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Original poster

Are my portion sizes adequate

155 replies

user1489509816 · 14/03/2017 20:06

So recently I switched from my large white dinner plates to my sons plastic ikea ones (can't remember the name but they're their most popular kids plates and are used in their cafes too).

A few people have suggested my portion sizes are not big enough so I was just looking for opinions on here.

Apart from these pics I've had:

1 four finger kit Kat, American cup size of strawberries, 1 banana, 2 'my first yogurts' from Rachel's organic, 1 fish finger (leftover by my son).

I've also had a skinny latte no sugar, 3 cups of coffee with 1 sugar each and a diet lemonade.

Does that seem enough calories? I know you're not experts but just after opinions really.

The food is 2 slices wholemeal bread with Nutella (on a normal plate) and banana, cous cous with turkey breast meatloaf, a wholemeal thin and veg, baked potato with beef burger and veg.

Are my portion sizes adequate
Are my portion sizes adequate
Are my portion sizes adequate
OP posts:
BlueFolly · 14/03/2017 23:17

I think everyone saying it 'Ooh, it looks like loads' is saying that because they want to be mean to the OP who they suspect of having a stealth boast.

I think it's a bit weird to wonder if your portion sizes are wrong if you're not hungry and you're a healthy weight. Are you posting here because you have an eating disorder?

BlueFolly · 14/03/2017 23:21

i think the savoury parts of the meal look really tasty.

MaidOfStars · 14/03/2017 23:22

BlueFolly I wondered about the level of control OP seems to place on what she eats. Or maybe it was just explanatory (who uses the phrase 'cheat days' if they aren't controlling diet though?)

BlueFolly · 14/03/2017 23:30

Yes, it's the control thing that's odd about the thread. The idea that for some people all they do is make a mathematical sum about calories and volume of food, and voila - their weight is marginally adjusted, with little to no effort.

Ecureuil · 15/03/2017 06:43

Have you weighed yourself to see if you're losing weight?
If my portion isn't big enough I'm usually still hungry at the end of the meal. Are you hungry after your meals?

Anyway, now you've established you're losing weight because you're eating too little (not sure you needed a thread to tell you that) you can start eating more. Job done!

ChippieBeanAndHorro · 15/03/2017 09:07

The idea that for some people all they do is make a mathematical sum about calories and volume of food, and voila - their weight is marginally adjusted, with little to no effort.

But that is exactly how it works, isn't it...? Genuinely confused btw.

gamerchick · 15/03/2017 09:11

BlueFolly I wondered about the level of control OP seems to place on what she eats. Or maybe it was just explanatory (who uses the phrase 'cheat days' if they aren't controlling diet though?)

This is sort of what's confusing me a lot. This thread fits someone who's controlling their food intake for weight loss. It just doesn't tie in with someone who doesn't want to. Confused

Fwiw I have to stick to 1400 cals a day all in or I gain weight. It's not hard to join the dots.

MiscellaneousAssortment · 15/03/2017 10:13

Very confusing.

I think you should relax about food and stop trying to micro-control and analyze everything you eat.

I'm saying that based on the attitude that's coming through your posts, not the food itself.

Ecureuil · 15/03/2017 10:53

Yeah I think it's weird too. I eat when I'm hungry. I'd know if my portion size it too small because I'd still feel hungry at the end of my meal. I wouldn't need someone to tell me my plate was too small for me to think 'oh, maybe I'm not eating enough'. Just seems odd.

Ecureuil · 15/03/2017 10:54

And surely you're still cooking the same amount that you used to? So you'd know you were eating less than normal because there would be more left over than usual?

ChippieBeanAndHorro · 15/03/2017 10:59

Yeah I think it's weird too. I eat when I'm hungry

But that doesn't work for everyone...

sonyaya · 15/03/2017 10:59

People having issues with food is not "odd". It's something that many people have and is very difficult to overcome. It blighted my life for many years and to an extent still does. I can't help it.

TheViceOfReason · 15/03/2017 11:01

2 slices wholemeal toast - 240
nutella - 60
banana - 100
small Jacket spud - 150
3 meatballs - 150
mixed veg - 80
meatloaf - 150
cous cous - 120
veg - 80
thin - 100
kit kat - 230
strawberries - 80
banana - 100
2 yoghurts - 180
fishfinger - 60
latte - 100
3 sugars - 60

total just over 2000kcal

2 miles of walking and an hour of housework isn't much exercise so it's not like you are very active.

But if you have dropped a little weight and don't want to then just eat slightly more.

Ecureuil · 15/03/2017 11:06

People having issues with food is not "odd"

But we don't know the OP has issues with food, do we? She hasn't said.

peachgreen · 15/03/2017 12:26

Metabolisms are weird. OP is losing weight, but if I ate 2000 calories a day I'd be piling on the pounds. To lose weight I have to eat around 1200. 1400 (ish) to maintain. Anything above and I'll gain. I can't remember the last time I had an actual whole chocolate bar!

OP, eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full and you'll be
fine. Your food looks very tasty and well-balanced. If you want to stop losing weight, switch out your skinny latte for a full-fat one.

bananafish81 · 15/03/2017 12:26

I thought I was one of those skinny people with fast metabolisms, and that's why I couldn't put on weight

Everyone would always remark on how I must have had hollow legs because I was always eating junk, yet remained skinny as a rake

Started tracking what I was eating using MFP, because my consultant told me I needed to get my BMI up in order to start fertility treatment

Turned out I didn't have a freakishly fast metabolism, I just was massively over estimating how much I was eating, and I wasn't eating nearly enough calories

I was eating lots of crap, but not enough proper meals

Through tracking I was able to get my weight up, by making sure I was eating 2000 cals a day. I couldn't believe how much I needed to eat (and by how much I'd actually been under eating)

I know that I've lost loads of weight because stress and sadness has meant I've lost my appetite and I'm not making enough effort to make myself eat properly. But it's pretty basic - energy in, energy out

I stopped tracking pretty quickly as I didn't want to get obsessive about it. Just wanted to use it as a tool to understand roughly what and how much I needed to be eating for a healthy diet, and reset my sense of normal

HakeLively · 15/03/2017 12:28

OP are you by any chance the same poster who complained that her friends were saying she didn't eat enough after you posted your meals on social media?

Larastheme · 15/03/2017 12:42

This looks fine to me, the plates look tiny , I pretty much eat the same amount listed, excluding the Nutella and sugary lattes, and Im a healthy weight,size 8,
We have loads of misconception about food,not everyone needs to stick to certain amount of calories to maintain weight,
I need to eat a lot or otherwise I lose weight quickly.

TheRealPooTroll · 15/03/2017 12:49

If you're losing weight and you don't need to then you're eating too little for your activity levels. It might be a lot of food for some but not others - people do different amounts of exercise/have different metabolisms. The scale is also off on the picture in your op as you seem to be using a little plastic spoon to eat with as well.
I've read the thread and it's not clear why you've switched to eating off kids plates if you're not trying to lose weight?
You certainly seem to have a disordered attitude to food - eating with kids plates and cutlery, measuring out fruit and asking for others judgements. If you just eat when you're hungry you won't go far wrong.

llhj · 15/03/2017 13:28

Off the point, but what is the sugar in the latte that was mentioned earlier in the thread? Do you mean the sugar in milk?

expatinscotland · 15/03/2017 13:34

Orthorexia is alive and well! This is the latest form of navel-gazing.

'I also never have cheat days, takeaways, white bread, eat out. So this is how I eat day to day.

I used to have a dessert but stopped and I think my portions were bigger before. I will add a little more to my meals and see if my weight stablises.'

Cheat days? WTF is that? It's just food, FFS! You never eat out, or have a takeaway and are one of those fussy eaters. You may be slim, but food bores are among the most tedious and boring people on the planet.

llhj · 15/03/2017 13:43

You nailed it expat!

EastDulwichWife · 15/03/2017 14:15

Why don't you just switch to normal plates...?

KKthePanda · 15/03/2017 16:38

To me that looks like loads of food even on small plates - the Nutella and banana on toast would be enough for me!

For the whole day ? Confused

EnormousTiger · 15/03/2017 16:42

banana, you sound a bit like my son who wants to put a stone on (and I want to lose one - pity we can't swap). He never eats as much as he thinks he does whereas I will have a few nuts or dried apricots and in seconds have eaten 1000 calories.