If you're effortlessly thin, how often do you think about food?

[misspercy]

I'm currently on a diet and trying to repair my broken relationship with food. (I grew up being told to always finish my plate, food being a reward, and I've always turned to food as a crutch. I'm trying to unlearn those habits.)

I find myself thinking about food all the time. What I'm about to eat, what I've just eaten, how long until I can eat something again... Food is currently the number one interesting thought to me.

I'm relearning what an appropriate portion size is, and that's fine, that's all just based on simple science, but I wondered how often do you thin people actually think about food? Is it literally just when you're running out of fuel and you're actually hungry, or do you think about food outside of those times too?

I'm trying to retrain my brain to think about food normally, but I'm not really sure what normal is... Especially interested in hearing from people who are, say, a size 10 to 12 and haven't ever had to go on a diet because they somehow just know how much to eat to stay at that size.

What does normal feel like...?

@FoxRedLabbingtons

Another size 10-12 here who thinks a lot about food. In fact cooking and reading about food are two great pleasures for me.

I’ve always been a healthy weight, have never tried to be ‘thin’. It’s not effortless now I’m in my forties and my portions have had to shrink a little. I eat three meals a day. I don’t eat between meals, it wouldn’t occur to me to snack. I generally eat good quality, mostly fresh food. I cook from scratch most nights. I don’t knowingly restrict fat or carbs, but do try to limit highly processed food. We eat out sometimes, but never get takeaway. I drink a glass of wine with dinner most nights and have a little something sweet with my after dinner coffee ( a Benedict’s bitter mint, a macaron, something like that).

I guess what I mean by effortless is that you've managed to be consistently around 10-12 (pregnancy being an exception if you've ever been pregnant) by just having a normal attitude towards food.

The sort of people I'm trying to exclude from this really scientific straw poll (!) is anyone who was significantly overweight at least once and therefore had to change their relationship with food to get back to a 10-12. I think going on a serious diet can mess with your head, and I'm trying to get feedback from people who haven't messed up their thinking.

There's a lot of chat about intuitive eating, for example, but my intuition is to just eat and eat and eat, so I have to constantly act against my thoughts, and tell myself no, if I've eaten enough to fuel me and I'm not actually hungry, I should not eat for entertainment/comfort/reward.

I'm eating a lot better right now, but I really need my head to get on board with the programme too.

Honestly, pretty much all the time.
I get really hungry and have to eat about every 2–3 hours. It's frankly tedious.
When I go to the fridge for a snack throughout the day I rummage through and ponder on what to have for dinner. I am also one of those people who sits at one meal and talks about what to have for the next one.

I'm very slim (well, tall and lanky). I have a sedentary job but am a fidget (up and down to the loo/to check for post/put a wash on etc all the time). And I exercise quite a bit, although I never think about it in terms of weight but about fitness/strength/mood/happiness.

I snack constantly between meals and think about food and snacks all the time. BUT I only eat and snack on very very low carb/carb free food. I've been a size 6-8 for ten years now (I was consistently a 10 before that).

I will add that I have a rare condition which means I have to stick to a practically carb free diet. I'm not sure I could stick to such a strict regime otherwise to be fair!

@sHREDDIES19

Lifelong size 6-8 but always loved fitness and am very slim but strong and toned. I absolutely adore my food but I don't have any issues or negative associations with it and so I eat when I'm hungry and stop when full, like many others have said. I don't deny myself any type of food either. I seem to naturally eat the right amount to maintain my weight but have no idea about calories and would never dream of weighing out food. Just eat it and stop when you're full. Sorry I know it's really not as simple as that for many.

I don't have the same intuition when it comes to eating the right amount of food for my weight, so I have to measure it, which is fine. And I agree that you need to learn when you're hungry and when you're full.

The question I have, is that as someone who eats the right amount, and has always been healthy, is that do you think about food outside of meal times? It's not whether you actually eat extra food, but do you ever find your mind thinking about food quite a lot?

You say you adore your food - so if you don't think about food that much when you're not actually hungry, is just because you're a very busy person and don't have time for your mind to wander like that?

I think I'm looking for a secret off switch, really.

Only when I'm hungry or I smell it or I know there are some chocolate covered toffees around. If I do think of food it's momentary and rapidly passes.

I've never been overweight although now I'm old enough to have to limit my portion size somewhat as I'm in danger of going up a size. I have no idea what I weigh, I go by how my clothes fit.

Size 8.
I think about food when needed ie what to prep, buy or cook. I don’t really in between.

Rarely snack. Just never feel hungry enough, and if I do ie cake at someone’s house late afternoon then it ruins my appetite for dinner.

One thing that helps I think is that I never really eat anything ‘ok’. For example I like nice dark chocolate, but if someone just offered me some basic chocolate I know I don’t really like I would just pass. Same with all foods.

Size 6, all my adult life. been through pregnancy. I think about the food most of the time, I love cooking and eating. Unless there is obesity/diabetes situation I wouldn't advocate for significant calory reduction. I eat big portions of meat, some fats(full fat yoghurt, butter, avocado) and lots of veg (much more veg than fruit). I rarely snack and if I do I eat things like miso soup, some almonds, a piece of fruit. I found that if I have plenty of proteins I don't feel hungry. I have carbs maybe 4 days out of 7. Cook everything from scratch so no added refined sugar. I don't eat crisps, buscuits, shop bought cakes. I have desserts about once a week
I would advice increasing protein size to help with hunger

I have always been size 8. Being “normal” with food for me means I think of food when I am hungry, but occasionally do overeat if I am bored or really happy with good company or super tired but can’t stop so use food to push myself through.
Like PP said I find exercise a really great appetite suppressant. I exercise 50 min per day mon-Fri. I crave high protein low sugar food which is so much more satisfying. It’s like no matter how many biscuits I eat I just can’t be satisfied, until I have something high protein with veg.

But when I am bored I do crave high sugar and high fat food. So I just eat for fun.
When I am exhausted I crave high sugar and high caffeine.
I often fall asleep hungry because I wasn’t hungry earlier and skipped dinner. I can’t be bothered to get up and eat. Seems like such hassle and it will mess with my sleeping schedule. Being too lazy to cook and a picky eater (dislike processed food) helps tremendously.
If food doesn’t taste good I’d rather stay hungry.

I've mantained size 8-10 consistently through adulthood (plus lost two rounds of baby-weight)
Interestingly the vast majority of my relatives are visibly overweight by 35. The few of us who aren't put more effort into exercise (and we enjoy it as part of our lifestyle) so I can't claim genetics at this point.

I love food, but I'm not emotionally invested in it. I'm not driven to reward or self flagellate with food. I recognise when I'm full. I'm not driven to clear my plate and will leave one or two mouthfuls if that's when I'm sated. Food is not "good" or "bad" and I try to think in terms of nutrition and fuel. If have a big lunch out, I'll naturally have something much lighter in the evening. I won't waste my appetite on unpleasant food.

Being short, I do "earn" myself a normal food intake with exercise or I'd need to eat a depressingly small amount. But I enjoy exercise and do it for a lot of general health benefits.

I try not to drink too many calories, but I also don't want hangovers.

I constantly "maintain" and have my "happy zone" of weight. When I exceed that for more than a few weeks, I'll rein back. I don't "diet" but I'll spend a couple of weeks evaluating how my habits have changed and tweak them. I might do a burst of 5:2 but I'll use normal foods and manage portion size.

So my habits are broadly sustainable, but it's not effortless, yet it's not a big deal either.

I'm a size 8 (but super short so not obviously "thin")
I used to have an ED and I thought about food all the time.
Now I don't, but I eat what I want. I've been the same weight (within about 4 or 5lb) for 20 years but I'm pretty sure a lot is to do with genes/luck. I eat carbs and chocolate every day.

I think I'm looking for a secret off switch, really.

For me low carb is that off switch. I eat regularly and don’t think about wanting food otherwise.

But I think I get too spiked by carbs now, others might get the same without low carb

Almost constantly. I take action on it too. (But I do put on a few pounds if I’m terrible on the exercise front.)

Unfortunately I think there are two main camps.

1. Eat because they’re hungry
2. Eat because they like to eat

If you’re in number 2, like me If you like to eat, just because it taste nice, smells nice, looks nice, had a bad day, had a good day, feeling emotional, tired or what ever reasons apart from actual hunger, you will have to watch what you eat in some form or another to get/remain a “healthy” weight.

@BogRollBOGOF

I've mantained size 8-10 consistently through adulthood (plus lost two rounds of baby-weight) Interestingly the vast majority of my relatives are visibly overweight by 35. The few of us who aren't put more effort into exercise (and we enjoy it as part of our lifestyle) so I can't claim genetics at this point.

I love food, but I'm not emotionally invested in it. I'm not driven to reward or self flagellate with food. I recognise when I'm full. I'm not driven to clear my plate and will leave one or two mouthfuls if that's when I'm sated. Food is not "good" or "bad" and I try to think in terms of nutrition and fuel. If have a big lunch out, I'll naturally have something much lighter in the evening. I won't waste my appetite on unpleasant food.

Being short, I do "earn" myself a normal food intake with exercise or I'd need to eat a depressingly small amount. But I enjoy exercise and do it for a lot of general health benefits.

I try not to drink too many calories, but I also don't want hangovers.

I constantly "maintain" and have my "happy zone" of weight. When I exceed that for more than a few weeks, I'll rein back. I don't "diet" but I'll spend a couple of weeks evaluating how my habits have changed and tweak them. I might do a burst of 5:2 but I'll use normal foods and manage portion size.

So my habits are broadly sustainable, but it's not effortless, yet it's not a big deal either.

I love food, but I'm not emotionally invested in it. I'm not driven to reward or self flagellate with food.

Maybe this is the real issue. It's not so much thinking about food, but still seeing food as a reward (and conversely, lack of food as a punishment).

Good insight, thank you.

The sort of people I'm trying to exclude from this really scientific straw poll (!) is anyone who was significantly overweight at least once and therefore had to change their relationship with food to get back to a 10-12.

Ah, then I probably am excluded, because I had a very unhealthy relationship with food for a few yrs in my teens (30+ yrs ago). I dunno what "significantly overweight" means, btw.

I’m a size 12 (would like to be a ten) and I find it really hard to maintain my weight and not gain. I think about food a lot, for me exercise is key, I walk every day, swim 2/3 times a week and do a bit of yoga in the evenings. I find meal planing helps. Prepare your food for the day, once the food is gone it’s gone (no extras). Also I find not doing a full weeks shop helps, shop every couple of days and just buy what you need for your planned meals.

I love food but have learnt to love healthy food as well as the bad stuff 🤣. I try and be good all week and then have a treat at the weekend..that can be a take away.l.fry up or chocolate/cake.

Only when I hungry or at around 6pm when one of the kids ask what's for dinner

I'm just not interested, I eat because I need to and only then, I can easily go all day until 7/8pm without food

Im naturally a very slim size 8 even after 4 pregnancies

@lljkk

The sort of people I'm trying to exclude from this really scientific straw poll (!) is anyone who was significantly overweight at least once and therefore had to change their relationship with food to get back to a 10-12.

Ah, then I probably am excluded, because I had a very unhealthy relationship with food for a few yrs in my teens (30+ yrs ago). I dunno what "significantly overweight" means, btw.

By significantly overweight, I mean BMI pushing 30 or over 30, I suppose.

I know I'm throwing around words carelessly on this thread, and I apologise if I'm offending and/or confusing anyone. It's really just all a bunch of idle musings trying to help me figure out how to make some positive change in my life.

I really, really like food, so I'm not sure how I break the connection with food being a reward/comfort. My brain has had decades of that link. Food is lovely!

I know I can lose the weight if I keep the lifestyle changes up - the bit I am worried about is maintaining. Something always breaks mentally and I end up stuffing my face until I'm fat again. I guess I'm trying to find the people who have always had a normal, healthy relationship with food so I can copy how they think.

I just really want to have a BMI of 24.9. I'm so far away from that.

10/12 and pretty stable weight wise.

I love food and think about it a lot. However I don't use it as a reward or punishment as someone else mentioned, a tough day at work doesn't mean I choose a certain dinner.

Other things
I meal plan

Don't have the mindset of needing to finish something (I can have a square of chocolate and that's my craving satisfied, my husband will open a packet of biscuits and sit there eating them one after the other. I could never do that).

Haven't eaten meat for 5 years

Exercise every day without very few exceptions

I have never dieted or cut anything out of my diet either. Going sugar free horrifies me!

I was "effortlessly thin" in my 20s and 30s but how effortless was it really? I went to the gym a lot and went out clubbing (proper clubbing ) and had a high powered job where I'd often skip at least one and sometimes two meals. And I intuitively didn't eat masses of carbs.

At 46 I'm basically the same shape/size but in my head it's more work. White carbs make me bloated and put on weight quickly so I much more actively avoid them. I don't go to the gym but I do a lot of yoga and ride.

Foods much more important to me l now. I love it. I've always cooked from scratch and eaten well but I have to be more mindful about what I eat.

I have a small
Game/voice I play which is "is it worth the calories". If it's delicious, I'm hungry and I'm enjoying it then I eat away. If it's meh then I might not so much.

So for example I wouldn't t eat a bowl of bog standard pasta and source or sliced white bead (unless it's a bacon sandwich) but I would have loads of pasta with home made pesto and cheese. Ditto bread - really nice bread and unsalted butter and I can eat a whole loaf.

Same with cakes - I bake and eat loads of mine.

So by its nature I don't have these things all the time as CBA so I limit when I naturally have a bigger than normal meal.

Don't know if that makes any sense. I love food, so I only eat food I love and sometimes that means not eating if the only option is crap. So I had a Big Mac meal yesterday as I love it (though it was actually a bit disappointing).

Good luck - thinking about this kind of stuff will help.

I think a lot of this has to do with genes. My grandfather was tall and slim all his life, my dad was fine boned and slim all his life, ditto my aunt and uncle. They all enjoyed food but only ate at fixed meal times and were always very active.

I really, really like food, so I'm not sure how I break the connection with food being a reward/comfort. My brain has had decades of that link. Food is lovely!

I don’t think it’s necessarily awful to have food as a reward in all circumstances. If I’ve worked really hard and finished a project, we’ll go out for a posh meal. In the school holidays, we get hello fresh as a treat for surviving the term.

I wouldn’t use it for everyday things though. I think trying to get away from good/bad food and thinking of it as often/rare/in a portion controlled way has helped me stay on track.

I’m pretty slim, size 10-12. I think about food often, mainly what we are having for tea or for breakfast at the weekend. I love food!

Average day….
I generally eat the same thing for breakfast everyday, typically shreddies/all bran with banana (skimmed milk) I don’t snack between breakfast and lunch as never feel like it.

Lunch - wholemeal pitta with abit of chicken and stuffed with salad. Satsuma /grapes for a mid afternoon snack.

Tea - I save most of my daily calories for tea as like to cook something different & it’s the meal I get most excited about! Anything goes really, I just don’t use lots of oil (use fry light most of the time) and tend to eat lots of veggies, love my veggies.

I don’t drink my calories as feel like it’s a waste, I’d rather save them for actual food. I also don’t drink alcohol which helps.

I will have the odd sweet treat, popcorn/biscuits /chocolate but not every day. I tend to save treats for the weekend. We go out for breakfast at the weekend most weeks and have the odd takeaway, so I’m not super strict. I don’t think very restrictive diets work long term.

A big difference for me was drinking more water, cliché , I know, but it really worked wonders for my metabolism (and my skin)

It’s become a lifestyle now, I don’t feel like I deprive myself of anything and I’ve been doing this for a while now. I (initially) lost between 1-2lbs a week for about 2 months eating like this , then hit my target weight and have just maintained it. I think I eat between 1500-1700 calories a day, but I also walk everyday (have a toddler dc too, so use lots of energy running after her!) and do some light weight training 3 times a week.

Omg - sorry for the essay!

Hey.
I'm a size - 8. (have always been this size)
The only time i think about food is when feeding My teenager :) The first thought is for breakfast - what hes having (and his packed lunch)
I don't have breakfast myself - At about 11 I start to snack during the day - like nuts and crisps etc. (not a great amount - but enough to keep me going)
Then the next time I think about food is dinner time - when I cook a meal. Then I don't think about it til next breakfast.

I think i'm strange.... but i never eat a great amount at meal times, it just works for me i guess.