To let you into a secret about being slim.....

[Yellow1793]

I’m 5’2” and an untoned size 10. Over the last year or so (lockdown excluded) I’ve spent extended amounts of time with 4 different female friends, who are all taller, slimmer and considerably more toned than me. Aside from the fact that they all exercise at least 5 times a week, they also eat like birds. Their lifestyle revolves around making healthy choices, every single day, and I’m beginning to wonder if you do this consistently if you just stop feeling hungry. One of them regularly skips lunch. Another never has more than 2 glasses of alcohol in one sitting. Another always eats about 30% less than I do.....last time I was with her she had a small pasta portion for her lunch whilst serving me 3x the amount of pasta she had AND 2 sausages. No wonder she is tiny. None of them calorie count or talk about diets because their lifestyle choice is one big diet. I’d love to have their discipline.

I'm 5.9
my tdee is way below 2000 cal a day thanks to being a woman of a certain age.

@pinkbalconyrailing I'm 5.9 my tdee is way below 2000 cal a day thanks to being a woman of a certain age.

What are your activity levels like? I'm only 5'1" and my TDEE is in excess of 2000 and when I calculated it beyond my centenary it stays the same as long as my activity levels do.

my tdee is way below 2000 cal a day thanks to being a woman of a certain age.

Surely it depends on your activity levels?

I'm 'moderately' active.
I run 3x a week (c25k) plus cycle and walk everyday.

it's not just activity levels.
many women have quite a surprise coming in their 40s when the metabolism slows down a lot (and sometimes unexpectedly quickly)

[quote formerbabe]@Hotandknackered

The one meal a day was in my late teens, early twenties...I had a healthy bmi but was curvy, certainly not skinny. I'm now overweight..size 14-16. Yes, I was often hungry on my one meal a day...I naturally have a huge appetite. I'm rarely full up on even a big meal but I was vain and liked nice clothes...I still do. It's only through sheer will power that I'm overweight and not morbidly obese.[/quote]
Oh OK! I misunderstood. It sounds like you need quite a lot of willpower and work to stay where you are now. So it must have been hard when on one meal a day. I was just interested in how people manage to dedicate so much energy to being thin.

The thing is that wasn't even for me to be thin...I was still curvy and my BMI at the slightly upper end of healthy. I'd imagine if have to practically starve myself to be thin. I absolutely love food unfortunately. It's my passion. Not just eating, but cooking, recipe books, TV shows...I'm obsessed.

@pinkbalconyrailing

it's not just activity levels. many women have quite a surprise coming in their 40s when the metabolism slows down a lot (and sometimes unexpectedly quickly)

But then your appetite should decrease accordingly.

But then your appetite should decrease accordingly.
🤣🤣🤣

@pinkbalconyrailing

But then your appetite should decrease accordingly. 🤣🤣🤣

Indeed. 😂😂😂😂😂

@pinkbalconyrailing

But then your appetite should decrease accordingly. 🤣🤣🤣

I am 50 next month and peri-menopausal. I do have an idea what I'm talking about.

But then your appetite should decrease accordingly.

Took 24 pages but we finally found what the secret was

@Chanjer

But then your appetite should decrease accordingly.

Took 24 pages but we finally found what the secret was

You're welcome.

I'm trying to be healthier. Halfway through couch to 5k. Consciously trying to cut out unnecessary crap such as daily chocolate and biscuits, and swapping it for fruit. I've cut sugar from my hot drinks and reduced carbs. I feel healthier and look better (I think) but the scales are only budging very slowly.
I am keeping going though because I do feel better and I really want to lose some weight. I am going to let myself have a break every now and then though, there is absolutely no point in begrudging yourself foods that you enjoy now and then, if you are exercising enough and mostly eating healthy foods then surely that's OK?

@lilgreen I think what the op is talking about is things such as counting a few pasta twists you sound like you are eating healthily but a few pasta twists? Is there even any point putting the pan on for those?

@formerbabe 😂 you sound like me.

I do c25k 4 x a week. Walk the dog 2 x daily. Cycle to shop/errands approx half an hour a day. GOD KNOWS what I’d look like without all that because despite a pretty good diet, I’m overweight. I’m 11 st and only 5 5”.

When I was 20’s 30’s+ I’d have dropped weight pretty quickly. Not now (57).

@EdwardCullensBiteOnTheSide the pasta twists were cold, in the fridge leftover from a meal. I often keep leftover cous cous, pasta etc and add to salads for lunches.

I would be gigantic if I ate 2000 calories a day - I average about 1200-1400 to maintain. I’m fairly active., I posted on another thread that this 2000 calories malarkey needs to go and everyone needs to work out what they need,it certainly needs to disappear off food packets, a lot of people seem to see it as a goal.

When I was young I could eat anything I wanted and not put weight on. I am 5’5” and struggled to get above 48kg.
Then I got a boyfriend and went on the pill and absolutely piled on weight. I had enormous boobs and a belly. I would say I put on 12kg in a year.
That triggered anorexia and I went down to 45kg and my period stopped for 2 years.
Finally I started eating properly and had two lovely kids. My weight stabilised at around 53kg eating 3 decent meals and a snack every day.
Turned 40 this year and almost overnight went up to 56kg with no changes to diet or exercise. I’m trying to eat very nutritious foods now, no crap, and no snacks. It’s not exactly fun though!! Like...is that it for the rest of my life??

Was this thread designed to just bitch at people who are not overweight?
Most women I know who are slim into their 40's and beyond are not starving themselves, OCD or exercise fanatics. They have just developed healthy attitudes to food and exercise and don't overindulge frequently or "reward" themselves with food.
There is no secret. It is a bance of what you put in and what you put out. Overweight? Then eat less, move more. We all know this.

What about if you love stuffing your face though?

You might live to 100 on a frugal diet but you'll sure as hell know about it!!!

@redsky100 yes far better to stuff your face and suffer one of the multitude of cancers, or diabetes or myriad of other health issues associated with obesity

@Riojasmoothy

For goodness' sake - it was a joke. I can see the humour police are out today. And newsflash - yes, you can still stuff your face on occasion without developing obesity-related conditions.

@Lifeisgenerallyfun

I would be gigantic if I ate 2000 calories a day - I average about 1200-1400 to maintain. I’m fairly active., I posted on another thread that this 2000 calories malarkey needs to go and everyone needs to work out what they need,it certainly needs to disappear off food packets, a lot of people seem to see it as a goal.

Yes, if this is the official advice, then they really need to update it. We are not all farm labourers. You cant exercise your way out of an excess of 600 calories per day (approx)

@GenevaMaybe 53kg at 5ft 5 is slim. You could afford to live a little.