Is this too much lunch for a diet?

[Hatehooveringsomuch]

Trying to shift a couple of stone.
I eat v healthily, but probably too much, I don’t work out normally, but have started again.
I’m a person who has to cut back a lot and not eat much/work out daily to stay slim.
In the past when I was v slim, I went to the gym and had less carbs & smaller portions. I’m trying fasting also.
I’ve had no breakfast, just got in from school run, morning work and walking the dog.
Is this too much?
There’s two tins of tuna and two crackers, the rest is just salad? Assuming that’s okay?
Dinner is broccoli, cauliflower, carrots & chicken, piece of fruit afterwards.
I’m attempting to cut right back on carbs, my portions seem big though 😂but I’m hungry
Desperate to lose weight

One tin of tuna, add some balsamic glaze, an egg and some olives. These threads are hilarious to read.

Thepleasureofyourcompany* I find that hard to believe. Your body metabolises those types of food in a completely different way than other types of food with the equivalent amount of calories. My mum is 63 and she eats like that all the time, although with bread included. She's very slim, has fantastic cholesterol and looks amazing. I'm 45 and eat like that four days a week with a bit of exercise and have a better figure than I did 10 years ago. What do you eat if you eat less than that?!

Why can't you just have a sandwich if you like bread, you are eating over double a portion of tuna and a heap of mayo when you really like bread. All you are doing is eating more of something else instead of just eating what you like with a similar amount of calories, which will also satisfy you. You'll never keep fad diets like this up, just eat normal and balanced. A tuna mayo sandwich with salad will have similar calories and I'd bet you'll enjoy it more and be more likely to eat similar long term. Fasting is pointless unless you plan to starve yourself forever?

Op I haven't rtft because so many of the responses on here are fucking batshit and terrible advice, peppered with some great advice (see what I did there? Added a bit of seasoning...)

If you're eating less calories per day than what you've been eating previously and balancing your diet with exercise. You will lose weight if that's your intention. It just depends on how much vs how quickly.

Mayo is fine, maybe change to light or as suggested a different low calorie dressing. Personally, for salad I always need a dressing.

It takes time to make these changes and change long formed habits. Go easy on yourself.

I'd go for the 1/3 plate lean protein and 2/3 fiber/veg rule. Which it looks like you're doing. Add in some healthy fats and you're on to a good start especially if calorie counting isn't for you. It wasn't for me. Doing this and having three healthy balanced meals plus one snack a day helped me shift over 3 stone in less than a year. I cut out excessive carbs (still had them but much smaller portions) sugar for the most part and fizzy drinks really made a massive difference to my weight loss and how I felt over all.

Well done for what you've achieved so far!

Oh well, I guess we are all different. My cholesterol is really low also, but I'm a stone overweight.

Whats hilarious? People saying have one tin of tuna? Oh, wait...

Yep, including "Two tins of tuna is enough for a family of four!"

FFS!

In all honesty I'd feed my family of three people that.

Portion control is where a lot of people go wrong. They grow up thinking enormous portions are what meals are supposed to be, and struggle with 'dieting'.

Try these portion control measuring things
www.amazon.co.uk/Portion-Control-Containers-Efficient-Nutrition/dp/B074FXTB5G/ref=asc_df_B074FXTB5G/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=339653800522&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11346616759090429334&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006868&hvtargid=pla-672506776445&psc=1

That whole salad, for 3 people, for a full meal?

I think you mean those smaller pots of tuna not the regular sized tins.

I still think 1 should be enough but get the spring water version. A bit of mayo for flavour is fine.

My cat could eat four tins of tuna!

Oh well, I guess we are all different. My cholesterol is really low also, but I'm a stone overweight Sometimes upping the "right" calories and eating more regularly is actually the key to losing weight. Except use doesn't do that much, unless you're going at it really hard. It's mostly diet, and the right diet for you. My mum follows the whole food plant based diet and it's knocked years off her. She honestly looks about 10 years younger than she is. She's always eating too! I find it a bit restrictive for me, but if it's your thing, give it a go.

This is what I feed my cat. Mostly. But what do I know, I am a vegetarian who hates salads.

Yeah I might, thanks

4 tins of tuna costs about 6 quid. Your cat is spoilt.

Looks fine to me. Full of good fats and protein which satiate. Get ultra low fat Mayo just for now, you can always switch back when you are maintaining. The rest of your food day sounds great, too. Add some full fat Greek yogurt with seeds and honey for a treat!

I’m very much like you, I’ve got half a stone left to meet my goal and I have to really cut back if I want to meet it.

good luck and keep at it! You can do it!

Tbf I use 2 tins of tuna to make a pasta sauce for four of us

I was going to say the same thing. I use 2 tins for a large tuna pasta bake that feeds 4. Curious now as to how much others use? Of course the filling part is the pasta in the dish.

I don't find things like salad or veg filling at all. So that's where you end up adding the things that do make you feel fuller, thus adding a load more calories. Skipping breakfast is also going to mean you're starving by lunch time.

15g of porridge oats aka a heaped tablespoon of oats is 58 calories. And made with water not even milk.

I would be starving half an hour later...

It's not very nutritious. Add in some rainbow coloured food.

I had strawberries and cream cheese on toast for lunch.

Two tins of tuna was not excessive given she'd had no breakfast either. I'd be chewing my arm off an hour later after that lunch.

I'm really full after my one tin tuna salad BUT I did have a protein shake at breakfast.

Ok, I just looked up tins of tuna (I can't stand the stuff).

Supermarket own brand, 145g tin, calories listed for a ½ can serving: in water or brine 55 kcal, in oil 81 kcal.

Apparently 2 cans does 'feed a family of four', vindication for a pp!

That doesn't help the OP until we know weight of cans and other ingredients.

I've lost 6.5 stone so I know a thing or two about eating to lose weight and this is absolutely fine. Looks delicious in fact. And you are completely right that mayo is better than bread. Fats are much better than empty carbs.

So for main meals, do you really give each member of your family the equivalent of half a cracker, half a tin of tuna, some salad and some Greek yoghurt? I'm surprised they haven't eaten you by now.

Some very "Mumsnet" responses 😂 Aren't some people incredibly rude? (and stupid 🤫)

Anyway...

2 tins of tuna in oil, drained = roughly 180kcal per tin (check the nutritional information on the actual tin you used)

2tbsp real mayo = 180kcal (again, check nutritional information on jar)

Plate of salad = less than 50kcal I reckon

So a total of approximately 590kcal for lunch

You could shave off about 100kcal if you switched to light mayo. I prefer Hellman's light to the full fat stuff anyway.

If you're eating a chicken breast for dinner that's cooked without fat and serving with steamed veg that's probably about 300-400kcal for dinner.

So if you're skipping breakfast and not snacking or drinking calorific drinks, that's a total for the day of 890-990kcal. It's not enough food for an adult, dieting or not.

Yes, truly "eating for four" as per one delightful contributor to the thread.

Try and eat breakfast and make sure you get tons of protein in. Eggs are great and very quick and easy. You're going to really struggle to keep this up if you're consuming such a small amount of food and it's no wonder you're feeling hungry all the time.