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

So that's a psychological craving, not an unhealthy food choice.

People manage it with alcohol and salt, no reason why it can't be done with sugar.

Your lunch looks delicious OP and not too much at all considering you didn't have breakfast.
I pretty much have that myself at least once a week.
1 large tin of tuna though, two tbsp of mayo, salad and a wholemeal roll.

This is absolutely unscientific nonsense, it has not been debunked. If you eat 2500 calories worth of chicken and veg you are going to gain weight as much as someone who eats 2500 calories of McDonalds. Yes you might be healthier inside, but the mechanics are the same.

You’d be fine just to have a sandwich with one tin of tuna in it. That’s a huge amount of mayo, like 400 calories worth. Not great if you’re counting calories. With the mayo your ‘healthy’ salad is clocking in at at approx 800-900 calories. I don’t know what your daily calorie limit is but that’s a lot for a small, not very filling meal. You don’t need to cut out carbs to lose weight.

You could have had a tin of tuna, salad, a teaspoon of mayo mixed with natural yogurt in a pitta for 400 calories or less.

@Pollis I agree with you but that's not what you said.

You said leaving out sugar completely was unhealthy.

That implies that sugar = healthy eating.

You ought to have made it more clear that it was about a relationship with food, not the food per se.

Just waiting for someone to compare sugar with cocaine now!

OP I think you're hungry because you're only eating two meals a day? Can you not do a healthy breakfast but a little bit later in the morning-someone suggested a smoothie with oats in it tor maybe an egg with avocado or brown toast? It really depends on how many carbs you normally eat-are you cutting down from eating bread after bread after bread all the time or were you just having the odd slice and white pasta etc? Because if it was number one and you're going cold turkey, it's bloody tough and I think you should just limit yourself while trying to find a range of substitutes (not just salad which always leaves me hungry!!) If number 2 then it will be easier but is it worth it if you're starving yourself? (You say you're hungry)

Sugar is not unhealthy. In moderation, very few things are "unhealthy" and to be honest thinking of foods as good or bad has a lot to answer for.

@Thepleasureofyourcompany yes but never? It's not like it's as easy to avoid as alcohol

So no beans, cereal, ice cream on a hot day, wedding cake, birthday cake, chocolate, biscuits, any form of dessert really, jam, honey, dessert or any sauce at a restaurant where you don't know the ingredients, no eating at a friends house, BBQ sauces, any condiments that aren't homemade, any form of ready made stuff from the supermarket

Same with salt. No bacon, no cheese, no eating out at all

That's why it's unrealistic. I'm eating a roast chicken later but it's off the hot counter. Probably has sugar somewhere as it's an extra tasty one

Even if that were true, it doesn't follow that its unhealthy to avoid sugar completely.

@pollis are you familiar with ultra processed foods and the work of Prof Tim Spector and Zoe?

If not, I suggest you read the Zoe website.

All calories are not equal and the post by @Higgeldypiggeldy35 is absolutely right.

Have you read any of Spector's books on diet and the diet myth?

You ought to as a professional even if you read and then disagree.

And yet people keep getting fatter and fatter, and more to the point over 90% of dieters who lose weight put it (and more) back on again. So that would suggest it isn't quite that straightforward.

That's what it says on my tin of tuna too!

One tin of tuna per person would make it an expensive meal here.

Agree, healing the relationship with food is paramount. So many people have a disordered relationship with food, including myself after years of yoyo dieting. Ive started intermittant fasting last year and eat whatever I fancy within reason as well as lots of whole foods and dont eat when im full. I feel the best I have ever felt in my 40 years and no longer worry about what im eating at all. Its so freeing.

Why the fuck would a roast chicken have sugar in it?!

@LuckySantangelo35

but op herself has said she wants to lose a couple of stone” so therefore must be overweight to some degree

That isn't necessarily the case. As the comments on this thread prove, some people have a wildly disordered idea of what a healthy weight is.

And if she is overweight then posting here to be judged by people who don't know her and often have an unhealthy approach to food is certainly not going to help.

The diet myth book by tim spektor blew my mind honestly. Next on my reading list is why we get sick by Benjamin something!

And no, I don't eat any of those things. Haven't been to a wedding for years and can live without ready made stuff. Not bothered about any of them. If there's hidden sugar in something I can taste it.

I'd suggest using My Fitness Pal to record what you're currently eating in an average day, for a week or so. Then you'll see what your portion sizes are equating to in calories and can tweak from there (if needed).

@Thepleasureofyourcompany because it's a ready cooked one

Here, I just picked one from Sainsburys. Brown sugar

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-roast-whole-cooked-chicken-approx-1kg-

Tesco. Brown sugar

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/264465356

Pastrami. Sugar

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/2999573500*

Yes of course I have read them and are familiar with them. Many of us in the field feel the same, as with almost all science there isn't one homogenous consensus. Again, my professional experience shows me that people who give up entire food groups do not achieve long term dieting success. I see the most success with those who address the psychological issues they have around food, stop thinking of certain foods as good and certain others as bad, and get to a place where they can consume all foods in moderation. I see a lot of people who say "I have to stay away from all sugar or I will binge", and I can tell you that anyone who says that is not going to keep the weight off long term.

Comparisons to alcohol addiction are pointless. You need food to live. You can't stay away from it the way an alcoholic can with alcohol.

pollis that's down to a psychological relationship with food. There is no harm done by avoiding sugar. It's not unhealthy. I've done it for 3 years now. Very occasionally had a piece of cake or a chocolate. I've slowly lost weight, ita staying off and I look young for my years.

Funny how people are threatened by it!

Intermittent fasting isn't something that worked for me but when done correctly I think it's fantastic, well done.

So then you avoid sugar because you don't like it right? In the same way I don't eat lamb because I don't like it. In which case that's not disordered eating and not relevant to the point I was making.

If however, you do like something but refuse to eat it even occasionally because you think it's bad for you, I would class that as unhealthy.

And BTW I do eat sugar (and carbs!), and I also look young. Looking young is largely down to genetics and staying out of the sun.

Once you accept that salad is boring ... lol

But it's true.

Try using hummous with tuna instead of mayo. It's more flavourful.