How do slim people think?

[Episcomama]

...because I really do think there is a difference between how slim and overweight people think. I am very overweight - BMI of 33. So obese rather than overweight, technically.

I've been off and on diets all my adult life, and the only thing I've really had success with is intermittent fasting and keto. When I stick to it, it works. The problem isn't my body, it's my mind. It's as though there's a switch that gets flicked from time to time. A voice in my head telling me to eat in case of famine. Food occupies much of my waking hours - once I've had a meal I'm thinking ahead to the next one.

A dear friend is very slim and once mentioned that she just doesn't really find satisfaction in food in the way I do (comfort, commiseration, celebration, whatever.) When I spent the weekend with her recently, it really became apparent how differently we see food. She was mildly horrified at both the quantity and frequency of my meals whereas I couldn't understand how she was satisfied with what she ate.

Eating disorders aside, do you think there's a difference between a "thin mind" and a "fat mind", to express it crudely. And if you have a thin mind and used to have a fat mind, can you share with me how you flicked that switch?

I’m vegan now, so it’s often a tofu alternative but I’d have a whole portion to myself. We don’t have takeaways often so I enjoy them when we do. There’s no need to feel guilty if it’s a rare treat,

When we visit my mum we often go to a "posh" fish and chip place. Their standard fish and chips is "medium" which I don't think is that enormous.

My mum asks for a small portion. And even then she doesn't eat all the chips and gives them to me. That said, she has mushy peas with hers. I've been out for lunch with her and she's asked me if I'll share a standard portion of sandwiches with her. That's why she's so thin!

Whereas I go out with colleagues/friends and they eat half their meal. I'd happily hoover up their chips if they've not eaten them but they've usually gone cold by the time they decide they're not eating them. But I've eaten an uneaten side salad a few times. It does help that I like salad so eat a lot of it, rather than chocolate or sweets.

I've been joking for years that by the time I'm 70 I'll have achieved the mythical size 0 without ever losing an ounce.

It isn't mythical if you shop in Gap! I have a couple of pairs of Gap size 0 trousers. Most of the stuff in my wardrobe is size 6 but I have everything from children's clothes to one or two size 10's in there. Maybe even an altered 12.

Gap uses US sizing tho

Never ever heard this. Evidence link?
In UK the average height for a woman is 5 5". This compares to 5 4" years ago

I don't have time to go searching for the article/paper/where ever I first read it but a quick google brings up these links

Average height 1980 161.7cm

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3985566

Average height 2018 161.6cm (quoting ONS figures)

www.you.co.uk/new-study-says-attractive-height-men-women/

The average height is not 5'5", it's 5'3" and a bit, the bit if anything being marginally smaller than in 1980. Increased weight is not down to taller people.

You just convert US sizes into our ones, so I’m a size 4 to 6 in US sizes and a 34 in Euro sizes.

The average height is not 5'5", it's 5'3" and a bit

I am that height - 5 3" and all clothes are considered 'petite'. In fact people mention how short I am

Most dresses and trousers are too long for me- inside leg 28.

Gap uses US sizing tho

The ultimate in vanity sizing.

I posted Marilyn Monroe's 1945 US size 12's stats up in another thread. They are virtually the same as mine and I wear a UK size 6. What US size would Marilyn would be now?

August 2, 1945
Blue Book Modeling Agency
5’ 6”, 120lbs
36-24-34
“Size 12”

Well generally a fish isn't the size of your forearm in a regular fish supper, so they sound weirdly massive.

But fish each and single chips to share sounds a decent portion.

I've never seen anyone buy one fish supper to feed a family of four, it sounds like the mythical mumsnet chicken that feeds a family for a week. However this particular fish supper doesn't sound "regular" at all.

If the regular fish is the same size as an adults forearm, what the hell kind of size is the large ? 🤣

would Marilyn be wearing now?

Oh god, not the Marilyn thing again. Likely an eight, which she was then sigh,

I am a size 10 and the minute my clothes become tight I pull back on my eating. I refuse to wear a size 12.

This is exactly the same for me. I have a limit as to the maximum weight I will tolerate, and when I'm struggling to close my jeans I pull back on my eating straight away. The idea of having to buy clothes the next size up is unthinkable. Perhaps larger size people just have higher tolerance level?? I have always thought that, because many people stay the size they are.. if they lose weight through dieting they end up going back to the size they were (often, not always of course).

I've never seen anyone buy one fish supper to feed a family of four, it sounds like the mythical mumsnet chicken that feeds a family for a week.

Round here a fish supper comes with one and a third pieces of fish. I've never figured out why.

A single sausage is two sausages, but I get that as a standard sausage supper is two, you have to ask for one or three, but the fish thing is a mystery.

If we get a chippy we usually get a supper and a single between two and share the mountains of chips, but one supper wouldn't do four in my view..

Oh god, not the Marilyn thing again. Likely an eight, which she was then sigh

No I was similar although a bit taller and weigh a bit less and I was a size 12 in the 80s. Now I'm a 10 usually. You can never fit into an 8 with a 36 inch bust.

At the chippy, I have plenty to spare from a mini fish meal. I tend to share a standard meal with one of the DCs (the MN cliché type with ribs like a xylophone and vigourous appetites). The DCs often comfortably eat similar portions to me. My mantra to them is "is your tummy happy?" I want them comfortable until the next meal, but not uncomfortable and stuffed.

It's been observed that I rarely leave a clean plate. I won't stuff down a final two mouthfuls just because it's there as I'd rather it was wasted than waisted.

I am that height - 5 3" and all clothes are considered 'petite'. In fact people mention how short I am

Most dresses and trousers are too long for me- inside leg 28.

I'm also 5ft 3" and approx 8st 3lb. No-one really mentions my height because it's pretty average amongst my friends and colleagues and petite clothes are generally too small and too short for me. I'm a 30 inside leg.

@Bluntness100

Sorry, we’re two adults and two small children. I have no idea why or where they get their fish, but it’s the norm here where we are in Oxfordshire.

A fish and chips place just opened down the street from us a few weeks ago and their children’s fish meal was 4 fish “nuggets” that were palm-size with chips and side where I ordered the lunch special. My lunch special was about the same size. My friend had bought it for her 2.5 yo.

I find the portions are bigger when we’ve visited the NE though.

Do moderate exercise for at least an hour, 5 days a week at the very least. The hour can be spread across the day. Regular cardio is best for weight loss - so walking, swimming, cycling - and you could build up to fast walking/occasional jogging to burn fat faster. Try to eat some lean protein at each meal.

Eat when you are hungry. Listen to your body's natural cues. Try avoid eating processed foods as far as possible. I often see people on so called diets, who eat sugar-laden cereal bars and low fat yogurt pots and such crap - and they wonder why they battle to keep weight off and have unhealthy hair, skin and nails!

I am naturally slim. Trust me.

Size 6-8, 5ft4in. I eat what I want when I want, usually high fat, high calorie just in small amounts. I find that my friends on diets pile their plates full of low calorie foods so eat a huge amount. They also seem obsessed with food, whereas for me it's a means to an end.

I am naturally slim. Trust me.

I’m not sure you’re the best weight loss advisor then.

To be honest I think the only reason I’m a healthy size 8-10 is because I don’t have a sweet tooth at all. We never have sweets or chocolate or cakes in the house and it doesn’t bother me at all so it’s not a hardship to avoid it. Only very rarely do I crave junk food and even then a little bar of dark choc is enough. I don’t have much self control in other areas of my life so I think if I loved unhealthy food I’d be much bigger!

Regular cardio is best for weight loss

Strength training actually burns more calories, and your resting burn rate is higher following your session. But you have to really dig in.

It's been a very interesting thread, it seems there's a few types:

• Mindful Foodies: people who love food but consciously portion and calorie control to maintain.
• Eat to Live: people who only eat because they have to but gain no enjoyment from food.
• Intuitive eaters: people who can naturally maintain the correct intake of food.
• Sporty: highly active people who tend towards healthy foods but can consume high number of calories but this is used during activity.

Have I missed anything? I'm the opposite of mindful and intuitive when it comes to eating but this thread has definitely shown me this is something I need to work on, feel those hunger pangs, real hunger not head hunger, ooh I'm a bit peckish.
Fantastic thread.

DH, me, and DS 3.5 always share one large cod, large chips, and mushy peas - the portions are huge!

Restaurant portions are also too big for me - it makes sense, the kitchen doesn't know who has ordered. I'm a 5'3" woman, I don't need the same as a 5'11" man. I used to share with DS but I feel a bit stingy not ordering something especially for him as he's not a toddler anymore.

I think it has a lot to do with how busy you are. If you’re happy and occupied most of the time you don’t think about food. But if you’re bored and unhappy you eat more. Being a SAHM was terrible for my waistline. It also depends how much money you have - in my 20s I was thin because I couldn’t afford treats, I lived on toast and didn’t even think about putting chocolate in my shopping trolley because I didn’t have money to spare.