To think that slim people have different habits re food and exercise

[WhatWillSantaBring]

I've been overweight most of my adult life, and find I put on weight very easily. BUT I also think I have had very unhealthy food habits - I think of food as treats, I avoid the scales, I eat when I'm not hungry, I always have the cake, emotional eating etc. I know all the things I do wrong (and that I'm sure a lot of overweight people do) but what I want to know is what do thin people do "right". i.e. what are the habits of people who are consistently a healthy weight (i.e. BMI of 20-25).

I've got some very petite friends who will do things like:

• weigh every day and take immediate action if their weight goes up by more than 5lbs;
• never accept a biscuit
• only drink one glass of wine (unless its a very special occasion when they may have two)
• never order themselves a dessert/ice cream etc (will just eat whatever their kids leave)

- exercise 5-6 days a week without fail, including Christmas Day

• never have seconds

If you're slender, and have maintained a healthy weight for years, what habits do you have that you think help you?

@dontdisturbmenow oh god I'd not be able to run without eating at least 1-2 hrs before - I'd pass out! 🙈

Also, come to think of it, if I got an Indian with two mains and two portions of rice, we’d eat what we wanted and keep the rest for lunch the next day - we wouldn’t necessarily eat the whole lot at once. If we know we’re not going to be at home for lunch the next day we might get one main, one rice and a couple of side dishes instead of two mains. Fish and chips we might get two fish and one chips between us as you just get such a huge amount. So almost unconscious portion control comes into it more than I thought. It’s as much to prevent waste as anything else - I don’t like throwing away half a box of chips if I can’t eat it.

@PurpleDaisies

What do people consider normal portion size?

Toast: I’d have one slice
Pasta: 80g
Rice/couscous: about 1/2 a cup
potatoes maybe 5-7 new potatoes and whatever mash looks equivalent to a jacket potato.
High fat foods I’d think about how much looks sensible

Pretty much else I just eat without thinking about. Obv not crisps/sweets etc, I mean main meals.

I don't really have a sense of "normal" portion size- others tell me I eat barely anything in one sitting, whereas I feel full and as though I've eaten loads. Normal to me is whatever I feel I can eat at that time. It varies.

I have been thinking about this a bit lately, as I have teenagers. Sadly I don't think I really know many women who have an entirely uncomplicated relationship with food.

I am not tiny but I am objectively slim. Apart from pregnancy I've never been bigger than a size 10, and was typically a 6-8 until peri-menopause. I don't consciously diet, and I think some of my habits are probably quite healthy, or at least contribute to me staying slim, but I wouldn't say my relationship with food was completely straightforward.

I can't eat breakfast, so I think I've been inadvertently intermittent fasting all my life. I don't really drink, and I can't eat much when sad, stressed or nervous. I drink gallons of coffee but never touch sweet drinks like coke or fruit juices as I don't like them. I find bread, pasta and rice bloating (and boring) except when pregnant or breastfeeding, when I seemed to need them in vast quantities for fuel. I'd usually rather eat cheese than chocolate, and I generally just don't eat very many sweet things. I don't like the taste of low-fat dairy, so I don't buy diet versions of things. It is a rare meal that does not include a bowl of salad. We always sit at the table for meals, and I'm not really a snacker. Not an exerciser either, although I like walking and would often rather walk a few miles than drive somewhere. One side of my family is naturally very skinny and wiry, so I imagine some of it is genetic.

On the more negative side, I grew up in an environment where slimness was highly valued, weight frequently commented on, and pejorative language used about anyone who didn't conform to a very narrow set of weight values. To this day I have to think about what I'm going to wear when I see my DM/F as my weight will always be noted and commented on. Because I'm fairly tall I was often described as 'huge' growing up. I lost weight after a traumatic event when I was in my late teens (as in down to a BMI of 17 from a norm at the time of about 19), and this was commented on approvingly. All of this still colours my attitude to my weight, and unfortunately I do have a fear of getting bigger and a sense that thinner is better. Not a very healthy way to grow up, and definitely not something I want to replicate for my dc or have them exposed to at their GPs.

So a mixture of nature and nurture, and not totally straightforward.

Size 8 and short
Don't weigh every day (surely most people's weight would fluctuate)
Probably would take action if put on more than 5lbs
Desserts - would only order if something really liked - can be expensive & disappointing, sometimes have them at home though
Always accept biscuits!
Usually have more than one glass of wine if drinking that day
Only started exercising regularly during lockdown
Don't usually have seconds as portions large to begin with (can't leave food on the plate either)

I eat 3 meals a day and snack when I feel like it (most days)

Bit of a daft thread. Surely there's going to be people with great metabolisms that eat a fair amount, then there will be people who constantly restrict and lots of people inbetween.

When I was walking and taking buses everywhere I was slim, even though I like big starchy portions and sweet treats. When I started driving I definitely started piling on the pounds.

We were discussing this the other day, the thing about sedentary lifestlyles is, it's quite hard to eat whilst you are on the move walking or cycling or gardening. Whereas when you are parked in front of a computer, having a snack is a break from the boredom.

@PurpleDaisies

What do people consider normal portion size?

Toast: I’d have one slice
Pasta: 80g
Rice/couscous: about 1/2 a cup
potatoes maybe 5-7 new potatoes and whatever mash looks equivalent to a jacket potato.
High fat foods I’d think about how much looks sensible

Pretty much else I just eat without thinking about. Obv not crisps/sweets etc, I mean main meals.

Do people really measure out food like this? I think I have been so slim all my life because I DON'T think about food like this. I eat when I need to (Big breakfasts - double my teenage athlete son, medium lunches, and not much in the evenings) because it suits the rhythm of my life. In other words, food fits into my life, not the other way around.

@Mominatrix No. I have never measured anything in my life food wise, I eat as and when I fancy, and I eat whatever I fancy. And I've always been anywhere from underweight to normal weight (size 6-8).

Do people really measure out food like this? I think I have been so slim all my life because I DON'T think about food like this.

As I said, I only measure pasta and rice because I find it hard to judge how much to cook. Somebody asked how much a portion size was so that’s why I’ve posted what I eat. I don’t think “oh, I’m only allowed that much pasta” or “I’d better no have another potato”. You’re misreading what I’m saying.

My slim friend taught me how to do it and basically it's a quick gym session a few times a week, salad at lunch with only a tiny piece of bread, a couple of glasses of wine a week and not per evening, and fruity snacks. Dinner can be carbs but no second helpings. It's really quite simple, you just have to be disciplined. In reality it is hard if you like food and don't like exercise!

Do people really measure out food like this? I think I have been so slim all my life because I DON'T think about food like this. I eat when I need to (Big breakfasts - double my teenage athlete son, medium lunches, and not much in the evenings) because it suits the rhythm of my life. In other words, food fits into my life, not the other way around.

Fine but you don't not think about it to that extent when you're trying to put it in a pan or work out how much food to make for 2-4 people

Everyone portions to some degree

I weigh out pasta, rice, oats etc as it's easier to get the right amount!

I'm a tall size 8-10 and have been since I stopped growing aged 17 or so (don't know my bmi). I eat three fairly large meals a day, and snack on cake/biscuits etc maybe 3-4 times a week. Pudding when I can be arsed to make one, once a week or so. People are surprised at how much I eat without getting fat (a normal lunch would be sandwiches with 4 slices of bread, piece of fruit, vegetable crudités, sometimes a piece of hm flapjack), but the trick is I don't eat sweets bc I don't like most of them, rarely bulk out my lunch with crisps, and I don't drink sugary drinks or a lot of alcohol. I very rarely weigh myself since my scales don't work properly, but if I feel my waistbands getting tight I cut back on the treats and the portion sizes for a few days /weeks. I usually walk a fair amount, and try to do a proper hour plus of aerobic exercise a week in normal times - atm I'm trying to do at least a 10 minute dance work out every day, more when I can. Honestly I don't know whether I have good genes, good circumstances or what, but I don't think my lifestyle is that odd tbh

I've been a size 8/10 (BMI 21-22) my entire adult life. As someone above mentioned, I can't stand the thought of breakfast after getting up (I'm not a morning person at all and would happily sleep until 10am if life allowed), so tend not to eat before 11am.
I don't have a sweet tooth and would always order a cheese board as opposed to cake. I don't like sweet drinks, so stick to water, tea and coffee. I love wine, but try to only drink it at weekends (normally half a bottle shared with DH over dinner) and maybe once during the week if I'm going out with friends.
I don't have any "no go" foods but if I know I'm going out for dinner, for example, I'll have a very light lunch (salad with no carbs, yogurt and fruit) so I can order what I want for dinner (normally starter and main course). Similarly, if I have a big brunch or a heavy lunch, I'll have something light for dinner.
I'm fairly active in that we don't have a car, so I walk almost everywhere and I recently started running 2-3 times a week, although that hasn't altered my weight at all and I do it more for general well-being.
I'm not a snacker at all, which I think makes a huge difference. MIL is very overweight but I notice she'll make toast with some cheese for a "snack" between meals, or will eat when she's hungry even if she knows she's going out for a big meal a few hours later. If I'm hungry two hours before dinner, I just tolerate the hungry feeling and then really enjoy my meal.

This thread is interesting. I'm always quite envious of people who are naturally good at moderation and being in tune with what their body actually needs.

Weight is often on my mind. I have tried moderation and mindful eating and all that jazz but I have an addictive personality. While it is not necessarily healthy I've kind of come to terms with my approach to managing my weight. I know that I can't just have one biscuit and stop, so I find it much easier to say no and follow strict rules.

I'm in a pattern now where I'll go weeks being unhealthy strict, calorie counting, having the same meals every day, excessive exercise followed by a period of relaxing the rules which leads to weight gain and which then starts the cycle again.

It's not ideal and the periods of time when I'm obsessive strict can seem joyless. However I have gained a lot recently and went out for dinner the other day and I just felt awful, I felt I looked swollen, bloated, I could see a roll of fat as I sat down and my thighs chaffed. I do not carry weight well at all. So I do find that more depressing than feeling hungry.

I am not a good example, I have disordered eating traits and occasional bulimic tendencies (though luckily these feelings haven't surfaced for quite a while) .I wish I could just be a smart eater but I think it just isnt me. As I'm active and enjoy healthy food I don't think I'll ever be obese. But I'm currently at the upper end of healthy and it really doesnt suit me, I prefer to be just below the middle range of healthy BMI, as I'm quite lean that suits me the most. Puts me at a size 10. (5'9)

I am 5ft 11 and a size 10 and just eat what I fancy within moderation, if I fancy cake I'll eat it, however I wouldn't go as far as eating an entire packet in one sitting, I do a few walks a week and don't drink alcohol and snack when I'm hungry but it's usually a few squares of chocolate or an apple or something like that

Do people really measure out food like this? I think I have been so slim all my life because I DON'T think about food like this.

I don’t mean obsessively, I just do it to make sure I don’t make too much or too little. DH asked me how much rice to do once and I said I do about 50g (alongside very filling carby curry) and he did only 50g between us and it was laughably miserly!
And if I say 2 bits of toast is normal for me, if I desperately wanted another I might have it, but don’t you have food routines? Like I wouldn’t expect to need more toast so wouldn’t hang about thinking about it, I’d just go to work.

I’m a size 8 and have worn the same size since I was 16. I don’t diet as such... I tend to eat what I want, when I want it, but I dislike the feeling of being overly full, so I don’t find it hard to stop eating when I’m full. I find I’m not very hungry at all the next day if I’ve had loads to eat the day before, for example. I drink a few glasses of wine a week, bit I do moderate (for my general health more than anything). I like going for walks and don’t mind walking extra for, say, the school run, but I do detest ‘working out’ as an end in itself. I’d rather go for a walk outside. 🤷‍♀️

I'm a 10/12 but quite tall which probably allows me some leeway in weight gain.

• I have a sweet tooth
• I like wine. A lot.
• if I was allowed to live on fresh crunchy warm french bread and butter I would
• I sit next to the fridge working from home
• I like baking

I've reached a pretty stable weight though despite all of these factors. I probably snack once a day, normally something sweet.

However I am pretty active, I run at least 5km every day and go for a walk every lunchtime and hate the feeling when I haven't exercised so I think that makes a big difference for me.

When people say they eat and drink what they want, what they really mean is they don’t want much.

When I “ate what I wanted” I didn’t want crisps or chocolate or cakes because I couldn’t afford them so they were never available. I didn’t want McDonalds because the nearest one was 15 miles away. I didn’t want wine because I drank vodka with Diet Coke. I didn’t want big dinners because I couldn’t be bothered to cook them so I’d just have a sandwich. A lot of the time I was too busy to eat and too broke to buy treats.

Now I’m a bored SAHM with lots of time and money for treats, I prefer wine to vodka, McDonalds and KFC are 5mins walk from my house and Starbucks is a 5min drive. It’s much harder to be slim because I can’t “eat what I want” - simply because I want and can afford more stuff.

@Raimona - No this isn't what I mean. I ate a large chunk of chocolate cake the other day, because I really wanted it. Similarly, I'd eat a load of carrot sticks if I really wanted them. When I say I eat what I want, I mean I eat what I want.

@Raimona, perhaps for you, but not for everyone else. Statistics show that having money is one of the things associated with a decreased likelihood of being obese. Money and time allow the luxury of gyms, trainers, and also increased social pressure to remain slim.

@Mominatrix I agree. I earn more than enough to afford luxuries and treats. And I eat what I want when I want. And I'm still a size 8.