted, decided that a particular food was "good" or "bad", or been an emotional eater. I think this is key. I really believe once you've dieted your metabolism is damaged and it's very hard to a) stay slim and b) separate food from emotion (guilt, punishment, reward...) I have never "deprived myself" or gone hungry. If you ban something you will crave it!

I am eternally grateful to my mother for having a normal and healthy relationship with food, and also for having passed on her love of fresh simple home-cooked food and an active lifestyle.

I am a potterer, always on the go, hate sitting down, always need to be busy, walk everywhere. I don't procrastinate. I'd just rather do stuff before I forget, which means I'm up and down my stairs 50 times a day!

I love walking and cycling, would rather get somewhere on my own steam than rely on buses or traffic. I am impatient and walk fast (I suspect these traits annoy my friends!)

I am definitely drawn to healthy meals, I don't know if this is because of my mother's cooking or a natural aversion to junk food. I have a low threshold for fatty foods like burgers etc, and have never eaten a Big Mac in my life. I just don't fancy it. I'm not a big drinker in fact a total lightweight. I probably have two small glasses of red wine a week.

I do love cakes but I consider them an occasional treat not a daily thing.

I do consciously choose healthy options which for me means as unprocessed as possible, but I avoid low-fat stuff. I hate the idea of sweeteners etc. I suppose I am motivated by health not weight. Perhaps easy for me to say since I've always been slim.

I put on weight only once in my life, at university, I was eating stodgy halls of residence food and drinking more alcohol. The following year I was cooking for myself and walking further to campus and the weight dropped off by itself.

I'm not sure any of this is helpful but this is how it is for me.

To answer the question, today I'm having:

Breakfast - homemade muesli with oat milk, green tea.
Snack - coffee with milk, chocolate muffin
Lunch - tomato and mozzarella salad, homemade scone, greek yoghurt, plum
Snack - few squares of dark chocolate and handful of hazelnuts, green tea
Dinner - homemade pumpkin soup with cheese on toast, satsuma

Oh and today I have walked 5 miles (school runs and errands)

I'm slim and love my food. I would say portion size is the big factor.

When I am properly slim I eat small meals. So breakfast cereal is weighed to the guideline amount on the box (never a full bowl). Lunch is soup or a salad, salad I would go crazy with but if topping with one of those pots of sandwich filler the supermarkets sell then one small pot would last all week, Soups would stick to half a can, pot etc.. Regular snacks are fruit and yoghurt. Dinner would be whatever I felt like eating, but in smaller portions, particularly with the carbs. I always weigh rice, pasta, etc. and would stick to 2/3 the portion guide on the packet. A small piece of meat or small portion of pasta sauce, curry whatever. I would then fill up on tons of veg. Half the plate would be veg at least. Proper snacks, chocolate, crisps, wine, cake etc. are weekend only treats.

When I am not doing this then the weight starts to creep on. However I should add that I am 4ft 11 with no speedy metabolism so I really need to eat almost child portion sizes if I am going to stay slim and do exercise with it. When being healthy (summer!) I tend to run or swim for 20 mins to an hour every morning before breakfast then do other exercise loads of walking, some cycling, dancing and Pilates later in the day.

Now its winter, I'm being lazy, I'm pregnant so not watching what I eat, portion sizes or looking at my weight all that sounds quite hard work

Hi

Breakfast 7am- bowl of porridge made with skimmed milk

Lunch -1pm- wholemeal bread sandwich of ham or cheese or humous, an apple and satsuma, cup of tea(skimmed milk no sugar)

Dinner-6pm- Family meals cooked from scratch e.g. spaghetti bolognaise, risotto, toad in the hole. Not usually a pudding eater but sometimes have a yoghurt.
I DONT SNACK. I have a few drinks fro-sun.(2/3 glasses of wine a night)
I dont exercise but am not sedentary.

Good luck.

I do think that when people say that exercise doesn't help them lose weight it is probably the case that they are not doing enough of it in order to gain a calorie deficit.

When I'm doing light exercise, e.g. gym or swim twice a week, plus horse riding one day at the weekend, it doesn't make that much difference to my weight, although it helps me maintain fitness and helps me keep some core strength.

However, I have had some physical "outdoors" jobs in the past at a dog kennels and at a stables. When doing these jobs I'd often be walking several miles a day, at a decent speed over rough terrain, be on my feet most of the day, often have to lift things, and do manual labour type tasks. When working at this sort of level even if it wasn't every day of the week, I would lose weight, even when eating more to compensate for it.

For example, normally for lunch I would have a sandwich and some fruit (either an apple or a banana) but at the kennels, we would be given a pasty for lunch, and I would normally have some biscuits or chocolate as a snack and eat a normal portion of dinner, and I was still losing weight some weeks. I was quite young and already at the lower end of a healthy BMI when I started the job, so I had to make a conscious effort to eat more in order not to lose too much weight.

When I worked at the stables for a summer, I'd put on about a stone over the past year and lost around a stone and a half without even trying. Admittedly, some days, I wouldn't eat lunch, because I didn't have time/wasn't hungry.

When working in a semi-sedentary job or studying, it's not possible to replicate that level of constant physical activity from, say 9.30-5pm even if it's not very intensive exercise, and I find it hard to exercise for the sake of staying slim unless I enjoy what I'm doing.

To be fair, when I am a comfortable size 8, I am often skipping meals, and if I snack it's because I haven't eaten a proper breakfast, or a proper lunch, or sometimes I will graze in the evening instead of having a proper tea. It's hard to write what I would eat on a typical day, because my eating is very erratic and I will sometimes go through phases where I eat very little but occasionally binge, which isn't healthy at all.

Today's menu (not very hungry compared to yesterday):
B: 2 hand cut slices Gail's bread with butter & Brie; coffee w. full fat milk & 2 sugars
L: 2 slice ham & mango chutney sandwich; full sugar squash; choc bar; apple & berries
D: vegetable curry w. paneer; dal; rice
No snacks today - not hungry enough.l
Size 8

I find this thread facinating.

I am a size 8/10 and always have been.

I think I have a pretty awful diet and don't really think about what I eat.

Today: breakfast 2 cups of coffee and a slice of bread
Snack: mini packet of malteesers and a cup of coffee
Lunch: homemade chicken sandwich, slice if coconut cake, clementine cup of tea
Snack: Bourbon cream and a glass of water
Tea: homemade chicken pie, with brocoli, 2 glasses of Apple juice and because it's bonfire night toasted marshmallows (6)

I will probably have a bar of chocolate and a can of juice once the kids are in bed.

I don't do exercise but I do walk everywhere ( I have walked about 3 miles today pushing a pram or carrying children)

Not sure if I help at all

I'm one of those who restricts food on two days, but it's not so that I can eat bad food on the other days, it's simply so that I can eat more food.

I'm not one of those fortunate few who can eat whatever they want and not gain weight. I do have to apply discipline to maintain slimness.

And the easiest way for me to do this is by restricting my calorie intake on a weekly basis, rather than a daily basis. Denying myself day in and day out is no way to live, so I do it over the week as a whole. It means I can have nice lunches at the weekend, dine out and have whatever I fancy, enjoy a few glasses of wine, have some cheese (which I adore), etc.

It's just my way of watching my weight, while also enjoying life.

I have to say that I agree with Slow that if you're physically active all the time then it will definitely help you maintain, and even lose weight without much consideration.

But for other people, who need to specifically incorporate exercise into their life, the exercise itself probably isn't going to make a huge amount of difference (it will to health and fitness, of course); it's 'diet' and the amount you eat that determines things.

Actually I am very rarely hungry. If I was busy I could go days without food, not sure when I would notice. I remember thinking a few months back when travelling it was about 40 hrs since I last ate, still wasn't hungry but ate because I should

So no I don't eat when hungry. I eat 3 meals a day usually or I would forget to eat.

I'm a size 10 sometimes 8, 5'6, weigh just under 9 stone.

I do little exercise and have a fairly sedentary part time job although am active running after my toddler.

I eat probably between 2000-3000 calories a day but rarely takeaway, most days I'll eat choc, cake or biscuits or all three and enjoy a glass of wine or beer plus three meals, full fat everything, plenty of veg, no meat.

I think I just have a really inefficient body - I don't get many nutrients / calories out of the food I eat. I guess I'm what you'd call skinny fat.

I've been on several diets over the years, though I've never been overweight. I think weight watchers was the healthiest as it encourages lots of fruit and veg and a varied diet.
I'm not really thinking about food at the moment and have a pretty terrible diet as a result. Today I had:
Breakfast: cheese pasty
Morning snack: cupcake
Lunch: berries and grapes
Dinner: 2/3 10inch pizza + large glass of wine
Snack: 2 mini Mars bars

I'm also vegetarian which I think helps to keep weight off.

Only read the OP. I used to be a healthy, completely slim and perfect weight. I was extremely slim but still in the healthy weight range!
I've lost track a bit now, but it's not because I don't know what I should be doing as I do.

Breakfasts. Weetabix with skimmed or soya milk

mid morning snack (banana, satsuma)

lunch (jacket potato with beans or hummus)

snack (handful of raisins or nuts)

tea (fish such as salmon or cod, potatoes, vegetables, or chicken and veg, or veggie chilli with Quorn)

Plenty of water.

Exercising - any exercising. I used to dance around to favourite songs, or just create my own step aerobic class with music and the bottom step of the stairs. As long as you're moving, THAT'S what's important. Not what you're spending.
No junk or wine too . That's where I fall down now.

Don't know if if I should have added my weight to that post but I was 9 stone 2 and 5 foot 3. Perfectly within the healthy range of my height.

I am 40, a size 8 and weight 9 stone 2 normally but more recently I have gained to 9st 6 (I am 5ft 7). Just this few pounds of gain has spurred me into action, as once you have a lot of extra weight on it is very hard to lose. I have realised by keeping a food diary of everything that goes 'in' for a week that I have been snacking on cake too much, with the occasional treat becoming every other day, have been having more wine than usual. So that will go back to being Friday and Sat night only. Other than that, I have started keeping starch (pasta, bread) and sugar to a minimum and will have the weight off by the end of the month / early Dec. It's all about keeping an eye on yourself and making small adjustments before you need a big effort...

Oops - I have had:

7.30 - greek yogurt with granola, nuts, a banana and some blueberries

1pm - lunch - smoked salmon slices and cream cheese, salad of puy lentils with goats cheese and roast parsnips, watercress, honey, mustard, olive oil and mustard dressing

6 - oat cracker and cheese

9 - roast chicken, 1 x small potato roasted as home-made chips, roast sweet red pepper