If you're slim, what's your lifestyle/ eating habits like?

[thefedupmummyofgoats]

I'm a size 16 which is slightly on the plump side as I'm quite short. I'd love to trim down to about a size 10 so that I'm not crossing my arms or wearing baggy clothing to cover my belly.

If you're slim or have lost weight what is your secret? Do you eat takeout very rarely? Do you walk a lot? Do you make home cooked meals?

I just feel I can't seem to stick to any long term goal. I'm 43 and probably peri which is probably why I've put on weight.

Can we have a little discussion on what the key is for slim living please 🙏

Also interested to hear as am the same and 2025 I am taking back control and myself.

I don't know, I'm a size 8.
I run 5k about 3x a week and I also sometimes weight train but not religious. I try to get out for a walk every day, always take the stairs etc. I don't eat breakfast and tend to eat something small at lunch time. I don't really eat bread. I'm vegetarian. I definitely do eat biscuits and crisps but limit myself quite strictly most of the time (1x 30g bag of crisps/1x 2 finger kit kat or penguin etc).
I eat quite a lot of fruit and veg. I don't eat things like ice cream or chocolate bars or cake because I don't really like them. If I go to a coffee shop I get tea because I don't like wasting calories on drinks.

We've got this!!! I'm in desperate need of some weight shedding as I'm getting so down about it

I do get takeaway, once every couple of weeks usually.

I'm 5ft 6 and 10 stone. Usually a size 10. I run 5K three times a week and walk most days. Stop eating after 6pm on weekdays and don't eat until lunchtime, a bit more relaxed with this on weekends. The exercise and the fasting keeps the weight off and allows me to eat whatever I want mostly.

That's so interesting. You're probably super active and burning calories like crazy. I think I graze too much. I'm also a lazy cook so I probably need to eat more vegetables instead for convenience foods.

I’m size 8-10 having been size 14 after my fourth child. I don’t really exercise in the traditional sense although I walk quite a bit on an average day. I only eat between 12.30-7.30pm on weekdays and don’t eat sweet things on weekdays, between 12.30-7.30pm I eat two good meals of whatever I fancy. In weekends I’m much more relaxed but don’t go crazy unless it’s a special occasion. I drink lots of water, black coffee and herbal tea.

I should also say that whatever I eat I try to make sure that at last 50% of each days consumption is fruit and veg.

I've tried the fasting before but with my work schedule I found it difficult to maintain, plus it gave me bad breath which was unpleasant. Do you find you are literally just drinking water until you break your fast?

There was a similar post on here maybe last year in which the OP was absolutely surprised when most of the slim people who came on said ‘of course I can’t eat what I want all the time’ and ‘most of the time I don’t want to eat unhealthy food’. Of course there was the old ‘I can eat 17 pizzas for lunch and never put a lb on’ folks too.

That thread stuck with me as I have been losing weight.

I am now a size 10 and would say that I’m mostly careful about what I eat, mindful. If I have a big lunch I’d have cereal or a salad for dinner. I try not to drink much alcohol. I focus on eating delicious and mostly non processed foods.

Shit food makes me feel shit. It’s taken me a while to work this out. If I want a juicy burger I’ll have it, but I would share chips and not have pudding. I would then have a lighter next meal or skip breakfast. We might have a takeaway once every few months.

Am mid 50’s and size 10/12 - always have been other than pregnancy. I eat three meals a day but never have takeaways - just don’t like them.

Have fruit and toast for breakfast, sandwich with salad for lunch and something like salmon with steamed veggies for dinner. We eat out a lot but I rarely have more than a main course. I drink too much coffee and love a white wine but try and stick with water.
Main thing which helped over the years is exercise - a personal trainer every week (otherwise I won’t bother), a Pilates class and a run at least once a week.

I'm very guilty of having a few too many costa coffees and muffins While I wait on kids at hockey. I do this about 2/3 week and always have a take away of some sort on a sat. I also drink a lot of Coke Zero and not nearly enough water

I lost weight by restricting carbs/sugar. It's the only thing that has worked for me and for friends and family. I don't eat too much now and always make a sacrifice - so if I have a sandwich I'll not eat the top slice of bread, and the carbs on my plate is always the smallest of the portions.

It works so well, I'm not sure why so many people still count calories.

I do have the occasional take away and blow out day, but to maintain my weight, cutting out carbs is the way to go.

This is the kind of thing I have to be really mindful about as my daughter dances and Im often waiting for her during a rehearsal or a class or a show etc- I might want a nice fancy coffee or hot chocolate but I always go for a tea or a water and a fruit pot instead of something more fun. I limit diet drinks to one can a day maximum as well!

I agree that sugar is definitely horrendous for weight gain. I lost about 2stone on keto a few years ago but unfortunately for me it was impossible to maintain it long term. I definitely could shave off a truck load of sugar from my diet

I am a size 10 and have 3 kids. I try eat healthy (home made meals, home made soups, salads etc). I hike up hills about once a week, often paddle board and do HIIT training 3 times a week. I also walk up and down loads of steps (6 flights at work) 2 day's a week. I limit alcohol and limit chocolate and junk.

So specifically to these points: I don’t drink coffee but would have a cup of tea or I’d sit in the car with some water.

I would be highly unlikely to have a muffin but if I did it would be a meal for me eg I wouldn’t have lunch.

I have mostly given up, with difficulty, coke (diet/zero etc) as it’s just chemicals. I might have one occasionally, perhaps one a month. I do drink lots of water or diluted squash (mostly the stupidly expensive but less chemically Belvoir ones)

I couldn’t have a takeaway every week without putting weight on a feeling a bit crap the next day (bloated, thirsty) but maybe your takeaways are better quality than ours 😄

I am 5ft 5 and weigh about 9.5 stone, that’s post menopausal I was 9 stone before without trying.

I eat a mixture of Chinese and English food as DH is English. We don’t each much UPF at all.

I find the English diet overall is very carb heavy plus I was not raised to eat puddings and cake or sweets. Asian food is also cheese free and loads of Asians are lactose intolerant. I’m not fortunately. The other big cultural difference is booze. I’m not teetotal but am an incredibly light drinker. I had a glass of champagne with my Christmas dinner, a glass of wine at a friends yesterday and a tiny bit of port with some cheese on Christmas Day evening.

It’s almost always portion control. We rarely eat take away, I mean Chinese from the take away is nothing like the stuff I eat at home as anglicised for English palates.

I walk about 3 miles a day and practice tai chi now I’m older, when I was younger I practiced Goju Ryu karate and used to run. I have also done a lot of dance classes in my life and did till I had the children as time consuming used to swim after work, 30 lengths x3 a week.

It’s also not culturally acceptable to be fat. At the last big family wedding I went to I was easily one of the biggest there of the older women.

Size 12, have wondered up to a 16 at times. I eat crap. but I cycle everywhere and since I started a job with multiple sites between 3/5 miles apart I have dropped dress sizes. HRT helped, too

size10, 5.6, aged 61. My weight/size has stayed pretty much the same most of my adult life. I’ve always been very active, I run on average about 30k a week, dog walk and lift weights about 4 times a week. Healthy eater but no food is banned and I don’t consider any foods as “treats” if I fancy something I will eat it. Not many takeaways as I don’t really like them.

If I was to offer any advice it would be too move as much as you can, I love the outdoors and will mainly choose a walk rather than sat on the couch. And a stand up desk, I’ve had mine for about 20 years.

I do walk a lot. I also really only eat 2 meals a day as I do 14:10 most of the time. But within that boundary I eat whatever I want. Generally I want to eat a fairly balanced diet though and I don't like overeating so I don't do it.

I work out 4-5 times a week, a mix of mostly weights with some cardio and yoga for flexibility, and love it. I'm in my early 40s.

I rarely eat takeout, maybe 4 times a year at most.
I prefer to eat smaller meals 5 times a day to avoid eating unhealthy snacks because I get hungry and I'd rather have proper food so I eat off a small side plate for portion control rather than a large plate for all meals except salad when I'll have a big portion.
I always cook, very rarely eat out. I'm gluten intolerant so eating out is tricky anyway.
I eat a diet very high in whole foods with LOADS of veggies, I don't eat meat or dairy. Very low oil, but I'm happy to get unprocessed oil from avocados and nuts (not too many nuts, they are high in calories).
No biscuits, but I will have a few pieces of dark chocolate.

Exercise is key.

To me weight management is a lifestyle, so find healthy things you love eating. The more you eat healthy food, the worse processed food tastes the easier it gets.

Mid 40s. Perimenopausal. BMI ~22.

I'm mindful about what I eat but not obsessive at all. I do it naturally.

I'm vegetarian. Eat lots of plants. During non holiday periods I dont bother with snacking. It doesn't really appeal to me. I tend to home cook most meals and stick in freezer. Only eat breakfast if hungry. Eat take aways once a week. I don't care for too much crap because it bloats me and makes me feel sluggish.

Do martial arts x 2. Yoga x 2. Have a desk treadmill.

Believe its fine to feel hungry. It's not the same as starving.

I’m 5’3 and weigh just under 8 stone. I do some type of proper exercise 5/7 days a week (5k run, group class etc) and always walk 10k steps per day. I’m not particularly good at exercise or sporty, but I do try my best.

I think food is important though and I never snack, but not really by thought, I just have no interest in it. I eat quite small portion too but again not as a thought process. I stop eating when I’m full. I gave up drinking just over a year ago as it wasn’t making me feel good and I was drinking too much.

Walk a lot
Can't snack in front of my toddler on anything naughty as he wants it so I'm forced to snack on bananas etc 😂
Don't drink much as that's empty calories and makes me crave bad food and then be lazy the next day
Don't drink calories (juice or lattes) at all - just americanos and tea
Eat porridge for breakfast