To ask if you are slim/ skinny and you maintain that by fasting or a diet, what is it?

[SummerMeadows20]

I’m 5’3 and usually around 8st 3. Just weighed myself for the first time in months (pre lockdown) and I’m 8st 6.

I’m at my happiest and look my best/ slimmest when I’m pretty much bang on 8st. However, trying to lose those usual 3lbs (now 6lbs is just so difficult for me. I really have to practically eat nothing and i do it for a day, get fed up and go back to normal and just live with the few extra 1lbs.

I do about 15,000 steps per day and am generally fit and active. My diet could 100% be better, I am definitely a ‘carby’ person and love nothing more than dunking a few hobnobs into a cup of tea when I get home from work each day. Yes, there are apples and oranges there but when I’m feeling hungry I just don’t feel they’ll do. For dinner we pretty much have whatever we want, I’ll try and include as much veg as I can with each meal and I only really like lean meat, but we do eat a lot of pasta dishes with no doubt fatty sauces etc.

Basically what I’m trying to say is I think a lot of my problem is diet as like I say, I’m fairly active.

I’d like to try a diet/ fasting regime where it doesn’t feel like I’m constantly starving and feeling lightheaded. I have considered fasting or diets like the 5:2 but the thought of only eating 500 cals a day horrifies me. It’s nothing, I have no idea what I’d even eat to keep me within that calorie range unless I only ate one small meal a day?!

I guess I’m just wondering whether people that are say slim or skinny and a light weight, how do you lose weight?

I eat low saturated fat, lots of nice unsaturated fat (unheated though as it can tradition into trans fats), wholegrains (porridge, wholemeal bread etc), lots of veg and some fruit, lean white meats, occasional lean red meat and lots of oily fish, no salt and I replace refined sugars with lower GI things like honey and maple syrup. I’m active all day and have structured high exercise about 3 or 4 times a week. I weight just shy of 8 stone and I’m 5’6”. That sounds really underweight but I’m small framed.
I’m never hungry because of the wholegrains. I snack on houmous and carrots, or homemade oat cookies, or toast and I don’t think about my weight much as it just seems to stay stable.

It’s an old fashioned take on healthy eating but it works for me and my cholesterol and blood pressure are very good. But the main thing is, I’m never hungry or feel miffed or like I’ve missed out.

Carnivore diet and intermittent fasting, maintaining 10 stone even at 5' 7" . I eat 2 steaks a day and have maintained an 8 stone weight loss. I lost the weight with keto and feel incredible on carnivore!

When you cut the carbs fasting is easy because you're not at the mercy of blood sugar rollercoaster. Nice steady energy, hunger that comes on slowly and disappears when you ignore it.

There is middle ground between starving yourself and eating as you are now, you know.

Don't do any fasting or fad diets; they're unsustainable and will cause your weight to yo yo.

You need to make small long-term changes.

For a start, I'd cut out the snacking - even healthy snacking. No more hobnobs when you come home from work. Snacking is lethal for upping your calorie intake without you noticing.

One hobnob has about 70 calories in so let's say 3 of those (I don't know what you mean by "a few") and that's already 210 calories without thinking.

Focus on well-balanced meals which will fill you up and keep you at around 1300-1500 calories a day. You can have fatty pasta dishes as long as the portions aren't huge and you stay within your limits.

16:8 works for me, I just skip breakfast and have 2 meals a day and avoid snacks. I eat whatever I want (love carbs too) my diet is so unhealthy but I also do lots of exercise and run most days.

I’m 5,7” and pretty slim. I do a lot of exercise (fast-ish club runner) run at least 35/40 miles a week, as well as daily yoga, and until lockdown used to exercise people’s horses for them.

I eat a lot (big meals, lots of carbs), but I don’t really snack and I don’t drink any calories (only black coffee etc).

I'm the same height as you and 11st 4 just now nightmare trying to shift it

I used to be your weight and am your height. It is a good weight to be - I don't think you can see much difference in 3lbs (I did get down to 7 stone 9lbs which was a noticeable difference). I think if you're a healthy weight don't sweat it. Obviously maybe cut back on the hobnobs to get back to 8 stone 3lbs but don't worry too much. I am now significantly heavier so 8 stone 6lbs sounds like a dream to me!

I generally only eat one meal a day.
Its not for weight reasons though, I have brittle asthma and IBS and my body just doesnt seem to cope well with more food.
Im 5 foot and probably just under 7 stone (I don't have scales)

You don't need any fasting or diet.
What you need is to do something about what you eat.
Take off few mouthfuls of pasta from your portion, have 1 less hobnob. Use bit less of the fatty sauce.

I'm not skinny but I am slim, I've always been about halfway on the BMI healthy weight scale. My weight hasn't fluctuated more than a few pounds in 35 years - I wear jeans to garden in now, at 50, that I bought when I was in sixth form!

I really love food.

There's no secret, it's entirely down to the way I was bought up. Three home cooked meals a day, each one including fruit and/ or veg. No snacking (not allowed by my mum because it spoils your dinner, never any mention of it being becuase you might gain weight). Mealtimes were (are) fixed and you're always hungry for them because you haven't snacked.

Good food at regular intervals, enjoyed as an "event" at the table. Nothing processed, plenty of veg. Breakfast the most important meal of the day.

It's old fashioned and lots of people will tell you while we and our children need snacks but you know we don't, we only have them because we're bored or because our meals aren't of sufficient quality. (IMHO )

6 pounds is only 3 kilo, that will be gone in no time if you start to think about portions before eating

I wouldnt get involved in low carb, intermittent fasting or anything like that unless I was overweight as it can result in yo yo dieting. Take away some pasta and replace with veg. More tomato based rather than creamy sauces, less hobnobs. Slowly reduce and then that can be your new normal.

Ignore people who dismiss fasting as a 'fad'. There is a great deal of evidence that regular fasting has health benefits that extend far beyond weight loss. The idea of eating little and often is bollocks for most people.

I tyically don't eat until around 11am or noon. I do get hungry, but not unplesantly so, and it doesn't negatively impact my energy levels. I find this alone is enough to keep my weight healthy and steady.

Tbh op..
You dont sound hugely overweight. You have to decide if it is worth it just to loose 6lb. If so the slimming world or 16.2 sound great.

Not a lot of sweets or fried food growing up, so I don't buy that for my own family - except on special occasions or camping, etc. I don't like sweets, either.

Intermittent fasting. But I'd been doing it for years and didn't know that's what it was! I am a morning exerciser, and I cannot run with food in my stomach, so I usually eat just two meals a day. Ido enjoy wine with my evening meal.

I am also pretty restless and move a lot during the day. If I have to sit for too long, I'll start fidgeting or doodling. No ADD or anything. Just "busy."

It's also genetic. I'm built exactly like my great-aunt.

Well, You are not overweight and our bodies naturally settle at where we are at optimum performance once we get into the right weight range and fitness level. You COULD try some more targeted HIIT work outs and cut down on pasta and hob nobs. Or you could accept that you are a good healthy weight, and that what you see in the mirror is not as important as your body being fed correctly and your diet being in balance and getting enjoyment from food. When I was on the lower end of my BMI it was because I was obsessively calorie counting and over exercising on the brink of an eating disorder. But half a stone heavier and I was exercising and eating for health and strength and good mental health. There can be a big cost with those last few pounds.

I like to swim.
Obviously the government has made this almost impossible but that's my go-to.
I prefer to do exercise that's just part of life or for fun; dog walking and hiking etc rather than the gym or going for a run.

@LongPauseNoReply just googled the carnivore diet and I would be agonisingly constipated! How do you cope??

Also, everyone's different. @cheeseismydownfall eats late for me, I would have already eaten a small family by the time she starts.
I eat every few hours and it's usually a variety of protein, carbohydrates and fats. I tend to stop eating around 5/6pm.

Your BMI is on the lower end of healthy. You are slim.

@riotlady you only need fibre if you eat a lot of carbs. Without carbs you don't need the roughage to move waste because there's hardly any waste. A high quality protein and fat diet and your body uses the majority of what you eat.

I've never been healthier.

What exercise do you do? Add something in like Pilates, cut out the biscuits (and go for the fruit) and just have a slightly smaller portion and tomato based rather than fat based pasta and see what happens

I know this is bad. But I hardly eat, especially when I'm stressed. I've literally just eating my first meal of the day. But I do tend to snack !!!

I log everything I consume in My Fitness Pal and I weigh everything.

I’ve lost 2 stone and kept it off by eating 1,500-1,600 calories a day. I drink (lots of) wine, eat chocolate/crisps or anything else I fancy but learning about calories has been life changing. As has the realisation that 2000 cals per day is too much for many women

tdeecalculator.net

I do 16:8 and occasionally bigger fasts like 24hr or one meal a day. Coupled with LCHF.
I exercise for fitness, not weight loss. I wouldn’t say I’m skinny-9st 8 and 5’4” mid 40s but I’m slim.

I tried meat only LongPause, well done on your weight loss-brilliant results...do you eat any veg at all? I missed veg so much when I tried it