AIBU to ask how people stay slim without strict dieting?

I only eat when I’m genuinely hungry, and I stop when I’m comfortably full. Cutting out sugary snacks has helped me as well.
It becomes easier the longer you do it. Take time to enjoy your food, rather than eating it absent mindedly while working or scrolling, and you’ll get much more satisfaction from it.

My best friend of 40 years still has the figure of a model
Is tee total, smokes and has no interest in food - also helps that she’s 5’11”

I would absolutely have used WLIs but can’t afford them and this has worked for me - 1 big meal a day, intermittent fasting I guess?

I’ve been overweight for my of my adult life, but have randomly found something that worked for me.

I’ve not eaten breakfast since a teen, but would have lunch and dinner late at night. I cut dinner out because eating late at night made me more awake (thanks peri!)
so I’ve just gone in the pattern of one meal a day

People who are slim take in fewer calories or eat to feed theur training/sports regime.

And I find it much easier to eat less knowing I can pig out in the evening. It's rare that I'll get enough to completely make up for what I've missed.

Just to add - I don’t get any food noise whatsoever and I think that makes a HUGE difference. I don’t think about food unless I have a reason to, like if I’m currently hungry or planning to do some cooking or doing the food shop or whatever. Otherwise, zero food noise. I didn’t realise how uncommon that is until everyone at work started on mountjaro and all started talking about it

I can't function without a fair amount of carbs. But I try and stick to complex carbs where possible.

This is pretty much me. Been the same weight with only a few kg variation (excepting pregnancy/postpartum) since I was 18, now 36. Have had 5 kids (eldest 14, youngest 10 months), BMI currently just under 19, size 8. I regularly skip meals but not deliberately - I just don’t think about it or don’t get hungry. Usually eat 2 meals a day but I do snack too. However I eat pretty low UPF & always full fat - I loathe low fat alternatives. I don’t drink alcohol at all (maybe a few times a year if that), don’t drink fizzy drinks either really, just coffee and water. I don’t do any official exercise but am active, lots of running around after kids. If I’m really busy or really tired I’ll just skip food as can’t be bothered with the faff of it which is probably why I stay this size - I’m permanently busy and permanently exhausted so worked out over months or whatever I probably miss a lot of meals even though I never feel like I’ve deprived myself. And genetics have to play a bit part too, my dad is incredibly skinny so I’m 50% genetically prone to thinness!

I don’t know. It is hard.
You have to reach a point somehow where food drops off your radar a bit.
Im quite slim, but i’m always hungry and i like to eat everything (apart from being pescatarian). I’ve been 10.5st or just under and a size 12 for years but had a nasty vomiting bug in summer when i couldn’t keep fluid down. After that had bland soft food for a few days. I have gone off things, and no longer think about food every waking moment. I’m 9st 9 now and back in size 10 trousers.

Tips -

• Drink lots of water or squash
• Exercise- running or weights
• Reduce food noise by finding something else to do
• If you are having a big meal out,don’t eat much the day of, or the day after it
• Limit alcohol- the effects are bigger than you think!
• Try to eat breakfast late, if possible push into lunch
• Have soup and sandwich or eggs for tea sometimes
• Have fruit and yoghurt for lunch sometime
• Have a protein snack such a eggs, nuts or a spoon of nut butter rather than toast or chocolate in the evenings
• Biscuits and chocolate are ok, but have a salad for lunch if you overdo the morning biccies.

Those sound crazy written down!

I think a lot of people don't ever really experience true hunger. I certainly didn't very often in my office job, but if I forget to bring my packed lunch in my current job I might not be able to eat for well over 12 hours or until I get home as I'm often stuck all day on a remote HS2 site or shuttling concrete back and forth between an isolated newbuild estate and a plant with no shops in between.

I rarely get cravings when really hungry. I just feel flat and grumpy and really lose physical energy when doing tasks.

Just to add I think it's hugely genetic - I have friends who eat much less than me and struggle to stay their dress size.

I have to calorie count as my daily caloric needs are low - 1,600. I quickly put on weight if I dont stick to that. It's made bearable by allowing myself a packet of crisps or some nuts a day.

If I have a big event coming up, I'll eat less in the days preceeding the event and "bank" some calories for the event.

I eat what I like and don't think about it much TBH. I think that's key, but very difficult to do.

I generally eat real food not UPFs, but I do eat sugar, cakes, chocolate, crisps, chips etc.

I sometimes skip breakfast or lunch without really meaning to, I'm just busy.

I don't drink much and I don't eat massive portions. I eat a lot of vegetarian food.

I'm not skinny but I've been more or less the same size for about 20 years (size 10).

No offense intended but I think I’d rather be fat and die young, hate tofu, blooming love crisps and a big gin….5’6, 9st 10

Sitting at a desk all day doesn't help either.

I tbibk this falls into two camps:

1. some people are just naturally slim and can eat fairly well most of teh time and stay slim.
2. people who are very disciplined. Either you eat very strictly. My sister in law is tiny but she eats virtually nothing. No carbs. A yogurt for breakfast, salad for lunch and a big dinner. No snacks. Another friend of mine is disciplined in other ways . Gym 3 mornings a week, no carbs Monday to Friday. No processed food.

So pick your camp! I am not thin nor fat. Just normal size 10/12. I eat well ish but do snack and don't do enough exercise. I know why I'm not thin!

Less than 30g carbs per day. No booze

Always been slim. Fast metabolism. Eat real
food, mostly vegetables and high proteins. No junk. Little booze. Lots of exercise.

small portions and eat mindfully

I think this is key. I eat what I want, when I want but most of what I want is healthy food and I choose to snack on nuts, fruit etc because I like it. I do also eat cake, biscuits etc but usually it's ones I've made myself.

Meanwhile DH snacks on cheese sandwiches at 10pm and has put weight on his belly.

Stay away from processed food. It is utter shit, addictive and very bad for you. I def think genetics plays a huge role but its not a given just maybe a predisposition. I have lost a significant amount of weight over the course of a few years and am currently keeping it off. I"m classed as overweight but close to 'normal'. I use a low dose weight loss injection. I feel it 'levels the field' with people who don't struggle with their weight. I dont usually eat sugar or processed rubbish. I would recommend you reading the shit to shiny method by Sally Wilkinson.

I would say a delayed breakfast - if at all: But I don’t really ‘think’ about food that much. So as long as I have 2 meals that are tasty and I feel satisfied; I don’t have need for snacks. (Apart from fruit or cups of tea).

Edited to add: All meals are from scratch. Unless eating out/takeaway.

I'm slim and I eat 3 proper meals a day.

This is very good advice OP. Similar to me apart from that I have to have 3 meals per day. They are calorie controlled though.

I don’t diet, or count calories. Don’t really exercise. I just naturally have a very small appetite. So if I go out for dinner I’ll never finish a meal - the portions are just too big. I can’t have three courses either.
I don’t snack between meals, as I just don’t get hungry.