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

It's not unhealthy to avoid sugar though is it pollis.

I too am critical of the NHS guidance, it is horseshit (I no longer work for the NHS). Do you really think I haven't heard of Tim Spector?!

Well why did you defend your self by saying you worked for the NHS? (as if that was an achievement?)

And if you have heard of Spector why did you pounce on the poster who said that all calories are not equal? Because that is fundamental to his approach and you said it was rubbish that had been debunked.

Sorry but I think it is psychologically unhealthy to cut out all sugar. I don't know anyone who has done that and stuck to it for life.

TBH my main issue with Spector is that he completely ignores those of us who got fat on non processed, home cooked meals. I was one of them. The actual food I ate was extremely "healthy" - vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, Greek yoghurt. Cooking from scratch. But I was still fat. You know why? Because I had a terrible psychological relationship with food and I ate too much.

Maybe look at some other types of dressings. have you thought about slimming world? They give great recipe ideas and some things you can eat loads of.

I was simply pointing out that I was qualified. You'll note I said WORKED for the NHS, rather than currently working for the NHS.

Your second point I really don't understand, as I've said before Tim Spector is not the be all and end all of nutritional knowledge.

I understand people desperately want to blame particular foods they eat for being fat, rather than themselves, but it just doesn't hold water. For every ten morbidly obese people who live off ultra processed food, there are ten slim people who also do and yet are not overweight. My best friend in my twenties lived off Domino's pizza and packets of haribo. Her diet was objectively appallingly bad. Mine was objectively good, in terms of its contents. But she was slim and I wasn't. Newsflash: that's because I ate more than she did, because of a psychological issue I had with food that she did not.

You've not had any breakfast. Two tiny tins of tuna is fine but I agree with PP that you would be doing everyone a favour if you asked MNHQ to delete the thread because for posters with ED, the absolute bullshit on here will be very triggering. It's not your fault OP but hell will freeze over before the competitive under-eaters admit they are the ones with a problem so it's better not to give them the opportunity.

I eat two meals a day, losing just over a pound a week. Today I had circa 200g chicken (uncooked weight) with siracha mayo in a wrap. 2 small tins of tuna is fine in a salad, lots of protein keeps you going and full. Personally I find as much protein as possible fills me up and prevents snacking. One carrs water table cracker has something like 13 calories 🙄.

But 'overeating' is not a straightforward metric. My portions are objectively huge compared to what some on here suggest. Like I said, my average lunch would be similar to the OP but with an extra two eggs. At a guess I'm eating somewhere near the 2000-2500 calorie a day mark. But I - equally objectively - am not overeating, because my BMI is 21. How does that work? Well, I have definitely had to alter my diet over the years. My carb portions are about a quarter of what they were in my 20s. I eat more vegetables. More wholefoods, nuts and seeds. And I do intermittent fasting. But total calories? They just don't figure in my calculations.

OP, try Lidl's lighter than light mayo, 15 calories a tablespoon. I like Hellman's fat free vinaigrette as well. For small post menopausal women all calories definitely aren't equal. I can 'overeat' cooked chicken, but if I had something highly processed, especially sugar, even eating less makes me up my body fat/weight. A lot of the diet advice, like most things is for the average man, not different size/age women.

Respectfully, if you're only guessing then you have no idea how many calories you're eating.

Your lunch looks almost identical to mine and I lost 3 stone.

My 'rules'

• No calorie counting (though I did have a look very early on at the calories in various foods that I commonly ate so I had an idea of which foods could be problematic)
• No breakfast - effectively intermittent fasting
• Low carbs
• Alcohol only on special occasions
• Lots of exercise

I eat a salad like yours five days a week. I use a bowl so the flavours intermingle. Mix it up with some crispy days - radish, celery etc, some softer days - avocado, jarred artichokes, sometimes roasted vegetables or mushrooms, often seeds sprinkled on top - Salad Toppers have some nice ones. The mayo I put on the side - usually a couple of tablespoons but I often don't use it all. No carbs at all the vast majority of days, just occasionally some croutons.

Evening meal is anything I like but with low carbs so a half portion of rice or potatoes. I tend to avoid pasta.

Snack on dark chocolate or fruit but only once or twice a day and not before lunch.

Best thing I've ever done was down load an app, called my fittness pal. You type in your weight and height. It tells you how many calories to eat in order to lose 2lbs per week. 2lbs may not sounds alot, but it really is. I love looking and comparing the calories, it helps me learn what I can have. You can actually eat more than you think, and be full after 3 Square meals. You can have mayo but measure it per tablespoon and log it. I find mayo from the basics range, is the lowest in calories. When you starve yourself you find yourself falling off the diet. I've had 2 toast, museli and branflakes, jacket potato with can of tuna and cucumber. I'm full up and still have 125 calories left. If you do have a fatty dinner, just have fruit for breakfast and salad for lunch. Try it.

She says she's trying to shift a couple of stone.

This is very true. But if I compare it to what people on here suggest is a reasonable amount to eat in a day (leaving out the ladder competitive undereaters), I am amazed. It seems ridiculously miniscule. Maybe I am just more realistic (or honest with myself) about what I eat. But I also still think what you eat does matter - calories are not equal, and those from hummus, mozzarella and almonds are better for your metabolism (and hence weight) than those from sugary supermarket pastries.

*madder not ladder!

Of course it isn't psychologically unhealthy 🙄 I've done it for years and I'm pretty sane and balanced. I don't suggest it would work for everyone but it works for me. I'm amazed at how triggered you are by it, its not even that controversial. The only person in RL who gets this triggered about it is my (obese) SIL who goes on and on and on about it.

I know someone who said "there is no way I could eat more than one scrambled egg".

Are there loads of posts like this? I've read some from people who assume that's two standard tins and others who are dieting successfully. It's only the nutritionist that's come on to tell anyone trying to eat in a way that's healthy for them that they have psychological problems.

Sorry, no they're not... if you know what the calories in the basic ingredients are to start with... and you are weighing stuff/measuring stuff, rather than 'cooking by feel' ie sloshing in a bit of this and that as you go along. I've had to change how I cook because I was wildly underestimating some things.

I'm not the triggered one.

I don't know why you've quoted me as if I was disagreeing with you because that's exactly what I said!

Looks good although full fat mayo is about 70g of fat for a dollop. Hellmans light mayo taste quite good and it’s a fraction of the fat content.

I think it is psychologically unhealthy to cut out a food you enjoy completely rather than continue to enjoy it in a moderated way. If you can't enjoy it in a moderate way, that is something that needs dealing with psychologically.

I would absolutely 100% agree with this (and think you have a very balanced approach to nutrition advice based on this thread!)