Healthier eating advice - Is this too much food per day

[paranoidpammywhammy2]

I'm 5 foot 8 and wear size 18. I'd always been very slim and verging on underweight until about 5 years ago. I wore size 10/12 before. I've always had a huge appetite. People wondered how I stayed slim.

I was happy at size 14. I felt I had a bit of flesh on my bones. My parents made unflattering comments but I ignored them. They have weird food issues and I felt starved by them as a child.

Now at a size 18, I am determined to lose weight as I feel insecure about the size of my belly. I've cut down on unhealthy food, more fruit and veg, drink plenty of water and reduced snacking. I already get plenty of exercise.

I still have a huge appetite but munch on carrots, cucumber, oranges etc. to fill me up. I drink as well if I'm hungry. I took 5 years to gain the weight so plan to lose it gradually.

This is a general typical day's food.

Breakfast - 2 small slices of toast with thin layer peanut butter or bowl of all bran.

Lunch - tin of mushroom soup, 2 low fat cheese slices on 2 small slices of toast

Dinner - large salad with feta, peppers, red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, lettuce and low fat dressing or walnut and feta salad.

Snacks are oranges, cucumber, carrots etc.

I am happy with my diet. I am seeing a small decrease in my belly and feel healthier. I still have a huge appetite and my family still say I'm overeating. I struggle to eat less. Are they right to criticise?

*browse

I do IF when I can too and mainly for health reasons though lately, because I’ve had to take dietary carbs for glycogen refeeds, I’ve also done it to get back into ketosis more quickly.

The refeeds are causing inflammation and bloating and I think some fat accumulation. But I need them to support my training regimen much as I wish I could avoid them (and would if I didn’t train like I do).

Any advice on this anyone? I target post workout refeeds with protein and dextrose + banana. Outside of this very low carb.

I’ve never done 5:2 but do 16:8 regularly. And it does seem to reduce inflammation / reduce recovery times - I agree - though I have zero evidence to support that assertion.

I will have to try 5:2 during some training downtime. You’re courageous to have tried that, especially out of ketosis. That requires focus and discipline so hats off.

Come to think of it I haven’t seen too much research on IF other than its effect on growth hormone and testosterone so that will have to go on the list of research projects.

@graceyg you mentioned research in your post on IF below.

Can you pls share? I don’t have much to go on yet though something tells me I’ll find a lot when I look properly.

graceyg I mentioned upthread that we are all different, some people are healthy and lose weight with a healthy vegan/ veggie diet, others on the Paleo or Atkins, The Blood Type Diet by Dr. Peter D'Adamo gets poo pooed but IME it works the best at explaining the reasons why.

It is so confusing to work out what is the best way to eat I can safely say IME that along with the Hay diet the Blood Type is the way to go for health and weight loss. Oh and Paul Mckenna!

Going to have a read on Blood Type diet to understand the theory behind.

If you have any links to let send pls do.

Thanks.

There is a documentary by Micheal Mosley ( think this is his name ) - called Eat Fast and live longer which is a great watch for anyone new to this .

I watched it and noted down names to check academic papers on a while back- lots of studies on mice some on humans - a while a go and certainly interesting stuff .

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihhj_VSKiTs

Re refeeds: I imagine that because you are generally low carb that is why you may see the inflammation as your body isn't used to it but that's not scientific more anecdotal lol. Personally I eat a balanced diet - to be honest with my work life I'd struggle to follow anything too strictly because eating out a lot I don't know how things are cooked / processed .

I used to train ( weights and hiit ) with once weekly longer distance runs and would "refuel" post workout with a carb heavy meal and never saw any real issues BUT I did eat daily carbs ( mainly oats, potato or rice) .

Currently I don't train with any particular focus other than health and don't feel the need to have a specific refuel meal.

To be honest 5:2 - even though I don't need to lose weight I may pick it back up a bit because there are a few interesting health benefits .

I have no idea how you 5:2 in Keto lol I'd want to punch someone . I keto'd for about two weeks and I was just a horrible person on it :(

Just google it (I'm not good with links!). It's bigger in the States than here but it's extremely interesting. It's the answer to the ridiculous overcrowding of the hospitals, but why would we want to put the Big Pharma industries in jeopardy?!

Thank you.

@OliviaD68 the two day fast is hard the first half a day then gets easier as the hungry pangs disappeared. It's all about getting through the typical meal times . Salty chicken broth seems to help, you know those chicken stock cube things . They replenish any salt etc.

I'm pleased to report they do work as I'm now in my pre pregnancy jeans which feels amazing, but I do admit to having a day off today before a 24 or 48 hour fast. I can't do it all the time without having a day where I can enjoy some carbs. As a result I'm having pizza tonight and I've had a subway tuna sandwich which was delicious.
Tomorrow is back to IF , probably a two day or at least 36 hours fast then back to low carb.
I haven't went too mad today though so it shouldn't matter too much. I haven't sat and eaten ten donuts or a ice-cream or cake or anything.

Hi. I've been sticking to the low carb diet and it has really helped with stopping my snacking in between meals. It's the potato/rice/pasta/bread that I've cut from my diet.

I've followed a few suggestions from the thread, read around a few ideas, researched a few links and am still going over a few of the comments on the thread. Thanks everyone for your input.

I've noticed my belly has significantly reduced - I think this was bloating due to carbs; and my clothes are slightly looser around my tum. My weight has not changed.

I'm going to increase my activity. My energy levels have increased and I don't seem so lethargic mid morning and afternoon.

@paranoidpammywhammy2. Great news. Don’t worry about weight for now. It will come off.

The more you cut carbs the faster the weight will come off and the better you’ll feel.

As you drop water make sure you consume a lot of sodium. Probably as much as 5g per day to compensate for the loss of minerals .

Yes good news paranoidpammy

Absolute LOL at some of the 'facts' being spouted on this thread.

OP - eat the carrots and the peas and the banana. Maybe don't eat four bananas. Maybe don't eat carrots and peas daily, mix them up with some green leafy veg. Maybe don't listen to weirdos on here who are demonising perfectly normal foods

It's as easy (hard?) as portion control, a diet high in whole foods, good fats and yes, good carbs. Keep an eye on calories and try not to over do the snacks

Don't get bogged down with some of the dangerous and freaky 'advice' here

@pickletafferson. Sound like you have your own version of the facts.

Please do enlighten us as well as sources. We are here to learn.

No no. I'm just sitting back and watching you take centre stage with your err facts

I would be happy to be challenged on any one of the facts provided. I try to back them up with research that looks legitimate. This includes textbooks and peer reviewed studies as well as interviews with researchers. This doesn’t mean I have it all right but I do believe most of it is as the theory and the empirical evidence continue to align.

It looks as though you may be unable to challenge appropriately and therefore are content at heckling gratuitously from the sidelines.

Well done and may I say how most helpful a contribution in making us learn more about how our bodies work.

Are you always so pompous? 😅

How daft, lofty and ridiculous you sound.

Crack on though, despite many posters telling you you're completely barking

Pickle You are like the majority of people who really HATE the idea that some people get ill from "normal'' foods like bread or eggs or nuts. So that they actually have to admit that 'yes' many 'normal foods are poisonous for SOME people.

It's a shame that most chefs use ingredients that make people ill, it's as if those allergic people don't exist . The fact that veganism is becoming more mainstream must make you consider that there are other ways to eat and ,in fact. be more healthy than lot of 'main stream' eaters.

PP - you make a lot of ridiculous assumptions about me and my views. For most folk, sensible eating is key, with a lack of over processed, sugary crap. That's what I believe is right for most people, not banging on about how they've failed if they eat a banana. Eat lean meat, whole foods, don't snack so much, eat good carbs and don't demonise any food groups. That is sensible advice for most people

As for me? I'm vegan. I was vegetarian for over two decades before that but guess what? I don't feel the need to wax lyrical with my pompous personal views like some posters on this thread

Fingers crossed more normal people might be along soon

And I know I'm unusual for a vegan. I don't dribble on about it in an irritating way. Don't even mention it as a rule - only did so because you made assumptions about me based on my sensible earlier post.

@PickleTafferson:

Let's not confuse a desire to learn the science and share it with pomposity.

Some of us have taken the time to read and educate ourselves on how the body works. Some of us are not interested. No issues with the latter; I try to be in the former. I find it interesting and it helps me understand how better to fuel my lifestyle. And if I can be of help to others then that's great.

I hate to break the news to you: the human body only works one way. You can will it otherwise but your body is still going to spike insulin when you eat carbs. Convert excess protein to glucose (then spike insulin) via gluconeogenesis. Not allow you to access your body fat if your blood insulin is too high. Break down your own muscle tissue if, on a vegan diet, you are not eating proteins containing all of the 9 aminos you need for cell structure and regeneration,

What is unacceptable is baseless heckling without taking the time to properly question (or possibly even know) the facts. If you take issue with any of the science, please state your objection and let's have a healthy debate ... on the facts and science.

Personal insults and heckling don't help progress the knowledge about what is a very serious subject in the UK: health and weight loss.

@PickleTafferson:

It's not about demonising foods. That makes zero sense. It's not what your body does (demonise). Your body doesn't care whether you called a banana a name.

It's about understanding what that banana might do to the body's various hormones which could reduce the effectiveness of a plan to achieve weight loss. Or to the contrary be helpful to someone else.

That banana may be horrible for one individual - say an insulin resistant person - but necessary for another - say a CrossFitter who is insulin sensitive and refeeding muscle and liver glycogen stores post workout.

Again: let's look at the science and cease this unhelpful and negative contribution.

@pinkcandy84 : please do share ...

Which parts are "bollocks", which I imagine is a technical term you might use to mean "scientifically inaccurate"?