Average, healthy eating

[Hoghedge10]

I'm over weight, I also think I might have an eating disorder. I binge eat and also have incredibly unrealistic ideas about how much an average person eats.

I'm thinking of going to my Doctor, however I would really appreciate some ideas of how much an average person eats and exercises. I understand not everyone is the same and there are extremes on both ends but some realistic idea of how a fully functioning adult eats would be incredibly helpful.

If you are an 'average' (whatever average is?!) Person with reasonably healthy eating patterns would you mind sharing an average meal day for you and what, if any exercise you do.

I'm so sorry to hear this OP but I really don't think this is a question to put to Mumsnet. There doesn't seem to be an 'average' here really, as it seems the people who post most about their food intake either really over eat or they really under eat.

I guess most of the average eaters aren't really drawn to post on threads about food, as much as the others are.

I totally agree with @DiddyHeck

@DiddyHeck

I'm so sorry to hear this OP but I really don't think this is a question to put to Mumsnet. There doesn't seem to be an 'average' here really, as it seems the people who post most about their food intake either really over eat or they really under eat.

I guess most of the average eaters aren't really drawn to post on threads about food, as much as the others are.

Yeah. Espeically on AIBU. Move to a more sensible baord like Health, or something

I have no idea if I'm normal/average but I'm happy to answer if you think it might help.

Breakfast - I often skip it, but if I don't I tend to have a bagel/2 slices of toast/2 crumpets with butter and marmite

Lunch - cheese & tomato sandwich with a small sized bag of hula hoops/beans on toast/a shop bought pasta salad/soup and toast - I might have a cereal bar or a biscuit as well

Dinner - various things but often something like chicken curry, bolognaise, chicken tagine, pork stir fry, chicken paella, vegi pasta bake. Also shop bought pizza, sometimes a burger with chips. All made with or accompanied by vegetables. One portion only served in a pasta bowl or a dinner-sized plate.

I often have a snack in the afternoon - cereal bar, biscuit, small bag of hula hoops.

I know I don't eat enough fruit and veg before anyone says anything!!

I'm overweight but my weight is stable.

I agree that this might not be that helpful but happy to put my ‘average’ in:

Breakfast: a small bowl of cereal or a slice of toast and a piece of fruit.

Sometimes a mid morning snack if I’m hungry of yogurt/fruit/small bag of crisps

Lunch: often leftovers or eggs on toast or soup and toast.

Mid afternoon: similar to morning

Dinner: often a Gousto meal (I only order those around the 500cals mark) or casserole or bolognese etc.

I usually have a small bit of chocolate in the evening or a couple of biscuits.

At the weekend I eat more which tips the balance and usually have some wine.

I run 3 times a week (3-10 miles at a time) and play netball 1-2 times a week.

I am a large size 10, at the upper end of healthy weight.

I'm a size 10 ish. I think most people eat too much. I don't have a great relationship with food but I'm getting better at listening to my body. I was a size 12-14 when I was younger and didn't think about what I was eating, I lived on pasta and pizza and snacked quite a lot, and took in calories from soft drinks which I now never do.

I try to eat high protein and fat, with lots of fibre in veggies. I'm not good at fruit and I don't really have a sweet tooth but I drink a bottle of wine every other night. I skip breakfast as I simply don't feel hungry til at least 11am so I try to have brunch and early dinner with the kids at 6. I have coffee, water, tea and wine.

I love crisps so occasionally binge on them of an evening too.

I’m 6ft (so probably get away with more than someone not as tall), size 10 usually. I think I’m pretty healthy, with the odd treat:
Breakfast: overnight oats with fruit / porridge with fruit / Greek yogurt with fruit - I also add some nuts and often peanut butter to these. Coffee
Mid morning: slice of brown toast
Lunch: Big salad with chicken / tuna / omelette- usually with coleslaw and olives.
Mid afternoon: protein bar
Dinner: Usually veg, potatoes and meat or fish, or curry, chilli, stir fry.
Evening: Fruit / nuts / dates/ sometimes yoghurt
Weekend: Add some wine, usually less healthy lunch and more brunch type meal
I’m pretty active, run about 30 miles a week, walk quite a bit also.

I wouldn't listen to anything said here- you'll get people who forget to eat for two out of three meals, and then those who eat 8 take always a day. AIBU is full of extremes. Definitely talk to the GP, and see about a dietician referral, or group weight loss referral, it will be much more accurate and reasonable.

I think I’m normal 😂 but I’m vegan so others may disagree. 😬

Some of the things I eat regularly are

Breakfasts
2 Weetabix and fruit
Yogurt and fruit
Porridge and fruit
Wholemeal toast and fruit
Vegan fry up

Lunches
Vege wraps
Veg soup and wholemeal bread
Various salads, chickpea, black bean, fakafel, kale and quinoa, pasta,
Crackers, soft vegan cheese and grapes
Various Sandwiches

Dinners
Stew
Chilli and rice
Veg curry and rice
Mushroom ragu
Mushroom stroganoff
Pie, potatoes and veg
Tofu fried rice
Vegan pizza
Stir fry

I mainly snack on fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds and yogurts but have a couple of bags of crisps a week and biscuits a couple of times a week. I drink lots of water, oat milk, orange juice, and tea without sugar. Alcohol maybe once a month.

I run and do weights a few times a week and do a couple of gym classes. And walk the dogs.

This is what I ate today

1 piece toast with peanut butter and a banana

Blueberry muffin

Lentil soup and bread

Chicken wrap and salad

I think normal (not healthy- normal) would be:

3 meals a day plus one or two snacks.

Breakfast:

• typically 2 pieces of toast with something on (jam, marmalade, peanut butter) OR

• bowl of cereal/ porridge OR

• sausage or bacon or egg sandwich.

Lunch:

• sandwich and crisps

• soup and a roll

• salad and protein

Tea:

More varied but tends to be one plate of food consisting of one carb one protein and one veg eg -

• meat, potatoes and veg

• curry and bread/ rice

• pasta sauce and veg

• pie and veg.

Snacks: Fruit, crisps, cereal bar, yoghurt, biscuits.

Interested to see what other people think is normal!

I think @D0lphine has nailed a typical 'normal' diet. Bearing in mind a normal diet is probably 1800-2000 cals unless sedentary.

I need to get a grip on my diet and exercise but there is guidelines you can look at.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner (doesn’t have to be ridiculously healthy, just look at portion sizes - if cereal is 30g, measure that out, if the spag bol you made serves 4 according to the recipe, split it into 4 etc)
2 snacks if needed, yogurt, fruit etc

Exercise, I think is 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity over the week. So half an hour a day for 5 days or 15 minutes a day for 5 days.

I'm overweight but I'm trying to up my fruit and veg. Here's a day at work that's typical

Drinks - constant tea (no sugar) and about 1.5l sugar free squash

Breakfast
Porridge sachet, banana, teaspoon peanut butter or
Marmite rice cakes (3) with cottage cheese

Lunch
Sandwich, usually ham with salad in it, mayo/chutney and pickles. Handful tortilla chips. Single twirl bar. Yoghurt or apple if still hungry

Afternoon snack
Yoghurt or apple if I haven't had it at lunch or a protein shake or dried apricots or Brazil nuts

Tea
Anything really. Salad or pasta bake or beef stew or sausage and mash. Always with veg/salad
Portion wise it would be 2 sausages, large spoon of mash and a load of veg

Breakfast (not before 10am ) - baked oats, banana

Lunch - wrap ( chicken, ham, cheese salad), packet of low calorie crisps.

Tea - typical fare such as chilli, curry, pasta.

I try not to eat after 6pm.

I exercise daily either walking or walking and a gym class ( 4 times a week).

I am about a stone overweight.

My diet is very varied but here's an example:

Breakfast - porridge and golden syrup or fat-free greek yoghurt
Lunch - salad and a protein or home-made soup and toast
dinner - always home made - usually lasagne (veg) or curry, fahitas, stir fry, baked potato and salad, etc

supper- an apple or a little soup

I never eat more that 600 cals in one sitting. I maintain weight at 2,400 calories a day.

No alcohol

I lift heavy weights every day - dumbbells and bar bells in my kitchen.
It keeps me strong. I walk about 30 miles a week. No other exercise at all.
I was 195lb (obese) and very unwell with it in 2019. Now 135lb and much better.

Tips:

-Keep your protein up.

-Use free app myfitnesspal - many lovely people go on your journey with you if you want a supportive group.
-Cut white processed carbs right down.
-Cut down eating crap like crisps and sweets until you stop. "Ice cream" isn't even ice-cream any more - most of it is vegetable oil. Your tastes soon change and you don't want to eat those processed food like substances any more.

Here's what I usually have :

Porridge made with full fat milk
Jacket potato, tuna, salad, cottage cheese and a bowl of soup

Usual dinner stuff, but tends to be kid friendly I. E. Sausage, mash, veg, spag bol, chicken casserole and mash, etc.

I dirnk one small glass of wine per night and don't have any snacks. For drinks I have coffee with a splash of milk, diet Pepsi. Loads of water. Never have lattes etc or juice etc, it's full of empty calories.

Around ten stone and 5'5.

We do go through a fair amount of veg.

Last week I bought :

A cauli
A broccoli
Four red peppers
Bag carrots
Bag spinach
Punnet mushrooms

All gone. Also had the usual onions and spuds along with it I. E. Onions in chilli/quesadillas or whatever

OP, if you're binging why don't you follow my "normal person food routine" per below for one month?

Don't diet at all- don't go hungry. Literally aim for normal food intake. Don't restrict, don't binge. Don't count calories, don't eat diet food. Don't eat low fat. If you feel you have over eaten don't restrict to "make up" for it.

Only "rule" is food is mostly cooked at home (so not many take aways etc).

See how you feel after a month. I bet you'll feel amazing.

Exercise wise - why don't you just go on a walk each day? Don't make a goal of how many steps or how long. Just go on one walk and have a good time.

My diet is quite varied as the amount I eat depends on how much exercise I do (weights, long bike rides etc) so can't help much there.

However, one of the best things we did was to use side plates or small bowls for meals. Naturally these won't help with cravings but tests have shown that the size of crockery has a psychological effect on how much we eat vs how full we feel.

Not sure how useful this is, but I guess it might give you some perspective to see what a range of people class as "normal" eating:

I have:

Two milky coffees first thing
Greek yoghurt, fruit, bit of home-made granola for breakfast

Lunch is soup, a few crackers and cream cheese, an apple, then a cup of tea and a dried fruit bar thing.

Dinner could be anything, really, but it nearly always involves meat or fish, veg and some sort of carb. So anything from moussaka and greek salad, to roast beef & trimmings to curry, naan bread and dhal.

Two pieces of fruit after dinner. Sometimes a cup of tea and a slice of cake or a biscuit after that but not every night. I don't buy cakes or biscuits as part of the weekly shop but I bake them or I'll pick up something nice from a cake shop or deli.

I barely drink, have a takeaway maybe once every three months or so. I don't drink fizzy drinks. All dinners are made from scratch but I have fresh soup out of a carton for lunch. I go out for coffee every week or two and I will always have cake or a scone and jam when I do. We eat out once a month and I will eat whatever I want, always with dessert.

So basically home-cooked food, plenty of fruit & veg, nothing too processed, absolutely no "low-fat" foods, cake if I feel like it, cheese if i feel like it, good-sized but not massive portions, limited takeaways, no calorie counting, no binging.

I am very much like you OP. I have BED disorder, and much of it is around junk food. I wouldn’t say my meals were massively over portioned in the main, but definitely more than they should be.

I’ve been doing calorie deficit (safely, i eat over 1800 cals a day, as I have a lot to lose!) and would be classed as not active (but do walk my little dog every day). I don’t restrict any foods, I have eaten mcdonalds and plenty of crisps!

I have found properly calorie counting has made me SO aware of how much i was probably eating over a maintenance amount, horrifingly so!! Looking at my app (nutracheck) a typical day looks like this for me:

Breakfast:

Either weetabix topped with banana and a bit of sugar OR eggs/egg white scramble with turkey bacon and some berries. Days where i know where lunch is going to light or late, I’ll add beans and maybe a yoghurt too.

Lunch:

Tomato soup and a bagel thin/small crisps or maybe a ‘pizza bagel’, diet coke.

Dinner: chicken teriyaki or sweet potato and some marinated chicken. Basically chicken as a meat ( i dont eat much red meat), with a potato or other carb and veg. Usually asian inspired.

Snacks can vary but i usually have a small chocolate bar or bag of sweets. In the day i might have yoghurt, cheese, carrots and dip, sugar free jelly or fruit.

The biggest revelation was how much i used to over eat pasta! My god, it was about 2.5 times the portion i would have now!!

The biggest things that have helped for me has been:
*not focusing on macros, just calorie deficit for now.

• accepting it would take time to reduce hunger. The first 10 days were hard but i feel ok with it now!!
• not restricting anything, just counting for it!
• water before and with every meal
• routine - i eat at roughly the same time most days and my body has adjusted appropriately.
• the urge to binge is still there but has lessened. I learnt a great technique about ‘shaking it off’ literally, which has helped.

I have lost 7.5lbs in less than three weeks (sure a lot iswater!) i have made a cons