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 🙏

I did put some weight on around menopause but it also gave me the gift of removing any taste for sweet things and any tolerance to alcohol, so it evened out and went back to normal. . I don’t like a big pile of food on plate, prefer small portions, but I could graze so I just limit the amount of snacky things in the house. My DH does like large portions but has never grazed or snacked, just not his thing. We are both quite active.

Really interesting thread. What has really jumped out at me is there are a lot of slim people skipping breakfast!

I never skip breakfast (or lunch or dinner). My PT explained the benefits of fuelling your body at the start, middle and towards the end of the day. Works for me - I like food!

I think for skipping breakfast you could read that as intermittent fasting. I gradually pushed my "breakfast" later in the day, tbh I don't feel like eating in the morning anyway. However, I exercise in the morning and if I've done weights I have protein powder in my coffee (it helps muscle synthesis), as I don't feel like food at that time. If I felt v hungry I would eat, it's about listening to your body.

Yes exactly this. People now know the health benefits of fasting each day, and the easiest way to do this is skipping breakfast. I replaced breakfast and lunch with brunch.

This is the misconception that annoys a lot of slimmer people. We actually work hard and go without to stay slim, but people assume we have it easy and are naturally that way. The reality is we miss out on a lot of nice foods and won’t let ourself eat much or snack.

It’s quite frustrating when people think we are all stuffing our faces all day and staying slim, because the majority of us aren’t, we’ve made sacrifices to stay at a healthy weight.

I think the reality is that slim people just don't eat as much. Whether it's skipping breakfast or dinner...the end result is same thing. Also assuming being hungry is normal. When am with other people - it always amazes me how much they snack

But equally, if you say no to another slice of cake or bar of choc, people assume you must be denying yourself anything nice in life.

I think people have strange ideas about what they eat. I know larger people who claim they never have time to eat, and barely eat anything, but clearly they must. Whereas I'm a strictky 3 meals a day or i will die person.Or I go out to eat and can do a meal but not stater and/or dessert, but friends can do the lot. And sides. I think we all think what we do is normal.

Very true. I must have a smallish stomach because I can’t eat much in one go. I usually manage 2 slices of pizza and that’s me done, I literally can’t fit anymore in without feeling sick, yet I sit in amazement while my friends finish a whole pizza each.
I don’t have starters or puddings when I have a meal out, and if I have lunch out, I skip my evening meal. That’s just normal for me.

I don't so much think of it as skipping breakfast but instead not eating until I'm properly hungry - breaking the fast. I believe this proper rest for our digestive system is beneficial.

I've also noticed it depends on what I eat, rather than how much for evening meal how soon I feel hungry the next day.

I wouldn’t say I skip breakfast I just don’t like eating first thing in the morning so I have a superfood smoothie instead or just herbal tea.

I definitely need breakfast, even if I don't want it. I'm usually up at 530ish for work, so I need the fuel. I have greek yog and coffee because I usually have about 10 minutes to throw it down and get out of the house. Weekends are more....pastry.... based.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and all that. And I agree, I feel instantly better once I've had breakfast so not a meal I could skip

It’s only the most important meal if it’s important to you.

The first thing you eat is your breakfast, as it's breaking your fast. When you eat is up to you and what's right for you. I generally don't eat in the morning, but if I felt hungry I would.

I never miss breakfast. But I do have to have an early tea, ideally 6pm and no later or else I end up with IBS. That's still a 12hr break from eating though. I eat most of my food early in the day.

I don’t skip breakfast, but I don’t eat until about 9:30/10, sometimes later. My last meal of the day is around 6pm though, I don’t usually eat in the evening.

Have a toddler and am forced to eat healthy food as I can't eat junk food in front of him (and find it hard to sneak off to have some - he knows!)

I also homecook very healthy balanced meals for him and end up eating the same food (because I can't be bothered to make two different meals). It means no salt, less oil, lots of veggies.

I also take him out every day so end up walking quite a bit.

Prior to having a kid, I used to snack a lot and had quite a few takeaways as well as driving everywhere. He's helped my lifestyle enormously!

(Not suggesting anyone has a baby as a diet aid - just mentioning that I've become more aware of my diet as a result of it!)

I rarely skip breakfast as I'm usually hungry, but it depends on what I ate for dinner the night before. A big meal and I'm not usually fancying anything too early.

Breakfast: toast or eggs usually with black coffee.

Lunch: Could be anything, sandwich or soup, or just some cheese and crackers.

Dinner: Again, varies. We don't eat meat but we do eat fish, so usually fish, veg, and some juicy fried tomatoes, or a shakshuka, maybe a traybake, sushi, pho bowls (homemade).

I don't snack as I'm generally not hungry enough, and I don't really like sweets (don't mind the odd chocolate at Christmas). I've been a size 6 for years, though I do work out (yoga, cycling, horseriding, fencing) but that's mainly for fun. Almost everything we eat is homemade so that likely helps!

But the "experts" don't call it skipping breakfast now, as that wouldn't sell books. It's been rebranded as intermittent fasting !

@NeedToChangeName - ha, ha indeed- that's all it is!!

5'2 8.7 stone 39 gym three times a week, eat what I like but never after 8pm

I’m 64 and currently losing - have several very slim friends in their 40s- have to be honest they all do a fair bit of excercise multiple times a week, far more than I do and seem to eat a lot of soup, salads and skip meals a lot too if busy .ive never once seen any of them eating multiple biscuits, cake or sausage rolls/pasties etc

This is very true. However, overweight people prefer the narrative that slim people just naturally find it easy to be slim, while they are the victim of some awful disease which causes them to gain weight. It’s a way of avoiding personal responsibility for weight gain, and a very unhealthy mindset imo.