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 🙏

That's so interesting, I'm 10stone, 5ft 7 and a very solid size 14!

So weird how same BMI/ height/ weight and can vary so much in shape and size

@RosesAndHellebores interesting what you say about your ankles- I had a huge health scare immediately post covid just over 2 years ago ( loads of neuro stuff) and I went gluten free , drank masses more water and green tea and cut down hugely on carbs and within 2 weeks my lower legs went almost 'skinny' -sadly the rest of me didn't quite follow but the difference in my ankles and lower legs ( and also skin) was really noticeable.

Heck chicken sausages.
half the carb and double the veg
0% fat Greek yoghurt
options hot chocolate
tinned apple slices and low fat custard with a sprinkle of Cinnamon and oats for a healthy crumble esque pudding
try flavoured coffees such as littles or beanies gives a little something extra to replace coffees out
sourdough over normal bread
butter over spread
don’t buy nuts, too easy to over eat
carton egg whites, mix with one whole egg and a shit load of whites for a high protein omelette on a day you’ve overdone it
peppermint tea

I’m 45 and I lost 4 stone last year.
Initially I was counting calories religiously, but I don’t anymore, I’m just much more aware of the calories in things and how many overall I’m consuming.
I’m 5ft 10 and I think I used to aim for no more than 1500 per day.
We do Gousto for 4 meals per week and I would always aim for meals around 6/700 calorie mark.
I think the biggest help for me was intermittent fasting, I would only eat between 11am-7pm, but in reality I wouldn’t normally eat after 5.30pm ( lunch at 11am and dinner at 5pm, it became really easy and sustainable very quickly). I genuinely never felt hungry or deprived.
I also made sure I walked min 10,000 steps per day.
For the last 6 months I’ve really not thought about it and have been majorly overindulging over the Xmas period and not fasting and I’ve only put on 4lbs, and from January I’ll hopefully just slip back into my old routine.

Why not berries?

don’t buy nuts, too easy to over eat

I eat loads of nuts. They’re great for protein and carbs.

I find protein really filling. So cartons of egg whites that you can scramble or make an omelette from - high protein, filling and very low fat. Protein shakes and yoghurts. Slices of cooked turkey and chicken. White fish.

I'm 53, 5'6 size 8-10
Reduced carbs - rarely have bread or pasta or breakfast cereal.
Intermittent Fasting - only eat between 1pm and 9pm.
5 yoga classes a week
Walk 1 hour a day

I'm 5"6 and size 10. I think weight management is a mix of small diet and activity habits that add up when combined. Mine are;

Activity:

• Walking every day between 7 and 15k steps but at least 10k on average, at a fast pace no matter the weather
• Always taking stairs where possible - I walk the 6 flights of stairs when I'm in work a couple times a week
• Making sure I never sit for an hour or so without moving about a bit
• Avoiding the car for anywhere I can walk in a half hour or less
• I'll go through spates of running and resistance training a couple times a year for a few weeks at a time

Diet:

• I only drink water and one milky coffee each day, no other soft drinks with calories
• Increasingly I'm limiting alcohol - I'll only have a drink once a month or so
• I'm mindful of snacking and portion control anything I have a craving for
• Lots of fruit, veg, and lean protein - I avoid dressings and oils
• I pay attention to food labels and am generally aware of the calories in most things I eat - I don't go over ~2000 most days and if I do, I'll walk extra or skip breakfast then next day to balance it
• We get take away maybe once or twice a month but again portion control is important - if we get a Chinese for example, a typical 2 person order (two mains and rice's and a couple of sides to share) will do us two days

I also weigh myself most days just to check in and stay mindful.

That’s interesting. I had a hospital appointment in dec and had a hot chocolate and blueberry muffin at costa while i was in between appointments. I felt sick all morning. Normally i dont eat until 12.45. I thought it wa seating when i dont usually, but clearly it was a huge amount of calories and sugar in one sitting!

I think the main thing I'd try first is ditching the coke for water. I know someone who was drinking gallons of the stuff and just quiting that made a big difference to their weight.

I'd also identify meals which are super quick to make on days you'd normally reach for a takeaway. Like jacket potato, tuna, frozen sweetcorn and salad. Or stir fry with noodles (I use vermicelli as it's cheaper than Asian noodles) - especially quick if using frozen veg.

Also identify recipes that are quick to prepare, if not to cook. This tray bake requires very little preparation. It works well with cream cheese rather than pesto and can use any veg you have lying around. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/salmon-pesto-traybake-baby-roast-potatoes

I'm 50, size 10. Never eaten a takeout. Walk 15k steps a day, run twice a week, gym once (I need to increase this next year) , mostly veggie, don't drink. I eat chocolate every single day, just not much. Always have porridge or granola for breakfast.

I’m slim but I don’t know why. I think it’s strsss and the amount of running round I do.

i eat far too much cheese & chocolate & so no exercise bar waking my lazy dog, which isn’t far.

I just seem to always be busy & on the go. I think it’s reset my metabolism since having a child. I used to diet too.

I agree there are very few who don't make some conscious effort to not get fat.
Having said that there is a wide range of extremes from counting calories and always watching what they eat to a more relaxed eat what you like but in moderation.
I think the latter is better for lifelong maintenance.

That’s true they are, although they have much more fat than protein but they are also incredibly calorie dense and if one prone to overeating it might not be the best choice for weight loss. A handful of nuts is easily 200/250 calories which is an easy thing to cut out if trying to cut calories

no food is inherently bad or good, some are more calories dense than others even if they are health promoting foods

I’m almost 6ft and about 9-9.5 stone usually (currently expecting baby 3 so presumably quite a bit more than that currently 😂).

Genetics and being really tall probably help, as I’d say I probably eat quite large portions at mealtimes. I love bread and I’m happy to eat out or have the odd takeaway.

However, I’m not much of a snacker, have never drunk fizzy drinks, don’t really like alcohol, and I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.

I think the main thing that stops me gaining weight, though, is walking everywhere. I don’t drive, so do at least 10k steps a day. My job isn’t totally sedentary. Friends and family think I used to be a dog in a previous life as I can’t bear to be inside and would always rather walk than go anywhere in a car, especially if the journey is under an hour.

I'm 5 foot 6 and 8 stone. I eat raw food for lunch and then whatever is going for dinner and as much as I want - carbs included. If I'm hungry between that I eat carrots - I rarely snack and I almost never eat 'treat' food. I drink skinny coffees and Coke Zero and I walk a couple of kilometres most days. I drink alcohol very infrequently.

I’m a size 10.

I cook 3x a day, I don’t eat take aways. No snacking really. I don’t drink alcohol. Water only, sometimes a coffee and a Coke Zero.

Read "ultra processed people"

Don't eat until you're full

Also exercise doesn't make you lose weight (it does keep you healthy)

It's all about not eating too much and not too much crap

Generally I eat well, and although I eat junk too those calories are probably offset by my being very active. When I say I eat well I mean I get my 5 a day, cook from fresh, avoid ultra processed foods at mealtimes. I think that alone would keep me at a good healthy weight. I am 5'8 and hover between 8.5-9st. I have a weakness for crisps though and I also eat biscuits or sweets not because I want them but because I'm tired at work and need a sugar rush. I think being active, genes and luck is the main reason I'm skinny.

I'm not particularly slim now as I'm 31 weeks pregnant but I did go from 24stone to 15stone in a year and a half. All by myself, no surgery or medications at all. For me it was walking. I'd walk absolutely everywhere, even around clothes shops just to get steps in. Headphones on walk walk walk. Calorie deficit - I used the James smith calculator online so that must've been accurate as it worked. I bulked up on fruit veg and salad massively. I still had a weekly takeaway..id just take the day easy having a light breakfast and lunch , still do the usual walking then a takeaway for dinner. I ate a bag of crisp everyday still , there my guilty pleasure! I just made sure it was within my calorie deficit. I've tried many diets and it's the only one that actually worked and didn't make me stop and binge. I've put 2 stone back on in pregnancy but have no doubt i can't lose it again asap once baby's born as this method worked so well for me!

Why don't you take a look at Team RH, he has an app and no nonsense approach but the Science seems to work and he doesn't restrict you where it's hard to lose. I haven't joined his app because I am not huge but I do follow him.

You’d probably be surprised how much weight you could loose by just removing this ritual from your life! Maybe try switching to a black coffee/herbal tea with a banana for a week or two and see if you notice the difference! A coffee shop drink and sweet treat are far more deadly than we often realise!!

good luck in your mission, OP! I think treating it like a mindset change rather than a diet is a good way to approach. A diet has a sort of feeling that it’s for a limited time only. The best way to keep it off it small lifestyle changes that you add to and build up overtime.

let us know how you get on!

How do you do it and not get hungry? When I eat well I'm ALWAYS hungry. I try every trick but I'm always always hungry.