If yoi are slim or losing weight: what do you eat on a normal day?

[Croissantsfordinner]

I am 5ft2 and 11 stones heavy. The heaviest I have been in my whole life.
I need to get back in track with gym and moderate eating, was wondering if you’d like to share an average day pf eating, if you are someone who is careful not to gain weight/stays slim.
Obv I appreciate it also depends on how much movement, metabolism, age etc.
I have a big appetite and usually have big dinners, as well as a couple of take outs a week which together with a sedentary office life, have slowly contributed to my weight gain.

I'm 5'7" and 10st. I eat healthily with no fast food or takeaways. Hardly drink alcohol (don't like the taste). I do like chocolate though, and have a small bar occasionally. Make an effort to eat enough fibre, drink enough water, and try not to snack. Apart from that I eat what I want.

I'm slim now (following a year of dieting with weight loss injections).

Today I'll be eating soup with a sandwich for lunch and dinner is breaded chicken, salad and a jacket potato. It'll be around 1200 calories.

I’m really shocked at how many people seem to skip meals - I’m slim (size 6-8) but have a good appetite and wouldn’t be able to concentrate if I skipped meals like this!

breakfast - Greek yoghurt (full fat) with berries
morning snack - piece of fruit (usually a pink lady straight out of the fridge so it’s cold)
lunch - either a tuna and cous cous salad, chicken salad etc. try and get lots of veggies in this and always some type of legumes in to keep my full/ for fibre
afternoon snack: banana if I’m peckish, sometimes a biscuit - just depends. Usually with my afternoon coffee
dinner - half my plate filled with veggies always. Around a quarter of my plate with some type of whole food carb; sweet potato, wholemeal pasta etc, quarter of my plate protein like a salmon filet or chicken breast
obviously occasionally I’ll have more or less or treat myself! Everything in moderation and try to add as much colour to my plate as possible

I'm in recovery for ED so a bit different. I maintain a low but not dangerous weight.

But I have tea with milk and 2 sugars for breakfast. Sometimes a couple of rich tea biscuits.

I try and eat one big meal a day, sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner, for example chicken, roast potatoes, carrots and broccoli or fish pie with veg, I love Turkish food so shish kebab and rice and bread with dips. I get delivery about three times a week. Shameful I know!

For my smaller meal it will be something like a toastie or half a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, or a tuna sandwich.

I drink quite a bit of white wine and love coca cola. I have about four cans of coke a week.
I snack on small portions of crisps, nuts and biscuits. I need to drink more water!

I also don't eat enough fruit and veg. I love veg but I'm not mad on fruit.

I'm a size 8 and 5'5. Mid 40s.

I've just lost a stone since 6th Jan doing a calorie deficit. I've got another stone or more to lose. Typical day for me is
Breakfast 3 hard boiled eggs
Lunch chicken salad sandwich (whole meal bread of 55 cals per slice.
Fruit of some sort cherries or pineapple usually.
Tea: anything really but portion controlled to stay within a deficit
Evening a small bag of choc buttons

I also exercise 5 times a week but only walking 40 mins after work.

Realise reading @jellyfishperiwinkle's post that I really didn't answer the actual question. I eat low carb as set out on MN own low carb bootcamp guidelines.

Keeping 'regular' is very important to me, so I base any meal on at least one of spinach, cabbage or celeriac. These now replace the soft dried prunes and dark chocolate I used to eat for the same purpose.

A really good mix of cooked or raw veg with a dressing of oil vinaigrette or mayo plus enough protein such as lamb chops, air fried salmon, or besfburger from pure 20% fat mince or eggs with anchovies to make it taste delicious.

WFH or at the weekend I would usually eat just once a day with at work I would use the delicious salad bar at lunch land if hungry in the evening eat a much smaller salad

The sensation of hunger when eating llow carb is very different for me to that I felt when on the 'glucose roller coaster'. I much prefer the peace of eating low carb. I also stay alert to the mistake of eating because it's a meal time or because I'm a bit bored rather than only eating to my hunger. It's very easy to eat for all sorted of non hunger related reasons.

I definitely eat enough fibre

I think some of these posts show that some slim people eat very little and exercise a lot.
I am not sure how helpful that is to you OP. Many cut out meals to stay within a low calorie count.

I too eat a lot of fiber. I ensure almost all my pastas/rice/sourdough are whole grain. Oats and flaxseed every day and lots of veg. I think the aim really is to get as many whole foods into your diet as you can. I do eat UPF every day, either in the form of a skinny bar/options hot choc or similar. A bit of UPF won't do you any harm though if you're getting the rest of your calories from whole foods.

Many of us don’t though. Many of us eat three normal meals a day, staying slim simply because we haven’t buggered up our bodies with yo-yo dieting, keep our blood sugar steady and don’t snack or eat UFPs.

You can get a lot of fibre from fruit and veg though, you don’t always have to eat carbs.

Raspberries have more fibre per gram than any other plant for example.

Greek yogurt, honey, berries, seeds for breakfast or sourdough toast with peanut butter & banana. Egg & bacon salad or chicken wrap for lunch. Spag bol or chicken, sweet potato & veg for dinner. Snack on fruit, veg, houmous, cheese, nuts. Eat 1-2 squares dark chocolate every day.

Exercise 6 out of 7 days, mostly HIIT. Walk 10k steps a day. Drink 2l water at least a day, glass of wine/G&T once a week or so. Prioritise protein and eating mostly whole foods. Don't deny myself anything when I eat out.

I lost 15 kilos a couple of years ago and now maintain at a healthy BMI. I'm slim but big build.

we haven’t buggered up our bodies with yo-yo dieting

I've always thought this aspect is huge, having grown up with a mum who was always trying and failing at diets. It felt to me like there was a new one each week.
She's now 73 and has never managed to be slim, and has some really unhealthy beliefs and behaviours around food. And every so often I still find a Slim Fast shake in the fridge, which makes me feel so sad.

Whereas because I've never dieted, and see food both as a source of pleasure but more importantly as necessary fuel for my active lifestyle, I'm free from all of the toxic thinking around it that keeps people fat.

I eat lots of fibre too and had a bone scan last year (I think it’s called dexa, it’s an x ray) and scored normal. I’ve never broken a bone despite horse riding including show jumping since I was 7 (late 50s now). I have fallen off a million times! think it was @jellyfishperiwinkle who had bad experiences with this? My parents late 80s have never broken a bone either. Cooking from scratch with real food is probably the reason and staying active of course or maybe it’s just genetic?

I probably get most of my fibre from lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas and split peas. I love these. After that it’s all the obvious dark green veg, even peas are good though and avocados. I feel great. Cross trainer 40 mins 4 or 5 times a week and I have a horse I ride on a cross country trail once or twice a week. Staying away from wine and crisps is my difficulty so I try not to have them in the house.

I think asking people who have never had an issue with their weight what they typically eat is a bit like an alcoholic asking a sober very occasional drinker how they manage their alcohol intake. Obesity is not straight forward and is not just a case of knowing what you should eat.

A typical day of eating for me - I eat breakfast a bit later, around 11ish, as that’s when I feel hungry.
Tinned tomatoes with 2 eggs cooked in a pan, slice of toasted sourdough with butter. I eat this pretty much everyday.
Coffee

I don’t eat lunch, the late breakfast keeps me going. I usually have a couple of pieces of fruit with some kefir yogurt around 3ish, or whenever I start to feel peckish.

Tea. We eat around 5ish. Anything really, as long as it’s homemade.
Beefy Pasta, chicken veg stir fry with noodles, fajitas with rice and salad, beef chilli jacket potatoes with cheese, steak with sweetcorn, broccoli and chips, that kind of thing.

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth , so don’t eat pudding. I’ll often have a slice of toast with marmite later on.

I don’t drink alcohol.

I walk everywhere. The school run alone is over 10k steps a day. I also lift weights 4 times a week.

I don’t count calories, but am consistent with what I eat. I haven’t weighed myself since last summer, but my clothes still fit, so I’m assuming I’m the same weight, give or take ( I’m 5’6, 9.3ish, 40 years old)

I think this is spot on.

The most effective diet is never letting yourself get fat in the first place.

Every time I’ve had a baby (which is three) I’ve made sure not to accept that baby weight is inevitable and have got back to my ore-baby weight quite quickly. Same with menopause. Just watching out for any slight gain and adjusting accordingly.

Maintenance is a lot easier than having to lose a ton of weight. Mentally too.

I replace potatoes, pasta and rice with vegetables and rarely eat bread.

I usually skip breakfast, have never really enjoyed it. I'll have eggs once or twice a week if I have time, maybe with mushrooms and tomatoes, or smoked salmon. Always a cup of coffee though.

Lunch is usually either leftovers from the night before, or soup, or salad with some protein. I tend to make enough soup or salad to do a few days. Recently had minestrone and before that a spiced chickpea salad which I had with prawns one day and tinned tuna another couple of days.

Dinner is DH's domain but tends to be protein and veg, tonight we are having marinated chicken thighs with Greek salad, last couple of days chilli and guacamole, had gammon with roasted sprouts, fried egg and caramelised pineapple before that. Maybe once a week he fancies something I don't so I might make myself a smoothie for dinner while he has whatever.

I have lost 4 stone in the last year. I stay on top of calories, prioritise protein and fibre, go easy on the carbs, no sugary or UPF crap, don't eat late, not a lot of snacking and if I do it will be some nuts, olives or an apple with a bit of cheese or peanut butter. I try to move a bit every day, maybe some strength training (with dumbbells at home 4x a week) or at the very least go for a walk. I have lost a lot of my arse so do 60 squats 4-5x per week too. Feel so much better for it, not so much the weight loss although that is lovely, but just that feeling of treating my body well and it responding. And I love the food I'm eating, I don't feel deprived or on a diet at all. I am 5'9", 13 stone 1, so still about a stone overweight right now, aiming to lose another 1.5 or so, but not that fussed as long as I keep feeling good and getting fitter and stronger.

I'm a size 8, 5ft 1, 8 stone.

I also eat 2 meals a day. I don't think it's helpful to think of it as 'skipping' a meal. For years I ate breakfast, got very hungry mid morning and gained weight. Absolutely nothing wrong with eating twice a day or once a day if it works for you.
I'll have coffee and tea in the morning.
Between 11-12 lunch. This could be tuna salad with a slice of sourdough, chicken and veg wrap, scrambled eggs on 1 slice sourdough with cheese, mushrooms and courgette.
Dinner - always before 6 unless eating out (rare)
Curry, Bolognese, chicken fajitas (,1 wrap only then more veg and chicken if I want it), roast dinner, steak and wedges with veg, occasionally pizza again with lots of veg on the side. Always plenty of veg and if curry or stew type I always add lentils or beans as well as the meat. I have a smaller portion of the pasta/rice/bread and more veg.
Sometimes an apple or banana but I'm not crazy on fruit.
Occasional chocolate or pudding but I don't snack on crisps and chocolate etc, never sweets or biscuits. Don't have it in the house is the only way to stop it for me!
I always use butter and olive oil.
A bottle of wine a week-ish.
I used to eat a bit more but now I have a WFH job I eat less. I run 2 x a week and try to do a weights workout at home 2x a week.
One thing I'm terrible for is eating leftovers off the kids' plates! Why I feel the need to eat their scabby pizza crust I don't know.

Yesterday I had porridge made with one cup (measurement) of porridge with half full fat milk and half water. In the porridge I had a handful of frozen cherries, half a banana and some mixed seeds.

For lunch I had half a bag of Rana pasta, half an avocado, some kefir yoghurt, some salad and an apple. At 4pm I had a few dates and a few nuts with a cup of tea.

For dinner I had two small chicken thighs, some wholemeal rice with mushrooms, pepper and sweetcorn. That's pretty standard for me. I also did a couple of hours of dog walking. I weigh around 8st.

You have to be careful not to end up like the people who can only stay slim by skipping meals and eating hamster portions. Yoyo diets, extreme diets and some UPFs screw up your body.

A normal day for me is
B. Porridge or overnight oats or 2 toast
L. Soup and bread/oatcakes. Fruit.
D. Curry and rice/pasta w tomato sauce/sausage tray bake/risotto/fajitas/anything really
After dinner. 2 sq dark chocolate/few nuts.
Weekend I usually bake a cake/pudding so we eat cake too. Couple of wines/beers.
Drink tea, coffee and water all week, no juice.

To maintain a healthy weight I also do a good amount of exercise. I'd rather eat more to keep my metabolism up AND move my body as it was meant to, than eat like a sparrow and never move off the sofa.

Me too.

Cereal ( porridge) for breakfast.
Coffee and a biscuit mid morning.
A handful of peanuts/crisps and yoghurt for lunch.
A piece of fruit.
Dinner usually fish or pasta or something with rice and occasionally a glass of wine.
A piece of chocolate during the evening.

I'm 5'4"", used to be 8st 8lbs.
Have lost a lot due to illness and really trying to eat more but find it hard.

So true.
After both dc I ditched the leggings after a month and wore clothes with a waist.
Makes you much more aware of your size and shape.
Also because I have chronic back issues exercises to maintain both my pelvic floor and a strong lumbar spine were very necessary.
I've carried these on forever.

It was no fun in the early days after giving birth when dh would ask if I'd done my exercises before getting into bed at night but I'm so thankful he did. They took 10 minutes a day. Totally worth it.

Breakfast is coffee skimmed milk
Never snack ..just don't get why you would eat if your not hungry
Might have a piece of toast butter marmite at lunchtime but often forget
Dinner... normal dinner ..chilli, casserole, pizza etc. I cook mostly from scratch.
What I notice is I eat about half the portions my overweight friends eat
I stop when I feel vaguely like I've had enough.
Rarely eat pudding, don't like chocolate.
Just never really think about food much .
I'm 5ft4 and 9 stone 10 lbs and a size 10