Am I really not eating enough?

Question

Over the last few weeks a few people have said they're worrying about how much I eat. At the start it was mainly my family, but when my friends started saying it too, I began to take notice.

I generally have a bowl of coco pops, or some other cereal in the morning, skip lunch (I'm never hungry in the middle of the day), and have soup and a sandwich, or something similar for dinner.

Is this really not enough?

I'm 5ft11, and I weigh 168lbs, so no, I'm not anorexic, before anyone asks. I'm generally quite happy with my weight.

Answer 1

I would say you have a healthy attitude to food- you eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full.

If you do start losing weight, maybe having a protein drink at lunch or milkshake will help.  

Answer 2

No, should not skip lunch! try to eat more during brkfrst and lunch, and bowl of soup is too little for dinner. try to eat more. the body need way more nutrition than these. but remember to eat toooooo much!!!(

Answer 3

It's a heck of a lot less than what I eat, and I'm 5'11"-6'0" and weigh 155. I think some of my low weight is due to breastfeeding. (I describe an average day for me in the last question I answer.)

There was a time in my life where I ate less, I think, but weighed more. I think that was due to not eating real foods. I thought nothing of going to fast food places a few times a week, eating half a carton of ice cream in one sitting, and not having many veggies and fruits. I would have also thought nothing of skipping meals, especially breakfast. Everything I eat now is whole, real foods (or as close as to what I can get sometimes) and I eat more of them. As I said in the other answer, I'm also breastfeeding, so that might account for my lower weight.

What changed for me is that I began to look at what I was and wasn't eating in terms of real food and nutrition. So, now I eat as much, if not more, than what I did in the past, but with real foods. Also, in past answers I have listed some vegetarian sites that are good at talking about nutrition and health needs. (Just look at my questions that ask about things like milk, vegetarianism, etc.)

Anyway, I hope I've been of some help. I got up because I had much on my wired mind and I wasn't settling down. However, I am now getting sleepy, so I'm not even sure if I've been coherent. I do hope I have been.

Answer 4

No, not really.

Lunch shouldn't generally be skipped, maybe you could just have something light, like salad, just to be eating something.  

Answer 5

Sounds like you have a very slow metabolism.  I would try to include more fiber, and a piece of fruit or some yogurt even though you aren't hungry at lunch time, and get some regular exercise to increase your metabolism.   At 5'11" a weight in the 160's is not so bad, but I would be concerned about your nutrition levels.  Adding some regular exercise that would burn some calories allowing you to add some more nutritious eating would be wise.