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?

Control. Accounting for everything but no faddiness.

Small portions of food I like - no calories squandered on stuff I'm indifferent to.

Also no breakfast - ever (pretty much). Very limited alcohol (arouses appetite).

Stress does it for me. Constant churning in my stomach when I’m teaching. Since I’ve left my job I’ve put on a stone, despite exercising more and having more time to cook healthier meals. I think it’s a small price to pay on balance.

What keeps anyone slim is eating an appropriate amount of calories, no more than they use.

Genuinely enjoying fruit, vegetables, salad, lean meat and fish. Disliking fried or fatty food. Loving exercise and being active. I never have seconds and stop eating when I'm full. I don't deny myself though; I eat cakes, crisps, sweets, chocolate and drink alcohol 4 nights a week.

For me, it's no alcohol.

If I drink I overeat.

Hating the sensation of being over-full, so knowing when to stop (also means I virtually never eat a dessert, because I’m full before I get to it). Going off food when I’m stressed rather than being a comfort eater. Not stopping myself from eating what I want, because that normally results in eating more (eg making yourself eat an apple when you want a biscuit, and then eating the biscuit you wanted, because the apple didn’t satisfy the type of hunger you had). Trusting my own appetite - sometimes it is bigger, sometimes smaller, and it’s obviously linked to where I am in my hormonal cycle, so maybe I’m also lucky with my hormonal balance!

Genetics. High metabolism. Probably the fact I’m not on hormonal contraceptives too

I more or less stopped eating bread, and started eating mostly fruit and veg for lunch.

Sustained effort when it comes to my diet, calorie intake & exercise routine. Takes a lot of self discipline, but worth it to 'feel good' about my body.

I have to be strict with myself, or I could put weight back on very easily as I love rubbish food.

I'm in my 20s, 7.8 stone and 5"2.

Not eating breakfast, not being lazy, and genetics. Its easier to be active when you don't weigh much though. When I was pregnant I felt everything was much harder work.

My mother is slim and she does not eat what people now days would call healthy. Quite carb heavy, an average day would have: fruit and cereal for breakfast, sandwich with cheese for lunch, biscuit with tea and coffee, pasta and salad for dinner, one a glass of wine with dinner.

She does however have dogs that she walks for at least an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. She plays tennis once a week, golf once or twice, cycles to the supermarket everyday.

So personally I think its having a diet that matches your lifestyle. If you drive to work, sit in the office all day, drive home and stay home the rest of the evening then you're likely to become overweight if you eat the way my mother does.

Genes. And luck. With a little bit of willpower thrown in. I do zero exercise, hate it. But if I eat what I fancy I will put weight on. So I skip breakfast because I'm not hungry. I then eat less than I really want and don't go mad with the crap (and I love crap!) but still allow myself wine and stuff I like. Just less. I'm 54, 5"6 and 10 stone.

Intermittent fasting, 16:8 really works for me. It’s really easy to do & hunger pangs more or less disappear after a short time, which makes it even easier to stick to.

As others have said genetics and staying away from refined sugar. Never liked cake anyways......

For the first 35 years of my life luck and genetics 45 plus intermittent fasting during the week and all meals on small plates and fewer sweet snacks booze and crisps weekends only. Bmi 21.

@Macncheeseballs

I dont over eat and I move alot

Exactly this. I did put some weight on during lockdown (about 8/9 pounds). It's coming off quickly now and all I'm doing is paying attention to what I eat and how much I move.

I eat only when hungry. I'm a vegetarian and eat only wholegrain bread. I never eat pasta.
I'm very active.

It was taught to me from a young age. I was never taken to McDonald's or any fast food place not once in my childhood.
The first time I ever ordered food in was at a friend's house when I was a teenager

I think genetics too my parents are both slim. Always were. But my sister on the other hand has always struggled with her weight and obsessively counts calories to maintain...

Exercise, tight clothes so I feel every pound I gain, small meals, IBS which means I can't eat a lot of unhealthy stuff anyway as it makes me ill, love fruit and veg, and self discipline. I like a drink, I love chocolate and cake and stuff like that, but I don't have it very often.

Oh and daily hour long turbo sessions. Wish I was 24 again and an effortless size 8 😁

Tracking all my calories, small breakfast and lunch, healthy but satisfying tea, rarely have puddings, no snacks, walking 10km daily. Usually have a meal out and a takeaway at the weekend and “let go” a bit. But if I take my eye off the ball too much I’ll put on a stone in about a month! I’m 5’4 and currently 8st 10

Not eating animal products. I don't consider it to be a restrictive diet because I love everything I eat and don't miss the the things I don't. Can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and it's very difficult to put on weight. If you don't want to be vegan for the planet, or for the animals, do it for your health. You will not regret it.

I fast everyday (work schedule related) and eat a main meal at approx. 5pm. Nothing else but tea after that until bed.

Eat what I like at the weekend.

I don't drink alcohol and I'm vegetarian. Don't drink much water though (really need to start).

Have always been a size 10 and I'm in my 3rd decade.

Genes and not being interested in food at all. Definitely more food for fuel here

Being generally active, never really sitting still, an active job rather than sitting at a desk. Loving exercise, a good knowledge of nutrition, eating mindfully but not denying myself anything. I have physical goals (as in ‘I’m going to run a marathon’) rather than caring about my weight and those goals inevitably mean I’m not going to get fat!