to be sick of diets and diet clubs...calling all skinny people to help!!!

[ChocolateBiscuitCake]

I have always been, in the words of Bridget Jones, 'a little bit fat'. Three children in 4 years (and copious amounts of chocolate biscuit cake ), I am fed up of being fat and all the effects that it has on self esteem, energy, fitness etc. I have two stone to lose and am 35.

I have tried every 'diet' going and fallen off the wagon within weeks. I have been to WW and SW. I am sick of them. They are limiting, I feel hungry and then when I can't have something, I want it and the 'diet' falls apart.

I am binning it all.

And I am going to eat a normal, healthy, balanced diet with small portions. I am going to start exercising and moving more (my personal trainer started today to keep me motivated...I am lazy!).

In the park this morning there were hundreds of thin people exercising - I long to be fit, healthy and 'thin'. What I want to know is:

to all you skinny people - what do you actually eat?
how much exercise do you do?
how much alcohol do you drink? (I suspect this may be where I am going wrong!!!)
any other tips?

Hope you don't mind me posting here - I doubt there are many skinny people in the slimming club section!!!!

Op - don't worry about the lack of fitness - it comes.

The first time I went running I could only do 30 seconds and had to stop! Within a month I could do 20 minutes and within 3 months I could do an hour

I'm not exactly skinny, BMI of 22

But I have lost 82lb to get to current size and am maintaining.

I eat whatever I want, but always start the day with a very good breakfast.

I drink quite a lot of alcohol, but my poison is whiskey, which is nice and low calorie as I drink it with water

I walk several miles a day, at speed. That definitely helps.

watch secret eaters it's OMG i sat watching it going i do that i do that OMG no wonder i'm fat!!

also never eat while doing something else, such as reading or watching tv

i think exercise is great (i swim every day but that's with my children so not fat burning) but in most cases it is diet that helps you lose weight not heavy exercise , which can have a habit of raising your demand for calorie consumption

NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) is a big factor.

nancy that is so encouraging - I had really bad SPD in pregnancy (and after, actually!) so am trying to build my core strength to support my pelvis a bit better. I am also hyper-mobile so really nervous about damaging myself (I never want to hurt like I did after DS2 again). Ultimately I want to run - that is my fitness goal! Great to hear it is achievable.

i've stayed skinny by never having been able to afford indulgences.
I've found the cheapest way to eat well is to stock up on vegetables and bags of pulses plus small portions of meat but not in every meal - it forces you to learn to cook which is satisfying and means you always know what's going into the food you eat and there are no surprise additives.
By being frugal more things that are quite easy to attain become 'luxuries' (so i have far more luxuries on a tight budget than many richer friends), eg. to me a tin of anchovies, which will add great flavour, are a nice treat.
Because they're a waste of money i don't even go down the crisps/chocolate/fizzy drinks aisles of the supermarket any more so i never meet the temptation.
i always have booze in the house though (except at the mo as i'm knocked up) and will usually drink a couple of glasses of wine of an evening.
I do little (a bit of walking at the most) to no exercise so the diet clearly makes a huge impact. I'm mid 30s and size 8.

Find some form of exercise that you want to do and do it - it'll do so much more for your health than just losing weight, and the weight will be lost a lot easier. Just try anything as long as it gets a sweat up - or even if you can't find something there that works for you, find something that you can do for a long time that is still exercise. (So maybe you don't enjoy getting a big sweat up running 5km but could hike across moorland for 4 hours)

The fitness benefits will also change how your body reacts to food, so dieting will be easier. If you're really as unfit as you say you are, just running for as long as you can and then having a walk and running again will do great things. But you might prefer a team sport, or some fast dancing or just about anything as long as it gets you breathless!

I'm 5'5 and somewhere under 9 stone. I've been within a half stone of this weight for 6 years now but before that was over 11.

I thought I did it without trying, but I made lifestyle changes which must explain it..

I got a job where I walked or cycled to work. It's the only exercise I do now bar the odd Zumba, hike or swim.

Weirdly what worked for me was that I stopped trying to diet and exercise. I stopped eating diet foods. Stopped denying myself what I wanted. I used to exercise (hour on treadmill/cross-trainer) then have a treat because I'd earned it. That used to be a Starbucks coffee and snack which was probably 300 calories more than I'd just burned off...

As a result i stopped thinking about food as much, but then started thinking about my health - was I getting enough nutrients (I became vegetarian so that probably had a lot to do with it)? If you are eating 7 proper varied portions of veg/fruit a day it doesn't leave that much room for crap.

I eat whatever I want on top of 3 healthy, balanced meals and fruit and nuts for snacks. Today that included 2 mini ice lollies, a yoghurt and in about 5 minutes time a posh biscuit.

Oh btw a personal trainer I had told me its 80% diet and 20% exercise to lose weight.

I don't eat unless I'm hungry.

I'm 44 and size 10 (about 5 ft 7 and 9 stone), the same weight I was on my wedding day 22 years ago. Had 4 kids in 5 years... and I am essentially a lazy slob, hate exercise and like wine, however I am a TA in a special school and my job involves a lot of physical work and chasing runners!

I just eat when I need to but don't bother in between.. I don't think about food much and I'm sure that is why I am still slim. I also don't keep munchies in the house ..so I have to make a real effort to go out if I feel the need for chocolate late at night!

I also ONLY eat salad at lunch times..I genuinely love it and it stops me feeling sluggish in the afternoons. Simple food works for me.

Im not skinny or toned, but I would like to be.

I had a thread where I was just moaning that I can't eat right. I had a load of people to cut carbs, but that would be a massive step for me as every day involves bread, pasta or potato. I have joined the Paul McKenna thread, but I want to read the book first. One thing I did learn that you have to be in the right frame of mind, of which I am not sadly :(

I am currently on week 6 of the NHS couch to 5K plan and it is really going well, but running has not lost me any weight (though I didnt expected to) and if anything my belly has got bigger.

I plan to do the portion control, but I see all this nice stuff around me. Though ATM I am job hunting and I think that once I start work I am going to eat better. Im hoping a new start will give me the kick up the bum I need (its either that or suddenly finding myself in size 20 things)

Ive looked at that eat more to lose weight thread and it seems very complicated to me so Im going to go down the Paul route once Ive got my hands on the copy of the book.

If you adopt a lifestyle where you eat a sensible amount of food and exercise sufficiently you need never worry/obsess/diet.

I eat what I want when I want it. I listen to my body. I eat good, healthy stuff because it makes me feel good and healthy. I eat treats here and there because they taste nice. I eat when hungry. I drink regularly and am well hydrated. I walk an awful lot as I don't drive, cycle if I'm not walking and go for a run regularly as I enjoy the time out alone and pounding my thoughts into the pavement. I am teetotal.

I am a healthy weight for my height and food is a pleasure.

ivanapoo Weirdly what worked for me was that I stopped trying to diet and exercise. I stopped eating diet foods. Stopped denying myself what I wanted. I used to exercise (hour on treadmill/cross-trainer) then have a treat because I'd earned it. That used to be a Starbucks coffee and snack which was probably 300 calories more than I'd just burned off... sums it up.

This is how I want to live my life.

You are all amazing (and I am very that you are all so skinny!!)

Caveat before I put this - last time I posted my diet, a few people on MN said they thought I had a very odd and restricted diet! I have tried to balance it out a bit since then...

What do you actually eat?
breakfast - porridge with cinnamon and sugar on top, several cups of tea, yoghurt and fruit
elevenses - piece of fruit, biscuit or similar
lunch - sandwich, e.g. cheese and pickle, packet of crisps if I'm treating myself, post-lunch herbal tea
afternoon - piece of fruit and a biscuit
post-work snack - handful of nuts, some dried fruit, etc
evening - lots of lovely carbohydrates in the form of yummy rice, delicious potatoes etc. pitiful amounts of protein and vegetables. (But today I was feeling healthy, so I had salmon, rice and peas) Pudding would be my post-supper herbal tea abd one or two squares of high-quality chocolate. (Though this week I don't have any chocolate in the house, and last weekend I ate a vast amount of toffee-covered popcorn over a couple of evenings.)

How much exercise do you do?
I cycle about 14 miles and usually walk another couple of miles during the day.

How much alcohol do you drink?
A very small glass of wine in the evening. Possibly two glasses of wine if I'm really really pushing the boat out.

If you're cutting down you portion size, you're bound to feel hungry between meals until your body adjusts to eating less (and it will eventually)

But remember hunger is not an enemy so there's no need to eat the minute you feel a hunger pang (as long as you've already eaten sensible meals) leave the hunger for 20 minutes or so and do something to take your mind off it.

If it hasn't passed after that time, have a light snack and some water.

Also, unless it's absolutely necessary for some reason...try not to eat when you're out and about shopping etc..

I can never get my head around people who don't like / don't like carbs. BUT for me I think there's a heck of a lot of comfort food in there - long story, but my mum came from a background where basically carbs were what you ate and you were grateful that you had them. In her background, eating a lot of protein just wasn't for the likes of us.

Hi, I am only 5'2" so can't really go over 8 stone as look fat.

So no bread or potatoes. Lots of salad and vegs, no chocolate or biscuits or cakes or just a little as a treat.

Alcohol only on fri and sat or on special occasions. Can have a Wednesday wobble( excuse pun) if desperate but stick to one unit.

So typical day is cereal with fruit for breakfast

Lunch salad or egg, beans but no toast.

Dinner, grilled fish with veg or salad leaves. Steak or chicken alternative.

Excersise every day either cycle ride, walk or jog, wee sports and alternate with weights. Gym and swim at least 3 times a week

It's not a diet it has to be normal living so you can't 'diet, and then go back to eating how you did in the past, it's a plan for life.

You can do it.

Try having less carbs and more water. And start running! I do an hour three times a week. But you can start by walking for one min and then running for the next and so on.

What do you actually eat?

Whatever I want, within reason. Today I had a cup of tea with milk and sugar, a chocolate cookie, a sausage roll with ketchup, a large Chinese takeaway with fried rice, chow mein, chips, sweet and sour chicken etc. and a large bag of sweet popcorn. An uncharacteristically 'brown food' unhealthy day, I usually get my fruit and veg but will always have large portions, lots of carbs, dessert, chocolate, cheese, snacks...

How much exercise do you do?

A lot. I walk around 8 miles a day, sometimes as many as 10, with my pair of working dogs. I run 5k four times a week. In the dog racing season we're out at events for whole weekends, running/mushing 5k distances in all weathers. I do a weight training/pilates/general strength routine a couple of times a week. I'm training for a half marathon and plan to do a Tough Mudder event later in the year.

I'm 5ft 8", 10 stone, dress size 10. Slim but with hips/boobs/waist.

How much alcohol do you drink? (I suspect this may be where I am going wrong!!!)

Not much. Until recently I worked in a pub and quickly grew tired of alcohol and drunks, being surrounded by it all the time puts you off. I drink maybe once or twice a month, almost never at home.

Any other tips?

EXERCISE. Find something you can tolerate and do it to extremes. Eat well, eat big, run hard. Be active in everything you do.

Breakie - Often a banana and a couple of rice cakes with almond or cashew butter. Green tea.

Mid morning - fruit

Early lunch - Salad with an egg or tons of homous with veg and oat cakes maybe. Herbal tea

early afternoon - some nuts or seeds

Tea - mostly prawn, veggie, salmon, mackerel, chicken and lamb dishes. All home made. Minimal carbs and lots of veg. Herbal tea.

Evening - greek yogurt with agave for a sweet hit (low GI honey alternative). Small glass of red wine.

drink plenty of water - sometimes thirst can masquerade as hunger
get lots of sleep - tiredness can cause you to feel more hungry.

I eat mostly what I like although aim for low GI foods as otherwise I notice my blood sugar level is all over the place, so rye bread, oatcakes, dark chocolate rather than normal. I also save sweet treats for when I'm out (often ) so I don't have biscuits, cakes etc in the house.

I shop online when I've eaten, which I think makes a big difference and don't drink alcohol at home and am pretty active.

Have you read Susie Orbach On Eating? it's an excellent book.

Good luck OP

I'm 5'5'' and weigh about 9st. I'm a size 10/12 depending on the shop.

For breakfast I usually have 2 crumpets with butter, cup of tea and 2 chocolate digestives.

Lunch is 3 sesame ryvita with butter, ham and beetroot, another cup of tea and probably another 2 biccies.

Dinner is usually a smaller portion of what the rest of the family is having - spag bol, green thai curry.

Evening snacks usually involve more biscuits, tea.

When my weight goes up its because I up my portion sizes.

I never exercise and find gyms incredibly boring.

When I've wanted to lose a few pounds I eat ALOT less and normally have strong will power to do this - always good to have a goal, e.g. a special occasion to go to/slinky dress to get into!

For me, personally, keeping the weight off has nothing to do with exercise but how much food I put into my mouth.

At my lightest I've been 8st 9lb but I can't maintain that weight for very long.

If you REALLY want to lose weight you will. Good Luck and Go for it