If you are slim, what, in your opinion, keeps you that way?

[pepsicolagirl]

I read the other thread with interest and as an obese person a lot of the comments range true but it made me wonder. Those of you who are in the ideal/normal weight category, what do you attribute that to?

Genetics. I can eat what I want and not exercise ever, my weight stays very much the same.

I'm not sure. I skip meals but also have large ones. Fidget and move about a lot but no gym. A little of what I like. I never accept going up a clothes size and prefer to cut down my eating (except when I was pregnant or breastfeeding).

Oooof sorry about my random thumbs in that post. I think it boils down to me being honest with myself and not kidding myself that just because I'm not as big as friend A or B, doesn't mean not too big for me.

Always be mindful of what and how much you eat. Even 1 extra cookie every day adds up to a lot of extra calories in the long run.

Learn to recognize when you're full. Lots of us haven't learnt this important life skill as a child because we were taught to always finish our plate instead of listening to our stomach when it was trying to tell us that it's full.

Exercise. I never go to the gym but try taking the stairs instead of the lift, walk to the shops instead of drive, etc etc.

Active job.

Enjoying exercising and going for long walks on days off with family or friends dogs.

Meal planning to save money; make a lot of veggie recipes.

Preferring fruit to chocolate and sweets.

Genes.

Proper breakfast every day (poached egg) so I don’t snack.
Don’t have a sweet tooth so rarely eat sweets, biscuits or puddings.
Cook from scratch every day.
Walk a lot.

To be honest I think it's genetics. I've never watched what I eat, don't exercise much, have been told in the past I looked 'gaunt' at times. These days I have a bit of a belly and I notice my metabolism has slowed down a bit due to age, yet people still say I look skinny. Which is why I think it's just genetics.

Stress

Proper breakfast every day (poached egg) so I don’t snack

Which just goes to show there is no one method to staying slim. Eating breakfast makes me hungry all day. I never eat it. Fasting till midday works for me.

Most days I fast til midday too, when I'll have some fruit, then have lunch about 1.30. It seems to work for me and I don't feel hungry. I'm just not a breakfast person.

Everyone is saying it's genetics but there were barely any very overweight/obese people 30 years ago; have human genes changed in that time?

For me personally it's not genetic; the women in my family tend towards belly fat and I have been bigger in the past (when I ate more junk). I put it down to growing up with good habits (no snacks, junk food, small portions, no fizzy drinks etc.); these have served me for life. Other things that help me are that I eat very slowly and I don't eat breakfast (makes me hungry and sluggish all day I find). Oh and I walk everywhere (no car). I have one takeway a week and there's usually enough for the next day's lunch as well I find.

Maybe the genetics thing is in how different bodies respond to the completely different food environment these days. Like some bodies just store fat more readily.

I’ve got a friend who honestly eats two thirds or half of the calories I do, and barely any fat (ex-eating disorder) and we weigh the same.

Her body shape and metabolism make her much more prone to holding on to it. Also I expect hormones and the microbiome have something to do with it

For me it’s genes/luck. There is no moral value in being slim. I’m not disciplined about food or exercise and I don’t cook from scratch. This is far from a humble brag, I always want to point out that actually I’m not particularly healthy I’m just slim. They’re not the same.

Eating disorder

@dayslikethese1

Everyone is saying it's genetics but there were barely any very overweight/obese people 30 years ago; have human genes changed in that time?

For me personally it's not genetic; the women in my family tend towards belly fat and I have been bigger in the past (when I ate more junk). I put it down to growing up with good habits (no snacks, junk food, small portions, no fizzy drinks etc.); these have served me for life. Other things that help me are that I eat very slowly and I don't eat breakfast (makes me hungry and sluggish all day I find). Oh and I walk everywhere (no car). I have one takeway a week and there's usually enough for the next day's lunch as well I find.

An interesting point! There’s been a lot written about how food has changed in the past few decades, like more snacks being available, larger portions in cafes and restaurants, less people cooking at home, etc. People probably walked more as car ownership was lower. So I expect it’s not that genetics have changed, but people who are overweight now in the current ‘food climate’ would have eaten differently 30 years ago, and had a more active lifestyle, so not put on weight as they do now.

Everyone is saying it's genetics but there were barely any very overweight/obese people 30 years ago; have human genes changed in that time?

That's a bit like saying that because people now tend to be taller than they were 50 years ago, genetics couldn't have an influence on height. In fact, height is one of the most heritable physical traits.

Same with weight - just because people now tend to be fatter than their parents or grandparents, it doesn't mean genetics doesn't play a major role. Changes in diet have influenced both height and - especially - weight, but there is considerable evidence that weight and body shape are strongly influenced by genes.

Watching every mouthful I eat and monitoring my weight regularly.

Stress?! Keeping active and keeping my eating in check (not restricted, just not biinge eating/eating lots of crap, I have an enormous appetite and I have to monitor intake).

Bulimia

Genetics, food and exercise habits since childhood, not having a car, stress and social anxiety which is stronger than my wish to stay in bed and do nothing.

I mncareful wjrh what I eat and dint have sugar. I always eat when hungry but have gotten used to living what food for my body not what I used to fancy.

I don't snack but eat relatively big meals. In recent years, I have found pasta too filling and potatoes and bread difficult to eat. I think this has helped.

Dunno. I eat loads and never seem to put weight on. My daughter is the same. I eat chips, potatoes, bread, pasta, pizza, rice dishes etc. But also a reasonable amount of fresh fruit and veg. I do eat some chocolate and cake etc, but not too much. One choc bar per day, for example, or one slice of cake. And no sugar in tea or coffee. No sugary drinks. In fact, I only drink tea, coffee, peppermint or ginger tea, and several glasses of water each day.

I think genetics plays a big part. I was much slimmer when I was running around after two young children, a husband and a dog, too busy to eat much. Also never snacking, avoiding sugar and not eating after 5pm helped-but I wasn’t trying to lose weight. Now the children are self sufficient, no dog, and a partner who loves food, along with getting older, the pounds are piling on. I now have to exercise to keep the weight off which I never did when I was younger.