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.

My BMI is 21 and has been for 5 years. But I have to watch my weight or it gradually creeps up - I've been in the overweight BMI category in the past. I eat about 2200 calories a day and use MyFitnessPal to keep track of this, and generally do a few miles walking each day, and about 40 minutes exercise video (combination of HIIT and weights) 4 or 5 times a week. While I count calories, I look at it over the week not each day, don't restrict what types of food I eat, always eat three meals a day, and have some form of chocolate / biscuits/ cake every day, but try to keep it within reason (not always successfully!). I have plenty of veg with every meal and I try to keep alcohol to the weekends (although I'm currently sipping a rum as I'm on annual leave this week!). This works for me, but it's definitely something I have to actively work at rather than something that comes naturally.

BMI 20 in my 50s. I love food. Today I had a sausage naan from Dishoom & black coffee for breakfast. Then overnight oats with yogurt for lunch (had forgotten I was going out for breakfast when I made it) and some raspberries. Dinner was some roasted chicken breast (no skin) with courgettes and herby giant couscous. Pudding was a peach & 3 jelly babies (so far). I haven’t done any exercise today but have walked nearly 10km as part of my normal life. Usually I’d go for a run, bike ride & do weights or pilates. I eat cake/icecream etc on Saturdays.

My BMI is around 20. I eat a fair amount - porridge for breakfast, cereal bar or banana mid morning, gluten free sandwich and fruit for lunch, then normal home cooked dinner.

I have to eat carbs, otherwise I feel faint. I also can't skip a meal, ever, otherwise I feel faint

I don't eat sugar though, no cake, biscuits etc and only have crisps at a weekend. Very little alcohol.

All my naturally slim friends eat loads and I always think there has got to be something in that. I know genetics play a big part but I believe dieting is what makes/keeps people overweight - we cut out food groups which feed our gut bacteria, deprive ourselves so we crave junk more and emotionally eat, cut calories too much so our metabolism slows down and then when we eat more good is stored as fat etc.
I myself am in a constant cycle of dieting which seems never ending. I think if I were to just eat normally then I’d be a healthy weight but it’s hard to do that.

I don't eat if I'm not hungry, rarely eat breakfast as I just don't feel hungry first thing in the morning and I don't see the point of eating just because it's a particular time of the day or a habit.

I stop eating before I'm full as I can't abide the feeling of being so full it's uncomfortable.

I rarely eat between meals and don't snack mindlessly in front of the TV.

I don't have a sweet tooth.

I love things like salad, crunchy and fresh and would rather eat that than something stodgy.

Don't deprive myself of anything, if I want something I eat it but don't eat massive quantities of anything.

I don't live to eat, I love food and enjoy it but don't constantly think or obsess about food.

I walk a fair bit and swim but that's all the exercise I do.

Sometimes it the same sort of food as bigger people but less of it.

Half a pizza with salad instead of a whole one.

A takeaway does two meals not one.

Those ready meals that say 'serves two' actually does serve two instead of saying ha ha and eating all of it.

Doggy bags from restaurants, you get the idea.

BMI 20. Porridge full fat milk and honey at mid day. Slice of wholegrain toast with butter and an egg about 3pm. 5-7 portions of veg for dinner as a curry, chilli, stew with a carb of some sort. Don't
eat meat or fish. Bar of chocolate. Full fat Greek yogurt and fruit or nuts if hungry. Walk fast for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week.

BMI 20

Massive bowl of cereal and milk
Milky coffee
Big slice of cake
Jacket potato with tuna and cheese
Pack of crisps
Ratatouille and boiled potatoes with butter
A couple of squares of chocolate

Cycled about 20 miles. A standard day.

My sister is borderline underweight and always has been (mid 40s). She eats what she wants, usually utter trash - takeaways several times a week, pastries twice a day, snacks on chocolate bars and crisps, has fruit or veg a couple of times a week. Rarely cooks, all the food in her house is highly processed - you won't find an egg or a potato let alone but she has plenty of breakfast cereal, biscuits, soft drinks, salad creams etc.

Not sure what my BMI is as I haven't weighed myself in years. I'm 5ft and thin though. I tend to eat one meal a day and don't snack. I just don't get hungry enough to eat more. I walk a lot but not by choice (school runs). Don't exercise other than that. Eating is often a chore. I'm vegetarian.

I eat anything I want but I weigh & log everything on My Fitness Pal and stick (mostly) to my calorie target.

Unable to exercise due to health issues but I lost, & have kept off, 3 stone.

BMI now low end of normal & size 10.

I’m 5ft 6 and just under 9 stone which is actually my heaviest weight (apart from when pregnant)

I cycle 2 x a week between 35 and 65 miles each ride.

I run once a week

And I walk 3 miles a week (this can vary depending on time .. it could be 10 miles some weeks)

I’m at my heaviest because I’m drinking a lot!!

Other than that I do eat lots of chocolate but my diet is always balanced. Lots of salad and veg. Never deny myself anything but it’s all in moderation and that’s always important. People always make fun of me for loving salad because they consider it “boring” it’s really not. Lots of delicious variations you can do. Including steak and blue cheese which I love.

I feel overweight compared to what I’m used to (around 8stone 4) but I know that’s in my head. I’m a very very healthy weight and I eat lots of fruit and veg and like you say.. exercise is key… even a walk every day makes a huge difference

I eat whatever I want but nothing between meals. Lots of fruit and veg, but I also love my carbs. I drink a little wine, not a great sweet tooth but I like an ice cream now and then. Never really dieted.
My weight hasn't varied much in 40 years, if it creeps up I eat the same meals but a bit less for a week or two. I exercise for health but don't enjoy it and don't believe it affects my weight.

Easy to sound smug but actually I think it's mostly in the genes and just luck. If I put on weight easily I would really struggle to diet.

I'm quite slim, 5'6" and 8 stone 2. I always eat overnight soaked oats for breakfast with fresh fruit. And for lunch have 4 crispbreads for lunch with a scraping of Philadelphia Light and some tomato purée and oregano. A bag of low fat crisps, a low fat yoghurt, an apple and a Fibre One bar. Almost every single day!! But then I allow myself whatever I want for tea. I walk the dog or go for a run every day and always do at least 10,000 steps. It seems to work for maintaining my weight. If I was trying to lose I'd cut out sweets and biscuits and cake etc after my tea.

I'd love not to have an emotional relationship with food!

When I was slim (until 29/30) I didn't eat breakfast but then ate pretty much whatever I wanted, just not huge amounts and rarely had takeaways but had chocolate almost daily.

What do thin/slim people eat?

Less of everything than the fat people would.

Every thin person who says they eat whatever they like isn't quite telling the truth.

They eat a little bit of whatever they like, but clearly don't eat as much as a fat person would.

A takeaway does two meals not one.Those ready meals that say 'serves two' actually does serve two instead of saying ha ha and eating all of it.

Yes this.
If we have a takeaway one meal between us is plenty. So one fish and chips between us or one Chinese meal and one rice.

7 to 10 fruit and veg a day. Breakfast typically two fried eggs and avocado on toast, mushrooms, spinach, tomato. Half grapefruit. Glass of milk. Dinner usually a curry or chilli or soup. Snacks like berries with cream, banana smoothie. Lunch at weekend often cheese and tomato on toast. Very little ultra processed foods. BMI 19.5.

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

I was having dinner with friends lately and one person (fairly chunky) asked another (very slim) this exact question. Slim says to chunky "I eat exactly what you eat, I just eat less than half of the amount".

It didn't go down well.....but she was absolutely correct.

@AubergineParmigiana

My best friend has always been super slim. She eats whatever she fancies to be honest, but the 'secret' is that she doesn't have the emotional association with food a lot of us have...and she only eats when she's hungry and only until she's nicely satisfied and no more. I wish I was like herS

This.

My BMI is 19 and I eat more or less what I like, but the important thing is that I don’t have any issues with food. It can be a treat, but I don’t use it to comfort me. I know when to stop.

For example, today I had some chips (pub lunch) and stopped for an ice cream on the way home. I didn’t feel guilty about it, or that I’d ‘failed’ some diet. It was just a nice treat.

I also don’t tend to snack - I have three healthy meals a day with lots of fat, protein and veg. I do yoga and walking for exercise, maybe two or three times a week max. But you’re right - most of being slim is down to what you eat.

I have two thin friends. One drinks black coffee and either has an apple or a can of Diet Coke for lunch.
The other eats leafy salads with the occasional bit of protein, like an egg, in it.
I don’t know how they exist on such little food.

Oh, and copious amounts of 85% cocoa chocolate.

I have two meals a day, breakfast and dinner, some days I may have a small snack like an apple/some grapes or a few crackers, it depends what I’ve eaten for breakfast as I like to keep my gluten intake low.
I do allow myself one treat a day as I do have a sweet tooth!

@Gingernaut

What do thin/slim people eat?

Less of everything than the fat people would.

Every thin person who says they eat whatever they like isn't quite telling the truth.

They eat a little bit of whatever they like, but clearly don't eat as much as a fat person would.

I think you’re half right. Many slim people do eat whatever they like, but the point is they know when to stop. If they open a packet of biscuits they don’t want more than a couple. It’s just a different mindset. It’s about beliefs - overweight people believe they can’t stop; slim people know that of course they have a choice.

BMI 20.7, always been slim.

I have an athletic build genetically/family. I do snack/eat junk: takeaways, entire pizza, packs of biscuits, crisps, chocolate, pop. I don’t drink much alcohol so I think that helps. I think i sometimes miss a meal or eat not huge portions if I’ve had a lot of food previous day, but I don’t do a ton of exercise. I think i lose weight fairly quick but gain slowly somehow, and it will tend to stay off. I don’t know why, and I’m certainly not eating healthily all the time.

I have no answers/secrets!