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?

Since menopause I put on 20 kilos, which is taking ages to shift, and given that I have 4 hour long yoga classes a week and do an hour on the elliptical every week, and eat healthy home cooked food, with minimal carbs, i am starting to think that being as plump as a partridge is just what I am now. Bloody annoying

My husband though is one of those annoyingly naturally slim people. It’s genetic. His whole family are tiny. He walks for half an hour a day but that’s it. Desk job. Occasionally he goes for a run but it’s quite half-arsed. People who see him out and about must think he looks as he does because he runs regularly or seriously but it’s not the case at all. He’s been practically the same weight since he was 18 (pushing 40 now).

@NannyOggsWhiskyStash you need to replace the yoga with cardio if you can. Yoga doesn’t burn enough calories unfortunately.

Ps - it’s not hula hoops every night! Give me some credit! (As I get one out....) Generally baked potato etc. and proper meal one when kids are here.

Have medicals with work and everything comes back green (fingers crossed) so it’s okay.

Everyone I have lived with has been much bigger than me, either because they were much taller and/or overweight or because they were men. When we cooked, we split things evenly. There came a time when I lived on my own and I realised I didn’t need to match my flat mate’s portion sizes. I lost a lot of weight when I wasn’t trying to make sure I got my fair share of the shopping/cooking.

As I got older, I massively reduced my alcohol intake. When I do drink, I crave snacks as well, so drinking less alcohol helps. If I eat enough at dinner, I don’t snack in the evening.

We hide most of the junkfood in biscuit tins which are stacked and a pain to get into. The crisps are hidden behind the fruit bowl at the far back of a high shelf. Out of sight, out of mind helps reduce the snacking impulse.

I will absentmindedly eat far too many crisps or biscuits while watching TV unless I portion out a reasonable amount and put the packet away.

Walking as much as possible even for errands also helps to keep a bit more active.

@helloyouminx

I also think that it’s very difficult to gauge what people do and don’t eat.

I say this as someone who has yoyo’d with their weight and know how hard it is for me to maintain being very very slim.

I have slim friends who will talk as if they spend their days gorging on cookies and cakes when in fact they are actually very disciplined with what they eat and seldom snack. I’m not sure what it is but I know lots of slim people who will over play what they actually eat when it’s in fact the opposite...

I do this, but only to not make other people feel bad. People at work will say "oh I can't stop snacking when I'm bored" so I'll say "oh yeah me too", or they'll say they ate a whole packet of biscuits....I'll say "yeah I ate a whole pack of Oreos", when actually it was half the pack and that was all I ate before dinner. When I meet up with friends for a big meal, that will be the first thing I've eaten that day as I'll save my appetite for that meal. It's social pressure, I don't want to be that asshole that says "nope don't have that problem"!

I suspect fat people do the same with only eating Ryvita and low-fat cream cheese in the office, then going home and eating junk.

I am quite slim and don't do any of the things that you mentioned. I drink, snack, eat biscuits and never go to the gym. However, I do eat pretty healthy food and have a very physical job. I walk or cycle everywhere. My kids and husband also eat healthy food and we all mostly have yoghurts for dessert. We cook everything from scratch.
That said, I found it really hard to lose the baby weight both times.

[quote Angelil]@NannyOggsWhiskyStash you need to replace the yoga with cardio if you can. Yoga doesn’t burn enough calories unfortunately.[/quote]
Cardio is actually pretty terrible for losing weight, heavy weights is the way to go. You will build up your muscles (which I think deplete during menopause) and having more muscle mass means higher metabolism 24/7.

I'm very slim and always have been (apart from a random 3 months just after I moved out from home during which I randomly gained 3 stone without noticing, by eating a pound of roasted cashews a day ), and I have terrible eating habits.
I eat A LOT of the stuff I like. Like I'll eat a whole pack of bacon with a couple of fried eggs in one setting, with melted cheese and burger sauce, and I eat very large portions.
However, I don't tend to snack (but I'll never say no to cake) and I'm pretty much physically unable to eat when I'm not hungry, it just makes me feel sick.
I don't really have a sweet tooth, I hate crisps and I don't really like wheaty foods like bread or pasta.
There aren't any foods I actively avoid, though.
I don't exercise at all, ever, and I have a desk job.
My BMI is usually between 18 and 19, though it's currently a little lower because of stress.

For me it's definitely not a matter of discipline.

TBF I tend to do a mix of both (cardio and weights) as well as swimming when I can. Plus the walking/cycling mentioned earlier on.

(I enjoy Pilates/yoga too but they just don’t burn the same calories as e.g. HIIT. They’re good for other things but not really that.)

I've been slim my entire life and love food. I've always had an extremely sweet tooth and could eat junk no stop.
But I know of left to my own devices I'd be very overweight.

So I dont have any 'treats food in the house, ilI weigh myself most days and keep my weight within a strict range, and as soon as I hit my top weight I reign things in. The alternative is buying new bigger clothes an it's a slippery slope which I dont want to go down.

@Angelil Yoga is so good for my flexibility as I have arthritis, how much cardio a week do you recommend? I have an elliptical trainer at home

I'm surprised at how many of you can't eat when stressed. I wish I was like that, I distract myself with food all the time when stressed! I have to exercise, not to burn calories but for my mental health, otherwise I end up eating all the carbs in the house.

whatwillsantabring: OP, I am not trying to sound trite, but if the government tells you it is mandatory to wear masks and socially distance to avoid contracting COVID-19 or spreading it, you do it.

If you were told to stick to a certain number of calories per day, enough to keep you healthy and slim for your build would you do it? It is a matter of fact - we only need a certain number of calories per day to remain alive. Once you know how many you need, you can track them. The "cheeky" 3 biscuits, the odd glass of wine. a few mouthfuls of the kids leftovers suddenly becomes twice the calories you need.

It is hard, but re-learning how we unconsciously eat is so helpful. You can absolutely lose weight.....and it sounds like you want to. Track everything you et for a week on www.myfitnesspal.com (it's free) and you will be surprised by what you consume. I was. Good luck love x

I really love my veg, and usually have veg or salad (no dressing) as the main part of the meal, and I usually eat it first then the protein bit.
I will have something greasy ( cheese or vege sausage or similar) with reheated veg.

@beijingbikini
Completely get you!!! When I was at my absolute slimmest, I'd make to others around me that it was all a bit accidental because otherwise I thought people would hate me!

Truth was I was being extremely restrictive on my diet, taking diet pills and spending hours per week in the gym. (That's not the same for every slim person I know)

These days I'm a size 14-16 which is a struggle to maintain! I have PCOS and the truth is my diet is probably healthier than ever, but it doesn't show....

@LostaraYil

I'm surprised at how many of you can't eat when stressed. I wish I was like that, I distract myself with food all the time when stressed! I have to exercise, not to burn calories but for my mental health, otherwise I end up eating all the carbs in the house.

I wish I didn't eat when stressed! I'd be skinny as anything if that were the case!!

I think most naturally life-long slim people don't obsess or worry about food, hence they snack less and don't eat in the evenings. Unfortunately I am none of the above but have it on good authority that this is true!

Not a stealth brag but, some of us can eat crap and it just not affect us. Ive been this way my whole life so far with a BMI of 19, but I always try to reassure any larger friends when they dig at me for it that it'll catch up with me in the end!

I am a vegetarian, replacing meat can cut out a huge amount of fat but that is accidental as I just can’t handle eating meat. I have been 50 kilos or under for many years, like running, enjoy eating everything in moderation, walk to shops, enjoy sitting around in the sun and drink Pepsi max at the weekend. Nothing is banned, if I banned it I would crave it. Never weigh myself, it would make me think about food and weight.

im post child and post thyroidechtomy i dont eat sweet stuff at all, i do drink but maybe 2-5 units per week and spirits not beer wine or cider, i exersice everyday between half an hour to 2 hours either at work (i stack shelves for a living hard, heavy manual labour), i eat a takeout once a month and eat fairly healthy (carbs main issue about 80-90g per day ) i dont eat bread but eat 2 meals a day usually either breakfast and tea or dinner and tea biggest issue im 5ft1 with a bmi of 33.2 im 80kgs its taken me 3 years to loose a stone and i still cant loose weight :/

I cannot eat when I'm stressed. It turns me completely off food.

I'm not very motivated by food and find the effort to prepare it, buy it, cook it, clean up afterwards etc such a faff, I often can't be arsed with it. I don't particularly mind feeling hungry.

My tastes tend towards juicy/crisp, sour and bitter rather than greasy, salty or sugary, although I do like chocolate and biscuits. So I really like fruit - I would probably only eat fruit if I had to choose one food group. I find carbs incredibly bland and that would be the food group I'd cut out if I had to cut one. I like meat but it has to be lean or the fat really rendered/crispy. Don't eat cheese at all as it doesn't agree with me. Love things like tomatoes, olives, fish, tend to prefer wholemeal bread/pasta.

I do snack in the evenings and on unhealthy stuff generally - crisps or sweets. I'm trying to cut down on this for my teeth.

But as for the list in the OP:

I very rarely weigh myself. Occasionally out of interest, but I don't routinely keep track of my weight.
Always accept biscuits/cake/etc when offered! If I like whatever it is.
I don't drink alcohol very often but this is more because I'm knackered with small kids.
I would order dessert but I am usually full when I've finished a main course in a restaurant.
Hardly ever evercise - since Corona have been walking most days, that's new.
I would have seconds if I wanted them but a plate of food usually fills me up.

When I'm stressed I hit the chocolate. Not interested in it otherwise.

I'm not perfect but as happy as I an be considering I like treats!

I do excercise that I love (very important to enjoy it) 5-7 days a week and my job is very physically active.

I binge eat 2-3 times a week (I eat what I want on these days-one meal is usually junk plus sweet treats), the other days I'm really strict on myself, I don't drink (because I don't really enjoy it).

On my good days I have a big bowl of porridge (sometimes as early as 6) and don't eat again until sometimes 1pm (sandwich) and then tea at 5-5.30 which isn't exactly a small portion or exeptionally healthy but if I have a small tea I'm starving again a few hours later. I then have a few packets of crisps about 8.