‘That’s me done for food today’ after a 3 course lunch

[Offred2]

I went to a restaurant with four friends for a Christmas lunch a few days ago. We all ate 3 courses and had a glass of wine each (none of us are big drinkers). The portions were decent-sized but not ridiculously big.

As we were finishing one of my friends said something along the lines of ‘that was lovely, I wont be needing anything else to eat today’. Following this all my other friends nodded/agreed.

While I didn’t say anything I was thinking that this is not the case for me at all! After that lunch at 1pm I ate beans on toast at around 7pm. I think of myself as someone with a pretty normal appetite, but if my friends were being truthful I ate a substantial amount more than them that day.

I remember a few years back my MiL making a similar comment after a restaurant lunch, that she wouldn’t need to eat anything else that day. However as we happened to be staying with her at the time I know she later ate sandwich and soup at dinner time.

So - my friend’s comment got me thinking. What do people actually mean when they use this phrase? Is it literal, as in ‘after this big lunch I will not eat any food until tomorrow’? Or do people simply mean that they won’t need to have a big evening meal, but might have eg a sandwich? Or is it something some people (women!) say without meaning it, to indicate they have a small/delicate appetite, though they may have every intention of eating something else that day.

For what it’s worth all of my friends in the restaurant are healthy weights, and as far as I know no one has any history of disordered eating.

I’m not a competitive under eater, I’m a little over weight (but haven’t found the motivation to REALLY do something about it) but I do have a small appetite. Yesterday I had some porridge at 8.30, made my son some lunch at lunchtime but wasn’t hungry, had a cup of tea and ONE of his crisps when he offered. Last night we pie and chips, we shared two “one serving” pies between the three of us, not many chips and some carrots and peas. I stop eating when I feel full so DH finished my chips. I sometimes wish I COULD eat more because I always feel like I waste food when I go out to dinner as I can’t clear my plate. I also wish my small appetite meant that my 5’3” body didn’t weigh nearly 10 stone ☹️

Oh dear, I say that. Although usually say, "won't have to eat again this week," which hopefully makes it clear I know it's ridiculous but I'm just at that moment feeling enjoyably very well fed.

I do 16/8 and I eat like this. I have a couple of really big meals a day and don't tend to eat after 2-3pm. I'm not restricting myself, I just feel really full and satisfied. If I had smaller meals I'd eat again later but I have massive portions! I've always been someone who likes to feast so eating little and often doesn't work for me. I just feel unsatisfied and grumpy. A big feast early/mid-afternoon sorts me out for the rest of the day.

I've only heard of competitive eating on mumsnet. No one says that in real life. Bottom line is I'd also assume if someone said that it means they don't need a meal later on. I wouldn't classify some toast or something as a meal. I also can't imagine getting the arse about it.

I’m very overweight and can eat a lot.

A 3 course meal at lunch would also do me for the day

I wouldn't eat anything after a 3 course lunch. Don't get why you're so bothered tbh.

Doesn't it depend what you had for the 3 courses? I eat out a lot for work and at most really nice places the portions are quite small and certainly not stodgy.

I went out to a place on Wednesday and had tuna sashimi then sea bass with bok choy and a tiny delicate pear tart. Was hungry as normal for dinner.

I tend to interpret it as another way of saying "oh god, i'm so full" or, I do know a few serial dieters who will say it as an excuse for eating that much (gasp, so unladylike). Either way, I'm willing to bet that most people will have a snacky thing later on in the day.

I would mean that I won’t eat a big meal again later
In evening would have soup or toast/boiled egg if it was a late lunch might just have a hot drink and a biscuit later

I wouldn’t usually eat another meal after a three course meal. I might have a snack like a piece of fruit or cheese and crackers, but that’s about it.

I used to be overweight, and for me a big part of losing the weight was getting over the idea that I should keep eating at mealtimes even if I’ve already eaten more than enough for the day.

No matter what I ate at lunchtime, I would have something before bed to tide me over till the next day. Even after an evening meal I will usually have something before bed to stop me waking up hungry at 3am.

I must admit though, if I have something like a full english breakfast, im often not hungry again till the evening.

A large 3 course meal at lunchtime would probably mean just having cereal or something before bed

I've lost six stone in the past two years. My appetite has drastically reduced, but I also find that repeating my mantra of 'you're full, that's enough' does help me.

It annoys me to do so, because competitive undereating does bother me. I do take care not to do so to anyone else, or comment randomly on it.

But especially at this time of year, I find mentally repeating 'no snacking, save yourself for dinner, no, you're full' etc does help curb the excess and keep me on track.

it's normal to be hungry on a 3 to 5 hour cycle through the day. No matter how stuffed you get the stomach still empties in roughly the same time frame. If I had a big 3 course lunch I'd still have something later at dinnertime it just wouldn't be a huge portion of anything

I'd use it to mean either I'll definitely not have anything else to eat until the next day or I won't have another proper meal (probably toast or cheese and crackers or something in the evening). It depends what time the lunch is, too. If it's at 12ish, I'll most likely have a snack later on but if it's 1-2 I probably wouldn't eat anything else.

But to be fair, I probably wouldn't say it out loud. It's just what would happen.

If I’ve had a hot lunch out I wouldn’t then cook a evening meal, I may still have something but only something light or a snack unless I’m still feeling particularly hungry!

I went for a Chinese buffet last week at 2pm and didn’t eat again until the next morning I was stuffed. Everyone’s different if you wanna eat beans at 7pm do it

I’d never say that ! I love my food and only just yesterday I had a fairly good sized 3 course X-mas late lunch/early dinner with my work colleagues at 5 PM and got peckish about 23:00 PM. However, a few of my close friends do have one big meal around mid day and survive on very little for the rest of the day. I just can’t imagine how though, I am almost always hungry ha ha.

Depends on the meal and the time I have it. If it is 1pm or later I probably wouldn't be able to fit anything else in that day unless it is a very light snack in the evening. I am a big eater but 3 courses often leaves me very full for ages!

It just means they're full, I wouldn't overthink it.

If I've eaten so much that I feel uncomfortable I think I'll never want to eat again, like on Christmas Day when you're stuffed after dinner but still manage a slice of cake at teatime

Maybe you have a fast metabolism OP. I'm overweight and I'm guessing a slow metabolism, a 3 course meal would probably finish me off for the day, it's like eating one big meal and two small ones. Wouldn't see the significance in such a statement.

My DH sometimes skips meals, but he'll eat a dozen biscuits and a cake instead. Overall I eat a good bit more than him but take in far fewer calories; in fact I'm still slightly losing weight.

Previously I would probably eat a dinner as well but I'm finding more now that if I have a big lunch I'm not that hungry in the evening. I probably wouldn't have a dinner but I'd certainly snack/have a small meal.

The last time I saw this competitive eating was a work lunch. They bought everyone fish and chips. The two other women ordered small meals, as did I. When it arrived it certainly wasn't large at all. The entire meal consisted of
My gosh, that's so much
Oh I'll never eat all this
I won't need any dinner tonight!
Oh I don't think I can finish this
This is so large isn't it!
I just rolled my eyes and tried not to gannet mine down (I'm a fast eater) as I was starving. And I had dinner that night too.

Depends what time the lunch is. If it's around 12, then I'll probably have a small meal. If it's later on, I'll probably just have a snack.

It totally depends on what else I've eaten that day, what time the meal is, is it 3-course, are they 'heavy' meals? Etc.

It is totally the type of thing I'd say though

Sometimes I eat like a monster, but if I'm not hungry, I may just not eat (or forget!). 99% of the time I eat 3 square meals - I don't eat out very often.

It's weird - sometimes after a huge meal I am hungry again after 4/5 hours. Definitely the next day! Noticed this when eating curries.
With lighter dinners and lunches I don't tend to feel "ravenous". Not sure if that's to do with blood sugar levels, carbs or other factors.

What will happen is either:
1 - after a few hours I suddenly realise I definitely DO want dinner!
2 - if I don't feel hungry (or forget, on the basis that "food" has mentally been ticked off for the day) I will totally skip dinner
3 - I will have something small if I'm just peckish but not particularly hungry, usually because I know (or think) I should have "something".

Two years ago I went for a Christmas breakfast with a colleague - it was bloody enormous! I mean, it was called a toolbox! I finished it and declared, I don't need lunch or dinner! I didn't feel hungry the following breakfast, either, so I skipped it. I didn't eat again until two days passed... I was SO full!
I go to the gym a lot as well so I'm aware of having regular, smaller meals - I didn't feel weak or hungry at all, I was so surprised. So it's possible to not eat for ages if you've had a particularly filling meal... totally not healthy or recommended, but I bet some people do have eating patterns like this.