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?

Ooo of I came on here interested to see some tips but have just found some of the extremism overwhelming.

I'd rather be chubby than religiously stick to

People who think they can eat loads and stay slim are kidding themselves

Depends on what the person considers as loads. Look at the posts about the tomato, mushroom, berries and yogurt lunch. Some thought it's wasn't enough, even though it could have been a kilo and tomatoes and a big pot of yoghurt

. And even then loads of what, when you look at the calorie and nutritional value of the food. Could have been crackers, cheese, advocado, humus, stickbreads, nuggets. A lot of food yes, but not really as nutritional as the controversial not enough lunch

5'5 size 6 to 8. Age 58. I don't drink alcohol, don't eat anything with added sugar (but lots and lots of fruit and even pure fruit jam ie St Dalfour) and have very little oil/fat. And more importantly I don't eat breakfast - I normally wait at least four or five hours after waking up before eating. And most importantly of all, I eat when I'm hungry and don't obsess. I have huge portions, loads and loads of carbs and eat late at night. Lots of those things are frowned upon by weight watchers, but I think you have to find what works for you. It's all become a way of life, isn't in any way difficult and seems to work.

@formerbabe

Lunch toast & jam Dinner bread roll & piece of meat

This is virtually starvation.

This is what I can't understand...how can bmi be a good measure of what is or isn't a healthy weight when so many women have to virtually starve themselves to achieve a normal bmi?

Not always. Admittedly my appetite is now health related, but some days that is a good day for me and it's nothing to do with wanting a good bmi.

Our moods also impact our appetites. Some of us say when lunch passes and there's no hunger, oh well it happens. Others omg what do you mean you skipped lunch, and it sounds like they would force feed themselves something regardless of having any hunger at all.

Long term yes the effects of starvation will materialise including the hunger before sneeze, which shouldn't be resolved with water. (I mention the sneeze as it does pop up on here)

I'm 5ft8 and around 9 stone. A wear a size 8/10. Early 30s and have had one baby.

I do have a fast metabolism and genetics on my side, but I like to be skinny, rather than just slim so I do the following:
-Never really eat breakfast (black coffee and a pint of water instead)
-All other meals are balanced and healthy
-Rarely have a takeaway
-Never eat pudding (I prefer savoury to sweet so this is no hardship)
-Drink water with my meal and I stop when I'm full
-No snacks

I don't exercise but I'm always busy and on the move. It's definitely not a miserable life as after midday, I eat everything that I want and I feel very comfortable with my weight and the way I look.

People often comment on my weight in relation to when I had my baby and I find it really uncomfortable. I never know how to respond and when I tell people that I don't eat breakfast to maintain my figure, they're really judgemental.

Tall and size 6/8.

1. No takeaways or crap food. Maybe once a year maximum and I hate them.

1. No drinking calories unless alcohol and even then only ever a gin/spirit with diet mixer

1. Walk everywhere and do some other forms of exercise 3-4 times a week for at least an hour.

1. Eat when I’m hungry, lots of plant based with limited fat. Fish/salad/veg is a regular meal but I also love bread and cheese too. Just don’t scoff myself.

@thecatneuterer
I'm with you. Eat when I'm hungry. I stop when I'm full. I give my body water.
If my taste buds or stomach don't like it, not going to put myself through it a second time lol.

Ironically when I have piled on the weight over the years, it's been when I started to properly watch my diet. 🤣

Most of the time I am just very careful about what I eat. There isn’t anything I actually ban myself from eating, I just try to maintain an average food intake that matches the size I want to remain and make healthy choices with the majority of my food.

I occasionally give up on this for a bit and gain wait fast (did this recently when I had covid and couldn’t be bothered to think about what I was eating). I usually overeat at Christmas and on holiday too. Even when I am “giving up” like this, I will still tend to always make lower calorie choices (eg, I would never drink a non diet drink if a diet equivalent was available, always cut all visible fat off any meat, never just nibble on things mindlessly, will always deliberately choose a slightly smaller portion etc).

When I do gain a few extra pounds I will lose them by eating around 1000 to 1200 calories a day for a few weeks until I am back to normal.

My usual maintenance diet averages at around 1600 calories (or a bit less) depending on how active I am. I use MFP to track this and make a specific point to limit my saturated fat intake and raise my protein intake.

Its interesting that the people who profess to eat what they want (I am one of them) don't track but don't overeat either..... Dieting (counting calories is dieting) places food off limits and makes it a big deal, hence the posters saying that they can't stop once they start.

The handful of times I have ever counted calories, I have spent the entire day thinking about what I'm going to eat next. See my 'headspace' comment earlier..

People who think they can eat loads and stay slim are kidding themselves!

But that depends what you eat and how much exercise you do, surely?

If you take regular, high-intensity exercise (to the point you're out of breath and your heart rate is up) and listen to your body (stop when you're full, only eat when you're hungry) you'll likely be okay.

Some will cry "but that's not eating what I want!" but eating what you fancy or crave doesn't have to mean you eat it until you're full.

honeygirlz randomer

why do you associate portion control and dietary restraint with a boring, no fun misery guts? Out of control eating and fun are not some kind of personality partners. Disciplined people can also be fun people. Otherwise all successful people in their field would be boring. It is a bad attitude to get stuck with - that having self control is in any way a negative

This thread is so depressing. There is more to life than being a size 8!

Meh! Being a size 6/8 is pretty fundamental to my life. I'm not, nor have I ever been, depressed about it. I'm not usually joyless either, although being stuck in this prison home office has tested the status quo on occasion.

I have always been a size 6-8 (except while pregnant), but have had to be more careful about what I eat as time has gone by. But this doesn't feel like constant deprivation to me. Eg I used to eat a pudding / cake / chocolate bar after both lunch and dinner, every day, when at university (young metabolism and walking loads) - though even then, I wouldn't overeat (e.g. I'd eat 1 donut after dinner, not the whole pack). Now I virtually never eat sweet things, but am so used to this that I don't even want them. I found "That Sugar Movie" very eye-opening (the trailer is on YouTube, and pretty much summarises the whole film, worth a watch).

I am also short and small-framed, so like a pp, every pound shows, and I feel physically uncomfortable when I put on weight. So I don't.

I am also at the conflating of someone's diet with how much fun they are. I barely notice what other people eat, it's their business and nothing to do with being boring or interesting.

The key things for me are not drinking calories (water only, plus a couple of cups of tea a day), avoiding sugar, not snacking, sensible portion size, and limiting takeaways / eating out. I don't really exercise but probably should.

has 2 starters instead of a starter and main course and leaves half of it, never pudding, barely drinks, eats Slim-a-Soup for dinner most nights, has a personal trainer and goes to the gym most days. A treat is a small packet of Haribo. I find her hugely impressive

That's how I maintained 8 stone 7lb many moons ago. I just found it impossible to maintain long term.
I need to find a middle ground though as I'm either dieting or eating what I like (and piling it back on....)

I never shop in the aisle that has biscuits and crisps in it. I just don't buy them - apart from oatcakes or crackers for cheese - and so I very rarely eat them. The last time I had crisps was probably Christmas. I don't own scales but if my jeans start to feel tight I cut back, usually on lunch to something like soup and toast. Other than that I eat what I like but I mainly avoid anything that has white sugar in it. It's basically a toxin. I don't often have fizzy drinks. Again, the last time was probably Christmas.

As a 5'2" person I suppose I should be aiming for size 8. But honestly I couldn't live the life that would entail. Imagine feeling slightly starved all the time!

@SparklingLime I'm working on it!

I have a sport that I love and am totally addicted to. I am also sensible-ish with what I eat. Some things - crisps, biscuits, pastry - I like but don’t love so make a point of avoiding, which offsets my cake eating. I rarely drink. It leaves me too tired the next day. I don’t have calories in drinks apart from milk in tea.

I do takeaways only about once a month.

I do think it is a lot to do with genes. You have a set weight and it takes a lot of over / under eating to move away from this.

Yeah another one here

I'm 5'5 and around a size 8-10.

It's tough, it really is!

Iow carb
Don't drink
Eat around 1500 cals a day

I never eat chocolate, chops, sweets
I rarely eat dessert or cake, rarely eat chips /pie /bread /rice /pasta

I eat a lot of veg, eggs, meat, lentils, soups, stews. It's a very 'clean ' diet, not much in the way of pre-prepped stuff.

I could easily be 200lbs and fucking miserable

This thread is so depressing. There is more to life than being a size 8!

^^

Like what, pray tell? Diabetes? Heart disease? Colon cancer? Infection due to skin rub? Sleep apnea? I could go on...

I do think there is a balance between completely depriving yourself & eating mindfully. I can't be a size 8 now at 5ft 10 in my mid 30s after dc unless I spent all day exercising &/or ate very little. I don't want to do this as i like spending time with friends & family with invariably involves eating & drinking plus I enjoy baking. However I can be a size 12 without having to think about food.

It's controversial but I do find people who are very focused on their weight too rigid to be around. They often don't want to meet up & miss a gym class or go to dinner & spend a lot of time talking about what they eat.

@managedmis why is it size 8 or obese? Plus people always neglect height. I'm slim as a 12 at 5ft 10.

Like what, pray tell? Diabetes? Heart disease? Colon cancer? Infection due to skin rub? Sleep apnea? I could go on...

Those aren’t going to happen as soon as you become a size 12.

Also because I did modelling and was surrounded by disordered eating (which luckily didn't really impact me) I'm really careful around the dc to not label foods good or bad etc.