AIBU to ask how people stay slim without strict dieting?

Just don't eat a lot of calories. It's as simple and as complicated as that.

I am not very slim now post children but I was in the past and when I think about what I ate then compared to now I can see why.

I'm not sure you can actively lose weight by following the habits of a slim person who is maintaining their size (unless by doing so they are living/eating what you would term a diet)

I've lost a lot of weight cutting out most sugar, alcohol and eating low carbs. Doesn't have to be every day, you could do it in a 5/2 basis or 4/3 basis so that 2 or 3 days a week you can eat those things if that is how your lifestyle works.

My job involves a lot of travel round the country. If I am organised I pack lunch (and breakfast if I'm out by 5). If not then Pret does quite nice salads e.g. broccoli, chicken, edamame beans and eggs / tuna nicoise / small protein pots with a small soup. Gail's also does a really lovely 4 bean salad with broccoli and pickled fennel and a turmeric dressing. If you are really hungry/ in need of carbs, Leon brown rice bowls with chicken and slaw. You just have to ignore all the lovely looking baguettes and pastries that call your name when you are tired!

There was a programme about this on channel 4 probably about 10 years ago and this was always the conclusion. All the people couldn’t understand why they were so slim without trying and when you followed them they just didn’t eat much.

I can’t remember it all but I do remember

• the man who said he ate ENORMOUS dinners did so but rarely ate anything else
• the woman who said she got 4 take aways a week did so but never finished them and often skipped breakfast

Basically none of them were eating a lot of calories - it’s literally the only answer. My DH lost loads of weight on his year abroad at uni while surviving on a diet, pizza and white wine spritzers - too hungover or lazy to get up and eat breakfast or lunch most days and walked everywhere so even though the diet was awful there just wasn’t a lot going in.

Luck and genetics. That’s it.

My friend who is a size 6 eats everything but really small amounts.

I was an 8 till menopause then became a 10. I had an accident 2 years ago where I could hardly move for 5 months, I went up to a 12. After months of physio and then another issue with a severe reaction to medication that set me back again I’m back to a 10.

It’s all about smaller portions for me, snacking is very rare, hardly any sugar, fresh food and lots of walking and hiking. Never been a huge drinker, I get drunk very easily, too easily. On a big night out, friends would be drinking 5 to 10 glasses I would have had 2, all be at around the same level of being drunk. It’s a lot less calories for me.

They don’t eat when they’re not hungry. And when they do eat, they don’t eat massive portions.

I am virtually the same - 5 ft 7.5inches, 60kg and size 12. It comes down to the size of your frame. I’m late 40s now and have put on a couple of kg but even when down around 56 - 58kg I was 10 - 12.

it’s primarily about blood sugar control.

do keto.

I don't eat sweets and puddings.

I do snack but I’m very active. I run minimum 3 days a week and one of those will be long distance. I try to also implement strength training a couple of times a week too. I commute via train so have to walk to and from the train station and my job tends to be 75% on my feet moving around. It isn’t really about food for me but exercise. I can eat what I want really provided I stay mega active. I’m not “naturally” slim, my whole family struggle with their weight and I have too in the past.

Walk/take the stairs whenever you can, lay off booze, takeaways and refined carbs and don’t buy shite snacks in the food shop - if it’s there I’ll eat it but if it’s not I can’t.

I’m also a big fan of a social run, if I’ve arranged to meet someone I’ll go and we have a slow and steady plod and can chat away.

The honey roasting bit is processing - it makes the nuts more palatable. It may or may not be ultra-processing, have a look at the ingredients - what's gone into the honey roast coating.

If you had a bag of plain peanuts - not salted, not roasted, not flavoured, just straight out of the shell, you might find them less easy to eat in a larger quantity.

I have a labradoodle. That's 2 hours of walking a day, right there. I gave up alcohol a few years ago (not for weight loss, but family history of alcohol abuse). I lift heavy weights three times a week and do sprint intervals on a row erg twice a week. I do snack, though.

I used to love biscuits, never particularly liked cake.

When i realised that biscuits are basically just palm oil and sugar, and eating 3 per day was enough to make me gain weight, it put me right off them. The more i've cleaned my diet of refined carbs like bread, the less i want snacks like biscuits. At work i keep a box of dates and apples for when i want something sweet.

That's a lot of walking for somebody with a full time job!

I snack/graze continually, but rarely eat big meals. It suits me far more. I eat tons of fish, seafood, vegetables, nuts, beans, eggs, fruit etc. Not bothered about meat. I love cooking and preparing food and don't have a sweet tooth at all.

I eat a few processed foods but not too many. Drink wine, but no beer/fizzy drinks. Takeaway about twice a year.

I don't restrict myself at all, because I genuinely enjoy pretty healthy foods, so I eat fairly freely. I had fresh anchovies, cherry tomatoes and roast sweet potato for breakfast, which probably sounds bloody awful to many people

I'm an ex-ballet dancer, but I really don't do much exercise these days. I stretch, bit of yoga, walking, occasional weights.

I don't eat much bread, potatoes, rice, or pasta. I don't eat in between meals and walk vout 3-4 miles a day. Weaknesses sugar and alcohol.

I do think some people just love to perform martyrdom

Exercise and only eating what I actually want

That's not deprivation I mean I don't waste calories on porridge or sthg

Ideally walk 20-30km a day though and I know not everyone would consider that realistic

Does what? Stay slim?
I'm not missing out on anything. I snack a lot and eat take aways.
There are plenty of people who maintain a healthy, slim body without denying themselves.

Sounds like you work out though so sorry yeah obviously people who train well can eat more.

Not strictly true. I eat way more than I did as a youth and have visible abs.

I use slimpod and have lost weight without really trying. I have literally yo-yo dieted for years. I have to say that this has been a revelation. Ive been on it for about 2 months and my husband commented about my weight loss which is huge thing for him to even notice! It just stops the food noise. I don't really think about snacking. It retrains your brain to make you think about what you eat. I was very sceptical but it seems to be working!

I don’t think anyone does it without a lower calorie intake. They all have to miss out on stuff.
Basically if people want to be slim and stay slim, you have to deny yourself a lot, no snacking, rare takeaways.

Your health matters too op, lift weights, walk. Make time for it. Block it out and make it unavailable for your busy active social life.
as for eating, it isn’t a diet but I try and keep my breakfast and lunch relatively light and nutritious on most office days. I make breakfast biscuits or have a protein yoghurt, and lunch I have a set of go tos- supermarket soup, prepackaged small tuna grain dish, home made bulk cooked spinach cheese pie, a toasted sandwich or if I’m buying usually two sushi rolls. I take some nuts, a chopped apple and dark chocolate as my office snacks. I am only in the office a few days a week but little habits help. This means I can go away and have a big plate of fish and chips etc and it doesn’t matter.
exercise, create some healthy habits, and count the evening snacks.