What do thin/slim people eat?

[cherrypiepie]

I'm genuinely intrigued as I am far from slim with a BMI of 30.

Watching an American series with some very tiny actresses and thinking that they can't eat much. It was the Bold Type.

So if you are slim with BMI around 20 what do you eat?

And I suppose how much do you exercise? But I reckon the old rule of 80% diet : 20 % exercise is right when It comes to weight management.

This is a really interesting thread. I’m very overweight and have a terrible relationship with food. My parents are similar, mindless eating, emotional eating etc. It sounds like a lot is mindset related along with what you’re eating.

I eat quite a bit, but am happy to have long gaps between. Example day from yesterday:

Drinks:
coffees with milk and half a sugar x 4 mugs
Costa latte with coconut milk
Wine - 175ml glass red
Cordial
Water

Lunch:
Grapes
Soup

Dinner:
Chicken breast with new potatoes, garlic, onion, courgette, chilli, coriander, tomatoes
Mini Magnum

Snacked on kids' Turkey Dinosaurs and some fries, and a clementine

Actually that doesn't sound that much! I was full and not feeling deprived though.

Oh. Exercise. I don't know. Walking (a bit) and yoga. Planning to start swimming now as I joined the local pool.

Less.

I've gone from a size 18/20 to a size 10,
I practice time restricted eating, 16:8, so nothing to eat between 8pm and 12 noon.
Typical day:
Lunch: Sandwich with wholemeal bread, butter, salad, chicken with stuffing, mayo. Tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, half an avocado.
Dinner: Marinated salmon fillets with stir fry veg, noodles, small portion of rice. Fresh fruit salad for pudding, full fat yoghurt with nuts, honey, seeds and granola
Couple of posh chocolates with a coffee
Popcorn while watching the football (will be after 8pm but hey ho!)

Exercise - lots of walking at least 10,000 steps per day, minimum of 3 yoga classes a week.

I used to be super skinny and couldn't put on weight. Looked like an elastic band, being nearly 6 foot tall. I never ate a big meal, just looking at one made me full. I used to eat all the time. Little and often, but never a big meal. I think bearing children, changes ur body. Only after my third, did I start to put on weight, feel much better for it. Breast feed them all. Still can't eat a big dinner.

I can eat anything and not put on weight but I’m not a big snacker and don’t comfort eat. I don’t have a sweet tooth, don’t drink alcohol, don’t buy any junk. I keep fit but walking and doing yoga. I’m not a massive consumer of fruit or veg either.

I'm like other posters who typically only eat two meals a day (no breakfast for me) and don't snack.

And I fidget.

I’m very slim and in my 50s. I eat what I like and have never dieted. I don’t exercise much. I do have a sweet tooth and eat chocolate or cake most days. But I don’t eat emotionally or comfort eat. And if I’m stressed, I don’t eat much at all. I could easily go all day without eating anything - or feeling hungry - which isn’t good for you either

We're a reasonably slim family of four, but my 17DS has recently gone pescatarian and over the last month we've all subsequently lost weight.

I now cook a big meat dish that lasts for two days, like a curry, goulash or chilli, and he makes an alternative. Then the other five days it will be fish or vegetable based meals (like fish steaks or fish/vegetable pasta).

For the first two weeks I actually felt quite weak but my body's got used to it now. I never realised how calorific meat was!

I also don't snack between meals. Doing my teeth after lunch was a game changer as it stopped me wanting food.

I’ve had anorexia and at the height of it, i weighed 6:10, so I think that’s 93lbs, think like 44kg and on a day that I didn’t exercise I ate 350 calories a day and on a day I did 450. I can’t put into words how unhealthy I was. I’m 5’3

But now, I’m still slim, pre pregnancy I was a uk size 6/8/10 depending on brand and I honestly ate what I wanted- weighed about 55kg. But I think the key was I didn’t see food as a punishment or a reward, so I just what I fancied and stopped when I had enough. I also walked a fair amount, lifted weights a few times a week and did a super long walk or jog once a week on a Sunday.

@ThatOtherPoster

This is not true in my experience. I'm in Italy. We spend a lot of time planning meals and eating them. Food is one of life's greatest pleasures!

I think conscious eating like this is so much better than mindless eating. In my experience, mindless eating is what puts on the weight. Not savouring, just shovelling.

I'm also in Italy and trust me, not everybody sits all day rolling out their own pasta. The kids especially eat just as much junk as anywhere else, except it's mandated here. TV is full of ads for "snacks" blowing their "all natural ingredients" trumpet...then listing "sugar, flour, butter...all natural".

Sure, I do think Italians probably eat more veg, fruit and definitely fish than Brits. But you only have to look at both adult and childhood obesity figures here too to see that there is a LOT of rose-tinted stereotype bollocks talked about Italian people and food.

Usual BMI of 20.5. My weight has been the same for 15 years. Despite being slender, I still have cellulite (argh).

I don't restrict myself at mealtime at all. I literally eat whatever I want, until I am full. But I don't do sweet beverages, unless massively watered down, not big on alcohol, and I don't really snack much outside of mealtime.

Hate the gym and haven't seen the inside of one since 2008, but go for a 45 min/1 hr walk with DP every day.

We cook a lot from scratch. Yesterday we had homemade falafel in whole-wheat wraps, with stir-fried spiced cabbage, cucumber, bell pepper, sriracha-mayo, and a little cheese. Banana-bread for desert.

I eat what I want/drink what I want but run a lot and walk the dog 2/3 times a day.

I’m veggie, I eat low carb (not no carb) and I don’t eat breakfast (I find it fires up my hunger hormones).

I don’t eat in a ‘traditional’ way. So my first thing to eat will be at 11am and I’ll a handful of pecans, a handful of cashews, some olives and a piece of cheese with some pesto and home made mayo. All the fat fills me up and it’s actually a delicious combination.

I have a green juice before I train (loads of spinach, carrots, cucumber, turmeric, chia and some other healthful powders.

Post workout I have a pea protein shake (a v good quality version)

Lunch will be a goats cheese salad, lots of walnuts and baby spinach.

I don’t have dinner in the week (I do at weekends) so I’ll have a square of dark chocolate grated into some kafir with some strawberries.

I’m peri menopausal and on HRT so maintaining my weight is vital. I also do weights every day, this makes me feel good and keeps my body toned and is again vital for my health especially my age group (mid forties).

@somanyncs

Despite being slender, I still have cellulite (argh).

Same. It's really frustrating. No idea what to do about it.

I used to be a very thin person to the extent that I was under an NHS nutritionist

My diet has not changed in 30 years. I have a complex medical condition and have been through menopause. I am now overweight

I eat no more that 1200 calories a day.

Today
2 eggs for breakfast (would usually have this with asparagus but run out)
1 tin tuna, piles of lettuce and a splashing of balsamic for lunch
Prawns , pile so lettuce and a big dribble of mayonnaise for supper

2 glasses of white wine (as watching football- usually alcohol free)

Diet isnt fair- is it?

BMI of 21 in my 50s, and it's not so much what I do as what I don't do. I don't deny myself any particular foods but I don't eat things like cake, biscuits, crisps etc every day, and I certainly don't gorge on them. These are occasional indulgences. Rarely nibble mindlessly in front of the TV, and am not a big drinker.

I don't tend to snack, and if I do it'll be an apple with nut butter and seeds rather than a bar of chocolate.

If I feel my weight going up I rein in whatever has caused it rather than let it continue, so haven't got into a binge-diet cycle. My BMI used to be 20 but I put on fat over the first lock down due to my living arrangements/more snacks and my activity levels dropping, though this is now stable.

I don't have an emotional attachment to food; I eat mainly home cooked meals (slowly) when I'm hungry and stop before I'm stuffed (even if that means leaving food on my plate). I love left overs so am happy to leave food as it's not wasted.

I don't calorie count but I'm aware of the nutrient value in what I eat, and aim for nutrient rich most of the time. I don't do low fat, but eat oily fish and avocados rather than chips and donuts, and am always mindful of the sugar I'm consuming.

Oh, and I eat sensible sized portions rather than pile the food on my plate (unless it's a massive salad which I love). I really dislike the Man V Food type attitude 🤮

My activity levels vary, but I regularly walk rather than drive, and I tend to fidget too, so even though I don't go to the gym I am quite active

A takeaway does two meals not one
Precisely! I order a curry and rice and eat it over 2 days

Those ready meals that say 'serves two' actually does serve two instead of saying ha ha and eating all of it
I had to point this out to an overweight friend of mine recently (in my defense he's asked me to help him lose weight and use tough love) when he was about to eat a meal for 2 by himself 🙄 He's fat because he eats when he's not hungry, and eats way too much. We're working on the reasons behind this.

Mamajustkilledaman just wanted to say how amazing you are doing, and stick with it it will be well worth it to be healthy, you are doing great, you should feel really really proud of yourself xxxx

Just wanted to add I also love food & cooking - it's all about portion control and eating just enough, just when hungry.

I absolutely hate feeling too full.

My BMI is 20ish I eat loads…
However I do an awful lot of running (usually around 50 miles a week) and a job that on site days can mean stomping about for 8 hours.

@PussGirl

BMI 21 - I'm 56 - used to eat more carbs when I was younger - weight has stayed more or less the same

Typical day:

1-2 eggs for breakfast, no toast unless a weekend

Fruit for lunch, sometimes soup

Braised veg, roast or grilled meat / fish for dinner with potato / pasta / rice / wraps - often have just the veg through the week

Hardly ever any snacks or "treats" - I don't need them & don't see the point - occasionally I'll have cake / pudding at the weekend but not regularly

Fruit for lunch? If I ate your meal plan I would be dead. I’m underweight and I would eat all that in one meal.