Can someone look at my food diary?

Looks like some of your food measurements are either over estimated or under, I suggest using a food scale. And you should be drinking enough water, try this simple formula Current Weight/2 = ? oz of water. Your water shouldn't be less than that.

And also try to recalculate your goals.

Thanks Soy!!

I am trying to not rely on processed foods but the portioned out meals feel safer some days than weighing and going it alone.

I have an addictive personality and I know obsessing over weighing everything may be a rabbit hole I am scared to go down .

If weighing your food can be a trigger for ED or other issues and you still would like to lose weight, I would *seriously* consider the advice of a nutritionist or other professional to help you achieve your goals safely. No other way around it.
Take care of your health first.

I looked at 4 of your days... That's probably not the best representation of what you eat overall but that's all the time I had. Firstly, you're about a decade younger than I am so at least you have metabolism in your favour!

Let me say, good on you for tracking! Good on you for taking control of your health and good on you for being a busy mum!

If I compare myself to you (not knowing your measurements/ body metrics), all I have is age, so I can only say I eat WAY MORE than you do but I eat whole foods. I'm Celiac, so it's 'easy' as I *cannot* eat anything prepared by somebody else! The downside is I'm an excellent cook and tend to far overeat (hence eating way more than you do). I do not eat grains, as a rule, not just the wheat and barley associated with Celiac but I try to avoid them all. If I take rice or corn, it's a treat food. I am NOT low carb! I just do not do well eating grains. I also see a lot of dairy.

Especially as a cancer survivor, I think it'd be great for you to look into the dairy connection. This isn't some hippie stuff. This is biochemistry. Dairy is a growth thing (I'm obviously not a doctor) and that's why body builders who don't want to use steroids walk around swigging dairy. So, it a) is not good at all for people with neurological disease, inflammatory diseases or some types of cancer and b) it makes you bulk up.

I know the ads say 'those who eat our yoghurt lose X % more than other dieters.' I'm just saying that a study and there are other studies which show the opposite. Maybe those yoghurt eaters weren't eating fast food instead, right? So, you have to kind of read a whole lot of scientific stuff and then TRY it. If it works for you, COOL. If it doesn't, well now you know, right?

Anyway, what I see is a lot of grains and a lot of dairy (compared to me). I eat at least 18C of dark leafy vegetables (various sorts) a week in addition to some other veg. I eat little fruit. I'm not perfect but I'd rather eat veg than fruit due to nutrient content. Since I have several autoimmune diseases, I have to really focus on nutrient-dense foods. I still eat sugar and empty calorie stuff--again, not perfect! But focusing on adding things that are nutrient-dense will better serve your body functions and will curb hunger.

I hope sharing my stuff helps. I don't know what's right for you but I can say I think you're great for working it!

Big numbers of sodium are burning my eyes :noway:

While it may mask loss with water, excess sodium shouldn't hinder fat loss as long as they're in a calorie deficit.

After reading through this I thought of one other strategy you might play around with.

As others have mentioned, the most likely candidate here is that you might be underestimating some calories and thus eating more than your diary may indicate. So to get things moving in the right direction you need to eat less.

You could play around with intermittent fasting and skip a meal every once in a while. For example, you could consider skipping breakfast every other day but eat normally for your other meals and snacks. From what I see in your diary this would save you a few hundred calories every time you do it. Basically giving you a some 1200 calorie days and some 1500 calorie days.

Anyway, just another strategy that hadn't been mentioned before.

Good luck!