To think most family meals are low enough in caloroes and the diet industry is not necessary?

[ElderAve]

Obviously not if you're going to deep fry everything but we know that. A standard family menu at home.

A grab and go breakfast of cereal, porridge, toast, eggs or fruit and yogurt will be no more than 400 calories.

A sandwich lunch will be about 4/500 calories

A home cooked dinner based around lean protein, some carbs and veg will be about 500 provided you go easy on the oil and butter . Even an M&S beef lasagne is only 620

So, 3 meals a day = 1500 calories max. We don't need special products or cookery books.

We do need to stop with all the junk we eat and drink between meals. But we have to do that whether we foĺlow a diet book or buy diet products or not.

Believe me, they aren’t. Disclaimer: i’ve done nutrition research for daily meals

Ok, myself, if your comment was with me in mind, what do you suggest I do, given my circumstances?

@stripeypillowcase you're right of course it's very subjective and those figures are based on average human with average movement etc.

My job isn't very physically active anymore and I've felt my appetite drop with it but I've known lots of nurses in management still eat as if they are active on wards still. I am at a desk a lot now so don't need what I was eating before which was around 2500 cals a working day even when losing weight to fuel me. I don't track my calories anymore but I'd imagine it's around 2000. I'm 5'7 though and average frame, pregnant and have a dog to walk.

I'm not a nutritionist or even work in that field but I lost a lot of weight so learnt a lot in that process, the biggest thing I learnt was not to undereat. I'm consistent horrified by women similar size to me or bigger eating 1000-1200 cals a day and it's massively irresponsible that this is peddled as a reasonable goal imo.

Portion size and snacks are the killer really. I’ve always found to lose weight properly I need to eat 1200-1500 and exercise. That’s hard on 3 good meals. I found the easiest way for me was to eat a normal dinner and have something like soup for lunch. As soon as I add in a sandwich I tend to find it much harder.

I am at a desk a lot now so don't need what I was eating before which was around 2500 cals a working day even when losing weight to fuel me. I don't track my calories anymore but I'd imagine it's around 2000. I'm 5'7 though and average frame, pregnant and have a dog to walk.

I'm consistent horrified by women similar size to me or bigger eating 1000-1200 cals a day and it's massively irresponsible that this

@doublebarrellednurse
I think you have to realise not everyone has the same activity levels as you even though your job has become more sedentary. Even with the running and walking I do my calorie burn rarely reaches 2500. I just did a quick calculation where I took the burn off from my activity from my total calories burnt and discovered when I'm sedentary, I don't reach the burn a TDEE (circa 1500 cals) calculator would have me burn if I were sedentary (without doing any purposeful exercise). So no wonder I have discovered I need to eat less than 1500 calories on a diet. I'm not a figity person or a potterer and have a pretty long attention span hence I think my down town is as focussed as my active time. So people's sedentary activity obviously varies too.

On 1000 calls a day I’d trigger a migraine...

And it's entirely unhealthy. Even the people on My 600lbs Life are put on a 1200 cal/day diet and they are life-threateningly obese and can't exercise much or at all.

People saying unanimously that portions are a big issue and then we come to veryverys picture and people are saying the portion is too small.

I think the point is that it's pointless to just have a sole potato wedge on your plate. You can have a full and healthy meal without adding random items to the side of your plate.

I mean, last night I had chicken wrapped in bacon, with sides of green beans, plum tomatoes and mash. I wouldn't ever think of having the chicken and beans, plus a random potato wedge. It just sounds a bit pitiful and pointless!

Even the people on My 600lbs Life are put on a 1200 cal/day diet and they are life-threateningly obese and can't exercise much or at all.

Yes, but the extra body weight is like continually carrying around a weighted pack. I put weights in a back pack equal to the 3 stone I have lost and it is bloody heavy, @eminencegrise.

I think the point is that it's pointless to just have a sole potato wedge on your plate. You can have a full and healthy meal without adding random items to the side of your plate.

Not pointless for me @adaline! I like a variety in tastes and texture but don't need the quantities to feel full. And actually I find your tone pretty insulting in that you are totally disregarding my lived experience in this aspect as irrelevant. Fine if you don't want to eat like this but it's poor form to take the piss in this way.

And actually my favourite form of overindulgence would be a massive tasting menu where I could have one of everything.

You seem pretty sensitive over your choices very.

@veryvery I don't disagree with you but 1000 calories isn't likely to maintain a normal (as in not ill) adults muscle mass so you'll lose muscle (because it needs calories to survive) and therefore your metabolism slows further because you physically need less calories to survive.

It's a bit of a vicious cycle. Lower your muscle mass through dieting and then you end up having to eat tiny portions to maintain weight.

I lost 120lbs. I get the need to lose weight and maintain a healthy body but I dropped body fat and minimal muscle mass so now have that mass to maintain.

Obviously a very petite 4'8 woman will not need the same as me as a 5'7 size 12 woman regardless of movement and activity.

Most women are not 4'8 and petite though

@adaline, I'm not particularly. I'm sensitive over people ridiculing me repeatedly for no good reason. I'll cope but equally I'll point it out when I think people are being unfair. Although, maybe what I have posted has hit too much of a nerve with some people and they feel they have to metaphorically lash out...

@veryvery I don't disagree with you but 1000 calories isn't likely to maintain a normal (as in not ill) adults muscle mass so you'll lose muscle (because it needs calories to survive) and therefore your metabolism slows further because you physically need less calories to survive.

I've not lost a disproportionate amount of muscle mass, actually. And I have certainly gained some muscle mass in my legs, arms and core. You can see it and I am stronger and more resilient in terms of the exercise I do.

Eye-rolling at the very many posters so stridently diagnosing eating disorders. There's some real ignorance on this site, with an undercurrent of spite. Pathetic.

veryvery, your only mistake was posting about your daily diet. Can't be done without it being pored over, discussed and then ridiculed if you don't do what 'the borg' does.

I'm sensitive over people ridiculing me repeatedly for no good reason.

People aren't ridiculing you at all, they just don't understand why you eat the way you do because it's quite an unusual way of eating meals.

Personally I find it bizarre to just have one potato wedge or one tiny spoon of rice with a meal. I'm sure some people find my food choices equally bizarre but it wouldn't offend me to be told so!

Yes they are adaline, did you not see 'saddest thing I ever saw blah blah' and the photo of the potato wedge? Makes perfect sense for those low-carbing.

Some people are just seeming unable to bend their tiny brains around the fact that other people may do things differently.

Apologies if I wasn't clear, I wasn't talking about you specifically. The "youll" is more general than aimed at you.

If you post your diet on this forum particularly you're likely to receive replies on it particularly when on the surface it appears extreme.

If people only ate a diet such as you have posted then, no, people shouldn't put weight on.

That sounds a similar diet to what I was fed at home growing up and what my parents continued to eat. Neither of them had a weight problem.

In my house I have a husband and teenage son who both do semi-manual jobs and have huge appetites. They eat at least twice this, and cooking larger portions for others does rub off on what you eat yourself. Plus we eat out quite a bit, once you get used to larger portions and snacks it's quite difficult to pull back.

There's a difference between criticising someone's choices and criticising them as a person....

If you say so, adaline.

The only difference is the subject, not the critique of choices -v- person, I've seen it time and again, a heckling posters on one topic becomes righteous and indignant when that spotlight turns onto what they personally do/don't do.

People aren't ridiculing you at all, they just don't understand why you eat the way you do because it's quite an unusual way of eating meals.

@adaline Ahem, pictures of a sad, lonely potato wedge, comments regarding drinking a glass of water then I could eat more, use of the words 'pathetic' and 'sad' and laughing crying emojis. Although quite funny, this is othering me and ridiculing me, somewhat, for making the food choices I have. Really, I am not that unusual or remarkable, neither are my choices. I'm surprised, quite frankly people are so easily shocked.

veryvery, your only mistake was posting about your daily diet. Can't be done without it being pored over, discussed and then ridiculed if you don't do what 'the borg' does.

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe, thank you for your support, I appreciate it. I expected scrutiny tbh and can justify my choices. As I have said I will point out if I think people are being unfair, though.

If you post your diet on this forum particularly you're likely to receive replies on it particularly when on the surface it appears extreme.

@doublebarrellednurse, well, I'll count it as a success if it even slightly furthers people's understanding of other's different dietary needs and choices.

I find the hypocrisy unfair and very stupid, veryvery that's why I posted. I'm sure you can and do stick up for yourself.