To think we don’t need that much food

[Moonpiecake]

I feel portions in restaurants and takeaways are bigger than most of adults need and also majority of people buy and eat more food than is necessary for our bodies.

If you are over 30, fit, healthy and manage to remain within the healthy body weight for your age and height how much do to eat.

I want to save money on food but also loose a few kilos and look and feel good so looking for advice

Although, I'm sure this thread will attract the competitive under eaters soon who will say that they only eat a lettuce leaf, a slice of cucumber, a tomato, 1 slice of meat, 5 berries and 1/3 of a potato and they are absolutely stuffed. Some days they only need water and air and they are stuffed.

My MIL is one of those. Last Xmas she decided to do boxing day buffet and told us there will be loads so don't eat before, there were 12 of us. She put out, 12 slices of meat, 12 slices of bread (sliced brown hovis), 12 tomatoes, 24 slices of cucumber, 3 mini pork pies cut into 4, 6 mini scotch eggs cut in half, 12 lettuce leaves, 1 small quiche cut into 12 tiny squares, 12 mini sausage rolls. I know because I counted everything and asked her if she wanted any more stuff putting out. There were 5 men with huge appetites at this meal. Me, DH, BIL, SIL all went to KFC after this huge buffet meal.

"Listen to your own body and eat sensibly when you're hungry, then stop when you're not."

Problem is your body has a delay in telling you when you're full. By the time you feel full, you may have eaten too much. And obviously if we could all just trust our bodies, nobody would be under or overweight.

So I'm in my forties and female. I aim for 1700 calories a day and then try to do 400 calories of exercise. I eat 3 meals a day and usually have a couple of snacks. I aim to have 100g protein a day.

I'm averaging around 1pb a week weight loss

A bit off-topic but what do you cook for dinner that you use for lunch? I'm looking to save on groceries x

@Caffeineislife , I couldn't possibly eat all of a lettuce leaf, a slice of cucumber, a tomato, 1 slice of meat, 5 berries and 1/3 of a potato. i'd be stuffed after the tomato.

When I was young (60's/70's) everyone ate three meals a day. Often a cooked breakfast, a decent lunch and then sandwiches or soup and a roll for dinner/tea. But, back then fewer people had cars, more jobs were manual or at least not sedentary. People walked everywhere, being overweight was the exception rather than the norm. So even if people didn't eat 'well', they burned off what they ate.

Nowadays it's far more individual. Some people exercise, some don't. Some don't care what they weight, some are obsessive about it. So meals and food intake has become far more personal, far more 'you do you'. Back in the day, if people had been told that I only eat in the evenings and not at all during the day, that I often fast for 20 hours and only eat for four, and that I run for miles every day, they would have thought I was very peculiar. But with my lifestyle, this is what suits me

I never finish a restaurant meal. It's crazy. I tend to eat just meat/fish and veg, or salad, but even then the portions are still huge. Calves
liver, a good example, and one if my favourites, three slices, three, really!? I would love for less, and be charged less. My restaurant owner friend says that the most complained about things, is not enough food! There are some very greedy people out there.

Better to find ways of eating less in restaurants than killing your social life.

When we have leftovers for lunch, it's usually things like chicken curry, chilli, spaghetti Bolognese, shepherd's pie or pasta bake.

Some poor advice on this thread. Absolutely do not eat only 500kcals/day. It's FAR too few. That's how people end up developing disordered eating. Genuinely, I work in mental health services, and a lot of people with anorexia aspire to 500kcals a day. Rapid weight loss is not good for you. Healthy weight loss is only 1-2 lbs a week. You will lose more initially if you're bigger as your water weight comes off.

I'm 5"1 and lead a sedentary life and my maintenance kcals (e.g. how much you yourself burn in a day doing nothing) is 1500. I loose at about 1200. For most people, this is too few, unless you're tiny like me and don't do any exercise. I personally don't eat breakfast because I'd rather have a larger evening meal. For most people though, a light breakfast is part of a normal day and most research backs up that breakfast is good for you and keeps you fuller throughout the day.

Carbs are also absolutely not bad for you. It's a modern myth. You need carbs for energy as part of a healthy diet. There are plenty of very healthy carbs, like wholegrain rice, sweet potato, etc. Diets like keto work because proteins/veggies generally have less calories so people naturally eat fewer kcals. Healthy fats are also great for you, like a handful of nuts, a bit of cheese, etc.

5 fruit/veg a day is a good target, but in reality it's better to have more like 7-10. It's easier to get them in than you think by blending onions/carrots into pasta sauce, throwing an extra handful of greens into whatever you're eating.

I personally eat tons, but I volume eat veggies! You're right that portions of pasta etc are very large now, but 50g of pasta will feel like nothing unless you bulk it out. If you cut carbs portions a little, and bulk it with things like a handful of nuts, veggies, pulses, etc, it will be less kcals but will be as filling.

Lots of wholefoods is generally the way to go.

And honestly, I wouldn't worry what you're eating in a restaurant. Pleas go out and enjoy your meal. Life is too short to be calorie counting the massive steak and chips you had out for a birthday. A giant portion every now and then won't kill you, not will a bit of chocolate, some processed foods etc.

Just do you. Eat a generally healthy diet, and don't worry if you have a fish and chip night on a Friday. If two larger meals a day or lots of smaller ones work better for you, do it.

But please, don't think eating 500kcals a day is normal because it really isn't.

Sounds good. In the places I go to, the only smaller option is usually the entrees and they're not quite enough. If adults were allowed to have the child's portion that would also help.

How long is a piece of string? We’re all different.

Personally I track everything I eat. 5 ft 8, go to the gym 5x a week and eat 1800 cals a day. If I want to go to a restaurant and over indulge then I will, I’m not strict. I’m vegan so eat a lot of veg, probably 7-9 portions a day. Hardly any fruit. I maintain my weight and I’m between a size 8-10 depending on the shop.

Sometimes I’ll eat 4 meals and sometimes I eat one. Sometimes I skip breakfast, sometimes it’s my biggest meal of the day. I don’t think number of meals matters as long as you’re eating what’s correct for your body.

I do intimmitent fasting, I'm a size 8-10. I am not a portion measuring person. I eat very little through the day, and a large evening meal, with no rules. There was still days where we will have a nice breakfast etc, and I don't say no. I feel it balances out. This a lifestyle for me, diets are pointless.
I also do a lot of walking, relatively active. I'm in my 30s.

Oh no. GPs are not usually nutrition experts. Didn't I read once that many of them only get 1 day's training on nutrition?

@MerryChristmasToYou certainly not all that for 1 meal, that is far too much. That's the whole allocation for the day. I went a bit wild and added that unnecessary 1/3 of a potato.

@Goldbar thanks x

"Some cafes do senior meals (main meals in half and smaller portions) around us but they are very gatekeepy over the over 60/65 age limit. I wish instead of calling them senior meals and gate keeping they sold them as lighter meals and open to everyone."

Just say you self-identify as senior and it would be discrimination to refuse you!

Or just people with a bigger appetite than teeny tiny you?

It is impossible to know what women eat.

Most research agrees that the average normal weight woman reports eating 1,700ish calories but when you check with doubly labeled water they are actually eating 2,250. Even dieticians have somewhat of a discrepancy between what they eat and what they report.

No researcher can find the mythical MNer who puts on weight at any more than 1,200 calories.

Some restaurants encourage that greed though with 'all you can eat' type pricing.

£20 a week for 3 meals 7 dasy a week for 2 people? 🤔

"And honestly, I wouldn't worry what you're eating in a restaurant. Pleas go out and enjoy your meal. Life is too short to be calorie counting the massive steak and chips you had out for a birthday. A giant portion every now and then won't kill you, not will a bit of chocolate, some processed foods etc."

You have to realise that some people eat out pretty often when you include cafe lunches during the working day or needing to eat something between work and an activity. It's not just birthdays!

Can't be serious. If it is, I want to know how In this economy.

Do we need 5 pieces of fruit and vegetables? Do we need 3 meals per day or can we do we 2? Snacks? Carbohydrates? Do we need to eat little and often?

I aim for 30 plants a week erring more on veg, seeds, nuts, spices , herbs andgrains rather than fruit.
If I have filling meals I don't need to snack.
Re carbs , I have stopped as much as I can eating refined cards, so no cake, biscuits, sweets etc but do eat sweet potatoes, lentils etc.
I like to have a large breakfast of greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, and berries and have one or two small meals for the rest of the day.
I drink water at home.
I've been doing this for a few months and I definitely feel and look better. I have good skin anyway but I don't look as tired. I'm sleeping better and I feel more positive. My mood had dropped and was low before this.

That's terrible advice to give! I do 1200 daily to lose weight, and the calories are enough for me. But when I was fasting 3 times a week on 800 calories, I was insanely hungry. So I can't imagine how anyone is going to survive on 500 per day?!