Anyone over 45 and still naturally thin?

[Mummysgogetter]

What I mean is that you do not consciously track your food or exercise, or eat less in order to maintain your figure? If so, what does your typical day of diet/exercise look like for you?

im not one of these lucky types btw and have to really consciously think am I hungry before grabbing a bite to eat. In addition I have to force myself to exercise as I’m naturally sedentary, so I have a lot going against me as I also have a huge appetite.

I find the over 45 and naturally thin types are rare

I was like this until last year, I'm 46 now. I've noticed I have to cut back on the treats or else I put weight on. My weight never really changed but its started creeping up and I've not changed my diet. Very annoying.

Not me but my DH is like this although he's a runner and consistently exercises every week. Did you mean women specifically? I've found it harder as I get older whereas my DH seems to be the same weight as he was 15 years ago!

I'm not sure I'd call it thin, but my bmi is 22. So healthy. Not fat. I'm 58.
I don't track calories but I do cook from scratch - no takeaways (none nearby) and no processed food or ready meals (too expensive).
I eat meat/fish/cheese, rice, fruit and veg. I'm not keen on sticky sauces. And I don't drink alcohol because it makes me feel lousy.
I go up 10 lb in the winter and down 10lb in the summer - more salad, fewer stews and curries.
Good genes I think.

SIL is still very skinny. She's eats like a bird. I reckon not more than 1000 cals per day

No, the only very thin people my age or older that I know either have eating disorders and/or run marathons etc.

Just thinking of the 3 thinnest women I know who are my age and one has lost shitloads of weight by subsisting on coffee and fags since her dh left her, one has told me she only consumes 800 calories a day and when I went for a meal with her recently for instance she ordered a salad and ate only half of it and the other goes on long-distance runs every day. None of them look particularly healthy though imo.

it does drive me mad sometimes that I have to eat about half the amount of calories I did in my 20's and exercise every day just to be a similar size! And my stomach seems to get flabbier and more bloated the less I eat! It must be the hormones, I don't know what else it could be.

my dad is like this, I used to be when younger. He's very active though, doesn't sit still. Everyone else I know like this hardly eats anything.

I don't track calories or exercise, but I do "naturally" eat well most of the time and exercise regularly.

I'm 52 and clothes I had in 6th form still fit. I couldn't tell you what I weigh or what my BMI is, but the size 14 jeans I bought on the market in 1987, still fit the same way size 8 jeans from Next do today 😆 I wear them to do the garden these days.

Three meals a day of predominantly home cooked food, carbs, protein and veg at each, but I basically have what I fancy and eat until I'm satisfied. Minimal snacking. Exercise an hour most days, longer on Sundays.

interesting replies, thank you.

I specifically meant women though because men don’t have the hormonal highs and lows that us women do, so in a way it’s easier for men to stay slimmer

@mackthepony is your SIL eating like this naturally or because she’s very weight conscious?

My mum is. She's 53. She eats chocolate every day. She's a slim size 8/10. She is on her feet a lot with work (NHS) but doesn't do any other exercise.

I weigh more than her and have to watch what I eat and I'm 31.

I’m 37 and have 3 dcs and a size 6 but in part that’s due to breastfeeding for years as it made me very very lean, I’ve never burned so many calories by not doing much and my body stayed that way since I stopped years ago. I run a few times a week. Metabolism slows as we age and I’m
definitely lower energy now in my late 30’s but Im also constantly busy with work and kids.
I think it’s entirely what you eat and portion size and we prob need less food as we age, maybe I’ll find it all goes to pot soon but I really don’t notice so many overweight women in other counties , we go to France and Spain regularly and I notice loads of thin and slim 40 ,50, 60 years old… obesity is a big problem among people here in Ireland.

This is interesting @MintJulia do you like sweet stuff such as biscuits, cakes and chocolate?

It's hard to say. I've always been slim but I've always been pretty careful to eat a healthy diet and I've always exercised regularly. It feels like I have to work harder to stay the same size now though.

If I ate what I wanted no self-imposed limits I doubt I'd be slim and that applies now as well as when I was younger.

(I don't go hungry and I don't deprive myself of "treats" btw, but everything in moderation.)

I'm 46 and slim.

I was naturally very slim until early 20's, went up and down in size through to a few years ago when I hit rock bottom with alcohol. That caused some disordered eating I guess you could say.

But I now maintain my figure without being careful what I eat, or exercising (though I should for fitness). However I only really eat one full meal a day most days, I drink a lot of coffee, and I usually eat at least one chocolate bar a day. And dessert later. It's not overly healthy at times, but my evening meals are, and I never deny myself anything, if I'm hungry I eat, but I'm mindful that a rumbling tummy doesn't necessarily mean I need fuel. I'm working on lowering on sugar intake... 🙄

I am 47 and my weight hasn't changed since I was in my 20s. It went up during pregnancy and then I got skinnier when breastfeeding. Back to my normal weight now.
I am 5'2 and weighting 47kg.
I exercise and don't eat a lot, but that hasn't changed in the years. Or maybe I counterbalanced the natural way of putting on weight in your forties with having a baby at 44! Time will tell!

As I have a larger appetite I have noticed that I eat a lot larger portions than my naturally slim friend. Also when she is tired/feels under the weather she doesn’t feel like eating, whereas feeling that way makes me eat more lol

Oh yes, and small portions, because I never eat loads at once, so I can't manage it.

(5, 1' and 50.9kg)

50 in Jan & still wearing clothes I've owned since my 20's - they vary between 8-14 depending on the vintage of the garment - I usually fit a 21st century 12. Never been on a diet & only weigh myself when asked by the NHS. Have noticed I'm carrying a bit more weight round the middle than 10 years ago but not enough to need a new wardrobe.

Think it's largely genetic - I'm don't have a massive appetite so eat relatively small portions & don't get ravenously hungry (except when pregnant) so tend not to snack between meals / always finish things eg I have several different bars of choc in my desk at work but am happy with just a row of it with my coffee. My mother didn't diet either so weight watching / the whole "good food / bad food" conversation was never part of my world growing up. We also cook from scratch on average 5 days or so a week - using full fat foods as these tend to tell you you're full quicker than low fat stuff (& often taste better.)

Finally I'm a fiddler / jiggler - so whilst I only do 45 mins of Pilates as formal exercise a week, I do tend to wiggle my legs & fingers even when sitting down. I remember a study a while back that showed that being a jiggly sort expended quite a lot of energy without much effort.

Not much help I'm afraid as not really anything in the way of helpful tips to pass but wanted to point that not all slim women over 45 have issues with food.

You must be tiny!! 😮

I never sit down for longer either. Always doing something.

My DH. But sadly not me. I think hormonal changes play a part. Plus for me a thyroid problem which means I am always tired, so snack too much.

The two women I know who are thin aged 56 and 61 are not healthy. One eats absolutely nothing and has basically everything out of her diet. The other one lives on gin and cigarettes.They do not look good especially in the face.

In comparison two other ladies I know of similar age who try to eat well but allow treats look so much better. Yes they might have a little bit extra weight but they look well and healthy.

Yes, me. I’m 56 and my weight is the same as when I was in my very early 20s. I weigh about 8 st 4. I’ve had two children. I don’t watch my weight or do much exercise. I do like my biscuits and chocolate. Stress can make me not want to eat, though.

I am... but I eat an incredibly healthy diet (anti-inflammatory for health reasons) so no alcohol, no added sugar, just (lots of) veg, salad, fish, chicken, fruit, rice, also dairy and gluten free. This means I end up cooking from scratch most of the time. I don't feel deprived and eat lots (but I am sure a lot of people would find my diet incredibly boring!).

58 (59 soon), size 10, BMI is 22, eat what I like pretty much, most definitely not a runner but do foster two little ones so am on the go all day.