What really is "normal?" - Diet & Nutrition Message Board

LS289 · 08-21-2005, 11:10 PM

What is normal in EATING? in EXERCISING? in OVEREATING? in DRINKING? in everything, really???

I'm asking because last night I went to a BIG dinner for my brother's bday at a steakhouse and ate a lot of food. Bread to start, tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad with olive oil and vinegar, Filet mignon, roasted vegetables, 2 glasses of red wine, a few bites of creme brulee, and a few tiny chocolate mint candies. I let myself feel ok about it b/c it was a celebration, but today I was wondering...do most people compensate the next day after a big meal like that? Do they eat lighter and exercise more? Do they dwell on it? Or is it normal to have a meal like that every once in a while and not have to think twice about it?

Today was my day that I was going to "compensate," but I didn't do such a good job at it. Here is what I ate:
Breakfast-apple, blueberries, banana, lowfat cottage cheese, flaxseed
coffee with nonfat milk
lunch-6 slices turkey with LF pita chips and 1/2 of a tomato
Dinner-big salad with peas, corn, garbanzo beans, tomato and LF dressing
Dessert-nonfat frozen yogurt
And I did not exercise (my muscles felt really tired/sore)...

What about exercise? If I am running 5-6 miles almost everyday now and I eat very healthy, then what happens if I stop? Will I gain a bunch of weight? I exercise all the time, but I have a couple of friends that never go to the gym and seem to eat almost the same as me and don't gain weight. And I know that it all comes down to "calories in, calories out", but what about casually speaking...not technically speaking? If I were to not exercise (or not exercise as much) and eat healthy foods when I'm hungry, then would I most likely be a normal weight? I just get so confused sometimes about what I should be doing or what is normal...WHAT IS NORMAL!???

StenoLady1 · 08-22-2005, 08:48 AM

Hi

I think everybody's bodies are different and how they've been conditioned, so to speak. I think our jobs play a part in it, too. I have a sedentary job where I sit and I can't even take a drink of water for hours. My hubby is on his feet all day. We're on the same eating plan, and he's lost twice as much as me. I didn't take care of myself when I was younger, and I'm paying for it now. These things IMO all have to be taken into consideration to figure out what is "normal" for you.

I think the proof of this is how some lose weight with only cardio; others need weights or strength training; others need both cardio and weights/strength training. Some do well with low-fat/low-cal; others do well with low-carb or vegetarian.

I think you really just need to listen to your body. If you don't run for a few days and eat your normal diet (which looks great, BTW) and your shorts are tight, you may need to exercise a little more. If you go crazy with food on a holiday or a birthday, listen to your body the next few days and try to figure out what it's telling you.

FWIW, for the past six weeks, I had been eating absolutely no processed foods. I even make my own bread and salad dressings. Well, I had a death in the family on Saturday morning and ate out almost all day on Saturday...not really bad stuff, but like a turkey sandwich on a specialty bread with cheese (boy, have I missed real cheese!), an olive relish and olive oil; some premade low-fat dips and pitas from the store. Man, was my stomach upset the next day! I realized unless I never want to eat out again, I probably should be eating some processed foods just for social purposes. My diet of no processed foods was not "normal" for me, and my body told me so when I ate something that wasn't completely homeade.

HTH...I'm curious to see what others say, too. Very interesting

Lysne

tdot · 08-22-2005, 11:15 AM

LS,

Normal is NOT thinking about food, exercise, weight, compensation/guilt, good/bad foods ALL THE TIME. I try my best to eat healthy and I am active, but I don't think about it a lot or ever feel the need to compensate. I'm not suggesting that you don't have other things on your mind, but from reading your posts, it seems that you think about the above mentioned things a lot.

girlygirl11 · 08-22-2005, 11:17 AM

Normal means not compensating. A celebration is a celebration- it's not going to cause you to gain weight overnight. Normal means that when your muscles are tired, rest and don't feel guilty. Normal means eating junk foods if you crave them or if that's all that's available, and not freaking out because you couldn't eat a super low fat, low cal, high fibre/protein meal/snack. Normal means eating when/what/where you want, how much you want and feeling satisfied that your meal was delicious and satisfying, and NOT thinking about the calories you just ate and how you're going to purge them. Normal means listening to your body- not always your mind- about eating. If you like that cake and you want a slice, go for it..don't punish yourself because your mind tells you it's not an apple. Normal means eating a huge variety of foods- both good and 'bad' and not feeling guilty for eating one thing over another. Normal means only remembering meals for the memories that came with it, and not for their calorie or nutritional content. Normal means trying to eat healthy when possible, but not feeling guilty or upset when its NOT possible or when you crave something else.

If you were to continue what you were eating and not exercise so obsessively, you would most likely NOT gain weight. Your mind would definately tell you that you have, but you wouldn't. You aren't eating that much, and when you do it's extremely healthy, to the point where it's not really..normal. Your celebration meal was VERY healthy and it really was NOT that much...most people would eat that plus a whole creme brulee or other dessert, and not feel guilty at all. And the day afterwards looks VERY healthy, and to a healthy person, that menu WOULD be compensating. There was nothing wrong with what you ate, and it wasn't that much. The fact that you're tried after doing the exercise you've been doing for a while suggests youre doing TOO MUCH. I highly recommend you cut down on exercise- run only every other day, and don't double up on those days either. Your body NEEDS to rest and you can't keep running it so strictly- its exhausting and is clearly putting a strain on your- physically and mentally.

Jess75 · 08-23-2005, 09:58 AM

Yes, the others are right. You do NOT eat enough and you do too much cardio. I would try weight training and less cardio to prevent muscle loss which is probably occuring since your underweight for your height.