Slim women. Do you work at it?

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I always thought slim women could just eat whatever they liked naturally. But looking at the eating habits of my slim friends, they don’t seem to eat whatever they like - they are constantly making healthy, low cal choices and I can’t shake the feeling it’s deliberate in order to stay slim, rather than them just actually fancying the lower cal option.

is this your experience? Is this what slim women have to do forever? When did you start doing this and do you find it easier now?

I was always slim but am filling out in retirement. I always ate whatever I wanted but didn't eat big portions. These days I've put a few pounds on but I suspect that it's due to a more sedentary life.

Yes, agree with above. I’m a size 8 and have to be aware of how much I’m eating else I’ll notice it creep on. I still have treats, but, like others said I don’t have carbs much until dinner and try to have soups/salads fri lunch. I also have started the 16/8 intermittent fasting which has stopped me eating lots of treats in the evening!

I still have a crunchie with a cup of tea after dinner though!

I'm slim, always have been but I do exercise. I eat whatever I fancy but I would say that I probably under eat.

Oh your going to love me.
I am tall and naturally slim. I eat what l like.
No one in my family is overweight, or ever been on a diet, it must be good genes.
I don't even think about food most of the time, l am disorganised and rarely plan meals.
I listen to women at work going on and on about calories, exercise etc, l never give it a second thought.
Some people are just naturally slim.

Ok maybe I am missing something but since when has an 8-10 not been slim? Some of these posts 🤯

I was a thin child and slim throughout my twenties. Found I had to be careful in my mid thirties and now, in my late fifties, I mostly eat what I want, but if my clothes start feeling uncomfortable, I cut out sweets, biscuits and puddings for a bit. So yes, I do work at it a bit. I just don't like it when my clothes feel too tight.

I'm quite slim (size 8/10) and yes it's a choice. I have treats but do try to make sure my diet mostly is conducive to staying slim and not gaining weight. Kate Moss got ripped apart for sating it, but I do think that 'nothing tastes as good as being slim feels' (for me anyway!). I like feeling good in my clothes and liking how I look in photos. Being slim is part of that.

I’m in my 20s. Right up until the pandemic I could eat whatever and never gain weight. Like I could have an entire tub of Ben and Jerry’s to myself or a large dominos pizza, and have a completely flat stomach the next day.

but the pandemic slowed my metabolism as I wasn’t exercising as much. Turns out I was probably just burning all the excess food I was eating by going through a normal day. Pre-pandemic, because I was active 99% of the days of the year, the rare inactive day wouldn’t impact my figure.

Now I have to stick to my BMR calories if I’m not consistently exercising as I will gain weight. I have a bit of a stomach pooch now, as I haven’t quite got back to an active lifestyle

Some skinny Minnie’s can eat what they want and have never dieted. They’re genetically thin. Others work at it. It’s as simple as that.

I genuinely think it's different for each person. I've known 3 very slim women (size 6) for over 20 - 30 years. They've always been slim, never noticeably put on weight. I've spent a lot of time with them and know their eating habits well. They're all slim for completely different reasons:
Friend 1: Very strict with her eating. For example, she uses a maximum of one teaspoon of oil in her cooking. She definitely makes a huge effort to stay slim and has done since her teens. She's slim because she works at it and she's terrified of being fat!
Friend 2: doesn't work at staying slim but has a naturally tiny appetite. She doesn't eat healthily - she's often snacking on crisps and chocolate. However, she's physically incapable of overeating. If we go out for a pizza I can see she's really struggling once she's eaten a third of it. She's stays slim because she can't eat much.
Friend 3: this is the one I envy! She's one of those very rare people with an amazing metabolism. She eats like a horse! She has a massive lunch, breakfast and dinner each day and snacks like protein balls. She gets low blood sugar a couple of hours after eating so really does have to eat a lot. She even eats tablespoons of coconut oil between meals to keep herself feeling full! I'm pretty sure she's eating well over 3000 calories a day but she has the most dainty, slender figure!

Once I feel full, I can’t eat anymore. I’m done. Some people seem to push through and finish their food. Others don’t seem to get the signal at all.

I got into trouble for it as a child, but I can’t help it.

I definitely make good food choices in my 40s compared with eating anything I fancied in my 20s but that’s also to do with better information.

I think those that say they eat what they want may do that however they will have smaller portions or eat less the following day instinctively.
If I ate what I wanted I would be enormous. I eat in moderation and make good choices where possible. But it’s a constant battle of wanting to eat more because I like food

I'm not super slim- size 10/12 but at 43 I look fairly slim. It's a daily battle for me- I was never thin as a teen- yo yoed all my adult life. I maintain it with a rigorous mix of SW weekly weigh ins and calorie counting. It's very tough- I'm naturally a very greedy person and want to eat whether im happy or sad. I don't do any exercise though which I should for health.

I’m a size 8-10.
I’ve always been slim. I love being outdoors, so I naturally do lots of active things.
I swim outdoors regularly, play a racket sport, walk lots (for pleasure and work)……..
I find as I’m so busy I often accidentally miss meals, but the meals I do have a generally healthy.
I only eat when I’m hungry, not because it’s ‘time’.

Today I’ve eaten Greek yogurt and apple, baked salmon, tomatoes and peas, dates and a piece of toast. Plus half a tub of hargen daaz (Sp??).

I’ve walked for an hour, played 2 hours of racket sport and almost an hour of netball……

But I enjoy all these things, enjoy eating healthy, fresh food (bar the ice cream) and it’s not a chore or a difficult choice……

I’m an 8-10 but slimmer in some places than others. I’m 51 and am probably slimmer than I was when I was younger. Used to eat quite a lot of bread and pasta - dropped most of that and generally just have a coffee (and chocolate) in the morning. Don’t think about what I eat other than that.

I'm mindful of what I eat and exercise regularly, and don't snack.

If I want pizza I'll eat pizza but that's outweighed by doing the 'good stuff' more of the time.

If I constantly ate what I wanted and didn't exercise I would put on weight but thats the same for most people

I’m late 50s, short and slim. I am fortunate that I enjoy exercise and healthy food so I find it easy. If I was sedentary and ate crap I would be fat.

Also I would say since the pandemic/me gaining weight my mindset to food has changed. I started eating out of boredom? It’s like food had a different purpose. Before, I was non plussed about food and what it tastes like, it was easy for me to not overeat etc. Now I’ve definitely experienced the “comforting side” of food - I have been eating healthily for a month and am starting to see my attitude shift to pre-pandemic. I’m no longer giving much thought or importance to what I eat eg craving a deliveroo or something.

i've always been slim, Now i have a chronic illness which requires periodic high dose steroids and I had my thyroid gland removed completely l, so I have to take thyroxine regularly- I'm still slim but I really have to work at it. I always consider my food choices, I rarely eat sweets or chocolate at all - I eat loads of fruit, veg and meat/ fish with pulses and beans. Not much pasta, rice or bread.

Overeating makes me feel awful so I don't overeat.

I recognise that I need nutrients so I prioritise healthy food.

Nothing is off limits though and I have plenty of treats

I’ve always been very slim, it’s partly genetic, but I also only eat a treat if it’s really high quality and I desperately want it. I.e. I’m not going to bother with crappy Jaffa cakes every night, but I might indulge in an artisanal pain au chocolat once a week from my favourite patisserie. Nothing worse than wasting money/calories on something you’re not even really enjoying that much.

I never feel like I’m making particularly diet-conscious choices with my everyday meals, I’m just choosing what I like best, and that just so happens to be fruit, veg, and fish. But, I love real butter and full fat milk, and have tons of both! Personally, I see them as less processed 😉

Also, I get zero pleasure from highly processed foods, and don’t snack. And I get enough sleep.

I agree with this - I'm 39 and up until a few years ago I would never have worried about my weight, ate whatever I wanted. Now I have to work at it a bit, as in I exercise a few days a week, and don't overindulge but I still like pizza and ice cream etc. just not every day.
I generally don't tend to put on more than a few pounds though. I read about people gaining and losing several stones and it seems crazy to me.

However if I think about it, we ate healthy meals when I was a child - always sat at the dinner table together, mum made porridge for breakfast, I was made to eat my vegetables, didn't have regular desserts, didn't have sugary snacks. We also didn't have take aways - they were a rare treat.
So really I think my parents instilled some healthy habits in me that I just carried on with as an adult.

Interesting a few posters are citing the pandemic for impacting eating habits. We didn’t have that, but did fall into the trap of having wine every night when pre-pandemic it was a usually a weekend treat. I probably did put a few pounds on because of that but with Scottish drink driving laws we had to stop week night wining when lockdown eased.

I know when I go out with friends to eat, the very slim/thin ones usually skip the starter and have a healthy main. Those that don't are overweight. Just my experience! (I'm in the overweight eating a starter camp).

Clothes sizing is so erratic these days, I don't think it can be seen as a true arbiter of body size. I am teetering on the cusp of being overweight, yet can take a size 10 or even 8 in some shops. In old money I reckon I am a 14.