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?

No I've never dieted in my life even after having my children. I put it down to genetics all my dads family are slim. I'm 39, 5 kids size 8-10 and eat what I want. I eat a lot of takeaways maybe 4-5 times a week.

I'm a healthy BMI and a size 8, presume that's included in slim?

I don't work at it at all no, I eat what I want when I want tbh but obviously I do try to have a balanced diet than eat tons of shit all the time or whatever. Not saying other people don't of course. I think for me it's partly genetic, fast metabolism? And am very aware this will slow with age (I'm late 20s).

I’m size 8, I have been the same size my entire adult life. I don’t work at it at all. Never calorie counted, I love carbs, never been on a diet in my life, I don’t actually care what size I am. I eat what I want when I want even if that’s a family size bar of chocolate watching tv - which I did tonight. I’m by a big snacker. For me it’s genetic I think. My family seem to have naturally fast metabolisms. None of us have dieted and none of us particularly opt for healthy choices. It’s just the way we are.

If I did that, I would go from naturally very slim to underweight and gaunt quite quickly.
I have been the same weight all my adult life. I eat well, exercise plenty (because I enjoy it and I want to be fit and strong). My parents were both very slim, my siblings are. None of us consistently over eat. I know I eat less than many people but that's not to achieve an unnatural body weight, it's what I need to maintain the size that is right for me.

Well think of a person who has always been 2 or 3 sizes larger than you. Think of how they eat and the difference in how you eat. Would you be able to eat the same way or does it seem like too much food / wrong sort of food?
Then apply that to someone 2 sizes smaller.

I’ve done two serious weight losses both after breakups ( amazing how that helps). The second was a proper diet and exercise routine as a fuck you to my ex. I looked amazing in about 4 months (wobbly size 14 down to toned 10-12). Was actually eye opening how little food you need to satisfy hunger and still be able work and work out.

I know two very very slim people

1. is my daughter very very thin and eats like a horse - literally no idea 🤷‍♀️ also has been thin
2. she ate no carbs and would come round for dinner and have once slice of ham, one rubber beans and then claim to be full?

Yes it takes effort. Also, our weight often fluctuates. And even if you do see us seemingly ‘eating what we like’, we probably compensate elsewhere.

Why is no one mentioning the other obvious factors that affect this - namely genetics and ethnicity?

Plenty have mentioned genetics why are you bringing ethnicity into it? Why does that matter? Can't all be slim naturally? Ridiculous!

Aimed ar @YupIKnow

Not really, although I try to adjust if I've been eating too much crap.

Didnt have to until I crossed 40. Now I do.

These are very closed minded views to have.

For a start if you're 5ft, small framed and a size 12 you could well be overweight. Not necessarily but you could well be.

Equally, if you're 5ft, large framed and a size 4-6 you may well be at a perfectly healthy weight but again not necessarily.

All it takes is a bit of effort in engaging the brain, to realise that people come in all heights and frames and of course they shop in many different places where sizing can differ massively.

Until about 35 I was slim, could eat anything. Have put on weight since, usually wear one size bigger but still not overweight. I dont particularly watch what I eat in order not to put on weight. I watch what I eat not to eat rubbish as I dont want to make it diffucult for the body to function. I make specific effort not to eat any low fat products. I try to keep sugar and sweets down and white bread and other white flour products.

I’m slim and late thirties. Up until 2-3 years ago I didn’t have to work at it and could eat whatever I liked and not gain weight. But then I think I naturally don’t like feeling full and ‘stuffed’. So when I eat takeout I’ll naturally not really fancy breakfast or lunch the next day, so I might skip meals without realising. I’m also not a stickler for meals either, if I’m busy and laser focused on an artwork I’ll forget to eat all day. So yes I eat whatever I want, but I’m often not that hungry either.

I gained a little during Ivf just eating my normal diet (but I was still slim) but then a rough pregnancy and now I’m skeletal and having to gain weight to get to a healthy base weight again. My face hollows out which is very ageing if I’m too thin - so it’s a balancing out.

However I’ve worked with people who say I'm lucky I’m naturally slim whilst they are eating burgers daily etc, drinking loads of beer,wine. However I do realise I’m lucky not being an emotional eater. I think especially a lot of people born in the 80’s or earlier were forced to eat everything on their plates, and food was associated with reward/punishment, which set many up with an awful relationship with food that wasn’t of their own making.

I'm a BMI of 25 now and 40yrs old but when I was (what I considered) slim 5 years ago and a BMI of 21/22 I had to work for it, exercise 2 to 3 times a week properly ie moderate to intense workouts plus trying to get 10k steps a day. On top of that watch my cals to a certain degree. I never ate like a bird but I would be pretty healthy during the working week 1500 cals or so so I could have a meal out and a few drinks on a weekend.

At the mo I'm 5'5 and 10stone 10 and don't watch what I eat at all (although still get my 10k steps a day in because I have a 3 year old to run me ragged) and don't purposefully exercise (mostly because I'm tired and time poor) but I won't gain weight unless I start eating loads of junk food and takeaways.

So this is my easy to maintain weight, if I dropped 20 pounds I'd have to make a conscious decision to maintain that or it would creep back on. I didn't have to work for a BMI of 21 at all when I was late teens early 20s. I feel my body wants to hold on to weight the older I get though.

Not that long ago, in my lifetime, slim was normal.

Ridiculous.

I would (and did) look slim but still curvy at a size 12, that's my goal size. I also happen to be a big boned, athletically built 5'11. Size 12 could easily be obese on someone a lot smaller.

Let's get away from this crazy idea that slim or even skinny = ill, or 'not womanly' or any of the other slurs fat people direct at slim people to make themselves feel better.

I’m slim now, and always have been. I’ve never been in a diet, I’ve never calorie counted, I’ve never really thought about food limiting at all unless from a health POV (heart etc).

It's just the way I’ve always been. If I’m hungry I eat. If I’m not I don’t. Sometimes I eat pizza and chips, sometimes I eat salad. It depends more on the weather and how I feel than anything.

A PP talked about some people not enjoying that completely full, almost bloated feeling. I most certainly don’t. I think because of that perhaps I eat smaller portions than average. But again, as I don’t measure what I eat I don’t really know.

I'm small and don't hide excess weight easily. I was "natutally slim" in my youth and 20s. I lost baby weight twice in my 30s by getting back into good habits and making mindful choices. In my 40s I do have to be concious about my choices, but I'm not punative about it.

If I actually really want something, I will eat it. If I don't actually want it, I can decline it. I am not a dustbin. Excess food is better in the bin than in me. If I am full, I'll leave the rest, even if it's only 2 bites left. I generally don't like feeling stuffed. It's only the occasional Indian or Thai meal where it feels like it's worth that feeling.

I eat for nutrition, and nutritious food is satisfying and appealing. There is the glitch of the effort to make healthy meals and my battle can be with convenience rather than desire. But if I'm in a good habit, that helps. I have realised that I really am not keen on palm-oily chocolate and cakes, and would much rather have the real things occasionally.

I'm active, and always have been. If I was sedentary, my body would only need 1400 calories a day to survive so burning off a few extra hundred most days helps to keep a fairly normal diet. My family is slim in youth then gains weight 30s-40s+, so my genes are not particularly advantageous.

I'm not a major snacker and am a light drinker. I eat well at meals and try not to drink too many calories. In my last workplace, most collegues were obese. There was also a lot of wine o'clock going on. In the day, I'd appear to eat more and would eat from the canteen, rather than eat "diet foods" then binge in the evening.

Yes I conciously maintain my weight with choices of nutrition and exercise (which is mainly about its own benefits), but I'm not deprived and enjoy a healthy range of real foods.

I’ve always been slim and size 10 I’m all tall. My natural default foods tend to be raw veg to snack on and I don’t have a sweet tooth. It simply doesn’t occur to me to eat biscuits bread cake and chocolate. I do however love cheese and pasta / rice

I started to put on weight a couple of years ago and was shocked to be hitting a size 12. Whilst obviously that’s not big it was for me so I’m now back to my comfortable weight.

I do 16:8 which I find really easy, small lunch with high protein and no carbs and a normal dinner but I try and eat off a smaller plate so I can have seconds. I’ve never eaten after dinner, I also cut back on wine strictly to Friday and Saturday nights. I try to also limit crisps to weekends

I absolutely love food but like others have said I space it. If I go out for dinner I’ll eat less the next day, if I have a big lunch I’ll have something small for dinner

I'm fairly slim, I don't restrict, if I want the pizza/ chocolate/ crisps that's what I have. I do know when I'm full though and don't eat past the point that it makes me feel uncomfortable. I also enjoy foods that make me feel good fruit/veg/ yoghurt. I'd say I eat a balanced diet with a range of foods. I have no idea how many calories I eat or what I weigh. I am very active though and walk every day plus hiking on a weekend and riding horses 3 times a week so that probably helps

I'm "slim" now but used to be actually slim.
I'm naturally very small boned, and slim like most women in my country. Since I've been an adult my mother (who's a 'round cheeked lady) was always slimmer than me.
I have a large appetite and at home we used to eat a lot, very rich food (a lot of rich sauces, three course meals) but not so much carbs, least of all bread.
I came over at 17 and continued to be a size 4-6 while eating very badly (pizza, Pringles, chicken rolls). I got to a fat looking 10 in my thirties (am 5'3) as we were very sedentary and were eating a lot (including a lot of snacks; both sweet toothed and greedy - my 6 foot then husband gained a belly as well) . Both slimmed down while going through divorce.
Was back at 6-8 (well more like 6) in late thirties while not being conscious of my eating.
Have had relationship problems in the last few years and emotionally eat (I'm now early forties).
Am now a vanity sized 8-10 and have to try to watch what I eat. But the issue is about restricting my emotional eating (sometimes I'd have a can of Pringles for breakfast) and pushing myself to give a damn about eating somewhat healthily, rather than letting my ADHD run wild and literally having no vegetables in a whole week.
So I reckon if I ate relatively normally health wise (I e. Not the extreme of only Pringles, pizza, toast and cheese for a whole week) I'd probably be naturally slim. Might change as I go through my forties.

Regardless of what anyone says, a size 4 at any height or build ii neither healthy or desirable.

@Bbq1
It really really depends on your build.
I'm very small boned.
I'm in my native country now and most of 20 - 30 year old women are UK size 4-6. And the food here is scrumptious.
I used to match my ex's food intake and he was a 6 foot farmer's son here in the British Isles.
My current partner's gripe is about how I can eat so much more than him and not be in as much danger of gaining weight.
He's 5'8, rugby build, cycles 20 km most days and eats way less than me.

Also I never exercised. And when I say fat looking 10 - you can see it in my wedding photos, my face is almost unrecognisable. My current partner was dumbstruck that it was me.
And for sure I was a 10, I still have my dresses and suits from then, never needed to buy a 12. My bone structure is small so there was more space for the fat to go.