Terrible eating habits and no portion control

[Foxysoxy01]

I'm desperately trying to loose some weight at the moment. I am far too heavy and really quite unhealthy. Some of my problem is that I have always have quite an unhealthy attitude to food and portion sizes. I basically eat too much sweet stuff, have too bigger portions and just cannot seem to control my snacking.

I am doing something about it. I am on a healthy eating plan at the moment and starting slowly with the exercise.

My aibu is would it be unreasonable of me to ask you to please tell me what your normal day to day diet, portion size and exercise regimen is? (Height and weight would also be very helpful)
I know it's different for each person but I think if I could get an idea of what a reasonable diet is for a healthy person I might actually realise how much my attitude to food is skewed.

As to portion size, I always follow the recommended portion size for things like pasta and rice, which is a lot smaller than you think. I also weigh/measure high calorie like cheese or cooking oil. I don't generally count calories though, it's just so that I don't accidentally eat hundreds of extra calories without realizing.

I’m 5’2” and weigh between 98-100 lbs (44-45kg).

Today:
Breakfast was one sourdough spelt bagel toasted with butter. Honey on one side and one egg easy over. I also had one Sharon fruit. Large coffee with a splash of milk.

Lunch was one melted cheese in whole meal pitta (small pitta), salad of roast beetroot, fennel, green bean, and tenderstem broccoli. Portion was one cereal bowl full.

Dinner was sautéed pea shoots and a piece of grilled salmon (150g). I had some full fat yoghurt with blueberries and a small handful of granola - portion was a rice bowl. One small piece of chocolate and a small handful of salted almonds. One small glass of wine (125 ml).

No snacks. I ran 7.5 miles and walked the dog a further 3 miles.

This is a typical day. I don’t count calories or have a sweet tooth, and never have dieted in my life. I eat everything in moderation. I do keep active with the dog and run 4 times a week and do core exercise/weights 1-2 times a week.

That doesn’t sound like enough food for the amount of exercise you’re doing Mominatrix

I think it all evens out. Sunday lunch was large and I did not exercise which is probably why I might have eaten less today. Maybe tomorrow I will be hungrier? Appetite is different daily based on what else was happening in my life - I just simply listen to my body.

16 - 8 works well for me in limiting snacking without craving banned stuff. I just don't eat until lunchtime and have an evening cut off. Works well psychologically.

5'8"
size 12
10 stone now, but fluctuates up to 10.5

No breakfast today which is typical.
Breaktime: hand full of dried apricots
lunch: wholewheat crackers and dairylea triangle
dollop of Total Greek yoghurt and blackcurrant jelly
Dinner: roast chicken and baked veg
Mini fun size mars bar.
Large glass Cab Sav

Loads of sparkling water, herbal tea and one latte.

No planned exercise, but walk at least five miles a day just to and from work etc. And on my feet most of the day due to my job.

Eat less weekends and holidays, can easily forget to eat until evening if busy.

I'm a little surprised at how little a lot of PP eat - I'd be eating my arm! (not a criticism nor judgemental). I wonder whether genetics play a part? Parent's are slim/never had any problem with weight.

I'm 5'5 and 52kg (well I was about a year ago when weighed for health check as don't own scales, but clothes size hasn't changed since - size 8-10 depending on shop.

Breakfast - Wholemeal toast with scrambled eggs (2x eggs), or a bowl full of cornflakes, or a grilled bacon sandwich, or 2x poached eggs on toasts.

Lunch - Soup (lentil, tomato) and a wholemeal sandwich consisting of either cheese salad, chicken salad, ham and egg etc. Pot of yoghurt of mousse.

Tea (from oop north) - Jacket potato with cheese, beans and coleslaw, mince and dumplings with veg and mash, spag bol, chicken fajitas,

Supper - bowl of cereal (weetabix x2, cornflakes + 2 slices of wholemeal toast with lurpak

Maybe a couple of ice lollies

I never fry food as can't stand the taste of grease so all my food is grilled

I feel for you OP - I love food and would hate to have to ration myself but understand why some people aren't as 'lucky' as me.

Due to high blood pressure and blood test showing me to be pre-diabetic my dr has told me to follow a low carb/high fat diet.

I'm doing a two week intro which means I'm having more than my fair share of cabbage, spinach and leafy greens but I will be introducing more variety next week.

I'm 7lbs down in 10 days without feeling too hungry.

Fitness instructor here! 5’3 and 56kg.

Do you find it useful to think about your food as nourishment for your body as opposed to something negative that is making you feel unhappy?
I find this is the best way to help me make healthy eating choices, for example is what i’m putting into my body going to provide it with good stuff? Rather than, i’m going to not eat this in order to lose weight? If you can convince yourself to reassociate it with positivity and nourishment maybe it would help?

Here is roughly what I eat...

Breakfast: 1/2 cup of porridge, 5 table spoons of live (bio yoghurt), banana (or other fruit)

Lunch: rice (stick to portion size in packet, vegetables, and meat in sauce e.g. hunters chicken. Or soup and bread and butter!

Dinner: usually a roast; 1 chicken breast, 1 medium potato boiled, 1 carrot, 3 florets of broccoli, 1/2 parsnip, 1 cup kale and grraaaavyyyyy!!!!

Snacks: jam and butter on toast 1 piece, once a day and a cup of earl grey!

About 2000kcal a day.

In terms of weight management, it is all about consistency. Would it help to keep a food diary to see how much you really eat for a week? If all else fails and I don’t do any other exercise, I try to get in a 30 min walk everyday.

Possibly try to slowly replace fizzy pop with cordial and squash, then replace again with water?

Remember it is a gradual process, and if you are even contemplating trying to make healthy choices you are going in the right direction, maybe now is the time to set some small goals? Such as I will go for 3 walks this week? Or I will only have 1 portion of chocolate on Friday night?

Also remember carbs are not necessarily the enemy!
If you are choosing slow release carbs such as wholemeal toast, brown pasta, potatoes, rice etc rather than chips, white bread, choc etc then they will release their energy over a longer period of time so helping to prevent craving and snacking. Moreover, bread is quite a good source of vitamin B which helps to support your metabolism and so weight loss- faster metabolism (which can be increased through a bit more exercise) helps you lose weight. Another big thing for me, when you have a snack, sit down and properly eat it off a plate, with a drink - otherwise can mindlessly graze out of the cupboard forever and a day!

5'6"
Started at 12st6, now 9st12. Achieved about 2st of that within 4 months and the remaining half stone in about another 2 months. Want to lose half a stone more.

Eating -
No breakfast (never liked it anyway) except for a glass or two of water
Lunch - as much of anything savoury as I want. In practice I tried to be reasonably healthy and if I wasn't too hungry I didn't eat much. I wouldn't eat until I was full for example.
Dinner - a half portion size of whatever everyone else was having with carbs reduced even more, sometimes none at all.
Snacks - fruit - as much as I want.
Drinks - water or squash.
Sunday - pudding allowed :)
Eating out - anything goes.

Exercise - around 5 out of 7 days most weeks. I take part in a competitive sport so either training or matches between 1 and 2 hours usually. (Upped from 2-4 days a week previously).

Last 3 months have significantly relaxed and consequently haven't lost any more but also haven't put any back on.
One last push before Christmas will hopefully take me to my target weight of 9st7 which is approx 21 BMI.