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

From my experience slim people tend to eat to live not other way round,they recognise when they’re satisfied and don’t need to empty their plates. Slimmer people’s attitudes to food is just different to us chubsters lol. I think if you can get try to read-train your thought process you might find it easier to keep the weight off...oh and never reward yourself with food that is killer!!

Depends really. Breakfast is usually a banana, and coffee.
Lunch is usually sushi, leftovers or a salad.
Snacks are lentil/hummus crisps, more fruit or occasionally a flapjack
I mainline black coffee and Coke Zero though
Dinner can be pasta with meatballs( usually a green cacia e Pepe style sauce with broad beans, leeks, courgette and pesto), or marinated meat/fish with rice and veg. Lots of Asian food (bibimbap, seafood Thai curry, miso fish) the occasional fish curry,

Mostly I think we eat 3/4 vegetables and drinks with few calories.

I’m 5’4” and currently weigh 9st 2lb

I’ve lost 2 over the past 18 months. I now eat:

Breakfast : big bowl of ready break made with skimmed milk. Glass of grapefruit juice. Coffee with skimmed milk.
Mid morning: cup of tea. Piece of fruit or handful of almonds.
Lunch: either jacket potato with beans/tuna + lemon juice/fat free cottage cheese OR salad of spinach leaves, rocket, cucumber, tomato, avocado, capers, olives and low fat mozzarella
Afternoon: fruit
Dinner: veg curries (no rice) and pulses or a big salad containing pulses

Lots of water, a hot chocolate, cordial and soda water and the occasional Coke.

Oh, and I cycle or walk to/from work (40mins) and am active on weekends.

I’ve just been reading through all the posts and I completely agree with @GraceMarks what you need is advice from those of us who aren’t naturally slim but have found something that works for us to stay slim to take ideas from. My DH is naturally slim/skinny and he is a combo of what Grace said - actually doesn’t have a massive appetite (I easily put away a massive takeaway pizza to myself if I wanted, he manages about a third), but could and often does eat utter crap when I’m not watching and doesn’t really seem to put weight on - if I go look in his car there’ll be sweet wrappers/tubs and McDonalds bags stuffed under the seat and in the side pocket !!

I am 5 ft 4, size 8. Exercise 5 days out of 7 so need to eat properly. Don't believe in diets or cutting foods out, I do believe in balance and regular meals.

Typically porridge for breakfast, fruit mid morning, salad or soup for lunch, hearty evening meal. I eat very little processed food, more fish and veg than red meat and lots of salad. Try to have more protein than carbs but don't stress about it.

Alcohol, chocolate and crisps in moderation on a weekend only. Very little cake, biscuits or puddings. Takeaways on special occasions. Don't like fizzy drinks, drink a lot of water but also probably more coffee than I should.

I am in awe of anyone who manages to loose stones in weight. I am lucky that my weight is partly down to my genes.

Loved reading this. I realize my biggest issue is an insatiable sweet tooth that needs curbing.

I haven’t read the full thread OP so apologies if someone else has said this.

With regard to family meals: most fairly traditional things are fine if you just keep an eye on what goes into them. For instance, a roast. If you do the roast potatoes with low cal spray oil, steam the veg, choose a lean joint of meat and bake it without adding oil, yorkshire puddings, this can be pretty low calorie. Even a full Eng breakfast can be low calorie if you’re careful.

So think about how you cook things, replace fat and oil wherever possible.

Well done on the 3 stone!

I’m really slim 5ft5 7 stone, I’ve wrighed this for 16 years since I was 18 and even after having two children. So I think genetics does come into it a bit! I do walk everywhere as I don’t have a car. Also I end up carrying my 3stone 3 year old up the hill to do the school run 3 days a week for both pick ups!
I eat what I want but I would say that my portion sizes aren’t that big. I rarely feel hungry first thing so will have a late breakfast after the school run at 9/10 of a fried egg sandwich. Lunch a sandwich and a bag of crisps. Dinner is usually something fairly healthy lots of veggies with pasta or a stir fry - I make the sauces from scratch so it’s cheaper but as s plus there’s no extra sugar etc. To snack a chocolate bar, I’ve been known to eat 3 in a day sometimes!

i think posts like this can just become too confusing as no rule really does fit all.and a vuenrable or lost person will see a poster and focus in it thinking "shit I don't have that.do have that or should I be doing that too!" when really that persons body reats differently to their own meal plan and the way they live.nooone on here is the same as the next.
you have to find balance portion size and in and out intake that fits you and your lifestyle.

We are "foodies". but slim.

I don't much eat a huge amount of carbs and I don't like bread just personal taste. Not a sweet tooth either.
So breakfast is often fruit or oats, salad or soup for lunch.
Big dinner, meat, chicken, rice potatoes etc lots of veg.

About half as much as I used to, and want to.

I am quite overweight now but looking back, my habits have changed. When I was slim i watched what I ate religiously. The rules I think are:

No snacks except fruit
Lots of vegetables and salad with meals
Limit carbs - no more than 2 pieces of bread a day, no carbs at dinner.
Increase the amount of protein in your diet
Don't eat puddings /biscuits/sugary stuff unless it's a special ocassion
Drink rarely and then in moderation
Drink lots of water
Exercise for an hour every second day at least
Portion sizes are key - don't have second helpings and use a smaller plate.

Eat slowly, chew throughly and always sit at the table.

I think the best food rules I've heard are Michael Pollan's:

1. Eat food (I.e. whole food that you can identify as food, not packaged or processed stuff with ingredients you can't pronounce. Though a little every mow and again is fine)
2. Mainly plants
3. Not too much

They work for me. I'm size 8, never diet, and my weight has been constant since my teens, I'm now 34.

Good luck OP!

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

Not true for me at all. I adore food and eat loads of theright stuff but know my limits and believe in everything in moderation.

I don't drink alcohol, caffeine or fizzy drinks.

Breakfast is usually whole grain toast with banana and honey, or granola and full fat yoghurt.

Lunch will be sandwich or wrap, again with whole grains. Plenty of veg - cucumber, peppers, rocket etc, always. I adore fruit and veg. I usually have a piece after lunch, and full fat yogurt or a cereal bar.

Fruit or hot chocolate mid afternoon.

Tea is usually a typical family meal - spag bol, fajitas etc etc. A few times a week I also have a nice pudding in the evening. Other nights I just have fruit and malt loaf or yoghurt.

I drink way more than 2 litres of water a day.

You need to move. I run 3 x 5k per week. Oh, and I'm a size 10.

Well done for losing 3 stone - that's a magnificent achievement!

I was having some hormonal issues a couple of years back and started following a specific eating plan which was basically eating really 'clean' and the weight dropped off (some exercise too - I did hot yoga because I'm really lazy running/gym-wise).

It basically consisted of keeping your blood sugars stable - so no sugar, gluten, limited dairy and grains. It took organization (cooking in advance/making salads a couple of times a week etc) but I was very motivated because I felt so rubbish. Typical day -
Greens cooked in butter with egg or wheat-free toast with avocado
Lunch egg/chicken/fish with salads
Dinner something similar to lunch
Snacks of nuts, carrots, hummus, celery, apple with nut butter...

I ate lots, was never hungry and the entire family pretty much ate what I did - apart from breakfast - there was no way the kids were buying broccoli for breakfast - but it took time, planning (not my forte at all) and was not cheap. It also totally changed the way I looked at food.

I've since had another baby so it's all gone pear shaped (literally) and I've been smothering myself in cakes and carbs (and have piled on the weight) ... I'm digging out my old books and plans ...

Good luck - I followed Woman Code, I've also been recommended both keto and the fat flush as models of eating which have big health benefits and good for losing/maintaining weight ....

Just eat a balanced diet with smaller portions and if you have a snack make it healthy. Exercise is important too. Good luck.

I'm not slim and also a yoyo dieter. Currently on yet another diet but this time not looking at seeing it as a diet per se. First thing that is eating from a much smaller plate. I got myself a salad plate ( smaller than dinner size / larger than a side plate. I'm also not weighing myself hardly at all as I don't want to define as a good week if I've lost or not if much has come off. Here is the hard bit. 1. Make all main meals from scratch I.e no jars of sauces, no takeaways so you have full control of what you are eating. 2. Be aware sugar is hiding everywhere. Look on the side of every packet of anything you are eating, 4g of sugar is one teaspoon . For that reason also beware of any diet product that says low calorie / zero fat as its often high is sugar . E.g. Muller lite yogurts, on Slimming World they are hailed as a dieters friend and you can eat as many as you like. Yet they are full of sugar ! 3. Weigh all foods as a guesstimate will put you over that is classed as a average portion. 4. Move a little more. If you hate exercise then don't force yourself but do a little bit more of something. Then in a week or two do a bit more, and so on. 5. Start to make more of an effort with yourself, get a haircut,paint your nails, anything you know you neglect, because you should love yourself whatever your size and making an effort and looking nice for yourself will improve how you feel and you will see yourself as worth making an effort for.

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.
UTTER BILGE
I love food.
That is why I was overweight for 15 years
But now I love food in smaller portions.
Planning meals and designing holidays around meals is one of my greatest pleasures

NO SNACKING is the secret
only eat two or three times a day
and ENJOY those meal times

Weekdays: no alcohol or chocolate

Breakfast:- 2 Digestives and 2 cups of Kenyan coffee

Lunch:- 2 Weetabix with skimmed milk and sweetener

Afternoon tea: tea and a slice of cake (my treat. I'd give up this regime if I didn't have something to look forward to)

Weekday dinner: small meal of something and salad, curry or whatnot. On Wednesday and Thursday I have soup and a bun.

Weekends: I have alcohol ( 2 glasses of fizz and a small Cointreau) and a small amount of chocolate from Friday to Sunday

Breakfast: I have homemade spelt toast and homemade Seville marmalade for Saturday breakfast and croissants and coffee on Sunday.

Lunch: Weetabix etc. or fruit and a small dob of icecream

Dinner; something with meat so my family and I get the protein and iron, e.g. steak, beef, lamb etc. and salad or vegetable. I only have one potato now.

If I have a pudding, I'll have it myself for afternoon tea instead of cake

It is a bit of a strict regime but there are built in treats, without which I would give up. I sometimes have some nuts or nibbles at the weekend. I read once that the actor, David Niven, weighed himself every day and if he had put on a pound skipped a meal. I couldn't do that but I have an apple instead.

The essence is - never forget. Be vigilant.

Either weigh yourself weekly or have a garment you try on. If it gets tight take action.

I'm a size 10 and I've lost 1.5 stones over the last five months. I was a size 14 before. So, it's been a slow weight loss that seems sustainable. I've wanted to do it for years but never could. Here's how I did it, if that's useful:

1. I record all my calories on My Fitness Pal. (Free app). I just recorded for a month or so to see when I was eating the most (evenings - cooking for family and snacking). Now I pop in my estimated calories after each time I eat. It doesn't feel too onerous and I don't really deny myself anything, but it seems to help keep me to under 2,000 calories per day, overall.

1. I started interval training and got a heart monitor and worked out how much I wanted to increase my fitness. Previously my exercise was cycling/jogging and all it did was make me hungry and eat more. Interval training is like a bloody miracle! The interval training has been on a rowing machine, hill reps (a killer - but sooo good for fitness) and mountain biking. I do it about 3-4 times a week and do more gentle walks/bike rides on the other days.

These two things have shifted a stone and a half over the last five months. More importantly, I feel so much fitter, and for the first time I feel like I have a long term way of being fit and slim(ish).

What do my meals look like?

I'm vegetarian (all my life) so I've swapped a lot of cheese based food to beans/lentils to cut out some calories. I try not to snack in between meals (but it's not a hard and fast rule). A key thing I did was I stopped cooking big meals for the family every night as snacking whilst cooking really upped my calories. Instead I make bigger meals and freeze lots of it, so I'm spending less time in the kitchen. Plus my partner is doing a lot more cooking.

I still drink red wine, eat some chocolate most days and I don't feel hungry.

I really think it's the recording calories and the interval training that's made the difference.

Good luck x

For me the biggest change was cutting out snacks. Before i would always eat biscuits with tea (bad habit i picked up in the office!). Now i have 3 meals with nothing in between. After dinner i have a treat for the day as a dessert type thing because if i eat healthily all the time i know i crave sugar and will end up falling off the wagon.

Breakfast is typically porridge with chia seeds, frozen raspberries and blueberries. I use hazelnut milk as i prefer the taste to cows milk.

Lunch is a salad - lettuce, spinach, cucumber, pepper, tomato, cottage cheese and either egg, chickpea, fish or chicken.

Dinner is something like meat and veg. I like most veg so try to eat a variety. I opt for sweet potato over regular potatoes.

At weekends i allow myself a break but i admit i do still get the feelings of guilt when i eat something “bad” even though i know it is ok now and then

Also, my partner (who was really slim anyway, but wanted to get fit) is doing it all with me. This really helped. We both have sit down jobs and that was a real problem in terms of our fitness and my overweightness. We noticed our appalling posture in some photos and that was the kicksart!!

A lot. I mean a LOT, as much as the rugby player to whom I am married but it’s all homemade and healthy; fruit, veggies, no processed foods, no white sugars or flours, etc. I also drink water constantly.

Less tha I used to.
I drink lots of water.
I snack on apple and peanut butter/ dark chocolate/ veg sticks & hummus/ 4 m&ms or chocolate buttons/ graze bite

I have a smoothie with fruit and veg (normally raspberry, blueberry, kale, spinach, protein powder, coconut yoghurt, a splash of water and half a teaspoon of raw cacao) for breakfast every other day.
alternatively I have scrambled eggs and either smoked fish (salmon or mackerel) or chorizo.

Lunch I have cheese and salami/ spicy lentil stew/ soups/ pasta/ salad/ cereal w milk or yoghurt/ sandwich

Dinner I have protein and veggies with an occasional carb meal sometimes pasta/toasties and salad