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?

[Thingsdogetbetter]

I'm slim(ish). My friend is not. The most significant different I can see is portion size. Her 'diet' meals are far bigger the size of my portions. She does low carb, but fills the gap on the plate with foods that are just as high in calories. If I'm feeling a bit more wobbly than I'm happy with, i do reduce carbs, but fill the plate gap with salad - or nothing. If we buy snacks, she goes for big bags of crisps but considers it dieting because she'd usually have two big bags. Etc etc. When we exercise she rewards herself with bigger portions as she's 'burnt off' those calories.

[Hollywhiskey]

I have a healthy BMI and always have done except for being pregnant. I weigh myself daily or close to, but I don't do most of the rest.

I don't really drink but I love sweet stuff and if offered a biscuit I have three. I eat chocolate at least once a day. I eat what I want until I feel full.

I love exercise. The whole 'six times a week including Christmas' - yes, absolutely. It's not joyless, it's fun. Going for a swim is relaxing, I need to run or walk an hour or two every day for my sanity. I went for a walk carrying my nine hour old baby last year - not to lose weight but just because it was a nice evening and I needed fresh air after sitting in hospital all day. I would rather go to parkrun with friends than get a takeaway together (but I do enjoy that too). I think it's just important for it to be your lifestyle. People going to the gym when they hate it seems sad, there are so many fun sports out there which would be more enjoyable if gym's not your thing.
Same for healthy eating - think of eating fruit and veg because they make you feel good rather than as a punishment. Eat the ones you actually like. Then you don't have to avoid chocolate 🍫

[Thefab3]

I’m a size 6-8 and 8 stone. I’ve been like this my whole life. I do exercise but during lockdown I haven’t been able to due to having no childcare /school and my weight is the same. I’m not overly careful about what I eat, I don’t weigh myself very often and I do snack a bit.
I’m fairly into healthy eating but do eat loads of cheese like Brie and goats cheese on crackers as snacks.
I have three dcs and they are all very physical and busy so I move a lot all day but wouldn’t be major cardio.
I very rarely eat out as really we don’t have the opportunity and I think restaurant and takeaway food taste good as they add loads of butter etc. So cook from scratch mostly. My family and I do eat a lot of proper big meals with protein and carbs and make sure we are full.
I think it can be luck , fast metabolism (which is prob affected when hit menopause! ) maybe genetics but not sure on that.

[SerenDippitty]

I do 5 out of the six things on that list but I'm still overweight.

[roundandsideways]

I will sometimes have dessert, if it's good and I want it, but it's rare.
I workout every day, and weight train 4 times a week, my other workouts are HIIT, and I do this every day. I eat extra protein, more than other women I know, because of the amount of exercise I do.
I don't weigh myself every day, I might do once a month or so.
I do take weekly measurements with a tape measre, but not just the obvious waist hips bust, I also measure muscle circumferences.
I don't eat biscuits, ever, but I don't like them
My bmi is 22ish.
I usually drink vodka, or gin. Have not had wine for months

[mightbealittlebitmad]

I've always been a healthy weight apart from after my pregnancies but it is an effort to keep it as low as I like.

I exercise a lot, both intentionally and unintentionally. I was at the gym at least 4 days a week exercising if not more, mainly because I liked to. I can't just eat what I want whenever I want, I've gained 11lbs since March due to my lack of self control, if I were at the higher end of the healthy weight to begin with I could easily be overweight by now.

I still eat chocolate, cake etc and drink alcohol but it is tracked and I attempt to fit it into my calorie allowance per day. I'm not one for cutting out entire food groups, I live for carbs and cheese, cutting them out would just make me miserable.

There are people out there who naturally make good food choices and don't overeat so are naturally slim but I am not one of them, I would much rather eat creamy high fat pasta dishes than tomato pasta lower fat dishes and drink wine instead of something lower calorie like gin and slimline tonic.

[DCIRozHuntley]

I'm early 30s so metabolism plays a part but I've been a BMI of 22-23 all my life except during pregnancy. However some things I do do are:

I have a real sweet tooth but if I have a big piece of cake or a hot cross bun at 11 ish, I won't bother with lunch.

When I eat out, I have exactly what I want and relish every mouthful. I often then don't feel very hungry the next day so eat less. I only eat out rarely, and never drink.

Real butter, real cheese, sugar not sweetener, whole fat yogurts, expensive chocolate etc. I genuinely think the richness of these things vs "healthy" substitutes limits intake.

Walking as much as possible kills time (so you can't be eating!) and calories.

Go by clothes not scales. Go food shopping at Aldi where there are less aisle end bargains and treats.

[BombyliusMajor]

I’m a relatively slim person (BMI 21) and to be honest I think most of this stuff is genetic, as I don’t have fantastic eating habits - I gorge on chocolate when I’m premenstrual, if I’m having a coffee I’ll get a muffin as well, etc. I tracked my calories for a while when I wanted to lose a bit of weight and realised on average I eat about 2200 calories a day, which does seem like a lot compared to other people. Things that do probably help are that I hardly drink anymore (no tolerance or desire due to non sleeping child), I easily walk 20k steps a day as I walk to work - and I am a pretty fast walker. I do kettlebells a couple of times a week for 20 minutes. I also fidget constantly! It sounds nuts but I genuinely think this must burn quite a few calories as I really struggle to stand still for any length of time.

I have awful teeth though. 😬

[NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace]

Just sounds joyless and extreme.

Sadly I expect most of MN adhere to these rules!

At the risk of repeating myself, nothing like as joyless as carrying 40kg of excess weight around. Every. Single. Day!

I can't speak for the rest of MN but please don't be at all sad on my account. You can keep your cake and curves: I love being ripped to shreds

[loulouljh]

BMI 22.

I have dogs and walk for an hour and a half a day. Also do HIIT about 4 times a week.

I have tried to eliminate snacking but not always successful. Very rarely have desserts. Never ear anything after dinner.

[LochJessMonster]

I eat a lot, big portions but usually of healthy meat and veg.
I snack horrifically and have no self control once I’ve started.
I never turn down pudding.

I love food so I exercise a lot.
I’m slim and toned.

[SuperrHann]

I'm slim, bordering underweight.

I never really weigh myself, but on the occasion I do my weight doesn't move.

I could miss a meal without any concern, I don't particularly love food, I hardly ever eat if I'm not hungry, but I don't eat well/healthily (I have a very high sugar diet). I rarely exercise.

I think I'm slender because of my attitude/indifference to food.

[Newdaynewname1]

i’m slimmish - walk at least 10 000 steps per day. breakfast is toast only, lunch usually rice/quinoa/pasta with vegetables, dinner bread with something - but only 1 slice, no spreads.
I eat chocolate after each me, but 1 square at a time. a bar lasts me 2 weeks. Alcohol very rarely

[verybritishproblems]

You can keep your cake and curves: I love being ripped to shreds

You know you can be curvy AND ripped right? Curvy doesn’t equal fat, you can have curves and be toned and muscular

[roundandsideways]

I get very little joy from junk food, never eat a takeaway for example

[rachelfrost]

Gosh this is depressing.

[Watsername]

I am naturally slim. I struggle to maintain weight when I am stressed. I don't do anything conscious to be slim. I love chocolate and biscuits.

However, I don't drink (don't like it). And am always moving. I don't mean exercising - I just move a lot (I suppose you would all me fidgetty), and only really sit down at 10pm for a rest at the end of the day. I also know when I am full.

[underneaththeash]

I'm slimish - size 10 at 45. I rarely weigh myself though and almost never eat anything sweet/chips/high fat food. Although I definitely have more than one glass of wine.

I need to be very careful or I get fat.

[openplankitchen]

BMI 22 and I love food.

I exercise. A lot. Because I live that too. Also very very fidgety. Never still. Take stairs not lifts etc.

I snack all the time. But if I've had a big lunch often won't feel hungry for dinner.

My kids and husband also naturally slim. For them though I've noticed they just don't love food. They only ever eat if hungry. Never more than to fill them up. They get no joy from eating at all. Bizarre to me but can't imagine they'll ever be obese!

[OneWildNightWithJBJ]

I've always been slim, but never really followed any particular routine. I don't tend to eat between meals and don't drink much, so I guess those two things help.

However, I love food and generally have three courses if we go out (which isn't that often). Our portions at home are on the bigger side for dinner, not so much for breakfast and lunch. And I rarely say no to the nice stuff!

I never weigh myself and go through phases of exercising. We walk quite a lot on holidays. I drink a lot of water, but mostly because I like it not necessarily for health benefits. If I know we're going to go out or get a take away then I might try to eat a little less throughout the day.

I think snacking (on unhealthy snacks) and portion sizes are the biggest reasons for weight gain. I don't think you should give up any particular food as it just makes it harder.

[Kaiserin]

I can't speak for other people. You're probably right to some extent. And yet...

I ate like a pig as a teenager and young adult (think "large pizza sandwich swallowed in seconds" and "eating contests with men twice my weight")
I was excessively skinny and just couldn't put on extra weight (to my dismay... no boobs and bum, and being taunted for looking unwomanly)

Still nowadays (after finally growing some curves) I eat like a pig when I'm stressed, and that's quite often ("mummy ate all the snacks" is a running joke in our household).
I do also eat my 5 a day, and my normal meals are balanced. But my snacking is completely out of control. And I don't particularly exercise. I do however have a very brainy job (and I guess that must consume calories, given how hot and hungry I can get while just sitting at my desk thinking)
And even after two kids I'm still "stuck" at (the top end of) a healthy BMI.
I'm no longer skinny or even slim, but honestly, you'd think I should be properly overweight with what I eat. And yet I'm not.

I'm not saying that to rub my "naturally skinnier metabolism" in your face. But I do believe (given my own personal experience!) that things like genetics and hormonal differences can (sometimes) play an important role in weight gain (or lack thereof)

People (slightly envious friends) used to ask me "what's your secret?", but really there was no secret. I had an androgynous tomboy's body, and that was it. Just like there was no secret behind their bodies growing bigger boobs. It just did.

[rachelfrost]

I don’t really know why it’s depressing. Everyone has reasonable good habits and seems happy. But it gives me the fear.

[firstimemamma]

All my friends are slim / average and I none of them do half of these bizarre things such as weigh food. That just seems obsessive to me and not sustainable realistically.

I'm 9 stone size 10. I like big portions and am a classic plate-clearer but...

• I run for half an hour 2-3 times a week
• I only binge eat sweet food on my period, rest of the month hardly have it.
• I eat healthy foods, lots of fruit, veg, protein & complex carbs.
• I'm a vegetarian so lots of veg.
• I always eat a hearty breakfast
• I drink loads of water
• I'm teetotal and have been for over 3 years.

All of the above is realistic for me to do long-term which is what counts imo.

[NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace]

You know you can be curvy AND ripped right? Curvy doesn’t equal fat, you can have curves and be toned and muscular

Wrong. For me anyway. I have a very androgynous shape. Any excess weight goes on as fat. I've never been curvy and can't get there. I was fat. And now I'm ripped.

It's what life dealt me, so I'll work with it.

[iolaus]

I am now a little overweight (BMI is around 26-27) this has mainly been due to lack of exercise and eating too much during lockdown - that and menopause

However I would say for all my adult life until the last year (including 4 kids) I have been a normal BMI - aside from when I had pneumonia and actually managed to be underweight - not recommended

From your suggestions
Weighing regularly - no, not at all, if my clothes feel tight I know I've put weight on and would rather go by that than scales
only drink one glass of wine - not at all
not order desert/ice cream - tend to not order it, but I'd rather have a bag of crisps
exercise 5-6 days a week - what do you count as exercise - I do go through spells of heavy exercising -but its normally just walking, most days (aside from lockdown) I would do an hours walking, with a 3-4 hour walk at least once a week, but I dont count it as exercise
Not have seconds - I don't tend to, but if I'm still hungry I do


I don't tend to eat a biscuit etc because someone else is, if I have one it's because I want one