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?

Sorry I forgot to add I never weigh myself.

I do identify with a lot of what you're saying OP! I avoid all snacking, if really hungry would have a banana but nothing else. And I have an idea of how much I should eat to maintain my weight. Of course sometimes I'll have a takeaway and eat more, but I wouldn't do that everyday.

@MikeUniformMike

Cakes are rarely as nice as you think,

Agree with this. Think about if what you want to eat is really worth the calories it contains.

The glorious childcare cake your colleague makes which is well-known for being amazing - have a slice.

A very average factory-made supermarket-purchased cake - not worth it.

The key is those people who don't consciously control what they eat, but have naturally good habits and/or appetite control. Those that can eat desserts, and take a biscuit. You can do that and not be overweight

Absolutely this. But you can teach yourself to be in tune with your appetite. I did. Now I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am sated. It's great. Food is no longer a source of stress for me - no forbidden foods, no food guilt (and I have been like this for 20 years now).

This is not a boast. This is a fact. I am a few weeks postpartum and I’m already back to my prepregnancy weight. I am 8 stone and very slim. This is because I eat a plentiful but healthy diet. I don’t eat salt or much sat fat and I love exercising and workout 5 or so times a week. Only for an hour or so, nothing extreme. I eat cakes and biscuits, but in moderation. I drink alcohol, but in moderation.
It is totally a mindset and it all stems from having a healthy diet in sensible portions. Exercise is the icing on the cake, as it were.

Hello 👋🏻

I have been slim for most of my life, I peaked at about 9 1/2 stone a few years ago. But normally drift between 8 1/2 and nine stone. If I do hit nine stone I take action, and just be a bit more mindful about what I'm eating. I would never allow my weight to climb above nine stone, as I know how hard it is to bring it back down!!

I allow myself treats, for example on a Friday I eat an entire pizza to myself! Over the weekend I normally relax about alcohol and snacks, treating myself to crisps / sweets while watching a film, a scone and jam, that kind of thing. Also potentially drinking up to 1 1/2 pints of lager a night.

I try to make healthy decisions throughout the week from Monday until Thursday. So that means like having baked crisps instead of real crisps with my lunch, avoiding hard cheese, but having tuna instead. For tea things like stirfry rice grilled fish et cetera.

I don't deny myself things but I do make a conscious choice when I decide to snack or have a treat.

I often try to make a healthy choice when I'm in a supermarket faced with all the sweets, and think do I really need that?

I don't be right myself when I have a bad day though, for example today I've had a pretty bad day, but I am just pre period, and I always get cravings / hungry then.

I to, never weigh myself.

Just to add I don't have any specific exercise regime, I've probably walk around 50 miles a week. But I don't do any workouts at all! That's something I need to work on!

Too* damnit.

Absolutely this. But you can teach yourself to be in tune with your appetite. I did. Now I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am sated. It's great. Food is no longer a source of stress for me - no forbidden foods, no food guilt

I could have written this! So true. I read 'On eating' by Susie Orbach and it was a huge help.

Weigh every day - no, don’t own scales

Biscuits - usually take a biscuit if offered, but might only have one

One glass of wine - no, have as much as I like, but that might only be one glass, or it might be 3

Never order a dessert - actually yes on this, I very rarely order a dessert . I’d eat one if someone made me one for a meal though

Exercise - no, I do walk quite a bit but don’t do a lot of “exercise”

Never have seconds - no, I quite often go back for more. I do try and put more on my husbands plate that mine if i remember though, rather than splitting evenly

Things that I think probably do make a difference:

If it’s walking distance, I’ll walk rather drive if it all possible

I stop eating when I’m full, even if there’s food left on the plate

I fidget quite a lot, and go up and down the stairs a lot

I don’t consider pudding to be a part of a normal meal, more of an occasional thing

But I don’t ever intentionally deprive myself of food, we have a takeaway weekly and biscuits in the house and stuff. I think I’ve just got it built in to stop when ibe had enough. So if I have a big lunch with a pudding I might realise I’m not that hungry at tea time and just have cheese and crackers instead of a proper meal. But not because I think “ooh I’ve had too much food today”, it’s just because I’m not hungry.

I have always struggled with weight - mostly bmi in high 20s except for 10 years of infertility/pregnancy/baby days in my 30s when I was obese. I have the same unhealthy attitudes as you op.

I am on a restricted diet at the moment for health reasons (no gluten or dairy and very reduced sugar to identify possible auto immune triggers). For once I am eating whatever quantity I want. I am actually eating fuck all because I'm not interested in food. It's just something to fuel me and maybe help me feel better. I've not weighed recently but I suspect I've lost a couple of lbs.

I've also focused on long walks and yoga rather than hiit and intensive cardio which was making me frankly ill (see auto immune thingy). I look forward to this as a positive and a treat.

So totally different mindset but with less pressure as weight loss is not the goal.

And yes I know gluten/dairy free can be creative and joyful etc. It's just a huge change when your favourite foods are posh cheese, sourdough and cream cakes.

If I go above what I’m happy with I do a couple weeks of no carbing to drop the additional weight, the best diet ever that allows me my nightly wine and still to lose weight!

I'm certainly not a skinny person. My bmi is 22 and I'm actually trying to lose weight. But I've never been overweight either.

To maintain my weight, unfortunately I do have to watch what I eat.

I weigh myself every day and take action if I've gained weight, I don't really snack, I don't have seconds, I exercise 4 times a week, I don't drink, I do accept a biscuit but only if it's one I really really like, I avoid the chocolate aisles.

I'm prone to weight gain but I feel rubbish and uncomfortable if I do put on weight so I'm pretty determined.

Some would say it's a miserable way to live.

I used to be very slim.... weighed around 7st until I was late 20s, never really paid attention to my weight, rarely exercised (but have a busy job on my feet all day), ate what I liked without thinking.

I am now much heavier, not far off double the weight I was when I got married. The biggest change for me has been the perimenopause. I just cannot shift the tyre that is developing around my waist. I think I am probably a bit more sedentary now. I used to have busy job + time for me, but now I have busy job + busy kids and no time for me. I probably skip meals and snack more as I'm running around after the children. But essentially I haven't changed from when I was tiny. That's probably my problem!

I’m naturally slim, but my diets not very good. I have a really sweet tooth and could happily swop a meal for cake. I think the only thing that keeps me slim is that I’m not particularly bothered for savoury food, so rarely eat crisps or other savoury snacks.

I also never sit still for long, but I don’t do exercise as such just walking places

At mid-50’s now and been the same weight most of my adult life (bar pregnancies).

I never weight myself but I do pay close attention to how my clothes fit. If my jeans are feeling uncomfortable it’s time to be more mindful of what I eat. Post-50 I have had to indulge in fewer baked goods (but this may also be because I am no longer keeping up with small children).

I walk every day and try to do more (yoga, online and videos, swimming) a couple of times a week.

I eat much, much smaller portions than heavier colleagues. It’s just what I’m used to, but I am surprised at lunch when I see the size of people’s portions. I think portion control is a very big part of this.

I do have desserts, if I’m out I’ll often split one with a friend. I have a terrible sweet tooth, but don’t like bland sweets so can placate that monster with a couple of squares of very dark chocolate with my coffee break and after dinner.

I’ve never had the habit of drinking, a glass or two of wine a year and I’m good.

Certainly am not exercising Christmas Day!!

I rarely want seconds to tell you the truth. I think that’s habit and can be broken.

On the rare occasion we have crisps in the house I know how easy it is to munch a whole bag so I put a handful in a cereal bowl and watch telly with that and am too lazy to go and get more/remind myself how much better I feel when I’m lighter and don’t refill the bowl.

It doesn’t have to be joyless, just mindful, smaller portions, more raw fruit and veg. Sometimes I’ll have a bowl of pasta, but last evening I had humus and vegetable sticks for dinner & this morning I had miso soup with tofu cubes into it (followed by coffee with honey in it and couple of squares of 85% dark chocolate).

I am the same size roughly my whole life, I have 3 children (12,10 and 9). I am a size 8. I eat what I want and fortunately for me I prefer fairly healthy food. I eat a lot of veg, only have take away a few times a year (and then its a veg curry). I cook my food from scratch most of the time, processed food doesnt agree with me.

I am very active, I run or walk everyday.

I dont binge eat, my portions are not huge. I try not to get too hungry as when I do I make bad choices.

My sis is about 2 stone over weight. Her problems are not eating regularly so when she is hungry she grabs unhealthy food and eats loads really fast, she does no exercise, she goes for long periods without eating.

My DH is very slim, he eats about 3-4 thousand calories a day! He eats every hour and maintains that's why he puts on no weight because his body knows it getting fed regularly and doesn't store fat. He eats good healthy food in its natural state.

We both eat biscuits/cake every day but ill eat 2/3 with a cup of tea where my sister will eat 7/8 in a go. If I am hungry enough to eat 7/8 biscuits I will eat a sandwich first so 2 biscuits satisfies me.
I also eat my dinner at 9pm which most people would say makes you put on weight but it works for me.
I dont deny myself food and I have a sweet tooth but I am conscious of not eating too many empty calories and I rarely drink alcohol.

The things you've described dont sound normal or healthy. I excercise portion control, I dont mean tiny portions either, they're a good size but not too much. I dont eat until I'm stuffed full either. I rarely drink fizzy drinks, just water and tea day to day and maybe 3 alcoholic drinks a month

Well im post menopausal and healthy weight, I don't excercise much but dont overeat. I keep an eye on my weight and if i put on a bit i rein it in food wise. I think treats are fine in moderation so if i have cake one day i eat well for the next few days. And to thecperson whi said it was joyless it really isnt, i dont feel hard d one by i eat treats i just dont do it all the time.

Just sounds joyless and extreme. Sadly I expect most of MN adhere to these rules
It is but in my view it is less joyless than feeling fat, unhappy about my shape, feeling heavy and that I have no energy, hating trying clothes on etc...

Buying new clothes that feel comfortable, looking at myself in the mirror and liking what I see (without being too picky!), feeling light on my toes and up for anything, and getting the endorphins kicking after an intense exercise do make me feel quite joyful.

It's all down to what sacrifice is lesser than the other.

I have mainly always been slim and stopped myself putting on more than half a stone. I’m no where near as strict as your friends.

From my experience the following helps:

• Stay active, don’t drive to close by places. Like McDonald’s. *Don’t finish your plate in a restaurant when already full - restaurant portions are HUGE, order a starter/main or main/starter not both.
• Don’t binge drink past 20’s - empty calories and leads to eating crap.
• Fill your plate with veg, like half my meals are veg then protein/carbs.
• Sugary drinks = waste of calories.
• Weigh yourself, not everyday. Just to be aware.
• Be careful of leggings and jeggings, nothing keeps you slim like proper jeans.
• Say yes to treats but not every time, they all add up, be calorie aware but not obsessed.

I'm maybe carrying 5kg over what I should but generally speaking am OK. I am also very toned. I lift weights 3x week, do cardio 2x week. I do 1 - 1.5hour walks 1-4 x a week. In other words, I am pretty active. I am coeliac so almost no cakes bar the odd one if I am out and the place has gluten free cakes- which of course has meant none in the past 3 months. I practice intermittent fasting so no food after around 4pm. I am healthy, not obviously overweight but not even close to being 'skinny'. It is so related to genetics it is not funny. Some people can eat shit and stay thin. Others can't.No point moaning about it but no point pretending it is otherwise either.

I don't subscribe to all of that but I do have some good habits that keep me at (the upper end of) a healthy BMI.

Seeing fruit as a treat and goto snack
Eating healthy meals until I'm full to make it easier to resist hungry fridge raids!
Aiming for 10 a day (rarely make it but average about 8)
Keeping active to help my mood as well as for the health benefits. I feel so rubbish if I've not been active that it motivates me to get off the sofa.
Trying to sleep well.
Getting about by foot, bike and public transport as much as I can.

I’m 5 foot 4 and weigh 8 stone 10. Post babies, weight plummeted to 7 stone 10 on account of the breast feeding. I was extremely thin and very hungry! I remember getting up in the middle of the night to feed baby and eating a packet of M&S extremely chocolatey caramels. I also ate 6 crumpets one day. I must have been burning masses of energy. Post breast feeding, weight went back to normal and then I gained half a stone for good measure. I feel unfit and flabby but probably look pretty slim to most people. I eat and drink what I like but I rarely snack between meals or eat pudding / cake. I do not routinely drink sugary drinks either. I walk everywhere but don’t do any formal exercise; I keep trying running but I just haven’t got the bug. I suspect I have a reasonably high metabolism and am dreading it slowing as I get older...