What do you eat if you’re slim?

[Merryoldgoat]

I’m sorry but I really don’t know.

I’m very fat and have been yo-yo dieting for years to the point where I don’t know what a normal healthy day-to-day diet is. I know all the various weight-loss diets etc but it’s the normal eating I struggle with.

I’m currently on a LONG weight loss journey and have lost 3 stone so far but I want to keep it off once I’ve lost it.

I like healthy food and a variety of food - I’m just trying to understand what slim people eat on a typical day.

In particular I’m really interested in what you have for family dinners.

I’m hoping things that can be batches cool feature as I need to save time where I can.

Thank you for reading my very boring AIBU

thanks for starting the thread, its been useful for me as a former skinny person. in the last couple of days ive really started thinking about upping veg and protein and keeping myself busy so im not shoving food in my mouth.

Well done on your weight loss- I agree with most about portion size.
I eat a gluten and vegan diet

Breakfast : cornflakes with mulled flax and coconut milk - in a children’s size cereal bowl.
Fruit mid morning
Lunch : wholemeal roll with salad topped with apple cider vinegar, bio yoghurt
Afternoon - fruit
Tea- spinach and vegetables with falafels cooked in coconut oil.
Drink- 4/5 tall glasses of water
1x coconut green tea
1x peppermint green tea
And 1 hot chocolate!

I have no idea how many calories or fat etc I eat a day. As long as what you are eating is healthy and giving your body good nutrition, eat little and every 2-3 hrs for your sugar levels etc.

I don’t drink alcohol, no refined carbs etc.

I enjoy the food I eat- I couldn’t diet with food I didn’t enjoy.

If you have allot of weight to loose then exercise is a biggy, you don’t want to be hungry all the time.

Good luck!!

I understand what you mean about disordered eating and the hold it takes on your life. I'm around a size 8-10 normally, currently more like a 12 as I'm pregnant. I have no idea honestly if I'm "naturally slim" or not. My father is vast, my mother is tiny. I was overweight as a young teen then suffered quite a severe eating disorder and went down to a size 6 at most. I'm now 30 and have been a healthy weight for about 10 years. For me maintaining a healthy relationship with food (neither over nor under eating, and not thinking about food 24/7) relies quite heavily on not doing anything like calorie counting or weighing myself. I don't own a set of scales, I don't look at the nutritional info on food. I let myself be weighed at my booking appointment for my pregnancy, but that's literally the only time I've been weighed in 10 years. Like how an ex smoker can't just have 1 cigarette. Sometimes my clothes feel a little tight, sometimes a little loose, and then I just concentrate on making no changes to my diet or exercise and it always self regulates back to my clothes fitting normally. For me there is no quicker way to lose control of my weight than to make active attempts to regulate it. Not thinking about it at all is the best way for me to maintain a healthy weight. Which I appreciate sounds a bit contradictory since I'm posting on this thread! Anyway, my daily meals look a bit like this:

Breakfast: cereal (usually musli) with almond or oat milk
Lunch: almost always cheese sandwiches, usually 2. Real butter, sometimes mayo and salad. I bloody love cheese and would probably eat it 24/7 if I could.
Dinner: something vegetarian and home cooked - stir fry, pasta, chilli, cauliflower cheese, Quorn or soya something (like quorn sausage and mash).

I don't weigh or measure portions, or go out of my way to use low fat ingredients like that low calorie cooking spray etc, as for me this counts as "thinking too much about the food". I eat butter because I like butter over marj, I prefer almond milk over cows milk, it's not about one being higher or lower fat. I don't go to the gym or do any structured exercise, but I am on my feet most of the day chasing my toddler. I rarely drive/ use public transport and consider anything up to an hour away to be walking distance. I've always had active jobs as well, working in schools or hospitals.

Taking steps to not think about my food intake or weight too much has broken the hold disordered eating had on my life. I can eat until I'm full and then stop, even if there's still food on the plate. I can have a packet of biscuits open beside me and only eat 1. I bought my favourite crisps and dip last week and still haven't opened them as I keep forgetting they're there. Getting to this point has helped me maintain a healthy weight more than planning, dieting, and having weight goals ever did. Of course it's different for everyone, but for me the key was to take back control. Like they say with relationships "whoever cares the least has the power". I love good food and enjoy cooking new dishes/ going to restaurants, but I don't care about my weight and my food and the relationship between them in the way that I used to. In my relationship with food now, I have the power.

Oh, I also don't think alcohol or fizzy drinks. I drink coffee in the mornings, then juice and water through the day.

I’ve been overweight for a very long time but been using PT for the last 10 weeks. He said you just need to be in a calorie deficit. Doesn’t complicate things with protein or macros etc. at the end of the day I need to burn more calories than what’s going in. I use my fitness pal which has helped me grasp potion sizes and actually how many calories are in things. It’s helped me make better choice. I save up calories for my weekend as I socialize a lot. I’ll reduce calories after big meals. I love this way of eating. I’m not religious with it but I. Ant imagine doing it another way now. Hope this helps x

I can get away with eating a bit more than average as I'm 5' 11'', which admittedly helps.

However, I think that the main points are to eat a balanced diet e.g. protein, carbohydrates and fat, and lots of fruit and vegetables, and to exercise portion control, especially with higher calorie foods. Don't ban anything though. For instance, if you feel like lasagne (high fat, high calorie), then have a small portion, with a big green salad. If one day you are planning on having a pudding after dinner, then make the main course something like baked fish and vegetables (low fat and low calorie). That way you won't end up taking in more calories than you need.

Also, do some form of regular exercise and drink lots of water!

flutteryleaves Fri 27-Jul-18 10:08:09
not much i'm afraid. thats why slim people are slim - they've trained themselves

Please don't be so ignorant and tar all slim people with such rubbish - yes some slim people will - this one doesn't

I'm a size 8-10 dependant on clothes shop - I eat lots. I just prefer to eat more healthy stuff not junk. If I fancy a burger and fries I'll have a burger and fries - that'll be maybe once a month if that though - I'd much rather have peri-peri chicken pitta and corn on the cob.

Another 'myth' is that everyone who is slim exercises - I do zero exercise yet have a flat stomach and toned arms/legs.

Hope you find what's right for you OP - one size doesn't fit all (pardon the pun ) Half the battle I've found is if you're motivated to make changes from experience with family members who want to lose weight.

you havent quoted everything and lifted a part of the statement.

"thats why slim people are slim - they've trained themselves or default is no large portions."

So many different things affect weight, so what works for one person will not work for another. Focus on being healthy; eat as naturally as you can, ditch processed food, eat complex carbs like brown rice, bread, pasta with homemade sauces, proper butter, cream.

Greek yoghurt with fruit is good for breakfast, or porridge when it's cooler. Eat nuts or raw veg and homemade hummus for snacks (portion control is key) and cut out snacking on biscuits/crisps etc. Drink a lot of water.

And exercise...walking, running, cycling, swimming, gym, classes, whatever...keep as active as possible, for physical and mental health.

Slim people are slim because in the main they don't actually care much about food, or they don't tend to feel very hungry.

I'm slim... I think I look slimmer because I'm tall. I eat healthily, salads, stir frys but I'm also active. I enjoy gardening and walking the dog. I must admit I haven't read all the thread but from what I've read no one's really mentioned keeping active and regular exercise

Don't have crap in the house. No cake/biscuits/crisps/chips/fish fingers/sausages.
Remember that it's natural to be hungry. It's natural to be randy too, but you don't expect to gratify that desire instantly every time. Probably.

I’m 5’6” and 8st7lbs. I probably walk around 4 miles a day (sometimes more, sometimes less), swim when I can, and do Pilates at the gym once a week. I’m also breastfeeding a hungry baby.

Most days I have...

Breakfast
Homemade granola with natural yoghurt (not low fat), nuts, seeds, and fresh fruit (a big bowlful; am starving in the mornings after night feeds), plus strong coffee with whole milk.

Lunch
Something like 2 eggs scrambled, slice of buttery brown toast, half an avocado/a pile of grilled tomatoes, then a couple of bits of fruit. Or veg soup with toast.

Tea
Usually veggie and nearly always homemade - regular meals include lentil dal, steamed rice and steamed spinach / ratatouille and pasta / vegetable stir fry with tofu and rice or noodles / veggie shepherd’s pie with steamed greens / green salad with spuds, cashew nuts and goats cheese to beef it up a bit.

I don’t really drink. I do eat a lump of cake with afternoon brew 5 days out of 7. It’s usually home made with actual butter (not spread).

Bollox to slim people not caring about food!

I love food so much that I don't abuse it and - MOST vitally - run/cycle/swim daily. Overeating is a sign of not loving food.

Slim people are slim because in the main they don't actually care much about food

Bollocks. I love food!

I'm 5'5" weigh 9 1/2 stone & a size 10.
I eat weetabix with milk, berries & fat free yoghurt for breakfast.

Lunch is either chicken salad, eggs with smoked salmon/ bacon or couscous. Homemade soup in the winter. Include lots of veg or salad.

Dinner might be quorn stir fry, spag bol, fish, curry. All using spray oil & low fat mince. No mayonnaise, hardly any alcohol. Snack on fruit & yoghurt. Don't drink fizzy diet drinks, mostly water & tea. I don't like takeaways at all.

I do treat myself to a bit of cake a couple of times a week + a small amount of chocolate.
Google low fat recipes for dinner inspiration, sometimes you just need to tweak a recipe to cut the fat content.
Get some slimming cook books.
I don't really do much planned exercise, just daily running around.i think you shouldn't exclude anything but eat things in moderation.
I've been this weight for 8 years after losing 2.5 stones.

I'm slim (BMI 18.5), but I'm a shit eater and my diet is atrocious

I'm 'naturally' slim because I have a naturally small appetite

I have no real interest in food, it's a tiresome chore to have to decide what to eat 3 times a day, let alone prepare anything

Actually that's not entirely true. I eat well and enjoy if eating out because someone else is preparing it. But my eating habits are appalling left to my own devices, as I will regularly forget to eat, and often can't be arsed to force myself to eat when I've zero interest

I would happily take my food as a pill if I could!

I absolutely don't consciously restrict. I don't deny myself anything - I eat whatever I want. Unfortunately whatever I want is basically large quantities of chocolate, but not much else. So it's the opposite of restricting - I have to make myself eat when I don't want to, rather than the other way around

A lot of it is 'sadness starvation'. When stressed and sad my appetite vanishes altogether.

Breakfast - bagel with butter, often after 5-7km of running or 15km cycle.

Lunch- small portion of leftovers or salad with 4/5 veg, protein, dressing, handful of crisps

Dinner- anything from pasta with Philly, broccoli and chicken, to chilli and tortillas (no rice unless I need to carb up for long distances), chicken/pork with potatoes and green veg, steak with sweet potato wedges, roast pepper and onions, risotto with butternut squash.

flutteryleaves Fri 27-Jul-18 10:08:09
not much i'm afraid. thats why slim people are slim - they've trained themselves or default is no large portions. smaller portions, fruit and vegs for snacks. no sugary foods. massive plates of salad with little or no dressing/toppings. spirits and diet drinks rather than wine, ciders and cocktails.

*flutteryleaves Sat 28-Jul-18 22:40:06
you havent quoted everything and lifted a part of the statement.

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Add message | Report | Message poster flutteryleaves Sat 28-Jul-18 22:41:35
"thats why slim people are slim - they've trained themselves or default is no large portions."*

And I repeat - absolute bollix lol! You're claiming ALL slim people are slim because they've trained themselves! and don't have large portions or dressings on their salads.

So I'll repeat again - absolute bollix! I love dressing on my salads, I haven't trained in anything much less training to dislike certain food - bizarre!

And as for PP comments about not caring about food - I bloody love food! I don't restrict myself in anything, just tend to prefer non greasy crap

hottotrotsky you may have a point there. There is a person I know who was 5 stone overweight. She kept saying she didn't understand why because she didn't like food and hardly ever ate. Turns out she was just subconsciously snacking, picking biscuits and whatever was around so when it was mealtime she would eat a tiny portion and say she wasn't a big eater. I'm trying to get out of the habit of 'treating myself' to a cake or sweet every time I'm out shopping or waiting around at work. More often than not, it's disappointing and I've just eaten a load of calories that have disappeared from my memory 2 minutes after I've eaten it!

Drink 5 pints of water and fill up on veg. There are some good veg based cook books, you don’t have to go vegan but aiming for a couple of plant based days a week can really help.

Slim people are slim because in the main they don't actually care much about food

That is definitely definitely true for me. I don't think it's true for most people, however. True for some of us, I'd imagine a fairly low proportion though (at a guess)

I am not naturally slim in that I can't put on weight.

I thought I must have had some mega fast metabolism - but when I started to track using MFP to follow a programme to get my BMI up before starting fertility treatment, it turned out I was massively overestimating how many calories I was actually eating

I was naturally slim because my natural appetite was not to eat that much, it turned out

Once I started tracking, and following a plan from a dietitian to get the weight on healthily and to optimise for IVF, no surprise that once I started to eat a full 2000 cals a day, I put on weight!! It was hard work, as I seemed to be eating all the bloody time and was pretty uncomfortable to have to force down food when I already felt very full

I was able to put on weight and care about food because I had a goal. Though I lost half a stone in 2 weeks after my first miscarriage, I worked hard to try and get back on track to prepare my body for the next IVF cycles. Once our infertility journey came to an end (unsuccessfully), there didn't seem any point making myself eat when I didn't want to, and going through the hassle of cooking meals I didn't want to eat, if there wasn't a higher reason / goal

So 'naturally slim' doesn't usually mean 'can't put on weight'. Usually means 'naturally small or self regulating appetite so unconsciously consume fewer calories overall'.

ok then Mrs Garcia , perhaps not all slim people. you can relax now . i have a lot of slim (very low end or underweight if go measure that by the BMI) friends and family and they basically eat little or dont have large portions of junk food. having had a bmi of 16.2 myself i know the key to being slim is no large portions of junk or if you do, that you compensate by eating healthy at other times. perhaps thats my limited experiences and perhaps you have yours.

*flutteryleaves Sat 28-Jul-18 23:19:26
ok then Mrs Garcia , perhaps not all slim people. you can relax now grin. i have a lot of slim (very low end or underweight if go measure that by the BMI) friends and family and they basically eat little or dont have large portions of junk food. having had a bmi of 16.2 myself i know the key to being slim is no large portions of junk or if you do, that you compensate by eating healthy at other times. perhaps thats my limited experiences and perhaps you have yours."

aah thanks for taking it in the spirit it was meant flutter - it did rise my heckles with the 'all slim people' comment I admit ha! I know what a battle members of my family have with their weight but what I do know is that it's not a one size fits all for everyone x