Is this really not enough??

[GoldieGal]

Breakfast: 1/4 cup of porridge

Lunch: Piece of fruit or salad

Dinner: veggies and a bit of chicken

I never ate much to begin with, just the things I ate weren't particularly healthy. Obviously I don't eat the same exact things everyday but it's around the same amount of calories yet apparently this isn't enough?

Will the consequences of this be that bad? Please help!

* . My bmi is 20.2*

Your metabolism is like a snail!

My BMI is 17.1 (yes, I’m underweight) and I eat about 3x the quantity you do!

Presumably you’re very very sedentary?

I agree ^
I’m a similar height, weight and bmi to you OP but I eat 3-4 x the calories you do. I’d keel over on that little food. You’ve had some good nutrition advice on here, I hope it helps you.

LadyH, thank you for the steer to the interesting app.

Op
You’ve fu@Kd your metabolism eating like this

Definitely not much information to go on. If I was fasting, I'd probably take in less than 200 calories a day over 72 hours.

But right now I'm training 6 days a week so I have to fuel - calorie intake has gone up to 1600 cals a day.

Are you totally sedentary? You'd be surprised at how few calories you need to sustain yourself, but my god that diet sounds bland AF.

Calorie needs differ extensively but I struggle to believe that you distrust google so much that you'd rather post a thread on Mumsnet of all places. Like anyone on here knows more than peer reviewed studies on the internet.

Need far more information than your OP.

Posted previously, but I don't think I was harsh enough.

I have totally fucked my body over with disordered eating. warning some of this is pretty grim.

I am severely anaemic. I have malnutrition. I stopped having periods around three years ago. I am so fucking tired all the fucking time, but yet I can't sleep for more than half an hour. My brain is barely able to function. The most energy I can muster is to go the corner shop five minutes away, and that knackers me out so much I have to go back to bed. If I brush against a cobweb, I bruise horrifically as if someone had taken a brick to me - and those bruises takes weeks to heal. There have been times when I've vomited up blood. Fresh blood. Because of what I've done to my body.

Now, to look at me, I would appear to be fit, healthy, totally ok. But long-term, years of not eating properly are really catching up with me. It's a very slow process, and it takes root before you're aware of it. My condition is now considered 'manageable', as long as I keep to eating reasonably healthy. But I ignored it when it was still reversible. Please don't let that happen to you.

Not for me!

@sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea

It is really good of you to be so open and honest about this. I lost my best friend from school to the long-term effects of an ED. Not enough is spoken about it. People don't realise. Thanks for posting.

To be clear - I'm certainly not suggesting anyone eat what I eat, since some seem to think that's what I'm getting at. I realise now that I need to add more nutrients, more calories and more food in general which I will be from now on. I honestly didn't realise what I was doing, I guess I never gave it much thought.

How can you not know how to feed yourself and not recognise you have a problem? I'm sure my tone is coming across as mean but I want you to realise you truly have an issue with food and need to see someone about this and make a huge focus on eating properly

Quick question: seeds and nuts were suggested for porridge. What seeds should I be getting exactly? TIA.

@ThirstyGhost thank you - it isn't pretty at all. And it happens so slowly that you don't see it until the damage is already done. I'm so sorry about the loss of your best friend. It's not just the weight loss that's the problem, it's what you actually do to the whole of your body when you starve it.

@1940s I've never had obvious health issues other then possible reflux. I don't get tired or have mood swings. I'm not underweight. I've realised after making this thread that it's not healthy so I'm making the change. I don't know what else to tell you.

I put peanut butter in porridge, and half a banana. Or tahini (sesame seed butter) and a few dates. Mmmm.

It's good to get a variety of nuts and seeds. Not the salted/dry roasted ones, though. I'd get a bunch of those packed lunch size portions, and try which ones you like, then buy 2 or 3 big bags for value and assortment.

Nobody can tell you exactly which ones to choose - there's no right answer. It's an experiment, and you're your own guinea pig. Hopefully with more and more experimentation, you'll feel better and better.

Quick question: seeds and nuts were suggested for porridge. What seeds should I be getting exactly? TIA

Flax, sunflower, chia, pumpkin, sesame - a mix is good. If you aren't keen on the texture you can also get milled/ground seeds.

Sunflower seeds go well with banana on porridge (and a tiny amount of maple syrup) 😋

Hmmn.
Its not just eating enough you struggle with op.

It's drinking enough water, using your gp service, browsing the nhs website on how to eat enough, not being able to add up the calories you eat, not being aware of the basic food groups, etc. It all does sound a bit... disengenious. And you have said you want to lose weight and tone up.

By way of comparison, I'm the same height and weight as you, but very active. I need 2000 - 2500 calories per day. On 1500 per day, I lose weight.

You also need to log absolutely everything you eat and drink to see what calories you're getting.

Seeds and nuts for porridge - I like sunflower seeds and flaked almonds. Almonds are an incredible superfood.

@Eckhart @BeachLane @Lovemusic33 @CorianderLord Thank you! x

@IncandescentSilver
It's not uncommon to not drink enough water... all I said was that I put fruit in it so that I will actually want it. I know how to use a gp service, I just don't wish to when I don't feel that I need to. Not sure what exactly you mean by adding up calories because I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't do it everyday... I also just said I wouldn't mind losing weight and toning up but not at the cost of my health. Not sure why you are taking these things all wrong.

@IncandescentSilver What does 'disengenious' mean?

@Eckhart Assuming they mean disingenuous, they're basically saying that I'm pretending that I don't know better.

[quote Eckhart]@IncandescentSilver What does 'disengenious' mean?[/quote]
feigning ignorance about something.

I know. I was being deliberately disingenuous. Nobody got it.

No. That's not a balanced diet. Very low protein and minimal carbs and healthy fats.

You’re already at the low end of the ‘healthy’ weight range for your height, why would you be happy to lose weight...?