Am I eating too much?

charliehefferon

Hi, I'm would love it if someone could look over my food diary and tell me if they think I am eating too much (not calories wise, just quantity!)

I have 3 meals a day, but then also snack in between. I try not to eat past my dinner (usually about 7pm)

I'm 5'1" and weigh 110lb, I'm looking to tone rather than lose weight. I work out approx 4/5 a week.

Thanks

AntWrig

No.

Chadomaniac

no . u eat too little

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

There's no rule about volume, it's just about calories.

That said, you need to eat more of them. Try to get as close to your goal as possible.

Tanja_CHH

If you want to add muscle and definition you should eat atleast at maintances, but youll also be burning calories, so eating at a surplus is also an option and this would make it easier to build muscle.

FitBeto

Actually your diary is pretty impressive! You get close alot of days - but I would recommend you trying to get at least 1lb of protein per lb of lean body mass a day - to preserve that sexhay muscle!

And also you could eat 70000 different things a day - but as long as you fit it into your calories you will be fine !

GuybrushThreepw00d

Yep, you seem to have it spot on.
I'd be more interested to hear how you're earning your exercise cal's. Are they optimistic/pessimistic? Are you doing cardio or lifting, or a mixture of them both?

Firefox7275

I'd say eat more: some days you are way under on fat and/ or protein, you could eat more fruit and veg (UK guidelines are a minimum of five, research supports closer to nine hence most western countries advocate seven to ten), don't see oily fish nor your three servings of reduced fat dairy a day. Try to keep your calories on processed/ junky/ sugary stuff down to 10% which is one small treat, that really should include alcohol and sugary breakfast cereals.

charliehefferon

no . u eat too little

Can you explain where you think I'm eating too little?

I would recommend you trying to get at least 1lb of protein per lb of lean body mass a day

Guess I'm going to have to work out my lean body mass then

I'd be more interested to hear how you're earning your exercise cal's. Are they optimistic/pessimistic? Are you doing cardio or lifting, or a mixture of them both?

I earn my calories by doing a mixture of things. I'm no gym bunny as of yet (But I shall be by April!!) I used fitness DVD's at home (a couple of Jillian Michaels) these usually have a mixture of cardio and lifting. On days where I don't do DVD's, I tend to use apps on my phone that have lifting routines. I don't lift a lot (9kg to be exact!!) I know I need to up my game, but I do struggle with that! I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic when calculating, I use a HRM...

you could eat more fruit and veg (UK guidelines are a minimum of five

I'm not sure I could eat any more fruit or veg! I generally have 4-5 pieces of fruit a day, plus 3-4 veg/salad. Fruit and veg is something I eat a lot of!

don't see oily fish nor your three servings of reduced fat dairy a day

I don't generally eat fish, I don't enjoy it. At a push, I will eat a can of tuna. Is there any other food that I could eat as a substitute? Reduced fat dairy? You've lost me on this one I'm afraid!! :laugh: I generally eat 200g of low fat greek yogurt a day, but what else is reduced fat dairy? Eggs are Eggs...

Firefox7275

you could eat more fruit and veg (UK guidelines are a minimum of five)

I'm not sure I could eat any more fruit or veg! I generally have 4-5 pieces of fruit a day, plus 3-4 veg/salad. Fruit and veg is something I eat a lot of!

don't see oily fish nor your three servings of reduced fat dairy a day

I don't generally eat fish, I don't enjoy it. At a push, I will eat a can of tuna. Is there any other food that I could eat as a substitute? Reduced fat dairy? You've lost me on this one I'm afraid!! :laugh: I generally eat 200g of low fat greek yogurt a day, but what else is reduced fat dairy? Eggs are Eggs...

I would suggest you look up what classes as a serving (80g for produce in the UK, a cup which is often over 100g in the US) and review your own diary you really are not tracking what you claim here. You can't double count, you could eat ten nectarines and it's still one. Yes you eat salad leaves but you tracked a quarter of a serving plus half a serving of avocado, 10g cranberries is about a third of a serving, three cherry tomatoes less than half a serving. Don't forget to eat the full rainbow - dark green, blue/ purple, red, yellow/ orange.

The easiest way to get to nine servings is to start with two servings at breakfast, two or three at lunch, three at the evening meal and the remaining one or two as snacks. Consider smoothies, vegetable soups, baked beans with added tomato paste (beans count once per day), stir fries, tomato and vegetable sauce on pasta, vegetable and lentil curries, vegetable sticks and pitta fingers in dips (houmous, guacamole, tomato salsa), fruit salad and canned evaporated milk. Also think about what you choose, 80g of carrots or broccoli is small as is 30g of dried fruit (ideally unsweetened) whereas 80g of salad leaves is a massive soup plateful.

200g of yoghurt is a little over one serving (150g is one) but I don't see you consistently tracking that only 100g many days, other options are are 200ml milk or 30g hard cheese (eg. half fat cheddar) to supply one serving each. There are non dairy sources but you generally have to eat a massive pile and many are not as well absorbed.

If you don't eat fish then you need to consider your sources of bioavailable vitamin D and long chain omega-3s unfortunately neither are widely available in nature outside of oily fish. You can get a little from omega-enriched eggs but will likely need to take supplements or retrain yourself to enjoy at least some fish in some recipes. When I started eating healthier I gagged the first time I opened a can of pink salmon, now I absolutely adore a fresh trout and can eat enjoy canned oily fish like mackerel in tomato sauce in certain recipes. A serving is not as large as you might imagine, especially for the very oily fish.

Matt_Wild

With all due respect, what are you expect to build muscle with? You calorie intake is low, you protein is below 1g/lb of body weight and you are usually in a calorie deficit.

You cannot cannot calve carve muscle from a twig.

charliehefferon

I would suggest you look up what classes as a serving (80g for produce in the UK, a cup which is often over 100g in the US) and review your own diary you really are not tracking what you claim here. You can't double count, you could eat ten nectarines and it's still one. Yes you eat salad leaves but you tracked a quarter of a serving plus half a serving of avocado, 10g cranberries is about a third of a serving, three cherry tomatoes less than half a serving. Don't forget to eat the full rainbow - dark green, blue/ purple, red, yellow/ orange.

The easiest way to get to nine servings is to start with two servings at breakfast, two or three at lunch, three at the evening meal and the remaining one or two as snacks. Consider smoothies, vegetable soups, baked beans with added tomato paste (beans count once per day), stir fries, tomato and vegetable sauce on pasta, vegetable and lentil curries, vegetable sticks and pitta fingers in dips (houmous, guacamole, tomato salsa), fruit salad and canned evaporated milk. Also think about what you choose, 80g of carrots or broccoli is small as is 30g of dried fruit (ideally unsweetened) whereas 80g of salad leaves is a massive soup plateful.

200g of yoghurt is a little over one serving (150g is one) but I don't see you consistently tracking that only 100g many days, other options are are 200ml milk or 30g hard cheese (eg. half fat cheddar) to supply one serving each. There are non dairy sources but you generally have to eat a massive pile and many are not as well absorbed.

If you don't eat fish then you need to consider your sources of bioavailable vitamin D and long chain omega-3s unfortunately neither are widely available in nature outside of oily fish. You can get a little from omega-enriched eggs but will likely need to take supplements or retrain yourself to enjoy at least some fish in some recipes. When I started eating healthier I gagged the first time I opened a can of pink salmon, now I absolutely adore a fresh trout and can eat enjoy canned oily fish like mackerel in tomato sauce in certain recipes. A serving is not as large as you might imagine, especially for the very oily fish.

Wow!! Actually this is really helpful! I had always thought i'd done really well with my portion sizes, but guess I'm going to have to rethink this! Thank you!

With all due respect, what are you expect to build muscle with? You calorie intake is low, you protein is below 1g/lb of body weight and you are usually in a calorie deficit.

"With all due respect" I have asked for advice, so surely Its evident that I need a point in the right direction rather than just someone being negative? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to being eating, or how much of it! I'm still learning.

JustJennie1

I would love to know where she is eating "too little". At least TWO people stated this. I checked out her diary and there are days she eats 2000+ calories and maybe one or two days where she's been at a little over 1300 so where is the "too little"? :huh:

deksgrl

Uhm..... what? I don't understand the question.

charliehefferon

I would love to know where she is eating "too little". At least TWO people stated this. I checked out her diary and there are days she eats 2000+ calories and maybe one or two days where she's been at a little over 1300 so where is the "too little"? :huh:

haha thank you!! I think for my size and height I eat a lot! 5'1" is tiny compared to 6 foot guys!!

WendyTerry420

don't see oily fish nor your three servings of reduced fat dairy a day

Reduced fat dairy means you aren't getting some of the amino acids. Full fat dairy is healthier.

mbow1977

Hi you are definitely not eating too much, perhaps a little on the not enough side but I reckon your ok in my opinion

Matt_Wild

I wasn't being negative, I was being factual. A big difference. Consistency is key. Amount? Doesn't make a blind bit of difference on the 'amount' you eat, mainly just the calories when keeping things simple.

Your body first of all lives to survive. If some days you eat 1300 calories, others at 2000, your body will see it is not always in a position to gain muscle - it knows staying alive is key and muscle is not something it really needs.

So your question is answered but the point remains, you need to feed your body in a way that it needs to build muscle, since you can't tone anything (you gain muscle or lose fat).