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.

bmi 22
it's not so much what I eat or how much (that can vary greately)

a few things

• I don't eat until I'm full, I stop eating when I'm not hungry anymore.
• if I'm not hungry I don't eat.
• if I fancy 'junk' I have it as my main meal (like chrisps, dips & vegs sticks)

and of course exercise, at least a brisk half hour walk a day.

eat food - not too much - mostly plants

I've had BMI from 20 to over 30 and have fat and thin friends.

My observations over the years:

Alcohol- so many hidden calories esp in wine/beers/cider, thin people just dont drink as much

Activity levels- not actual exercise but whether they have a sedentary job and long commute, thinner people tend to walk/bike/public transport to get around and have jobs which keep them active. Full time office workers always tend to be fatter.

Exercise- the normalisation of this, for thin people it's part of their daily routine like toothbrushing, for fat people something to try when they are on a diet.

Food- thin people see it as fuel not something for its own sake or to derive pleasure from. They take what they need then stop. No emotional eating. No social or treat eating. Small portion sizes. Very controlled and not indulgent. Never binge. I've also noticed that thin people often seem to like low cal foods like the taste of green veg and don't like the taste of high cal foods like cream or cheese or processed food.

Food- thin people see it as fuel not something for its own sake or to derive pleasure from.

What, all of them?

When I was very slim I ate loads, my friend I shared flat with was always amazed at how much I could eat, i would buy family sized dessert and eat it myself, very sweet toothed, just l over my food and felt faint if I didn’t eat breakfast right away, really didn’t need to think about calories but I’ve always been busy swimming walking and worked as a nurse then so always on my feet Plus my mum was exactly the same, her friends used to joke she would win a pie eating contest she could eat so much! She’s slim too.
As I’ve aged and got a underactive thyroid, I do now have to be careful at times and try to eat less biscuits and chocolate saying that I never deny myself cake and can eat more than my husband at meal times. I’m not a drinker a glass of Prosecco on special occasions does me.
Think it’s mainly genetic so certainly don’t feel superior to anyone.

Whatever I want when I want. I do love food and I love all the bad stuff 🙈 The trick here is though I don't eat loads.

I'm always 😱 at how much some folk eat when I go out for dinner. If I have a starter (which I love) I'll really struggle to eat much of a main meal about half at best. If I've not had a starter I rarely finish a main meal. I just can't eat lots at one sitting.

I often don't have breakfast and lunch usually brunch which covers both for me then dinner with a lot of snacks all night 🙈

I don't eat enough fruit and veg and I snack on crisps and rubbish way too much. I don't think overall though my calorie intake is often above 1200 calories.

I'm always 😱 at how much some folk eat when I go out for dinner

What you eat on a night out isn’t necessarily particularly reflective of your day to day habits which is what keeps you slim.

Food- thin people see it as fuel not something for its own sake or to derive pleasure from

Do people actually believe that nonsense?

Alcohol- so many hidden calories esp in wine/beers/cider, thin people just dont drink as much

Or this! Lol. You're nuts.

@lollypoppi

Whatever I want when I want. I do love food and I love all the bad stuff 🙈 The trick here is though I don't eat loads.

I'm always 😱 at how much some folk eat when I go out for dinner. If I have a starter (which I love) I'll really struggle to eat much of a main meal about half at best. If I've not had a starter I rarely finish a main meal. I just can't eat lots at one sitting.

I often don't have breakfast and lunch usually brunch which covers both for me then dinner with a lot of snacks all night 🙈

I don't eat enough fruit and veg and I snack on crisps and rubbish way too much. I don't think overall though my calorie intake is often above 1200 calories.

I totally agree. It’s a fact that the more you eat, the more you are ABLE to eat. It’s a vicious circle and results in feeling hungry more often. When I get into a habit of eating less (and lighter less carbs foods) after a couple of weeks my hunger levels have decreased dramatically. Small portions fill me up.

My observations over the years:
are a load of rubbish

Alcohol- so many hidden calories esp in wine/beers/cider, thin people just dont drink as much
Some of the thinnest in my family have been alcoholics

Activity levels- not actual exercise but whether they have a sedentary job and long commute, thinner people tend to walk/bike/public transport to get around and have jobs which keep them active. Full time office workers always tend to be fatter.
Probably about half the overweight parents at my kids school cannot drive, they walk, train and bus everywhere. My SIL wears children's clothes age 10 and won't walk to the shop at the end of the road!

Exercise- the normalisation of this, for thin people it's part of their daily routine like toothbrushing, for fat people something to try when they are on a diet.
There are overweight people all over the country who love exercise. In my running club there's very many

Food- thin people see it as fuel not something for its own sake or to derive pleasure from. They take what they need then stop. No emotional eating. No social or treat eating. Small portion sizes. Very controlled and not indulgent. Never binge. I've also noticed that thin people often seem to like low cal foods like the taste of green veg and don't like the taste of high cal foods like cream or cheese or processed food.
Again completely rubbish. Some thin people probably do eat like that. Loads don't. I physically cannot eat as much in one sitting as the SIL I mentioned, she can easily eat three courses and then finish off the kids puddings. She has a massively sweet tooth, eats the charms from lucky charms as a snack puts maple syrup in virtually all her drinks including Prosecco and fills a huge jar with pick and mix weekly. She's like buddy the elf but she's elf sized!
I love green vegetables, they're genuinely some of my favourite foods, always have been. I am fat.

Food- thin people see it as fuel not something for its own sake or to derive pleasure from.

Alcohol- so many hidden calories esp in wine/beers/cider, thin people just dont drink as much

Sorry to shatter your illusions.

I have a BMI of 19 and derive a great deal of pleasure from eating food. Cooking is one of my hobbies.

I eat a balanced diet and drink alcohol. I don't restrict any particular food groups. I visit a gym three times a week and go for run once or twice a month. I don't count steps

I put on 4/5 stone whilst pregnant because I couldn't control my cravings, i was eating 5/6 take aways a week, I'm now back to a BMI of around 19, I'm quite strict, a take away once a week, i eat a lot of eggs, beans, fruit. I try to eat very little processed foods, no bread although I'm not a big bread eater anyway.

Dinners are usually rice or chips done in an airfryer with chicken or any lean meat and veg done in a sauce, usually curry, teriyaki, honey chilli

But I've found my cravings aren't as bad now I'm maintaining my weight, i think the hardest part is being in calorie deficit and feeling hungry which i find is the only way to lose weight

Bmi 17. I have 3 meals a day (NOT low carb) and snacks between meals. I have a few allergies so I cook everything, rarely go to restaurants (never have takeaways). I like yoga and walking. It might be genetic.

Some of your BMIs are super low

I’ve been fat and thin. Am currently thin.

The difference is I pay attention to EVERYTHING I put in my mouth! Little things like hummus and crisps, small chocolate bars, tea with sugar, bread and butter all add up really really quickly. I’m doing WW so I track all my food and it’s amazing how it makes you think, “if I want that big dinner tonight I’d better have a lighter lunch or not have an afternoon snack”.

It sounds like a total PITA but to be honest I love feeling back in control. Before, when I was busy piling on ; stone in 2 years, I just ate anything and everything. All the time. It made me so stressed and anxious.

Now my BMI is 20.7 and I’m really healthy and feel 100% better.

Oh, and no takeaways. Whenever I watch programmes about overweight people they’re always eating takeaway food. I don’t. I also don’t drink booze during the week. I just hate how tired I feel the next day.

And I also get loads of sleep. Whenever I don’t sleep enough, I eat loads more the next day.

I eat a lot of protein and green veg; so if we are having curry for example, I won’t have the rice or naan usually (sometimes I’ll have one, but not both), have cauliflower rice and a lot of greens.

For breakfast, I’ll have one bagel thin.

I do snack and I have a sweet tooth, but I just try and keep my calories in check over the course of a week. If I have a slice of cake, that’ll be my lunch too.

@ThatOtherPoster

no takeaway foods are certainly helpful.
but overweight people typically eat a lot of sugary foods and they don't rely on takeaway cakes!😉🤣

Oh yeah, I don’t drink either. Maybe once a year.

Food- thin people see it as fuel not something for its own sake or to derive pleasure from.
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 don't know many overweight people though.

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.

@Wearywithteens

I think there is the usual disingenuous, passive aggressive bigotry against people who aren’t slim here. ‘I only eat two biscuits I don’t scoff the whole pack…’ ‘I’m superior and emotionally intelligent as I don’t eat my feelings’…Love how some of the slimmer pp think they have all the answers and can speak for others.

No, people who are bigger can also restrain themselves to 2 biscuits too funnily enough! Not all of us are just shovelling food in our gobs because we are crying inside. There is a nugget of truth in SOME of these things - in the same way some of the slim women I know have bags of nervous energy due to anxiety, or they pour their emotions into being houseproud or that their husband only finds them attractive if they are a size 10 etc.

Quite often it isn’t as clear cut as that. Some people are just not being bothered about food, or are naturally very active. Conversely some of us mentally healthy chunkies love food and the sensuous experience of it. And we might be more sendentary.

Quite often it’s just down genes and/or hormones.

But don’t think you’re a better human being just because you’re slim.

I don’t think anyone has said they’re a better human being because they’re slim!

The same as everyone else. Just less, probably. I also don't do 'takeaways' as it's a waste of money for oily, grey food.

Cake, chocolate etc is a treat, not a daily occurence.

I don't drink - too calorific, hate the effects.

Gym; weights. Cycling. Bouldering. Hiking.

BMI is around 20. I don't do anything specific but I do notice differences to how other people eat.

My portions generally aren't as big as other people's, and I tend to have more of a balance of vegetables and lean proteins on my plate. It's rare that I can finish a pub portion, for example. I hate feeling stuffed full because it gives me reflux.

I let myself eat what I like but I don't really snack all that much or regularly have desserts. Our shopping trolley doesn't have many sugary or fatty snacks in it.

The food I like is generally healthy too. I don't like fried food or chips all that much, nor do I like huge portions of meat.

I don't generally have liquid calories. I don't drink alcohol, I probably have a fizzy drink or juice once every other month and I take my coffee black with no sugar.

@claralara42

Food- thin people see it as fuel not something for its own sake or to derive pleasure from

Do people actually believe that nonsense?

Yes, we simply lick a lettuce leaf and subsist on air. I think I read a quite contentious thread once about "all thin people" having subconscious eating disorders and being repulsed by food, and that they very often lie about how much they eat.

I remember a TV show a bit ago just followed some thin people around for a while, and saw they walked more and, after a day of eating a lot, ate less the next day, balancing out the extra calories, as well as didn't snack or eat additional food as much.

My mum can't walk past a shop without buying a pasty, shovels in Haribo every second of the day like a compulsion and drinks two bottles of wine a night, and says thin people are all liars. She isn't a very happy example, and she won't believe the Haribo or wine has any effect.