to think that women who are a size 6/8/10 are permanently on a diet?

[SabineUndine]

I don't mean diet as in counting every calorie, but diet as in they hardly eat any carbs and don't eat cakes, biscuits etc more than a couple of times a year? I am not a thin person (you guessed?) and I look at what my really slim female colleagues eat and it's salads with no carbs and just a tiny bit of protein, or soup or smoothies. Is that what it takes to be a thin person?

Mistigri - yes my worry is that if I go on a restrictive diet I may make my metabolism even slower, so I have been trying to make dietary changes (healthier food, smaller portions) without 'dieting' as such. But it's not sufficient to make me lose weight.

That said, at my 40 year health check the doctor was happy with my test results, my blood pressure, cholesterol etc were all good and I had a low risk of heart attack, so I am not that unhealthy. Just bigger than I'd like to be.

The whole dieting thing is a permanent pain for so many women.
My wife is tortured by it - never able to enjoy a meal without feeling guilty, always making excuses and saying " I'll be good tomorrow ", desperately unhappy about her figure.
I feel so sorry for her ( and anyone else in this position ) but can't say or do anything to help her or convince her she looks great to me , although it's her opinion of herself that matters really, not what I think.

Weight loss & body size was an obsession of my mother & her mother. I'm very glad not to be modelling that mindset to DC.

About heavy people who exercise... I was struck at the swimming pool that I go pretty constantly for an hour. An hour of moderate exercise isn't that much, is it? Most the other swimmers & definitely the fat ones don't swim solidly for an hour. I often wonder if the fatties would drop weight if they did. These particular fatties are quite powerful fast swimmers. They have strength but poor stamina, maybe.

Eating mindlessly adds weight.

I am a size 10 and I sit and eat every meal. I eat cake from a plate.
I plan my food on most days via an app.
I do not drink calories so only water or herbal tea.
I have cut back on carbs. I eat only a reduced amount. I eat bread once a week.
When eating out, I skip starters. It is unecessary to me.
I walk an hour a day.
I move around a lot at home and work.
I eat chocolate, crisps, biscuits but limit them.

My friend is a 16 and she eats biscuits while cooking, she eats while standing up. She does not savour food. She orders coca cola when we eat out and has a starter and dessert. Her portion sizes are equal to that of a man. She does not exercise. She hates the idea of cutting back as she enjoys food. She is convinced she does not eat much as she only counts the meals not the endless snacks she eats without paying attention.

lljkk - interesting point about strength vs stamina, but could you think of a nicer description than "fatties" it's really perjorative.

I don't say fatties with prejudice. I am beyond the point of trying to control how other people choose to hear something. That's their prejudice at work, not mine.

I don't say fatties with prejudice. I am beyond the point of trying to control how other people choose to hear something. That's their prejudice at work, not mine.

It's ok to call you a bitch, then? Your prejudice.

They might be very active, or eat small portions. I am usually a size 8 (when not pg/bf). I don't actually like food and don't get hungry much. I mostly eat cake/biscuits/chocolate/fruit/veg.

To PP that speak about age and alcohol, I'm 42, love a drink and am still skinny. I'm pretty tall so maybe that's a contributory factor, but my sisters are 5' 2", 43 and 53 and both a size 6/8, and to the best of my knowledge eat and drink like I do, so the must be some genetic factor. Interestingly my Mum is hugely overweight but my Dad is very lean.

I actually find it quite depressing the number of slim women on this thread who actively limit their calories and spend so much of their lives depriving themselves.

Where's the fun in that? If I wasn't naturally thin there's no way I could be bothered with that kind of regeime.

Thank you downstairs. I think SW worked for me because it took me back to eating proper meals. Not relying on convenience and snacking. It also never felt like dieting. Which I think is important. Anytime someone deprives themselves of something they are bound to crave it, and eventually give in. Dieting implies it will come to an end. I viewed SW as a lifestyle, and have now maintained the lifestyle at my target weight for over a year

"the number of slim women on this thread who actively limit their calories and spend so much of their lives depriving themselves.

Where's the fun in that?"

The fun of being able to wear what you want I suppose and being happy to wear a swimming costume in front of people.

"An hour of moderate exercise isn't that much, is it? Most the other swimmers & definitely the fat ones don't swim solidly for an hour. "

Swimming is pretty hard exercise. I can't do more than 20 minutes really. To be honest I also find it very boring and repetitive and can't imagine going back and forth for a whole hour.

I actually find it quite depressing the number of slim women on this thread who actively limit their calories and spend so much of their lives depriving themselves.

To start with, there aren't many.
And then, limiting calories is not depriving. I don't for the sake of limiting calories, I just don't fancy it, but choosing to eat one slice of cake instead of two is not depriving of cake. It's just eating less.

I'm petite, a size 6, and never starve myself. I eat whatever and have done since I was around 17. Stayed the same size, no effort required. My DBs are the same, as was my DGM. Must be a metabolism thing. But you know, feel free to judge

"For people who are more moderately overweight - maybe a size 14 rather than the 6-8-10 of this thread - you'd have to balance the health risks of dieting against the risks of having a BMI slightly outside the ideal range."

But if you don't watch out, an overweight person becomes more overweight and then obese so isn't it better to stop things in their tracks. Once a person is obese it becomes difficult and dangerous for them to exercise.

The fun of being able to wear what you want I suppose and being happy to wear a swimming costume in front of people.

Larger people can do this too

I actually find it quite depressing the number of slim women on this thread who actively limit their calories and spend so much of their lives depriving themselves.

The 'number' being really really small from what I've read

I can't be arsed to go back and count, but from memory it's about 2 or 3 isn't it?

PollyPerky - you make a soup carton last three days?! I would have one of those for my lunch, plus crackers/toast plus fruit. I thought I ate quite carefully - I was weighed last week as part of a check up and have just calculated that my BMI is 18, so I suspect that your colleague eats a lot more than just soup.

Larger people can do this too

Funny, because I have always been considered underweight, and in fact too skinny. Certainly not the best look in a bikini. :)
Do I care?

And still wear a bikini, even though I have an obvious post-pregnancy belly.

When I was a size 6/8 I used to nearly starve myself , I tried most days to eat less than 1,000 calories but I didn't always manage it. I didn't eat dinner and mostly went to bed hungry. I also used to work out in the gym for 2 hours a day, plus other exercise. The minute I ate anything calorific I put on pounds. I kept this up for over 10 years.

Now I'm a size 12 on a good day with a belly. I mostly eat what I want and do a little bit of exercise - about 10 hours a week. I much, much prefer my life now. I feel far more balanced and healthy.

I think there are some small people with great metabolisms. Everyone else is really limiting what they eat, sometimes drastically.

"The fun of being able to wear what you want I suppose and being happy to wear a swimming costume in front of people.

Larger people can do this too smile"

They can, but, in my opinion, there are some clothes that don't suit a larger size - the same is probably true for a smaller size but I wouldn't be interested in those clothes.

When I was a size 6/8 I used to nearly starve myself

Why???

At a 6/8 I was trying to gain weight. Well, wishing more than trying, really.

To be clear, I'd still be happy to be a size 10. My more solid 8 is still too skinny, IMO.

I do not drink calories so only water or herbal tea
so this!
I notice this a lot. I mostly drink water, sparkling water at a restaurant, herb teas and black tea or coffee. I am always amazed watching the amount of calories my overweight relatives drink alongside their food. If we go out for lunch sometimes they'll be drinking more calories (not counting their food) than I probably have in my entire lunch! And then milky drinks all day long too, they add up.

Agree with the swiming comment. When I go I swim. I might not swim for an hour but if I stop swimming I get out. I see a lot of people at the pool just wallowing. Wallow, do a lap. Wallow, do a lap. They might stay physically in the pool longer than me but my 20 mins in the pool will burn more calories than their hour because I swim constantly. However, good for them it's still exercise and better than spending that time sitting around, it's just light exercise Vs my moderate exercise.