What do you Eat

serkeen so glad you found myfitnesspal helpful- I'm doing it for a few weeks now. Also if you look at www.NHS Choices there is a week by week plan and chart with advice on healthy eating that I find very helpful.

willow500 What I can tell you is when I feel like that it is when I have not been taking care of myself foodwise.

However you may be pre diabetic or even a diabetic, please make a Doctors appointment and have that ruled out

I've been away for 4 weeks and have put on many pounds and several inches. If food is there [and put in front of me] I will just eat and eat. If it isn't there, I'll just eat what I need [which isn't very much]. The more I exercise the less I want to eat. Because I've been away and staying in someone elses house I just became very sedentary. If the weather was good I'd go out walking but, if it was cold or wet I just want to hibernate [and then eat a lot]. I was also watching box sets late at night [couldn't watch what I wanted during the day as had to wait for the S.O. to go to bed...don't like watching favourite programmes with him as he talks through them!] and snacking late at night [something I don't do at home]. Even so, I reckon that when I eat the amount of food that puts weight on, I'm still only eating what a lot of people eat all the time. Reckon I wrecked my metabolism by crash dieting so much in my youth. I've also been eating bread again [the food of the devil].

I'm a grazer. I function better having snacks as and when I feel hungry - I have always preferred to eat that way. Amongst other things I most often snack on mixed fruit and nuts (large bags from Waitrose) and fresh fruit. I'm not a vegetarian but don't eat meat very often - if I'm doing a roast or similar I just eat the veg. My snacks are fairly fattening I would imagine as I particularly love all cheeses and fresh crusty bread. I don't eat the same thing each day and I certainly don't count the amount of nuts/berries/vegies I eat - I would find that boring and restrictive.

Up until menopause I weighed in at 7 stone 2lb and sometimes much lower. I used to be able to lose half a stone in a week just by being anxious about something. Things have changed now though and I do sometimes need to cut down my food intake, especially in the winter months - I'm a size 12 and not sure what I weigh at the moment. I think it has a lot to do with me being retired and my husband still working. Being alone all day I think I sometimes eat out of boredom... well, that's my excuse!

So far today I've had a fairly large bowl of Dorset Cereals spelt flake museli with whole milk, 2 cups of coffee with half a sugar in each and Coffee Mate, 1 cup of tea no sugar and whole milk, 1 glass fresh orange juice, 2 handfuls of nuts with dried fruit and one pear. I don't know what I'll have later but it will be another snack.

I don't eat enough, having problems with food

I really don't know how anyone can fast - if I don't eat I get really hungry and then start to shake and sometimes can't see properly. There have been occasions when I've had to buy a bar of chocolate while out to be able to walk home!

I always believed one had to have breakfast. Now I know better and fast often. Sometimes 5:2 , other times 16:8. Suits me and DH. Lower BP and cholesterol

I agree Maggie that there’s sufficient evidence that fasting, in one firm or other, has actual benefits for the body. I fast for 15 hours every day, from 7.00pm -10.00am and within that window eat LCHF (low carb healthy fat)

It suits me and means I maintain my weight with no effort, sleep better and feel more energised.

SussexGirl60, you don't agree with the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet then? I do. I've followed it since Michael Mosley first publicised it and it's certainly brought my blood pressure down and kept my weight in check. Both my GP and the Biobank doctor who double-checked my blood pressure because of the significant decrease actually follow it themselves! I've never felt under the weather when fasting. I came across someone back in the 80s who'd lived in India for years and advocated a fast day each week. I dismissed him as a bit of a crank, but wish I'd listened at the time.

Apologies in advance if someone else has said this already as I have skipped through some posts, but does anyone else notice that they are naturally more hungry at this time of year? I seem to have a yen for fatty/ carbohydrate-filled things at the moment and suspect my body is telling me to lay down a winter-fat layer ... not that I need to .

I'm also surprised at these replies. Working in the health area, I know a little bit about eating...and I would say it's not a good thing to skip meals. Regular food will keep blood sugar levels stable and I agree that going all day not eating and then having a meal in the evening isn't a great way to lose weight at all. So if you're feeling a bit under the weather during the day, it's probably better to have some food every few hours. That said, I also could do with losing a few pounds that I put on after being unwell and inactive, trying to cut out the sugar which I think is addictive...once you start you can't stop...and chocolate?..well that really is my downfall!

Several people have expressed amazement at how little some people are eating. Given that a woman in her 70s, which I am, is likely to put on weight if they consume more than 1800 calories a day, how much and what would they expect us to be eating every day?

So many well behaved people here! I am not very virtuous, but tend to be a creature of routine so porridge for breakfast, sometimes with a banana. Lunch is most often up to 4 crackers, maybe cream cheese and marmite, or a small chunk of cheese on the side and very little butter, and an apple / yoghurt. Supper cooked from scratch - no salt added, most often chicken and pasta with veg, or a homemade cottage pie. We do not do puddings as a rule, but will have the occasional bowl of icecream.

On a bad day - all of the above and half a packet of biscuits!!!

I'm not going to say what my weight is - too depressing! But I have used MFP successfully in the past and if I am active the weight comes off. I have been very sedentary in recent months, so there is work to do ...

I'm 5' 2" 8 stone 9 lb was 11 stone until 6 months ago. For me it's portion control in the main . In a good day I have no breakfast, a chicken salad for lunch, a normal dinner with the family say a spag bol. No alcohol and about 10 teas with skimmed milk no sugar. I exercise but don't find it influences the weight a great deal. Yesterday was a bad day- bacon roll for breakfast, soup and bread for lunch, 2 biscuits, 2 cup cakes, 3 coffees with sugar and coffee mate. I find for me breakfast sets the tone - if I can skip it or have porridge with skimmed milk or low fat yoghurt with fruit I'm generally good all day. If I have cereal or toast or an egg it sets my inner gannet off and I over eat or eat badly all day. So for me the day is won or lost in the first hour.

Out cakes, marmite wraps, green tea......It's one thing to watch the food you put into your body - and another thing to realize that's it's only half the answer to losing weight and keeping it off for a lifetime. The commitment to burning off calories through regular and consistent exercise that increases your heartrate and pumps more oxygen in your blood is the other half of the equation. No point in being careful with your food intake and expecting the pounds to evsporate if you aren't willing to commit to a minimum of 45 minutes of consistent exercise or weight training that will get your heart pumping and will make you sweat a bit. And don't let anyone tell you any differently!

I do the 5.2 diet....that means 2 days out of 7 I eat 500 calories. So I have no breakfast until 1.30 pm when I eat lunch ..usually one weight watcher soup ...then in the evineig about 6 pm o have something calorie counted and then my luxury is a hot chocolate Bout 9 pm.

In the last yeR I have lost 12 pounds in weight...I started this as I knew my son was getting married and didn't want to considered a mum with a bit of a tum...and knew I had bought a dress that would look ok if I had a tum...but would look better if I didn't.

The 5.2 diet is easy to follow .
I'm 5.5 tall and weight is anything from 10. 5. To 10.8 which at age 59 I don't think is thAt bad.

I power walk every other day for 2 plus miles.....I'm a size 12 and often folk think I'm smaller.....I just think that weigh yourself eatery so often Nd keep a check on things and you can't go wrong.

I joined Slimming World about 8 weeks ago. Very easy to follow and plenty of good, healthy food.
I've lost 1st 3oz and also been away twice with my friends for long weekends in that time, when I ate whatever I fancied.
Cake, icecream, fish and chips etc.
Then right back to the healthy eating on return.
I enjoy the meetings, everyone with a shared goal and we usually have a laugh as well

Being a diabetic in remission, I may be made dead if I go with what I would like and not what I should have.

I really think you are all too serious about life.
Life is to be lived and enjoyed.
Think of others by all means but the impression I get is that your reasons are not altruistic.
You will not be made happier by denial.

Wow, you are a virtuous lot! Good day for me is only 1/2 doz glasses of wine and a few crisps + over and above my usual diet!

I'm 5' 1" and recently ate rather a lot of choccy biccies (I was feeling a bit low) so I've gone from 8st 1lb to 8st 7lb. Eating the following (Mon-Sat) keeps me at the same weight.

B'fast: cup of tea on waking then after washing and dressing I have half an unsweetened grapefruit, small cup of all milk coffee and home made muesli (tsp of jumbo oats and oatmeal, every sort of nut, every sort of seeds, cinnamon mixed with Alpro vanilla yoghourt

Dinner (at lunchtime): main course usually veggie, satsuma, banana, small glass white wine, lemon-infused water. Occasionally pudding.

Tea: 6 mini tomatoes, spring onions, hard boiled egg, bowl of home-made fresh fruit salad. Might have a small square of home-made cake.

Bedtime: an apple

Cup of ground coffee mid-morning, cup of tea mid-afternoon and in the evening.

It's low-carb, I will go '5:2' this week to lose the extra half stone.

No car these days so I walk several miles a week.

I'm sure other poster must have made similar comments but really some of you just aren't eating enough. If you constantly live on too few calories your body is panicked into thinking you are being starved and lays down fat to protect itself.
I lost 20lbs over 6 months by not eating before midday and doing lots of walking. Other than that I eat and drink pretty much what I like though I don't go mad on fried food/puds - and I'm still walking 5-6 miles most days.

I've just converted my stones to kg and am horrified. I'm much slimmer in stones?
65 OMG WONT DO THAT AGAIN.
I'm 5ft 6 and don't diet now but have in the past
Well here is my menu for a typical day
Either one weetabix plus full fat natural yogurt and a bit of fruit ( half a small banana or a dessert spoon of mango. My preferred fruit is unsweetened rhubarb but I've run out.)
Or porridge made with half water half milk.
Lunch - sandwich or similar maybe 2 ryvita and cream cheese a tomatoes and some strips of pepper. Today it was half a fruit scone because we were out and stopped for a coffee(black, no sugar)
Supper- Fish cake and vegs and a glass of wine.
I try and cut out sugar, it really is just about the worst thing to eat. So no sugar in drinks like coffe or tea. If I have a fizzy drink like coke I will have it with sugar as I also think artificial sweeteners are the work of the devil. I only have about one every 6 months if there is no other choice I can't think that matters-much.
There is so much information out there it can be really confusing.
IMO sugar is really bad and we need fat for brain function.
Obviously not too much. I eat butter and use lard or dripping for roast potatoes but we don't have them often.
I wouldn't drink orange or other fruit juices because they are all sugar but I would eat an orange. Dried fruit is also packed with sugar so to be avoided in favour of real fruit.
When I gave up sugar in drinks etc. it did take some getting used to but now I couldn't drink a cup of tea with sugar in.
If you want to lose weight just doing that would make a huge difference.
Convince yourself it's poison?
Hope I don't sound too nutty! Careful you don't have too many of those either!

Normal weekend day.
Breakfast: Porridge oats, no sugar, made with half soy milk, half water. Tablespoon of blueberries. Green tea.
Lunch: Roast belly pork, sweet potato, brocolli and apple crumble. Coffee with soy milk.
Afternoon: Tea with soy milk, no sugar.
Evening: Salad with lettuce, tomatoe, pepper and carrot and a handful of walnuts, plus a slice of wholegrain bread with hummus spread. Orange. Fruit tea.
A bit less in the week. Main meal might be scrambled egg on toast or bean casserole.
My BMI is 21.

On a good day bowl cornflakes and a yoghurt drink, tea.Lunch cup a soup chicken noodle and a wee piece of bread, Ginger yoghurt. Main meal could be fish handful chips oven and salad. Supper toast one slice. I don't overeat like I used to, if feeling like something sweet, square of orange or mint dark chocolate. I also drink loads of milk and water. I am 5ft 4 and 9 stone 5. I love crisps salt nvinegar but restrict to one or two packets on a weekend.