If you are nice and slim..

[moovinon]

Can you tell me what you eat each day & how much you exercise please?

I was a size8 before having kids. I gained a dress size with each baby and I'm now a size 12. I know it's not the end of the world, but I'm just not comfortable in myself at this size. I never used to gain weight and now I feel like I look at a bar of chocolate and I put a pound on.

My daily diet is:
Breakfast - porridge.
Coffee with 1 sugar.
Snack - banana.
Lunch - naked noodle or boring cheese sandwich.
Coffee.
Snack - crisps, chocolate bar, yogurt, crumpet.
Dinner - roast/chicken wraps/pasta/spag Bol.

Exercise - half hour walk each day.

We also have dinner around 7/730 as we would rather have the baby asleep. I think obviously eating less and doing more exercise would help. I genuinely don't have the time or energy to do any more exercise atm. I used to walk about an hour and a half a day to work and back etc which I why I could eat whatever I wanted.

Any tips please!!

I don't eat sugar and I eat very low carb. I used to be a naturally slim person, but now I'm in my 40s I have to be much more careful.

I'm normally ok with that, tbh, as I don't count calories and still eat a wide range of food. But I've been out for a nice lunch with my family and come home a bit depressed that I can't just eat what I want. We went to The Ivy and I wanted the shepherds pie but had the lemon sole instead. Afterwards they're all ordering puddings, and DD said "you don't like puddings, do you mummy?" I bloody love puddings, I just don't get to eat them anymore. Still having pangs of guilt about the 4 chips I pinched off her plate.

Part of me really wishes I didn't care about what I look like and could just eat whatever the hell I fancied.

@lulla12345

I think the key is calorie counting. Otherwise you won't know what you're consuming. For example a bag of pom bears is under 100 calories but kettle crisps are nearer 300. Input what you eat and then reduced your calories by 20%. I genuinely don't think exercise plays a part unless you're doing a considerable amount. I run 5k 3 times a week but this only burns around 300 calories each time. Lots of water and more protein based meals.

A 40g bag of kettle chips is about 200 calories. Not 300. Infinitely nicer than Pom bears.

Breakfast: usually two slices of toast with peanut butter, sometimes overnight oats with a bit of jam, a fruit tea
Snack: apple, banana, go ahead biscuits or a two finger Kit Kat if I need chocolate! I don’t usually have a chocolate bar as I’m not a big chocolate fan.
Lunch: usually ham sandwich, sometimes a tuna and sweet corn pasta. I’ll usually have fruit so blueberries, raspberries, satsuma, strawberries, a small portion of nuts if I need something savoury or occasionally a packet of crisp.
Dinner: usually something veggie or vegan (we currently use Bosh and the Green Roasting Tin for meals)

I don’t drink tea, coffee or fizzy drinks so usually drink water all day, occasionally squash if I need some sugar but it’s really weak. I went off a lot of stuff when I was pregnant and never really took a lot of it back up after having my baby.

I also walk a lot with my job so easily so about 10,000 steps a day. I am 8 stone and was 7 stone pre baby! My MIL has issues with her weight but she drinks a lot (will easily drink a whole bottle of gin, wine and a bottle of baileys at the weekend) and she adds a lot of salt on her food too so that is something to watch for.

Eat real food. A cheese sandwich, crisps / chocolate etc is not real food.

So make lunch a JP with a big salad, top it with tuna.

Is breakfast just raw oats and milk or one of those full of sugar pre made packets of crap?

Sounds like you’re on sugar rollercoaster.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal
That sounds miserable! Why not have whatever you fancy when you eat out and then skip the last meal of the day?
I am not prepared to give up puddings or have fish when I feel like having a shepherd's pie. So I eat whatever I want and occasionally make sure I fast for 16 hours. I find this surprisingly easy, it doesn't feel like I'm depriving myself at all. I gained a lot of weight during my last pregnancy and successfully lost it that way.
Having said that, I would never snack on a chocolate bar or crisps - that's too many calories for just a snack. If I feel peckish in between meals, I'll have some fruit or a handful of almonds or a small piece of cheese.

[quote NonBinaryNumbers]@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal
That sounds miserable! Why not have whatever you fancy when you eat out and then skip the last meal of the day?
I am not prepared to give up puddings or have fish when I feel like having a shepherd's pie. So I eat whatever I want and occasionally make sure I fast for 16 hours. I find this surprisingly easy, it doesn't feel like I'm depriving myself at all. I gained a lot of weight during my last pregnancy and successfully lost it that way.
Having said that, I would never snack on a chocolate bar or crisps - that's too many calories for just a snack. If I feel peckish in between meals, I'll have some fruit or a handful of almonds or a small piece of cheese.[/quote]

I'm not eating tonight anyway. Because of the 4 chips.

I'm an actress. My weight and dress size are on my CV, my Spotlight page, my agent's website. I'm asked for my measurements at every job I go to. I live in fear of gaining weight and having to amend them.

I probably shouldn't have posted on here, I don't think I'm helping the OP in anyway. Just feeling very sorry for myself, I suppose.

I’m 53, 10 years ago I was a size 12 now I’m a size 8, 4 children.
I focused on at least 5 a day and lots of walking (at least an hour at least 5 days each week)
I don’t calories count, just make sure I try to have at least 5 portions of fruit/veg a day and do lots of steps

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal I don’t know what to say ... that is shocking. But thank you for posting and sharing what it’s like for women in the entertainment industry. I’d be interested if men also have their measurements on their CVs. This depresses me.

I’ve been watching/ enjoying Shrill. Wondering what kind of roles the actress would get after the series. Will she always be cast in roles where her weight is a key part of her character.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal
I see. Your situation is different to most women then, and I can understand why you are so scared of gaining weigh. It must be really tough having to be disciplined the whole time!

I'm not eating tonight anyway. Because of the 4 chips.

It sounds like you could do with some help with your eating. You don’t want your daughter growing up thinking that’s normal.

@PurpleDaisies but it is normal for an actress If they put on weight, they won’t get the parts.

[quote BrightShark]@PurpleDaisies but it is normal for an actress If they put on weight, they won’t get the parts.[/quote]
It’s not normal to starve yourself over eating four chips.

Actress or not, let’s not pretend this is healthy eating.

Work out your calorie deficit and eat within that. That's the only way to loose weight. Add lots of fruit and vegetables to your diet, water and exercise.

I know we are all different but I couldn't get away with eating all that (on your current daily diet list) and be slim. I need to eat a lot less to be at my happier weight. I am currently a size ten; 5ft5 and weighing about 63kg. I do like being a little bit lighter but am happy at a size ten. I have been a lot heavier - up to 75kg and a size 14-16 but I do have a thyroid problem. To stay slim/get to my happier weight I need to do this most days. I allow myself to eat what I want/drink what I want on evenings out. On 'good' days it looks something like this:

No breakfast but a black coffee (fasting 16:8)
Lunch - mixed veg fried in olive oil with tuna, cheese, jalapeno peppers
Dinner - similar fish/veg/cheese
About 3 cups of tea with milk throughout the day
Fast from 7pm until about midday

Gym with weights 3 ish times a week
Walking 15-30k steps a day

Basically remaining very low carb and fasting except on a couple of days a week when I will go out and not really care what I have. This, for someone with an underactive thyroid, age 46 and with two small children PLUS a penchant for socialising with wine and food, keeps me slim and happy. I am a bit more slack with it in the winter months.

@PurpleDaisies it’s not healthy, but that’s the reality for lots of women whose continued employment is dependent on them remaining slim

[quote BrightShark]@PurpleDaisies it’s not healthy, but that’s the reality for lots of women whose continued employment is dependent on them remaining slim[/quote]
Stop normalising guilt ridden self denial after eating four chips.
Stop it.

Have always been slim. Size 8. The only difference in my diet to yours is I skip breakfast every day, except maybe one weekend day.

@PurpleDaisies I’m not normalising it - I don’t eat this way. It’s not healthy. Take it up with studio bosses / casting directors and agents... they’re the ones forcing women to do this to themselves. It’s awful.

[quote BrightShark]@PurpleDaisies I’m not normalising it - I don’t eat this way. It’s not healthy. Take it up with studio bosses / casting directors and agents... they’re the ones forcing women to do this to themselves. It’s awful.[/quote]
That poster is the one choosing not to eat after having massive guilt after eating four chips. Nobody apart from her is making her do that. She needs help. Just writings that off as “ah well, it’s the industry” is potentially stopping someone from getting help for an eating disorder. Massive red flags in her posts.

This place is practically pro ana sometimes.

I'm slim and I have chocolate every day. It is dark chocolate though.
No breakfast (never have liked it)
Lunch - pitta bread hummus celery radishes
Or poached egg on toast watercress
Or ham/corned beef sandwich tomato rocket
Raspberries or grapes
Dinner - small to medium size portion of whatever, lots.of veg or salad
Snack - 70% plain chocolate

Bad days - extra snacks of pitta bread or bread and butter
Sunday - nice pudding to follow Sunday lunch

I haven't always been slim but since following this 'regime' I have lost around 3 and a half stone.
I do exercise a lot though - it's easier when the kids are older.

I lost a few stone last year. I now have a bmi of 19 and am just under a size 8. My daily food now looks like this:

• Croissant and bowl of All Bran for breakfast
• Eggs and salad for lunch
• Salmon, chicken or tuna, with 8 types of veg and grated cheese over them for dinner '- this is my big meal and takes two plates
• All Bran again for supper
• About eight cups of tea with full fat milk; some boiled eggs; lettuce; strawberries, blueberries, grapes; two big chocolate cookies and a butterkist bag of microwave popcorn as snacks throughout the day.

It usually adds up to around 2300-2500 calories. That means I basically eat more food now than when I weighed more, but I choose healthier options (fewer processed foods) and do lots of movement and exercise now - including 20k steps every day, and cardio and strength training several times a week. It's expensive and time consuming but has been so worth it for my health.

I'm with Purple on the eating disorder stuff.

I'm 50, and have always been slim, but have definitely noticed that I put weight on more easily now, particularly around my tummy.

Typical day would be:
Porridge, lactose free milk, fruit
Mid morning banana
Lunch, cheese and salad sandwich, apple or apricots (at my desk )
Dinner, chicken casserole and rice/salmon, potatoes, veg /roast chicken with veg etc.

Tend to eat red meat at weekends, and only snack at weekends (love crisps). Drink mainly black coffee or water.

Sugar sends me haywire, and processed food tastes weird these days, so it's fairly easy for me to avoid without any effort.

Best thing you can do is to cut out sugar and processed food tbh. I do run as well, but diet is the key I think.

@PurpleDaisies absolutely, I’m certainly not advocating for disordered eating and agree with you 100%

(but it’s still not going to change things is it. If we had more ‘normal’ BMIs on our screens then I’m sure ED rates would go down. But actresses don’t have the power to make that happen).

@Anonapapple thank you for your tips, I really found these helpful. I'm currently losing weight in my late 40s, lost nearly 3 stone, another 1 to go and your ideas are very practical and realistic.