To let you into a secret about being slim.....

[Yellow1793]

I’m 5’2” and an untoned size 10. Over the last year or so (lockdown excluded) I’ve spent extended amounts of time with 4 different female friends, who are all taller, slimmer and considerably more toned than me. Aside from the fact that they all exercise at least 5 times a week, they also eat like birds. Their lifestyle revolves around making healthy choices, every single day, and I’m beginning to wonder if you do this consistently if you just stop feeling hungry. One of them regularly skips lunch. Another never has more than 2 glasses of alcohol in one sitting. Another always eats about 30% less than I do.....last time I was with her she had a small pasta portion for her lunch whilst serving me 3x the amount of pasta she had AND 2 sausages. No wonder she is tiny. None of them calorie count or talk about diets because their lifestyle choice is one big diet. I’d love to have their discipline.

I've eaten 3 slices of toast since Friday morning and I don't feel particularly hungry. But then, I'm trying to shrink my stomach by fasting so that when I go back to eating proper food, I will eat less.

This weather makes it hard to eat. Problem is for me I don’t see any difference on the scales

How do people get their 5 (minimum) fruit and veg a day on two meals?

I never do
Its comes down to what i enjoy
I wont waste my appetite on food that i find boring.
So if i had a choice of a creamy pasta v a grilled chicken breast and steamed veg, there no way im choosing the chicken

I have a different metabolism as well. AT my heaviest in both pregnancies, I was 72 kg. I am now about 56 kg at 5'3" which is quite ideal. I LOVE CARBS. Can't live without it. I have to have pasta, bread or rice with protein and veggies during meals. It wouldn't be complete otherwise. However, I don't drink (body can only tolerate 1 glass of wine all evening if I partake) and I don't have a sweet tooth. I don't diet and sometimes I eat once a day( I am literally too lazy) but I pack about 3 000calories into that because of the amount I eat. I don't have a toned body because I hate working out. I try to walk when I can. I get uncomfortable when I 'feel' heavy, that's when I cut back a little.

@lilgreen

I also think having a family to cook for makes me eat when I don’t necessarily feel hungry enough. I’m slim but there are often times I’m not hungry but cook the family meal and have wanted to model good habits and sit down at the table together to eat. When we were just a couple is often not eat in the evening or just have some crackers with cheese.

This.

If your trying to count calories and cook from scratch it’s a nightmare. I resent having to taste food as cook it and constantly think about what to make next.
Luckily my teen has his fathers genes and is non greedy. Not a fridge raider or a picker. So whilst I have a biscuit/crisp cupboard there’s no a lot inside to tempt me.

The 5 a day as we all know was just something plucked out of the air and has no scientific validity. You can get your vitamins in various foods even from liver and kidneys and that kind of thing not that I have those - hate them. It is esay to get 5 veg on 2 meals a day. Even just my lunch yesterday which was duck fried in olive oil cam with courgette picked from the garden (we have masses so it was probably a double portion), a whole red pepper and some samphire so that was 3 different veg. Lovely.

There are very low cal diets, that can reverse or stop you becoming diabetic. I read that the 5 day fruit and veg, came about from a fruit and veg association. Recomendations now are double that, but the portions are too big for me, 3 tablesspoons of peas, one portion, that would fill me up. most people (aparently) overeat by an average 100 cals per day. Had blazing row with DH and DD last week, (on another forum I was called joyless,enjoyment Police) they were both complaining, for weeks,months years, they want to loose weight, DD gone from size 10-14. A few days before this DH had 230gm bag of Jelly Babies, whih was over 700 cals, he had breakfast,lunch,dinner,plus this 700 plus cal and an ice cream, most people have no clue how many cals go into their bodies daily

I’ve lost over a stone in Lockdown. It’s the same 14+ pounds of flesh I’ve lost and gained all my life. I do a loosely based Slimming World and up my exercise. However, can I do it forever? No. Which is why I’ll gain the weight again.

OP, like you, I have a friend who I just thought was naturally skinny. When I met her sisters, they range from a little overweight to obese. My friend WORKS at her body. Eats like a bird and does the gym 5/6 times weekly.

I couldn’t for the life of me, live that way. I do an hours exercise three/four times a week. Most days I cycle (just shopping/small errands). I walk the dog (doesn’t really cont as she’s a plodder and sniffer) It’s more than enough for me.

You CAN do it OP, be like them. You don’t want to. I’m with you.

OP google Dr Chatterjee. He has a great website and does podcasts. It’s about treating the whole body and mind and is very inspiring.

Hi - I wanted to say I was mentally cheering your post on diet and being thin. I’m 51 and my daughter at 14 yrs old, two years ago now was admitted to an eating disorders hospital. She still has anorexic based behaviours which reflect what you described in your comments. I still have to be watchful of her eating; in many ways the pressure to be thin is both driven by her emotions and public expectations eg adverts for Pretty Little Girl.
I’m not articulating this very well but essentially wanted to say your post resonated with me. Best wishes, Rosie

@Bibliophile001 I am very sorry your DD is suffering. Many people has mrbt

Dont don't what happened after the full stop above.

How do people get their 5 (minimum) fruit and veg a day on two meals

Very easily if I ate 2 meals.

Usually I have an avocado or hummus or vegan feta cheese sandwich with lettuce tomatoes and or cucumber

Then in the evening I steam a load of veg (broccoli cauliflower carrots peas etc and have a veggie burger or a few vegan sausages

I can’t remember the last time I ate potatoes, rice is when Dd makes a stirfry so with a lot of different veg or she does it with noodles.
Pasta is only when I eat out.

Getting 5 a day is easy in 2 meals. I’ve just had this breakfast; grated apple,strawberries,blueberries,nuts, cinnamon and Greek yoghurt. For lunch today which will be mid afternoon I’m having raw peppers, carrots and cucumber with humous and pitta.So that’s 6 in 2 meals. Then later on I’ll have more veg or salad with marinated chicken thighs. I do love veg and salad though so not a hard choice.

Just to add, I try to get veg into every meal so you can add spinach and or mushrooms to the pan to sauté before adding eggs to scramble. I often make soups with every veg in the house. This last days in the fridge and us great when time is short. Always add fruit to porridge or cereals. Every main meal will have 3 veg. Remember tinned tomatoes and onions, carrot and celery are included in a spag bol. Baked beans count as do lentils, chick peas etc.

www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day-what-counts/

3 tablesspoons of peas, one portion, that would fill me up

And the award for the most hilarious boasty comment on the thread goes to ...

@Candyflosscookie. I know right

I can't imagine an adult being full up after eating three spoons of peas...

Oh, let me guess, I'm just so greedy I've lost sight of what a normal amount of food is and there's so many fat bastards walking round, we've all lost sight of what's a normal weight.

3 tablesspoons of peas, one portion, that would fill me up

Isn't this from that film The Secretary? I'm sure there's a bit where he instructs her to eat 3 spoons of peas and 1 scoop of mash and then she goes to the toilet and masturbates over the thought of it.

That's probably why her character was so slim! Masturbating while thinking about her tea instead of actually eating it. We should all give it a go.

I do a loosely based Slimming World and up my exercise. However, can I do it forever? No. Which is why I’ll gain the weight again.

To maintain weight loss you need to change your eating habits for good.

Getting 5 a day (I think it should be closer to 8 from actual research is easy. For breakfast I had porridge with honey turmeric and banana (slow release carbs with anti inflammatory and antimicrobial properties with plenty of potassium), apple for a snack, lunch was a homemade beetroot burger with homemade tzatziki (Greek yogurt, cucumber and mint), slices of tomato, cucumber and pineapple. Tea will be steamed veg with a mushroom and onion omelette (2full eggs and 1addtional egg white). I’ll probably have a orange this afternoon.

It’s a mind change -what fruit and veg am I going to eat? Then what protein/carbs ami having to go with them, not what veg can I shove on the side?

3 tablesspoons of peas, one portion, that would fill me up.

I've seen hamsters stuff more in their cheeks.

TatianaBis well yes. That’s my point. Got to change FOR GOOD. Not that I gain masses of weight but certainly in the winter months, I’m not keen on running/cycling, as I should.

Ok, all the jokes sarcastic coments, I have had a lot of abdo surgery over the years, and I cannot eat big portions. a portion of veg or fruit is 80gm, that is probably a washing up bowl of lettuce.

A lot of you seem to exist on low carb and low protein diets! I'm a healthy weight myself, but my meals consist of good amounts of every food group- lots of veg, but also lean meats, fish, dairy, and quite high amounts of carbs like wholegrain bread, oats, pasta potatoes and rice as well. I eat actual recipes like lasagne, pasta and rice dishes, traditional roast dinner, shepherds pie, stews, soups, sandwiches, salads, etc. I eat just over 2000 calories on most days to maintain weight.