If you're a size 8-10 (or your ideal) but not naturally slim how do you stay that way?

[overweightcat]

I know some people are just naturally rather petite or slim and willowy.

But if you're not and manage to stay a size 8-10 how do you do it?

I'm 5'5 and recently lost weight and gone down to a solid size 12 - 10 in certain shops. Beforehand it was on the larger side of size 14.
I used to be very slim in my teens, had a terrible diet full of crap and sweets but was also very active around 8hrs a week of various sports/dance activities. I became quite sedentary and steadily piled on the weight since.

I don't have long legs or a small frame or anything - if anything I find that I'm rather in proportion all around and when I used to do a lot of sports I looked slim and athletic not willowy (which I'd prefer TBH).
Size 8-10 is my ideal I think as I've recently seen pictures of myself when I was that size and I think that's when I looked my healthiest and fittest - but I'm not sure how to get there.

My weight is at a bit of a standstill at the moment and I want to lose in a sustainable way. I probably have about 9lbs to go.

So anyone who has managed to achieve that and stay the desired size - can you share how you did it?

OP, you’ll find that people who manage to stay size 8-10 in their 30s and 40s are overwhelmingly “naturally skinny”. They may say how careful they are etc, but really they are not. They do have cake and biscuits and alcohol and they don’t run themselves into the ground with exercise either.

I wish this fallacy that we are all the same, it’s just some people eat too much, would disappear into the ether (where is belongs). It is not true. We are sadly all different and there are winners in the genetic lottery and there are losers.

I am not naturally slim and to be so I have to make the Herculean effort while I know so so many people my age who do not bother and they are still slimmer than me, effortlessly or with nowhere near the effort I put in.

For me the only way to be my ideal weight is to have one meal a day, exercise all the time and strictly, absolutely NO crap carbs or booze, not one bite.

The weight has always been a struggle for me, as long as I remember. But after 35 and three kids it has become another level of hard.

I refuse to beat myself up about it. I can see I do more about it than my slim friends who to be honest either do nothing about it or very little, and stay slim regardless.

Sorry, not very helpful, but such is the reality for us, unfortunate enough to be naturally predisposed to weight gain.

I'm in my 40s and definitely not naturally skinny - was overweight through late childhood, through to my early twenties. I am a size 8, and have little difficulty in maintaining that (although lockdown has added a little "fluff"). I find that the more muscle I have in my body, the easy it is to maintain my shape. Lifting weights made a huge difference to me - completely changed my body shape. I run regularly, and do some kind of resistance training. I try to eat relatively healthily, and avoid too much processed food, but I certainly don't count calories.

Its a sad old world where women have to work on acceptance of being a size 12.

I eat in an 8 hour window each day (times can change if I’m out for dinner etc) and i don’t snack. If I see I’ve gone a pound or two over I eat healthily for a few days.

By moving abroad I was at my slimmest about 3-4 years ago and my diet was terrible (think no breakfast, omelette and some fruit for lunch and packet of pasta and family sized bag of crisps for dinner) but I was eating a lot less than I was back in the UK and as my job was only part-time and I lived within walking distance of work/the shops I'd walk for a couple of hours a day at least as well as going to the gym about 3 times a week. I also cooked from scratch more.

I used to work in fashion, lots of people smoked, drank diet coke & barely ate more than 500kcals.

Making sure I track everything. I'm so used to it it's second nature by now and takes no more than a couple of minutes a day to log my food. Also, I do the DDPY exercise program 3 or 4 days a week which is building my muscle up nicely and giving me a better shape.

I was a size 20 at my heaviest and it was a massive effort to get to a size 8. I put around a stone back on by choice and went up to a ten. Now back to slimming down again.

That slim a soup does sound depressing though. It doesn't have to be that way if you're smart about choices.

I am usually between a size 8-10.
Usually eat around 1200 calories per day, low carb, high protein.3 meals, no snacks.

Work out 4/5 times a week, usually 2 HIIT sessions, 2 runs and 1 yoga. Try to go for a walk on the days I don't do a proper workout. Workouts are usually only 30 mins.

I have done the 5:2 diet a few times, pre kids when I went out a bit more, it's the only way I didn't put weight on when going out eating/drinking at the weekend.

Have been 168cm tall and weight 54kg (size 8), BMI 19 since mid teens, mid thirties now and up until the 3rd pregnancy I kept this weight without any effort, don’t go to gym, cook from scratch but don’t count calories or watch what I eat, just try having healthy meals. With each pregnancy i put on 25-27kg and usually have no issues getting back to my normal weight, but now still have 10kg extra 4 months postpartum which are going slowly but I spend most days indoors. I also have pcos which I found strange, with pcos you are expected to be overweight

@PerpetuallyUnderwhelmed Why does it make you sad that a women would track her calories to maintain a healthy weight? It's amazing the amount of calories people subconsciously consume throughout the day. Being mindful of what you put into your body is anything but sad in my opinion. Plus it takes about 30 seconds per meal so it doesn't take up too much 'headspace'

Interesting thread. I have an active job - I have walked over 150 km this month so far - and I cant seem to lose weight at all. Some days I forget to eat and can't eat at work. So my calories may come from an energy drink or two, but thats it in the 24 hours. My two days off, I do admit to snacking though, but it is usually only a few biscuits or some popcorn. I don't eat breakfast (too tired after work and flop into bed, eat dinner only a few times a week - all home cooked. I dont eat lunch generally - I work nights so am usually sleeping at that time. I dont drink.
So it is a bit baffling. Reading through this thread, people eat loads more than me and maintain their slim sizes!

@newmum332 I agree. I often wonder if people who don't track think we spend all our time thinking about food. It's such a small part of the day and it's even quicker when you've been doing it for a while because all your regular foods are listed in the same place

I forgot to add, I don't drink either so there's no empty calories to consider

Nightspot working nights really messes with your metabolism. I can't remember the exact science, but reversing your sleep pattern slows your metabolism down.

The patterns you describe - of just having a couple of energy drinks in 24 hours - also slow your metabolism. Your body thinks that it's starving and hangs on to every calorie that it can.

Not judging. I used to work night shifts and ate atrociously at the time.

When slimmer it was exercise...now I'm exhausted so don't do as much probably eat less..

This is really interesting. I've struggled with my weight all my life (generally a couple of st overweight) but 2 years post cancer treatment (with menopause and tamoxifen thrown in), it's at an all-time high and I can't stand it. Part of me feels like it should be within my grasp to sort out and another part feels that at almost 50, it will be impossible otherwise I would have done it already!

I know what works for me but I have a rather controlling DP who (while criticising me for being big) tries to sabotage things by buying 'wrong' foods because I 'need a treat' or buys chocolate and tells me it's hidden to see if I will go and find it. I honestly feel like I'm being kept in my place, although he denies this

I can see the value in tracking for a defined period so that you get a feel for things and understand how much your body needs. But tracking everything you eat for the rest of your life sounds disordered (not to mention, joyless) to me. Does it not also undermine your body's own signals? As in, your body tells you it is hungry but you don't eat because a random app says you can't? Genuine question.

I guess I don't understand how we can need apps to maintain a healthy weight but I know some will flame me for saying that....

@Notadramallama

I'm a non-drinking vegetarian but I do lots of exercise so pretty much eat what I fancy without counting calories.

I run three times a week, do weights twice, walk the dog everyday and go for 10 mile plus hikes at least once a week. I also swam and played squash pre-covid.

I do pretty much the same as this. Except for the squash and swimming, which is replaced with gardening and cycling.

To maintain a size 8 I usually stick to two meals per day and limit the snacks.

I usually don’t eat until about 11 and make sure whatever it is keeps me satisfied until dinner time and I try not to eat anything at all after dinner... which I’m mostly successful at doing. I don’t track the calories to be honest, I just eat what I want for those two meals and always have adequate portions. I only really drink water and coffee with a bit of milk so I tend not to drink too many calories either.

I have takeout at the weekend along with alcohol if I fancy it. I don’t workout but do take the dog two long walks per day and my average step count is about 13000 steps.

I have an Apple Watch and actively make sure I close my exercise/move/stand rings everyday.

What I think this thread proves is that overweight people are not necessarily gluttonous, greedy individuals. If so many women are surviving off nothing but veg or slimming soups whilst doing huge amounts of exercise to remain a size 8-10...then surely if they started eating three meals a day with carbs and fat, they could easily end up overweight whilst eating what is considered a normal diet.

Only time my bmi was in the healthy range was in my late teens, early twenties when I used to eat one meal a day. Surely this proves bmi is a load of shite?

Oh and I meant to say that controlling what you eat based on an algorithm is the polar opposite to being 'mindful'....

I dont have a car so would walk to work (5-6ish miles a day), I am not naturally slim and so would do the 5:2 diet to maintain a size 10. Now I am working from home the weight has piled on and in order to maintain a size 10-12 I need to do a 4:3 diet which I am duly doing. I don't feel I am being starved, and if anything the diet gives me less to think about as I only eat dinner. But it doesnt happen just naturally for me.

Vegan who loves vegetables and walking.

I don’t count calories because it’s too miserable for me but I do measure pasta/rice to make sure portions stay sensible. Everything else is fair game. I aim to eat well 80% of the time and don’t stress about the rest. Making sure most meals are cooked mostly from scratch and mostly veg works for me.

If so many women are surviving off nothing but veg or slimming soups whilst doing huge amounts of exercise to remain a size 8-10...then surely if they started eating three meals a day with carbs and fat, they could easily end up overweight whilst eating what is considered a normal diet.

I think you’re extrapolating far too much from a few posters. And even if those people did put on weight eating three healthy meals with carbs and fat (that’s what I do), they’d likely still be in the healthy bmi range. Just not necessarily a size 8.

Size 8-10....naturally a 16 and hated being part of a fat family. Divorce diet cured that.
If I'm not careful I can go up 2-3kg in a week!
No more than 1000 cals a day...eat less move more. Weigh daily. Restrict if needed.
Drink endless tea/diet coke.