To ask what you eat in a day if you are a size 10 or less

[Mamabear04]

Just wondering how much skinny people eat in a day and if I am over eating?

I’m a size 8-10 and I’m 5”2 and honestly with very little activity, I also have an overactive thyroid for which I take medication.
Today I had;
Breakfast- 2 poached eggs, two slices of toast, two cooked tomatoes and one piece streaky bacon.
snack - half of a twirl and 2 cups of tea
late lunch- a steak sandwich with a few fried potatoes, and then a chocolate dessert bar and a cup of tea.
I have just had another cup of tea.

That’ll be it for today.

Usually, I have my three meals. And possibly a little snack at some point in day, but not every day.

I’m a 6. 5ft 2, 7 stone 6. I’ve been this weight and size for years. I eat more or less what I want within reason, but I eat slowly, stop when I’m full, am very active and always walk instead of drive if it’s possible. I don’t particularly snack but would if I was hungry.

I do eat chocolate etc but eat a little - just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth.

All that said, tbh I think genes play a big part in size and metabolism. My mum and grandma were both the same as me.

I'm 5 ft 2 and a bit under 8 stone. Today I've had toast, a banana, a sourdough pizza for lunch, roast mutton, potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and veg for dinner (with seconds) plus some sort of creamy meringue pudding and a couple of glasses of red wine. Probably won't eat anything else today but about to have a negroni.
Other days vary massively. This is a much a weekend level of consumption.

Look at the differing widths of people's shoulders, chests (minus boobs) and pelvises/ hips. People can have feet of various widths, knees of various widths, etc.

@mathanxiety
Yes, that's what I understand, I was questioning why PP said bones were why someone of exact same height and appearance could be 3 stone different in weight due to bones. Frame shape wouldn't account for that.

I am size 10. Sometimes a 12 and trying to lose weight.

I try to intermittent fast

Protein shake and salad for lunch. Yogurt based dressing

Protein bar for snack.

Protein + veg and maybe carb (potato or rice) for dinner.

Snack before bedtime is protein based (e.g. Greek yogurt).

I workout 5 day/week plus walks 3x week on top.

Also drink black coffee and water only.

My mum got down to a size 8 (from a 12/14) in her forties and stayed like that since. She cut out absolutely loads of foods and eats 0 processed foods. Makes her own bread and only eats 1 small slice of it per day with a poached egg. Mostly eats veg and fish, no meat, no pasta, etc. small amount of rice. Her portion sizes are absolutely minuscule - my kids are are starving after eating at hers, and she dishes up the same amount for us all! She also walks for miles every day.

There's so much variation on here and I'm starting to see how some people can be really judgemental of others. If you're someone who eats in a very controlled and restricted way to maintain a size 10 or 12, maybe you look at people who are a 6 or 8 and assume they're eating even less and so must be starving themselves to dangerous degree - when in fact, according to some responses here they might be eating much more than you. If you're someone who eats a hearty three meals per day plus snacks and stays pretty effortlessly at a 10 then maybe you look at someone who's a size 18 and assume they must be eating staggering amounts of food and are really greedy when again they might not be eating large amounts at all.

From the range of responses on this thread there is so much more happening than just calories in and out - people are talking about genetics, hormones, metabolism, age, body shape etc as playing a major role. It seems like some people respond better to carbs than others, intermittent fasting is crucial for some and impossible or unnecessary for others, exercise is really varied - I personally have never understood the concept of 'running around after small children', mine never moved that fast haha. I remember being much more sedentary when I had toddlers because we were walking slowly everywhere at a two year old's pace, or I was standing in the park pushing the swings, holding them in the baby swimming pool or sitting on the floor playing trains whereas now they're teenagers we can go on long, fast walks, swim in the sea or I can leave them at home to get to the gym. And we all sleep through the night so have the energy for exercise too!

Basically, what I'm getting from this thread is confirmation of what I already knew; there are no hard and fast rules, we shouldn't be making assumptions about people's habits and health from looking at their size and what works for one person might make another person really miserable - it's much more complicated than some people, especially those pushing a particular diet, would have us believe!

I have been interested to read some of the threads about ozempic etc that it takes away the constant thinking about food.

I've been a pretty consistent weight all my life and would say I eat what I like but I don't think like this. I enjoy a cake or ice cream etc but I don't think about it all day. If I'm hungry I might look for something and think 'ooh that looks good' but I don't recognise the constant thinking about food described.

I wonder if this is a key difference and how much of the damage is done by dieting and the creation of unhealthy thoughts patterns.

I probably auto correct a bit. I've had two not great meals today as went to pub for lunch. But I didn't have any snacks and a smaller portion for tea. I don't like the over stuffed feeling where as from the other thread, people seem to derive pleasure from that.

I have never seen it described like that before and I guess without injections you never really know how the alternative approach feels. It was quite eye opening.

I'm size 10. Age 34, had 2 kids.
It takes me A LOT to stay this size. Naturally my body seems to be happier at size 12.
What I eat..

Breakfast - usually a bowl of 'healthy' cereal like special K or some kind of granola. I will weigh it out to 45g and have semi-skimmed milk with it

Lunch - usually a sandwich or pasta salad. I will avoid cheese, even though I love it, and always go for tuna, chicken or egg, with healthier crisps like walkers baked/sun bites and a piece of fruit after

Dinner - again I try to prioritise protein so it'll be chicken, fish or eggs, sometimes beef or even quorn, with potatoes, rice, or pasta and a good side of veg or salad then we finish off with fruit again.

I only drink water, or tea and coffee with no sugar in.
Except at the weekends we do like a pint of cider or wine. Meals out we won't have puddings, or if we do we share.

Sorry if I've gone on a bit, I don't want it to come across like one of these "do what I do posts" - but I just wanted to say what I do and that seems to work for me.

Are you a healthy weight at a size 12?
If so, I'm curious to know why you work so hard to be smaller.

I’m similar. I eat at 6pm (main meal), then go till 1pm the next day, just always have been that way, can’t stand the thought of food in the morning. So I only have a 5 hour eating window. I eat whatever I fancy. Just lunch and tea - I don’t really snack often. But if I see something naughty & I fancy it, I have it!

To keep weight off a few years ago I did my version of OMAD (one meal a day) as far as possible - coffee for breakfast, juice/smoothie for lunch, sensible evening meal that was 50% veg. I ran 3 times a week 5-10k a time. I was 51kg, 5ft 3, early 40s.

I started to eat meals with family during Covid and to date have gained 17kg. I now eat 3meals a day, biscuits with my cuppa in the afternoon, wine with dinner at the weekends. Takeaway once a week. I'm also less active due to work/ill health so no more running only walking (I can't drive).

It was and still is, for me, impossible to eat 'normally' (3 meals a day) and not gain weight. I think I gain at anything over about 1100 -1200 cal per day.

I am not naturally thin at all but I am a size 8-10.

I do have to work at it but I like to eat, I have a decent appetite. I walk at least 5 miles a day at a fast pace and weekends I walk a lot more. I train with weights at home multiple times a week and go to yoga classes

I usually eat the same thing most days as I know I like them.

natural/greek yoghurt with fruit for breakfast

Lunch is a protein (chicken, turkey) with vegetables and small portion of rice. Or a thick soup (large portion) or a salad

dinner is another protein like salmon, chicken or turkey with veg and maybe a small portion of rice or grains.

I like Korean, Japanese and Mexican style foods so I just adapt these to my tastes and don’t include too much cheese! Many cultures eat rice in their balanced diets, just not too much rice and I find it’s the least bloating on me whilst giving me energy for activities.

I do eat bread but not every single day. If I am strapped for time after work I will eat sourdough, avocado and turkey bacon and egg or make a turkey burger with a protein bagel, something like that. I don’t often eat potatoes I just forget to buy them!

snacks I still eat in the day just not too much of them. I love marmite so usually something marmite related. Small amount of cheese. Fruit, sometimes chocolate. I will eat a biscuit or a cake from time to time. I don’t drink much alcohol

if I get hungry I will eat a yoghurt or something

Wow really? So you don't eat breakfast the next morning and just power on through from 8pm in the evening until 12pm lunch next day? 16hrs is a long time to withhold food for, especially doing it daily! What's your reasoning behind the fasting if I'm allowed to ask?

I do this as well. I'm just not hungry in the mornings, I find that if I eat first thing I just end up being hungrier earlier. So the way I see it skipping breakfast means what 300ish calories saved? I drink herbal tea in the morning. Then have lunch about 12.30, afternoons snack (fruit) dinner around 6pm, and yeah I don't eat after 7pm usually, I do like so have something sweet straight after dinner though so reserve 1 treat a day for then (usually something homemade like cake).

Weekends might look a little different.

Until i was 30 i ate whatever i wanted and did not much exercise and was a size 8/10. I am 1.7m tall. Through my 30s my metabolism has slowed, and despite eating half what i used and exercising more, I'm now a 14 and can't keep weight off my stomach for love nor money.

Now i find i cannot eat any
Bread
Biscuits
Cake
basically sugar in any form
Dairy eg cheese
Alcohol

Without steadily gaining weight.

I can't eat big portions of red meat either without digestive issues.

Hormones are a bitch. I would say now, i can't eat more than 1400 calories a day to maintain rather than gain weight. I have to eat less than 1000 to lose at even a very slow pace.

Protein for breakfast no carbs: poached or boiled egg, a bit of avocado, few cherry tomatoes, small piece of feta cheese.

Lunch: either fruit; or salad; or soup; or one toast with jam and cheese.

Dinner: normal; risssotto, cottage pie, lasagne, fish and veggies, chicken, steak and salad

I walk at least 5 miles a day at a fast pace and weekends I walk a lot more. I train with weights at home multiple times a week and go to yoga classes

Out of interest do you work full time/have young kids?

My biggest issue is time. I work hybrid. I'm either commuting to to work at 7am or I've got the kids, I'm shattered by 8pm, i try to fit exercise in but a 5 mile walk would take an hour and a half, its time I just don't have

Yes both but I split them into sections. I can walk 2 miles in under half an hour so I can go out twice or even 3 times in a day to get this rather than in one go. Weekends I would do it all in one go more easily but kids walk soooo slowly don’t they, so I often just smash out a couple of fast walking miles early AM or before dinner or at lunch. I read once that you benefit the most from the first 30 mins of exercise and above that the benefits begin to diminish, and a lot of studies give an aggregate of 150 mins a week which is still a benefit to be in chunks split across the week. Once I realised I did not need to dedicate 2 hours to exercise in one go it opened up a lot more possibilities! Also I don’t mix cardio with weights I do them separately too - also meant to be better for strength but depends on your goal overall if it’s endurance/strength/weight loss. I can do some weights while the dinner is on!

I have got into a rhythm now - get up before everyone else, do my 2 mile lap. Get back and partner has kids up, they eating. Shower. Get everyone ready. Go to work. Walk on lunch break for a bit. Get back put dinner on, do a bit of weights or DP cooking while I do another 2 mile lap. Eat together and if I haven’t been out I will go later on. Fall asleep 😂

tbh the walking is as much about mental health than just fitness I really enjoy it. I stick in headphones and just walk (sometimes dance or sing haha). When I get back I always feel less stressed out and find it relaxing.

@CharlotteBog - I'm not sure, I guess I like to be size 10 to fit in all the clothes I have and I feel that I'm eating healthily, have more energy etc. if I was a size 12 I would likely have more fat on me/ visceral fat.

It's a totally personal choice, and I wanted to answer OPs question.

Thanks for responding; I was curious that's all, I didn't mean to sound like I was attacking you.

Almost no calcium in this diet. You could download Cronometer and see what your nutrient values look like on your current diet.

looks to me like well under the 1000mg suggested daily.

I don’t want to worry you or anyone else in here but once estrogen starts to decline which it does from mid 30s by the time you reach 50 like me you’ve had 15 years calcium depleted and you’ve got osteoporosis. HRT can help but even with that it’s just maintaining unless you add in heavy weights. You need to stress bones to get them to strengthen. Weight lifters have the strongest bones as do also gymnasts due to repeated impact on the floor jumping over and over again.

Running and walking won’t prevent loss, may just maintain but I’ve seen runners and walkers with this nasty disease also.

You diet reminds me of mine in my 30s. I’ve completely changed it now. Women should prepare ahead for menopause if at all possible. I do get it though, the last thing on my mind in my 30s was my bones. It sometimes feels like being a woman is very much the short straw in life.

@Mabs49 I get my bone density checked yearly its normal and calcium is normal so I think my diet and exercise is fine.

If you eat fish, greens and diary you will get calcium in your diet. A lot of foods have added calcium. Vegans might need to keep a close eye

May I ask why you have your BD checked yearly? Do you have risk factors?
I'd like mine done but the GP said I wasn't high risk for osteoporosis. I last had one 10 years ago (due to repeated stress fractures).