To wonder how you keep your size 6/8/10 figure after 30?

[snarted]

I feel like to do this I would have to really restrict myself food wise and keep to a strict gym regime. Any tips?

I'm 35 and had 2 children in my 30s and I'm an 8-10 still, I'm not hugely active and I eat what I like. I think it's a mix of genetics and loving cooking!

I am 50. Size 8/10. It’s hard op. I love wine so I cycle 3 miles a day. Don’t eat junk food on s regular basis and swim. Don’t have a cleaver or Gardner so do all those jobs and have toddler grandchildren 2 days a week so that helps!

I think it’s incredibly hard if you are office bound 5 days a week though. I am lucky I am not working so have the time.

Not me but a friend.

Eats very little, mostly veggies and pulses, no red meat, little dairy, hardly any carbs, not even much fruit, no desserts/seeets snacks ever.

Hardly ever drinks.

Runs every day.

Is on her feet most of the time when at home.

Doesn’t do much sting watching screens or reading.

Mmmm I was like you awkward buy had 6 kids by 36.. then hit the menopause and put on weight with no change to diet etc. You have to work harder as guy get older I think to maintain your target weight

I’m 34 and size 10, I exercise about 3 x per week, body weight exercise mostly. If I go jogging as well I lose weight easily but mostly can’t be bothered. I don’t eat that well, have lots of crisps and pork pies, I’ve been meaning to cook more and eat more healthily. I agree with other posters who have been a 10 all their lives but are now heavier than they were - I was a 10 at 18 and 7 and 3/4 stone, and I’m one now at nearly 9 stone!

Portion control, limited carbs in the evenings, limited bread and lots of walking.

It doesn't have to be horrible. Simple things like drinking more water to reduce bloating and eating your largest meal as early as you can make a big difference.

I was thinking this. I don't have a perfect and lovely figure but it is the same one I have had for 30 years. I have never dieted and never been to
the gym or a slimming class.

I never overeat. So I never eat puddings and I only have one biscuit and I don't choose chips or the fried option. I never feel deprived because this is how I eat. I also stop when I am full.

What does 'a small appetite' actually mean though?

One slice of toast instead of two? An apple for lunch? Never finishing a meal?

What does it mean?

For me it means if left to my own devices I won't eat proper meals, I'll just graze. I will genuinely forget to eat. My diet is atrocious unless I force myself to eat more, and not just snack on chocolate.

Yesterday (Sunday) I had porridge and two slices of toast with peanut butter for breakfast. I spent most of the day sat on my arse watching the football - I had a choc ice and a punnet of strawberries and then realised at 8pm I hadn't really eaten anything all day - and I'd have happily gone to bed without any dinner. I couldn't be arsed to make anything and didn't fancy anything proper so I picked at some prepared salads we'd got in the Ocado order that afternoon

It means on weekdays when I have the routine of going into the office I'll eat breakfast and lunch, but won't want to eat dinner. For example, three crumpets with loads of Nutella for breakfast, a banana and a peach at work, a hot meal at lunch from somewhere like Leon, probably a few biscuits snaffled from the tin at work. Then that's me done. Unless I make a concerted effort to make myself eat an evening meal, I'd happily stop there and very often do if I can't be arsed to make myself eat when I'm really not hungry.

I just don't seem to have the hunger signals! Although when I did force myself to eat loads to get my BMI up for IVF, eating more seemed to stimulate my appetite - was like it 'stretched' my stomach (obv not but my appetite seemed to adjust) so that the more I ate, the more I got used to eating loads, and the more I wanted to eat

I'm just inherently lazy - unless I have a goal (like starting IVF), I just can't be shagged to prepare and force myself to eat food when I have fuck all interest!

I think it is genetics too. I come from a family of skinny people. My 3 adult DC are slim despite huge appetites. 7 of my 8 Grandchildren are very slim. They have good appetites and play a lot of sport but never even put on muscle.

46 always size 6- 8 even though I try to put weight on. Yoga once a week. Never diet. Don’t like processed food or fizzy drinks chocolate . ( like cakes and pastries) When I’m busy or stressed I can’t be bothered to eat so that’s not good.

I'm 42. 5 foot 2 and about 8 stone, which generally means wearing an 8 or 10, or smaller in shops like Gap where everything comes up vast. I was always super skinny but last couple of years I am just slim, and am starting to gain a worrying mount of weight around the middle. My previous regime of loads of chips, loads of booze and just marching everywhere for exercise is going to need a bit of review I feel......having said that most of my dinners are salad and lean protein based etc. Unless I'm in the pub.......

As for why I was slim before, genetic luck (same build as my tiny paternal grandmother), and fast metabolism. The thing slim people have in common in my experience, and you have to know people pretty well to get to this discussion is we all poo a lot. Our bodies just seem to deal with food quicker.

In fairness OP, size 6 is very small. Statistically speaking, not many mature women in the U.K. will be a size 6 or naturally so, as a percentile of the age 30 plus group. So really, the aspiration is pretty unrealistic to begin with.
Personally, I think a lot of the midlife obesity problem is down to people not reducing portion size and food group mix as they age. So at 45 a person might still be eating the same meal as they did at 25 and wondering why the hell theyre overweight. We also as a country jump in the car too quick instead of walking anywhere.

I'm 36 and a size 8. I was always a size 6 until I had my DC then stayed a size 8. Its genetics though, my Dm family is slim and petite. In fact my problem is I would love to gain a little more weight. My appetite is HUGE and I'm drinking a shake with an extra 800 calories a day.. just to gain some weight.

I've managed to get to 30 eating whatever I like, never restricting myself and not really exercising but I'm now a size 12 and unhappy. I know the key for me is exercise, I want to do it anyway to be healthier and active but it's finding the exercise for me as I hate running! I'm doing yoga and swimming this week. I've started slimming world but tbh don't agree with the plan it's making me unhealthy (as I'd sooner grab a Diet Coke than grapes whereas before I'd kicked soft drinks) so I need to look at another way of improving my diet without it taking over my life.

I have maintained my weight but I am permanently starving.

I went vegan! Now that I can’t be tempted by almost every available sweet treat it makes life much easier haha!

I'm sz 6, mid 30's, 3 kids.There are a few things that could contribute.
l am a small eater. I cannot physically eat as much as the average person does these days - I would be sick. I eat slowly too and always have.

I don't buy unhealthy convenience foods, I don't have bad foods in the pantry for a 'quick fix', I work from home so can make a healthy lunch everyday.
I'm always moving. I always have to be doing something. If I'm home, I would be folding clothes while watching TV instead of lounging with a blanket and a snack. Tidying the house while talking to the family instead of sitting down with a cup of tea. If I'm out to dinner with friends I'll talk more than I eat. Even when I'm working on the computer I'll be tapping a foot listening to music.
I don't have a set exercise plan but I do like to be out and about with DH and the kids so we stay active without planning to be. I'm in Australia though so the weather makes it easy.
My siblings are just like me - very energetic so find it easy to stay slim.

Eat what you fancy but exercise.

This is terrible advise. Even if you could stay slim by exercise, bad eating habits can lead to a whole array of diseases. And what if you get an injury and can't exercise for a while?

Dairy Free diet.
I lost over a stone in about two months which isn’t a huge amount but it’s kept me slim

Yes to vegan! We go through vegan phases (usually in an attempt to save money as it’s so much cheaper) and it always makes me really thin instantly - even if i just make my main meal a day vegan, I lose weight in a week.

Exercise and being mindful what I eat. I know I like to have a bag of crisps most days so I'll have a salad at lunch. Or if I know I'm going for a big meal out at the weekend I'll be extra careful throughout the week.

I'd put on some weight recently through just eating whatever I wanted when I wanted it. Waist is down to 27 now so should be back in the size 10s very very soon.

*What does 'a small appetite' actually mean though?

One slice of toast instead of two? An apple for lunch? Never finishing a meal?

What does it mean?*

I think 'small appetite' these days is just a normal size meal. Meal sizes are HUGE so the 'average' size is increasing. And even if you think you are eating a 'small meal' - what are you actually eating? If more people took the time to learn about things like Low GI, calories, healthy carbs vs empty carbs etc our weight issues wouldn't be so big (pardon the pun).

I think I would die if I had a slice of toast for breakfast and an apple for lunch. I never finishes a meal when we go out because the serves are too big, but I always finish dinner at home because it is the correct amount for my age/size/gender or whatever.

I'm nearly 45 and a size 10, been the same weight since I was about 16 apart from around pregnancy! I've been exercising most days for the past couple of years but honestly, I eat a LOT! However I usually cook from scratch. I have a very sweet tooth which I try to keep under control but I do eat too much. My mum was always pretty slim so I probably take after her. My dad is slim now but used to be overweight and my brother is morbidly obese.

Tinkobell: Personally, I think a lot of the midlife obesity problem is down to people not reducing portion size and food group mix as they age

I agree with this statement. I am 50 and size 6. This will be largely due to genetics, high metabolism and generally a fidgety sort. I was the awful person who could eat all day and all sorts of crap but once I hit 40 (by which time I had 2 dcs at age 35 and 38), I started to notice I was beginning to put on weight. I also agree about the poo comment

The easiest thing is to cut or severely reduce the portion size of one meal from your day, whichever suits you best. I still enjoy my food but weigh myself everyday. If I start to creep up by even one kg, will start on a mini diet to bring the dial back down. I try to restrict carbs and don't ever drink fizzy drinks. Crisps are still my weakness.

Good genes and never being overweight in the first place help a lot. I'm 56 and still size 10 at 5' 10. My weight has been stable for many years and varies only by a Ib or two.

I eat what I like and have a couple of glasses of wine most evenings. My portion size is naturally quite small most of the time - half a small pizza is quite enough for me. I'm full after that.

I avoid heavily processed food and anything with sweeteners in. If I want something sweet I'll have it with sugar. I don't have a particularly sweet tooth but I more than make up for it in crisps and savoury snacks.

I also walk 5-6 miles a day and am generally fairly active

Genetics. I'm 30 and eat anything I want without much exercise and I'm a small size 8.