How do normal people eat?
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If by "normal" you mean someone who has always been at a healthy weight, then I'll chime in.
I generally do not eat breakfast, only occasionally on weekends. I prefer a light lunch (around 400 calories) and spend most of my other calories on a large dinner. I try not to snack much. I eat at a deficit during the week so I can not worry about how much I eat/drink on the weekends. It all balances out and I maintain my weight. It's whatever foods I want, just not too much.0 -
That or you are not eating enough fullness-enhancing foods like protein, fat, and fiber.
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camillemilton1 wrote: »I think everyone is different. I have never been overweight but like most people I eat food for comfort or if I'm stressed even when I'm not hungry. That's why I'm on MFP-to lose a few pounds and learn to eat when I'm actually hungry. In my case I eat a light breakfast (whole grain cereal) light lunch (usually some whole grain bread, a poached egg, and a piece of fruit, a good sized afternoon snack (Greek yogurt, small latte), and a larger dinner (around 500 calories). I have this eating pattern not because it is healthier than eating the bulk of my calories early in the day but because I tend to be hungriest in the evenings. Maybe if you figured out what time of day you are most prone to binging you could allow yourself to eat more of your daily calorie allotment at that time. I've already had quite a bit of success just by tracking diligently. Feel free to add me if you're looking for friends
I'm with you.....by the evening I am the hungriest so I am trying to save my cals for that and I am also doing 6 mini meals a day.0 -
Do they just eat 3 meals a day, do they snack, have desert, treats etc. How often?
I've eaten fairly "normally" most of my life, and I've been slender most of my life ...
What works for me for weekdays is:
-- no breakfast
-- small snack between 10 and 11 am
-- lunch around 1 pm
-- small snack after 3:30 pm
-- and maybe another one about 4:30 pm
-- and another one about 6:30 pm
-- dinner at about 7:30 pm
-- and my final snack about 10 pm
Now let's define some of that.
-- no breakfast
-- small snack between 10 and 11 am = crackers & cheese or a banana (100 cal)
-- lunch around 1 pm = it varies (300-400 cal)
-- small snack after 3:30 pm = low cal yogurt 150 grams (60 cal)
-- and maybe another one about 4:30 pm = kiwi fruit (50 cal)
-- and another one about 6:30 pm = cottage cheese and cucumber slices (100 cal)
-- dinner at about 7:30 pm = it varies (500-600 cal)
-- and my final snack about 10 pm = low cal yogurt 200 grams (80 cal)
That sort of pattern keeps me full. If I were to eat my lunch + yogurt + kiwi fruit all at lunchtime, I'd be starving 3 hours later. But spreading it out works for me.
I also exercise a lot which gives me some room to play with. If I burn a lot of calories, I can afford to eat more. So on weekends, I cycle and hike etc., and then I'll eat things like pizza, tacos, etc. I save the "special meals" for weekends when I exercise more.
And ... I'll also add ... I've never been a binger, so can't relate to that.
Love it....thanx for the post....I kind of do the same thing expect for on the weekend I forget food has calories...lol
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970Mikaela1 wrote: »Silverware?
“Eating with a fork and knife is like making love through an interpreter” — attributed variously to Prime Minister Nehru and the Shah of Iran.0 -
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I have two sisters. My older sister and myself have to watch our weight, our younger sister is slim and has always been. However, she is much more interested in food, she loves cooking. I hate it! I have noticed that she buys good food, and saviours it. She gets full up quite quickly, and stops eating.
I stuff my face with cheap food...and never feel full up! I think I shall always have to watch my food intake carefully. I need to tell myself I'm full up, instead of relying on my body to do it.0 -
I focus on meat and veggies= then carbs are a side dish. It's an automatic calorie "restriction"
I'm not anti carbs- I just know I can eat my bulking body weight calories in carbs and still not be full. 3000 calorie days are not unheard of for me every other week or so. But I'm very active- underestimate my exercise- over estimate my foods and generally do the best I can to avoid stuffing my face.
The biggest culprit in my life- is mindless at home eating. I'm super busy- so rarely home- but if I am home for long blocks of time- I get hungry- and randomly eat. It's surprising to me what I'll eat if I'm not paying attention. I'm like a pot smoker (but not) I get the munchies and instead of just fixing food- I just snack mindlessly all day- and it winds up being a problem.
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I honestly have no idea, OP. I can honestly say I've only met a few people who don't have a weight problem, and I'm not with them 24/7 so I can't tell what they eat.
But from what I've seen, when I eat with them, they just have small servings. Yes they do have dessert, but I'm assuming it's not an every day occurrence.
I've been maintaining for a year at a healthy weight and I can tell you that it's definitely still not second nature to me, but I typically keep a deficit 5 days out of 7 so it's not a huge deal if I go a bit (or a lot) over one day or two a week. And when I meet people, I tend to eat more, so that's when the 'how do you stay so skinny?' (I'm not) comments pop up.0 -
I have my goal set to lose 1 pd a week which gives me 1700 a day.
I fairly active though, I walk/stand all day for work, run about 12 miles a week and do one day of Zumba and a day of weight lifting. I have it set as lightly active and generally will use maybe 100-200 exercise calories if I need them. Does that sound reasonable?0 -
Make sure that what you eat consists mainly of protein and fiber. And fat, that helps with satiety. Learn portion sizes. Eat half of what you would normally eat then stop eating for 10 minutes. If you're still hungry, eat the rest; but I typically am full after the 10 minute break.0
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I'm a massive binge eater but I know I can loose weight when I have a trigger that's like a 'right that's it' moment. However when I don't or am doing okay and start to feel like I'm getting somewhere, I stop and gradually fall back into bad patterns and it's all back on and more than before I started. I've lost so so much motivation over the last year its untrue. For me, when I am doing well tracking is my saviour.
My sister however is amazingly focused. She's lost about 4 1/2 stone through being focused and learning to change her habits once and for all. She's gradually eased up on herself from counting every grain to get to a healthy weight but she eats a lot, but it's all healthy stuff. She has breakfast - typically fruit and yoghurt, snacks on fruit/yoghurt throughout the day, lunch maybe a salad, and tea with vegs/meat, typically balanced and healthy. She doesn't really eat much by way of crisps, sweets or chocolate, so what she eats is lots - but all good stuff, and she drinks a lot of water and herbal teas.
I think in calorie counting mode what she eats would go over my allowance but maybe when you're maintaining you look it differently.0 -
I have my goal set to lose 1 pd a week which gives me 1700 a day.
I fairly active though, I walk/stand all day for work, run about 12 miles a week and do one day of Zumba and a day of weight lifting. I have it set as lightly active and generally will use maybe 100-200 exercise calories if I need them. Does that sound reasonable?
That sounds more than reasonable.
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Normal people eat when they are hungry and stop when they are sated. In today's food environment, this virtually guarantees eating a caloric surplus, which results in weight gain. This is why the majority of Americans today are overweight or obese.
Abnormal people strictly monitor their caloric intake and their weight every single day to be sure they are eating only the correct amount of calories to achieve a healthy weight.
Be abnormal.0 -
I have my goal set to lose 1 pd a week which gives me 1700 a day.
I fairly active though, I walk/stand all day for work, run about 12 miles a week and do one day of Zumba and a day of weight lifting. I have it set as lightly active and generally will use maybe 100-200 exercise calories if I need them. Does that sound reasonable?
That sounds more than reasonable.
Too much?? Should I be scaling cals back more?0 -
No bashing needed! This is a really interesting topic and a valid question that has actually been the spotlight of quite a few articles, research, and even TV programmes.
It has been a personal fascination of mine because of my obsession with maintenance.
I have noticed that naturally lean and weight stable people have certain mechanisms that allow them to regulate their calories to a scary precision. They either have a very particular appetite that they find hard to surpass, or tend to make up for a varied appetite by eating less or moving more after eating more, they may even get extra fidgety.
My mother is at a healthy weight and she is just very consistent with her portions. All days are nearly the same to her. She naturally scoops nearly the exact amount of food each time, eats one of 2 or 3 breakfast varieties, and has a very limited dinner menu. She basically eats nearly the same foods every day in the same quantities. What's funny is that she is an amazing cook and when the inspiration strikes she comes up with such an unusual variety of mouth watering stuff, but only barely samples a few of the dishes. She just likes to create (and watch us eat).
I remember my dorm mate who was lean and beautiful, she would eat a whole pizza with a whole liter of cola when out with friends, but back at the dorm she barely ate anything. She was basically just a social eater. My ex was very thin and would not eat unless someone reminded him that food exists or shoved a plate in front of him. When no one does he is perfectly fine living on a random candy bar or a fruit.
Basically, for them food is an afterthought, not an obsession. Something in the back of their mind that they might enjoy when the opportunity presents itself, but not a persistent thought. Kind of like movies. Unless you are a chronic cinema marathoner you get the desire (or get invited) to go to the cinema. You enjoy the experience, have a good time, and then spend your days without it crossing your mind until the next opportunity (or desire) presents itself.
Sadly this is a nearly impossible habit to control for those who are chronically obsessed with food. More of a personality trait. That's like the infamous "don't think of pink elephants". You can simulate the situation by creating distractions but it rarely becomes natural.
This is just one aspect of "thin people" that I've noticed. I have a lot more, but then I would have to write a book. To be honest I've come to the conclusion that there is no way to become naturally thin, at least in my case, that's why I need to learn certain traits and simulate them with habits.
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Do the hard work at the grocery store! Don't purchase/have junk laying around the house and then most of your hard decisions are made for you!0
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what exactly to you mean by "normal"...people eat in a variety of ways.
I personally don't log or keep a diary and haven't for over two years. Most of my food is prepared at home from scratch, whole ingredients...I eat a lot of veg and a few servings of fruit daily. Legumes, lentils, and whole grains are pretty central to my diet as well...most of my protein is lean sourced (I eat a lot of fish and chicken) and my fats come from things like nuts and avocados and olive oil and avocado oil, etc.
I pretty much eat 3 well portioned meals per day and a couple of snacks. I eat out only occasionally...like maybe 2-3 times per month tops. I don't eat much in the way of traditional "junk"...here and there I do, but it's a very small part of my diet and certainly not stuff I consume daily.
I exercise regularly...I primarily cycle and I do some weight training 2-3x per week. As a family, we are also just pretty active in general...we don't watch a whole lot of television and whatnot...in general we'd all rather be out and about on a hike in the mountains or a picnic in the park or taking a family bike ride to the zoo, etc.
that is my "normal"0 -
I plan on weighing everything I eat when at home or at work, and doing my best to estimate portions and calorie totals in things I eat when I'm not at home or work. If I'm at a party or a large social function (doesn't happen much; I prefer solitude) then I'll try to remember the last 3 things I ate/drank and take a bathroom break to log it on my phone. If my phone is missing/app frozen/random inability to log accurately, then I'll just accept that day as a less accurate day and move on. That will be my form of "normal."
Modern technology makes it easier to have a little more order in my life.0 -
This may not be what you want to hear, but it's my take on it.
I have also lost weight a few times over. I've also maintained for pretty lengthy periods of time in between. So you would think I would have learned how to eat like a normal person. Nah, I learned how to maintain my weight for a period of time. I am once again maintaining and looking to continue that trend.
However, I am probably never gonna be a "normal" person when it comes to food. I also suffer from binge eating behavior and often struggle to find the balance in maintenance. For me it isn't about trying to eat like a normal person who has never had the weight and food related issues that I have had. The best chance I have for success is to recognize my issues with binging, have a concrete and actionable plan to combat the triggers and behaviors and accountability. By accountability I mean by logging consistently. When I was maintaining for the 3 yrs...I was logging my food. It isn't a coincidence for me that when I stopped logging my food...I started on the road to gaining. I gave myself a lot of excuses and convinced myself I learned how to eat like a normal person. However, I didn't. I also took away one of the main tools that helped me be successful in maintenance.
My other piece of advice is to give yourself a break worrying about that right now. Focus on losing weight and controlling your binges in the here and now. Don't worry about the future. Don't worry about forever. That kind of pressure isn't good for the here and now. Worry....no....plan and commit for today. And then do it again tomorrow. And the day after.
That's my take. I'll probably never be a normal eater. However I am the most confident I have ever been that I will be a successful maintainer. Best of luck to you and healthy thoughts.
This^.....totally this (unfortunately).
I don't want to think that I will have to log forever.....but I've lost weight so many times before. I think the thing that says..."I've had enough, it's time to stop eating now" is broken some how.0 -
I have my goal set to lose 1 pd a week which gives me 1700 a day.
I fairly active though, I walk/stand all day for work, run about 12 miles a week and do one day of Zumba and a day of weight lifting. I have it set as lightly active and generally will use maybe 100-200 exercise calories if I need them. Does that sound reasonable?
That sounds more than reasonable.
Too much?? Should I be scaling cals back more?
I can't say what your specific caloric requirements are but you have it set high enough that you won't be starving. You have a good mix of exercising. You seem to have reasonable goals and expectations. You have to find a calorie goal that is sustainable. It does no good to eat at 1200 or 1300 calories a day to be starving come Saturday and eat 4000. It's better to set yourself a reasonable amount each day and the trick is sticking to it. Seems like you're on the right track!
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »Normal is a setting on the washing machine.
*SNORT*0 -
What I've had to learn isn't how to eat like a 'normal' or 'skinny' person. I've been retraining my brain and body to recognize what an actual portion looks like. So while I will probably log and monitor the rest of my life, I'm not as exact now as I was when I started. I've learned what a portion of foods that I like looks like, and I'm able to adjust accordingly a lot better than I used to.
Over time, I've noticed my portions of food that it takes to satisfy me has lessened quite a bit. My brain is paying more attention to the signals my body is giving out, and I've cut back on the amount I eat for meals. But then, my biggest issue isn't junk food. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of junk food, especially chips, but I've learned ways to work them into my diet so I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of stuff I like. No, my biggest issue that I still have trouble with is that I was taught to finish the food on your plate. You don't waste food! Going out to eat can be horrible because I can eat until I fill full, but that might only be half of my meal and I want to finish it so it doesn't waste food!0 -
What I've had to learn isn't how to eat like a 'normal' or 'skinny' person. I've been retraining my brain and body to recognize what an actual portion looks like. So while I will probably log and monitor the rest of my life, I'm not as exact now as I was when I started. I've learned what a portion of foods that I like looks like, and I'm able to adjust accordingly a lot better than I used to.
Over time, I've noticed my portions of food that it takes to satisfy me has lessened quite a bit. My brain is paying more attention to the signals my body is giving out, and I've cut back on the amount I eat for meals. But then, my biggest issue isn't junk food. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of junk food, especially chips, but I've learned ways to work them into my diet so I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of stuff I like. No, my biggest issue that I still have trouble with is that I was taught to finish the food on your plate. You don't waste food! Going out to eat can be horrible because I can eat until I fill full, but that might only be half of my meal and I want to finish it so it doesn't waste food!
Would eating half and taking the other half home to eat later that day/another day in the week allow you to fit it in? You wouldn't be wasting it this way0 -
Protranser wrote: »What I've had to learn isn't how to eat like a 'normal' or 'skinny' person. I've been retraining my brain and body to recognize what an actual portion looks like. So while I will probably log and monitor the rest of my life, I'm not as exact now as I was when I started. I've learned what a portion of foods that I like looks like, and I'm able to adjust accordingly a lot better than I used to.
Over time, I've noticed my portions of food that it takes to satisfy me has lessened quite a bit. My brain is paying more attention to the signals my body is giving out, and I've cut back on the amount I eat for meals. But then, my biggest issue isn't junk food. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of junk food, especially chips, but I've learned ways to work them into my diet so I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of stuff I like. No, my biggest issue that I still have trouble with is that I was taught to finish the food on your plate. You don't waste food! Going out to eat can be horrible because I can eat until I fill full, but that might only be half of my meal and I want to finish it so it doesn't waste food!
Would eating half and taking the other half home to eat later that day/another day in the week allow you to fit it in? You wouldn't be wasting it this way
Ya, I can never finish an entree comfortably and generally plan to take half home. When my fiance and I have dinner before a movie and so aren't going right home, we split a salad and entree.0 -
Ok I"ll say that "normal" people I know, well they know nothing about mfp/calorie counting/macros or micro or anything like that.
What they do is things like eat until I'm full/satisfied, dont care about leaving food in the plate, many actually do go to the gym cause they all know/think that's the best way to be healthy, for most to be honest excesive eating is the exception and not the rule.
I used to laugh at my girlfriends when we were eating out and they ate 2 slices of pizza were likeee screaming because they felt so full (I though they were lying!
) or the amount of food they put on their plate lollll I would tough wtf that's like a kid serving size.
It's not so much about what exactly they ate or their schedule but about their eating habits.
Psss just in case excuse my english, when I'm typing from my phone, awful things happen0 -
What I've had to learn isn't how to eat like a 'normal' or 'skinny' person. I've been retraining my brain and body to recognize what an actual portion looks like. So while I will probably log and monitor the rest of my life, I'm not as exact now as I was when I started. I've learned what a portion of foods that I like looks like, and I'm able to adjust accordingly a lot better than I used to.
Over time, I've noticed my portions of food that it takes to satisfy me has lessened quite a bit. My brain is paying more attention to the signals my body is giving out, and I've cut back on the amount I eat for meals. But then, my biggest issue isn't junk food. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of junk food, especially chips, but I've learned ways to work them into my diet so I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of stuff I like. No, my biggest issue that I still have trouble with is that I was taught to finish the food on your plate. You don't waste food! Going out to eat can be horrible because I can eat until I fill full, but that might only be half of my meal and I want to finish it so it doesn't waste food!
Yup those "starving children in Africa" and "Clean Plate Club" messages at childhood mealtimes sure weren't helpful >.<
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SergeantSausage wrote: »"normal"
lol
As if there were such a thing.
Lol, exactly what I was thinking!
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I need a normal appetite in order to eat like a normal person -- normal meaning I get hungry, I eat until I'm full and satisfied and then I lose interest in food until I'm hungry again.
The only way I've found to return my appetite to normal (and get rid of the food obsession and constant need to eat regardless of physical hunger) is through fasting and/or eating a low carb diet. Once the food obsession was gone then it was just a matter of establishing some healthy eating habits and patterns -- which are easy to sustain (without calorie counting) when I'm not dealing with cravings and compulsive eating.0 -
This may not be what you want to hear, but it's my take on it.
I have also lost weight a few times over. I've also maintained for pretty lengthy periods of time in between. So you would think I would have learned how to eat like a normal person. Nah, I learned how to maintain my weight for a period of time. I am once again maintaining and looking to continue that trend.
However, I am probably never gonna be a "normal" person when it comes to food. I also suffer from binge eating behavior and often struggle to find the balance in maintenance. For me it isn't about trying to eat like a normal person who has never had the weight and food related issues that I have had. The best chance I have for success is to recognize my issues with binging, have a concrete and actionable plan to combat the triggers and behaviors and accountability. By accountability I mean by logging consistently. When I was maintaining for the 3 yrs...I was logging my food. It isn't a coincidence for me that when I stopped logging my food...I started on the road to gaining. I gave myself a lot of excuses and convinced myself I learned how to eat like a normal person. However, I didn't. I also took away one of the main tools that helped me be successful in maintenance.
My other piece of advice is to give yourself a break worrying about that right now. Focus on losing weight and controlling your binges in the here and now. Don't worry about the future. Don't worry about forever. That kind of pressure isn't good for the here and now. Worry....no....plan and commit for today. And then do it again tomorrow. And the day after.
That's my take. I'll probably never be a normal eater. However I am the most confident I have ever been that I will be a successful maintainer. Best of luck to you and healthy thoughts.
@shell1005
Agreed. This is spot on and very well written, too.
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