Am I eating too much?

[Curlywurlybars]

Just wanted to get others perspectives as I just don’t seem to be losing any weight! I am in healthy weight range but have 6 ‘vanity lbs’ I would like to lose ahead of summer. I’m only 5ft5 if that helps in assessing my intake.

Typical day:

5km run in approx. 25-30mins and a short 30min walk

Breakfast:
small glass fruit smoothie (few strawbs, few raspberries, 1/2 banana, half small glass of apple juice)
Half pita bread with light covering peanut butter

Lunch:
Either tomato and red pepper soup with a pita bread or
Small (single serving) potion of humous, carrot sticks, cucumber, pepper and a pita bread

Snack: 10 grapes, 1 digestive, couple of slices Serrano ham, 50 cal fruit ice lolly

Dinner:
Always eat a moderate size portion (don’t do crazy) and something like either
brown rice, teriyaki chicken, green beans
Or stir fry with rice noodles, veg, beef strips with black bean/hoisin sauce
Maybe once a week I have a big potion of takeaway, burger or homemade pasta and garlic bread 😍

Drinks: most days only water- I probably have 3 glasses white wine a week.

@NoMoreMuchin

I just plugged my numbers in. I ate 1200 cals a day and also, I do a lot of exercise and I didn’t put that it - I considered it a bonus as I was doing it before.

Since, I rarely track. Weigh myself once a week and just check I’m around the weight I was.

I feel better now. Everyone commented as well, mainly negatively as I was a size 8 before I lost 10lbs. BUT it was for me and how I felt and it’s proof that you can do it, if you want to lose, you just have to track everything (for example, I had to weigh cheese as I had no idea how much 40g was!).

Hope this helps xxx

Eckhart, it's not tosh! That poster knows what they're talking about.

Calories count of course, but what the calorie is made up of and whether it is used or not, counts too.

High sugar causes the release of insulin, so, unless the sugar(fructose in this case) is absorbed slowly, ie. by combining with fibre, it can be stored as visceral fat - belly fat. The running helps, but a high intensity exercise might be better for you. Ensure that if you have fructose, you also include fibre.

Try Alpro Greek style yoghurt, it's only about 68kcals for 100ml, which I normally have with a banana for breakfast and some nuts, fills me right up. Altogether only about 210kcals. You do need to weigh up everything though, and track it in order to lose weight.

thenamesarealltaken What does the body make the fat out of, if you're already using all the calories you give it?

A person could eat only sugar lumps, and if they weren't getting enough calories, they'd get thinner.

What you're talking about is how the body chooses to store EXCESS calories, in which case, yes, insulin released due to sugar intake will affect what the body does with those calories.

You can't make a person fat by not giving them enough calories, whatever you feed them. It's simply not possible.

@PicklePig31 thank you ! That's really helpful

When I tried it last I was doing 1400 cals and then eating my exercise cals and the scales weren't moving...you have inspired me to try 1200 and not eat my exercises calories x

Yes some very helpful tips- I’m taking it all on board 💛

I disagree with so many posts here.

You need to look at a healthful way of eating and for life. If you fill up on good fats, plenty veg and a little amount of decent carb (such as sweet potato), you will stop your blood sugar soaring, you will crave less and your eating habit will be sustainable and healthful.

It really isn’t about strict calorie counting. I have never met anyone who has maintained weight loss that way. It’s miserable. And you will feel shit as your body will be existing on food that doesn’t sustain it.

Try a book like the Diabetes Weight Loss cookbook ( caldesi). It’s lower carb, higher good fats and delicious.

I do a lot of exercise so an moderate carb but my carbs are natural gluten free whole grains - so some oats for example, but the traditional kind. I would include some Brazil nuts, berries, maybe almond milk.

I have been the same weight since my teenage years and have a low normal BMI

You're dead right, @calledyoulastnightfromglasgow. Strict calorie counting is unsustainable, tedious, and counter to enjoying food and enjoying life.

However, learning how many calories are in the foods you eat, and being aware of roughly what you need, is a short study (a few months, usually), which will stand you in good stead for life. Developing new calorie habits is a job with an end. Once they're habits, you don't have to think about them much anymore.

You need to look at a healthful way of eating and for life.

It really isn’t about strict calorie counting. I have never met anyone who has maintained weight loss that way. It’s miserable.

OP is already eating healthily ‘for life’. Of course eating healthily isn’t about strict calorie counting - I don’t think anyone on here has advocated calorie counting for life to maintain weight. But people find it very effective for losing weight, which is what OP is trying to do. Overestimating your calorie intake is easily done, so tracking it while you’re trying to lose a few pounds, so for a week or two maybe - not forever - is helpful.

I find this thread really interesting. For what it's worth, when you only have a small amount to lose and are already at a healthy BMI, it's bloody hard and you have to be super strict. It's pretty joyless but it can be done and, frankly, so long as you aren't eating too many calories, it doesn't matter what they are really. OP, your diet sounds great and, even better, it sounds like something you enjoy which is the best way to eat long term.

I am 5ft5 too. How much do you weigh? I am 65 kilos at the moment ( a size 12) but would like to get down to my summer weight of 60 ish kg and a size 10, sometimes 8. Unfortunately to lose weight i feel I have to eat less than some other people! Low carb definitely has done the trick for me in the past. Your diet looks healthy in the conventional sense and I think there are definitely people who would lose weight on it, but for some of us we need that extra push and that might mean cutting out a proportion of the fruit and carbs for a while.

I am someone who has lost weight and kept it off through strict calorie counting.

It's a bit carby.

The average pita, not mini, is about 150 calories so your one and a half a day, plus the evening rice/noodles, could easily come to 500 calories.

During this lockdown I lost 4kg without much effort, all I did was start eating loads of vegs+egg+nuts for dinner as opposed to the high carb meals I was eating before. So now I'm eating a lowish carb high fat meal a day. Since I eat loads of nuts (at least 40g a day) I was surprised with my weight loss. Decided to log everything for a few days. I used an app called cronometer - very interesting, it gives details about vitamins too. Anyway, I eat about 1600 cals a day and when I go for long bike rides I eat even more, some days more than 2000. My husband is half Italian and for lunch we eat the usual: pasta, risotto, pizza, etc.. I drink a glass of wine a day, everyday. For breakfast I have oats with fruit+nuts+seeds and kefir. Despite my username I seldom ever eat nutella, but often eat dessert (homemade ice cream, banana and chocolate cake, panna cotta... husband's major hobby is cooking from scratch). I'm 5f5 and my weight before was 66kg now I'm down to 62.

So my suggestion to you is perhaps up your consumption of vegetables? I think that's what made a difference to me.

Another thing I do regarding food is time restricted eating (eat for 10 hours, fast for 14) but I dont think it has any impact on weight loss since the calories are all the same no matter what time of day you eat them, right?

@nutellafortea

The calories are the same whenever you eat them, yes, but fasting is beneficial because it stops snacking at odd times of day (stopped me eating a big bag of Minstrels in front of the telly regularly during the evening, for example), and also keeps you aware of what you're eating.

There's other benefits health-wise but not to do with weight loss too.

Sounds like you're doing great. You might have to change your name to @lotsofvegfortea, though :)

I think your diet looks really healthy ... but if you still want to lose weight, then I'd be ditching the banana, the pita bread, and the peanut butter.

I have been the same weight since my teenage years and have a low normal BMI

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow I used to think the same as you because I also generally ate healthy and simply maintained my weight - I was always the same dress size from when I was a teenager. Then I had a baby. I went from a size 8/10 to a 12, and losing weight was not as simple as eating healthily like I did before (I developed I huge sweet tooth when I was pregnant ) - that worked for the first few baby pounds in combination with breastfeeding and then I plateaued. To lose weight you have to eat less than what it takes to maintain your weight, unless you significantly increase your exercise. It’s easy to underestimate how much effort and discipline losing weight can take when you’ve never had to do it.

@Eckhart haha thanks, great idea