If you’ve never been overweight, what do you eat and do

[Kittenswhiskers]

Seems we always seek advice from fellow people with the same problems so I’d like to ask people that have never had this ?

I had no idea.
Makes me feel physically sick.

Never eat breakfast, not even when I was a child - don't want to. I'm an owl, my stomach is not awake that early. Eat twice or once a day. Low-ish carb (not horribly low). No bread - don't like it, don't see what to do with it, don't eat sandwiches. Don't snack and never did. Don't eat sweet stuff often, just sometimes, usually when ill. Drink lots of water and black coffee in the morning, nothing else. Do drink alcohol and don't limit it when I drink (or what kind), but obv I don't drink everyday. Don't gym, hate it and can't be arsed, just walk a lot. Don't smoke, did at one point, but quit ages ago. Eat healthy, limit UPFs, lots of veg, legumes, eggs, etc - I like it. Lots of meat too, not very healthy, but don't care, I like it. Love vegetables, but not fruit - don't like it. Not much dairy, lactose intolerant, milk stinks, don't like cheese and yoghurts. Eat fermented vegetables, sauerkrout, kimchi, beetroot, etc. Love buckwheat. Oh yes, I feel energetic when empty and hate the 'stuffed' feeling.

5'11'' UK size 6, 37, woman. Been like this most of my life, slightly larger in my teens than now and briefly overweight post partum.

It doesn't bother me much so it doesn't keep me awake. Since I'm not in the habit of eating large meals or constantly snacking, my stomach is small enough that I don't feel painfully hungry.

Me too. I can't eat a thing when I'm stressed.

You're not insensitive at all. You've hit the nail on the head. I'm food obsessive whereas partner who is perfect weight never thinks about it. He eats when hungry and stops when full.

Any extra weight seems to go on my face so I have to stay stick thin to have any definition on my face and to look like myself, if that makes sense.

That's by far the biggest motivator.

As to what I do, exercise min. 6 days a week, walk everywhere, and eat 'clean' about 80% of the time.

I have been overweight by many stones my entire life, up until I had a gastric sleeve several years ago.

I feel like I've been let into the secret thin person club, and the reason I've finally been able to lose weight and keep it off is that I no longer constantly think about food, crave food or even care about food. I eat what I want, but because of the sleeve it's a fraction of my previous definition of I eat what I want by several thousand calories per day.

I would say for the vast majority of thin people it's because they don't eat very much at all but don't feel particularly bothered about that. They also don't have incessant thoughts about food every waking minute. Willpower for them means dealing with feeling slightly uncomfortable resisting the offer of a biscuit rather than an uncontrollable urge to snarf down the entire packet.

I've never been overweight and at 56 with children my bmi is 19.5. I just eat what I want. Sorry, I know that's not helpful.

I'm quite tall(5ft 10), which I think helps and I don't like sitting around much but I don't take formal exercise. I like walking though and will walk rather than drive up to couple of miles for an errand.

I do try and eat high fibre and drink lots of water. I don't drink any fizzy drinks because I don't like them and I cook most of the meals we eat from scratch. Also I don't drink much alcohol, but I used to in my youth 😅

I'd say I'm more of a snacker than a lover of huge meals, but to be honest I can pack away a big meal too.

I suspect some of it is down to genes because people are generally tall and slim in my family.

Edit: Also, if I'm full I don't carry on eating for the sake of it.

Agree with MollieMex. Most people I know who like to describe themselves as “foodies” are overweight.

My best friend has no interest in food & has never gained weight. She doesn’t eat any rubbish, just doesn’t think about it.

Friends who “diet” are the ones who talk / think about food the most. All of them are overweight, worse when “off my diet”.

But, also I have another friend who grew up eating tonnes of rubbish, oven chips, fizzy drinks etc… But she’s always had an amazing figure. She’s a like a thoroughbred. Smoked, though!

Low carb (apart from wine 🤪)since early 20s, running, pilates and dog walking everyday. Always been between size 6/8 55kg (5ft 6).

Diet varies massively, sometimes it's pretty good other periods of my life it's terrible (e.g. limited fruit and veg and very high in sugar and convenience/UPF crap!). But it's portion sizes for me I guess, I just don't eat massive portions (usually - if I'm eating out or something I will push the boat out and happily stuff myself!).

I don't drive so I've always done quite a bit of walking but again there's been periods where ive exercised regularly and other times where I've been very sendentary aside from the walking.

But I've always been a highly weight. I don't comfort eat, I rarely drink alcohol or drinks with many calories, I don't eat huge portions, I walk quite a lot, I don't eat a lot for the sake of it/no reason/boredom - usually only if I'm hungry. I guess irs all that, plus genetics

I was always underweight (size 6-8 and 5'3") until menopause. Since then it has gradually crept up and I am now (in my 60s) a size 12.

The main difference is my appetite. When I was slim I could eat whatever I wanted, but I didn't want to eat very much. Now I am always hungry so definitely snack more. I avoid UPFs but I do find it difficult to cut out sugar completely so that is my main weakness as everything else I eat is fairly healthy.

I don't do any meaningful formal exercise, although usually walk 6,000 -10,000 steps a day anyway just pottering about. When I am more sedentary, due to various health issues, I do notice the weight increasing.

I have two DD's, one is size 6/8 the other size 12/14. The lighter one skips meals unless you encourage her to eat, but eats junk food, we'll junk snacks galore if they are in eyeshot, if they aren't she just doesn't eat, she says she doesn't feel hunger, she tends to eat small portions even when put in front of her. The heavier one alas is like me, spends most the day thinking about food, planning meals, daydreaming about baking and reading restaurant reviews . I've had my weight in normal range but it meant depriving myself of all tasty meals basically

No lunch since I was 38. Small breakfast since I was 45. It's hard work but I am disabled and extra weight ruins my mobility.

I would say for the vast majority of thin people it's because they don't eat very much at all but don't feel particularly bothered about that. They also don't have incessant thoughts about food every waking minute. Willpower for them means dealing with feeling slightly uncomfortable resisting the offer of a biscuit rather than an uncontrollable urge to snarf down the entire packet.

I can only speak for myself, but I do think about food, in the sense that I will think ahead about what to have for lunch, dinner sort of thing. I cook from scratch the majority of the time, so I do plan ahead. I have no interest in biscuits, so can quite comfortably turn them down, if offered.

I’ve never been overweight, neither as a child nor an adult. I haven’t tried to be this way, it just seems my natural default. At the moment, I’m recovering from a vicious virus during which I lost weight so will be struggling to put that weight back on. Whenever I lose weight like that, it takes effort to gain it back.

I eat a broad range of foods and I like a snack or two every day too. I eat cereal and toast for breakfast; a mid-morning snack of fruit or a chocolate digestive or flapjack kind of thing; then a sandwich for lunch or a salad plus two slices of bread, then fruit, yoghurt, a few crisps and/or chocolate; afternoon snack is similar to morning snack; and my evening meal always has plenty of green veg alongside a normal meal like pork chops and potatoes, chicken curry, chilli and rice, pasta, etc. I sometimes have a dessert like ice cream, cheesecake, fruit crumble, etc, but not every day.

I am quite lean and muscly, and I do think your natural build makes a difference. I had my body fat and muscle measured once and my fat was low and my muscle high. The guy assumed I was an athlete! 😂 I’m not (and not a big fan of any sports) but I am active and enjoy walking.

I also rarely eat takeaways or processed stuff like those frozen things you shove in the oven. I think that helps because I think that food messes with your metabolism and taste buds.

I never had to think about it till I hit puberty. After that, dealing with my appetite became a struggle I am still dealing with, made even worse by looming menopause. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my appetite will go back to normal once I am properly through menopause, but I am not holding my breath there either.

We are in our early seventies - neither of us have ever been overweight. Mine has fluctuated by a few lbs over the years, while my husband has actually got thinner although he loves food and eats very well.
We are retired and a typical day's meals are:

Breakfast: Porridge( made with milk) and a bit of sugar. Slice of toast (with butter and marmite or marmalade. Fruit juice, coffee

Lunch: Crackers/oatcakes with cheese/hummus/tuna/sardines and a salad (rocket/lettuce, carrot, celery, onion,peppers - home made French dressing) Apple and banana, slice of home made cake and coffee.

Supper: Pasta with some kind of sauce/curry and rice/casserole with potatoes and veg, spanakopita with tomato salad,mushroom omelette with potatoes and veg. Piece of fruit afterwards.

I've always cooked mainly from scratch - don't buy any jarred sauces etc, although I do sometimes use Pataks' curry pastes (not the sauce) as a base. I tend to improvise with what I have in the fridge rather than stick closely to recipes unless cooking for a special occasion. We always have some kind of vegetables with a main meal (peas with fish and chips, broccoli with pizza, etc. We've had a breadmaker for many years (and usually make 50%/75% wholemeal) very rarely buy bread - we both love bread and rarely have any going stale.
We have butter and full fat plain yogurt for cooking. We don't keep any biscuits/crisps/sweets in the house - if we do have them we eat them very quickly! When the children were at home we had crisps and chocolate bars for lunch boxes only. We do live opposite a small supermarket so occasionally buy a chocolate bar there

Probably have a bottle of wine at the weekend, or a couple of gin and tonics, or beers. Generally drink a couple of filter coffees a day, plus small glass of fruit juice and maybe a mug or two of tea. Neither of us go to any length to drink extra water unless feeling thirsty.

We make an effort to walk or cycle at least a couple of miles every day - use buses generally rather than the car locally so that entails some extra walking to bus stops. We can still do at least 10 miles fell walking if on holiday. I do Pilates online twice a week.

I suppose I'm not that interested in food compared with some of my friends. If we're meeting up for a meal, their emphasis is on where we're going and what the menu is. I'm far more interested in their company and don't care what or where as long as there's a vegetarian option, which might be a bowl of chips. I'm 55, 5 foot 8 and about 8.5 stone but being teetotal, a vegetarian and a non driver probably helps. I eat a LOT of potatoes.

I eat a shit ton of protein (chicken, beef, fish, eggs, yoghurt) which stops me snacking, and treat my carbs as small “side” portions, instead of basing my whole meal around them like I used to!

Used to yo yo diet but now have a great balance! I haven’t cut anything out (ate a huge meal at McDonald yesterday and feel not at all guilty) and I keep my steps above 10000 per day

Thanks @Whataninterestinglookingpotato - you’ve given me a bit of hope. I’m just overweight (BMI wise) for the first time in my life and need to make some changes. I am very similar to you in terms of my 20s and 30s and I find it inspiring you’ve managed to get the weight off and keep it off.

I don’t restrict my food. If I want a huge portion I’ll have a huge portion. I don’t restrict my food types, no avoidance of carbs or sugar, I eat all food groups when I fancy them. I also drink a reasonable amount of alcohol at least a couple of nights a week so I don’t skimp there either.

I don’t know how many calories are in anything, I don’t know how much I weigh and I have never known but I’ve always been a size 8, 10 or 12 depending on what stage of pregnancy and adulthood I’ve been at. Currently a size 10 and slightly taller than average so that’s I assume a decent weight.

I try to eat when I’m hungry but don’t always have chance to do so. I’ve never had a job where I can have a lunch break or time and a place to eat so I got used to 12 hour plus shifts without a meal from very early teens. If I’m hungry and miss a chance to eat the hunger wears off. When I do have a chance to eat - eg after work I’m not always hungry.

I can’t eat breakfast and never have. I love food and I love cooking but I’d rather not eat than eat something that’s less good than I could make it. Eg my bread is better than the shop bread but I don’t always have a chance to make mine, so if I haven’t baked some I don’t have any.

I exercise because I need to for my health and not because I want to effect my weight, but I can’t eat before exercise and I cant eat soon after. I also walk several miles a day every day in a combination of purposeful walking and everyday errands.

I've never been over weight, even after having 2 kids. I don't snack, never have done even as a child.
Just eat 3 meals a day.
I'm a fidgeter as well and can't keep still, so I'm on the go all the time. I walk everywhere and don't use the car unless it's long distances.

I also have no idea how many calories are in things.