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?

I'm a size 8 and rarely weigh myself, but just enough to know that if my BMI hits 23 I need to make changes. Usually it's around 21 to 22.

I rarely if ever snack, I don't have a sweet tooth so am not fussed about desserts and only very rarely eat cake or a biscuit, though I do like chocolate sometimes. I'm reasonably active though my health is getting in the way of that at the moment. I guess the main thing I do is every day normal portions and take action if my clothes get tight.

@PurpleDaisies

Being slim is hard op! It does mean you can't eat what you want when you want. You exercise even if you don't want to. You constantly berate yourself for failure.

That might be true for you, but plenty of slim people don’t have this experience at all. It doesn’t sound like a very healthy or happy relationship with food.

It's interesting how different everyone's experiences, I don't do any scheduled exercise. I also eat and enjoy food, and allow myself plenty of treats.

I couldn't be jealous or in admiration of someone like your op. Im annoyed and envious at those who were born with all the right genes

[quote LouJ85]@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. [/quote]
same for me
just a quarter of a block of chocolate cos i wanted too
dinner was smoked pork chops and chips
earlier today, a hand full of lollies just cos

I eat what i want

Same for me. If I want chocolate, I eat it. I don't try to fob myself off with something else.

It's really interesting seeing everyone's different personal approach - goes to show one method doesn't suit us all! I calorie count, and have done since 2015 when I got back from honeymoon and none of my clothes fitted. I'm 8st 11 at 5 foot 5 - generally I've been around 9st most of my adult life other than the period around my wedding when I gained 1.5st (most people lose weight for that, right??). I like numbers so calorie counting works for me and after so long, it's basically a reflex.

My personal rules are not to drink my calories (other than alcohol) and make sure each meal has some carbs and some protein or else I'll snack too much. But I definitely don't follow all the things you've listed:

- weigh every day and take immediate action if their weight goes up by more than 5lbs; I weigh whenever I remember (once a week or so), but I would take action if it went up by that much.
- never accept a biscuit. I've just eaten three crunch creams with my afternoon coffee! I have at least one sweet treat a day, usually more, but generally small things like biscuits, a cake bar or an ice cream stick, not big puddings. Definitely have a very sweet tooth.
- only drink one glass of wine (unless its a very special occasion when they may have two) I drink less since having DS, but will probably average about 8 units a week, usually a couple of glasses of wine / a G&T on weekend evenings.
- never order themselves a dessert/ice cream etc (will just eat whatever their kids leave) I NEVER eat out without pudding. What's the point??
- exercise 5-6 days a week without fail, including Christmas Day Yes, but that's because I enjoy it, it helps my mental health and I like feeling toned. Plus being able to eat more biscuits is a fairly good motivation!
- never have seconds. I grew up in a house where you were given your portion and there was no leftovers (mother brought up with rationing in the war), and have carried this forwards, so yes, no seconds. Always weigh out carbs etc too - I can't eyeball portions.

Im 167cm tall with a BMI of 21.5, size 8/10. Very rarely weigh myself, go on how my clothes feel.

Properly exercise 3 times per week but always walk instead of using car when possible & always use the stairs as hate lifts. Did sport/everyday as a child.

Not a regular drinker, rarely drink at home and if at a special occasion 3/4 drinks.

Pretty much eat what I want. I love fruit & veg so will eat a lot in a day. Only put on my plate what I know I will eat. Would rather eat fruit, yogurt over cake/pudding.

Typical food day:
Breakfast: Rice Krispies or porridge
Snack- fruit
Lunch: meat/fish/a protein with veg/salad & a small portion of carbs
Snack: Fruit/yogurt
Dinner: same as lunch but bigger portion of protein & salad/veg
Snack: sometimes a bit of chocolate or a biscuit.

Don’t really have puddings.

Drink mostly water or fresh mint in hot water. Don’t like fizzy drinks unless as a mixer.
Rather have fish or chicken over red meats & don’t like fatty foods.

Everything in moderation

I just balance it all out. I love my exercise, but I also love chocolate, sweets, and just food in general! But I try to have days of eating good, balanced meals with vegetables etc. Then other days I might treat myself to a takeaway/meal out etc. It’s all about balance.

@Badmemorieshouse ...same, a whole cracker bloats me

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
I would never want carrot sticks - I’d have eaten three slices of cake the first day and more cake the second day. That’s what I mean - you say you eat what you want, but you probably don’t want a large pizza and mikshake followed by a six pack of ice creams followed by a family size bag of crisps. Which is what I’d eat if I didn’t stop myself.

@Raimona I think there's a confusion here between type of food and quantity. No I wouldn't want the amount of food you refer to because I would feel very unwell and probably vomit if I are that much, as my stomach is small and I feel full very quickly. But in your original post it sounded like you were saying that slimmer people don't want cake, chocolate, crisps, fast food, pizza etc .... YES we do. I eat loads of that sort of crap. But I wouldn't eat a massive quantity of it - not because I'm worried about getting fat, but because my tummy would signal to me at an early point that I'd had enough and was full. So I don't consciously care at all about the type of food, cost of food, or quantity really - I'm led by my tummy saying "enough, you're full". Not sure if that makes sense.

And FYI - I HATE carrot sticks - it was an example to illustrate the point using a healthy opposite of cake 🤣

My BMI is pretty much hardwired at 23, so not fat and not skinny but medically a healthy weight

I eat pretty much what I like

I like to have toast or muesli for breakfast, coffee mid morning, a nice lunch, and a proper cooked dinner.(or lunch)

I make quite a lot of cakes too

So today for example:

1 slice whole meal toast with butter and marmite
1 slice of ginger cake
Tea with milk

Mid morning: coffee with milk

Lunch: vegetarian fried breakfast (3 hash brown, 1 fried egg, baked beans, mushrooms, tomato)

Couple of cups of tea and a bit of chocolate (4squares)

5 O’clock munchies: peanuts and raisins

Tonight I will just have a ham and tomato sandwich (with mayo) and a salad (green bean salad in vinaigrette)

I may also have a piece of apple cinnamon cake later

To me this is a nice way too eat, it’s my “normal” but prob very carb heavy by modern standards (am almost 50 so a bit old school diet-wise )

I'm slim and hardly ever weigh myself. I've no idea what 'immediate action' I would take in this scenario.
I like and eat biscuits.
I order myself a dessert/ice cream etc.
I don't drink, so that one's moot.
I don't exercise as much as that, but am quite active, and I don't drive and shop etc locally, so walk a fair bit. I have time off exercise at times like Christmas though.
I often have seconds.

So I don't know if it's just down to habits.

The difference between me and my OH (he’s overweight) is that he eats mindlessly. He doesn’t even realise he’s doing it!

I have a BMI of 20 and am 68. I have always maintained this from adulthood. I eat three meals a day and have at least one glass of wine. My meals are varied but include lots of vegetables. Two thirds of my plate. I don’t have a sweet tooth but I do eat fruit and the odd pastry. And I love cheese. I never snack. We exercise by walking 4-5 miles a day and live in a hilly area. I will accept cake at a friend’s house but wouldn’t make cake or buy it for us.

I have skinny friends who eat like horses and fat ones who eat like birds.
You can’t generalise- it’s different for everyone.
Problem is it’s only the fat ones that get judged.

BMI 22 most of adult life. Don’t allow more than 5lb on without dealing with it.
Yesterday: 7am boiled egg, 1 slice seedy toast. No butter/spread. Tea with skimmed milk no sugar.
Lunch:12pm feta salad, apple, water all day at work.
Dinner at 6pm: tuna pasta homemade with brown pasta, sweetcorn, peppers and capers, a satsuma
Evening: cup of tea.

Oh and I walk the dog daily for 45 mins, quite briskly.

The habits of your slim friends describe me perfectly before having a child. I wish I had that willpower now. Don't forget though that some people can stay slim regardless because they have different gut bacteria to obese people.

I’m underweight and trying to gain
But in my situation... I just do not enjoy traditional junk food which is highly calorific. I genuinely and truly don’t - so not having biscuits, crisps, cakes is no whatsoever!

For me I would much rather have a fruit salad, a rainbow salad with fillet of salmon etc.

If I ever think “ooh I fancy something sweet, I’ll pour myself a bowl of muesli with almond milk.

So in this situation putting on weight is hard! People might think I am denying myself but saying no to crisps or cakes etc but I simply do not want it!

I am a size 8 and have always been that or a size 6, BMI of 19. Quite "light" boned, thin back etc. I have always eaten exactly what I want and sometimes I can go through periods of drinking loads and eating a bar of chocolate a day and half a tub of ice-cream as well as meals. I don't even exercise much formally so I am out of shape and not particularly healthy. Plenty of people in my family are exactly the same (but not all) - never gained weight, not even in old age. I do like vegetables and nuts a lot and have lots of that daily too. I don't eat that much fruit really, prefer icecream and chocolate! I have noticed that as I have gotten older I crave protein and veg more than I used to and am less able to digest loads of carbs in the form of rice and pasta. I used to live on huge portions of pasta in my teens/twenties. My mum loved cooking and baking but we had a very balanced diet overall as children and lots of fresh air. Although I don't formally exercise much I don't really sit around or still much. On a lazy day when I wear a fitbit I easily get to 12000 steps and on an active day (park with kids/cycling etc) I often get to 19000 - 24,000 steps so I think moving a lot and overall healthy eating is subconsciously ingrained into me from my childhood years (although I have plenty of treats). Have never dieted or worried about my weight and only weighed myself regularly in pregnancy and that was more to check that I was gaining enough weight. I have plenty of friends who are like me and just eat a lot and whatever they want, some have high amounts of nervous energy and are constantly on the go even mentally! So high spirited.

I know people who can eat 3 large McDonald's meals and not gain weight.
It's down to metabolism and Gene's.

I know people who had never worked out in their lives and are size 6/8s so they never bothered.

Though everyone on my dad side is tall and slim but all have heart conditions and are diabetic. for them its hereditary.

I have skinny friends who eat like horses and fat ones who eat like birds.

In front of you

I’m 5’4 and am always between 8 stone 3 and 8 stone 10. I do snack and drink alcohol and until lockdown didn’t exercise much at all, but I don’t have a car, so do a lot of walking. I don’t snack and eat gigantic meals. A typical day of snacks would be 4/5 biscuits, some crisps and an ice cream/piece of cake. I will eat that most days and sometimes more at the weekend. I do eat healthy meals (natural yoghurt and blueberries for breakfast, chicken/fish with veg for lunch (lunch is my main meal) and dinner would be something light like gazpacho and pita bread/tuna and avocado salad/avocado and scrambled egg on rye toast) from Monday - Friday lunchtime and then relax at the weekend with my meals and alcohol.

If I feel my clothes getting tight I cut down on the calories a bit and do some HIIT workouts. During lockdown I started doing HIIT workouts 3/4 times per week and that’s changed my shape and made me leaner. I don’t like to be too thin, so I don’t have to maintain too much. I was also genetically blessed with a small waist and flat stomach, which makes me appear slim even when I’m a bit bigger. Randomly my weight goes on my arms and my boobs!