To wonder what posh Mums cook for dinner…

[Primrosecottagelover]

I have just seen Pippa Middleton’s bikini photos on the DM. Three different bikinis so far, washboard abs & nothing jiggles as she chases three kids. She could easily pass as a fibreglass mannequin. I’m wondering why it is that the Middleton women and affluent women (even middle class at my child’s school), always seem to be so impossibly slim. I struggle with my weight and I would love to see the groceries, fridge contents, packed lunchboxes and dinner plans of the other half. Obviously I know what healthy eating and cooking is but, the bodies of Mothers these days is next level. Why am I struggling to keep my tummy from flopping out while women in their 40’s pull off wearing linen mini shorts (not in UK) and high waisted jeans.

I very much agree, people are also ignoring the fact of possible genetics

I have always been called a plethora of mean names e.g, bitch, cowbag, ect just because I am slim… I’m not in the slightest anorexic or miserable…
The jealousy is unmatched, why can’t everyone just accept we’re all different?

So many people are mistaking a desire for a healthy body with the desire for an attractive (subjectively) body. I am careful with what I eat and drink not because I want to look good but because I need to be very aware of what I eat, following a massive health scare last year.

I exercise a lot - helped by the fact I work for myself so I can make the time to run every day. I want to feel strong so I lift weights and I don’t want my heart to fail so I walk 15-20k steps per day (some of those are from running). I eat only wholegrain bread/pasta, don’t eat much in the way of processed food and don’t really eat red meat, sugar or saturated fats. That doesn’t mean I don’t love food or deny myself the pleasure of eating, it just means I think about what I put into my body - because I have to, if I want to live a long and healthy life. You don’t need a personal chef or a PT to do those things for you. I find it easy to maintain my weight, I’m 8 stone 7 and 5 foot 6 with decent muscle tone for a 48 year old. It is, for me, a matter of getting into good eating habits as they become easy to maintain. I don’t think cooking from scratch needs to be difficult or expensive, it just needs to become a habit instead of reaching for a ready meal. Some of the comments regarding slim bodies on here are eye-opening!

These threads always go the same way. People want to lose weight and look/feel better and it’s entirely possible to do that by making a few changes and staying consistent. You don’t have to go to extremes.

An athletic physique like PM’s does take a lot of work and time, but it is achievable, if you’re prepared to put in the work and make the sacrifices. Body shapes are different of course so athletic for one person will look different to another. Whether it’s worth the the effort is for the individual to decide.

This is such a great question. Thank you for asking it.

I've been trying to motivate myself to lose weight/be healthier. I find it really hard with two young kids, a non active (but does walk to the station - approx 3 miles a day)but naturally slim husband, who is an incredibly fussy eater.

I find myself making excuses for why I can't change my lifestyle. I can't eat healthier as no one else in the house would eat it. I don't have time for exercise.
In reality - I can eat different food to everyone else in the house, it'd just be a pain. And I'm sitting on my phone doom scrolling when I could be doing something active. These are bad habits that I need to break. It's been good reading all the responses, I think I can make some small changes to really improve my health.

The ones I know:

Something like a matcha latte with almond milk for "breakfast" at 11am then either lunch or dinner. Which will be loads of veggies, with lean meat, fish, or pulses. Maybe a salad for the other meal.

No bread / wheat
No dairy
No fried foods
Nothing processed
Minimal carbs eg won't have rice, potato

Lots of yoga or pilates

She is not posh. Her mum is an air hostess and that is not posh. She rode to a very rich marriage on her sister's front bottom, so to say, nobody of her husband's ilk would have given her the time of day, had it not been for her association with the BRF. These are the last sort of people you should be comparing yourself to. I am a private tutor (occasionally live-in) and some of my pupils are from the so-called posh families, i.e. titled. Their food is old-fashioned British grub and crisps! Strangely, not 'posh' crisps, but for some reason Golden Wonder. Also, very strangely, squash to be diluted with water.

But if you accept some people are thin because of genetics you also have to accept that some people are fat because of genetics...but this is something a lot of people are loathe to do because they like to demonise overweight people.

I think pm's shape is partly genetic given that her mother and siblings look exactly the same.

Oh no I agree, I don’t feel like my last comment turned a blind eye to that fact - but what’s the use in being jealous of someone else?
Thing is if you’re overweight, either genetically you can’t change it, so you should learn to accept it and not be nasty about it
and if you can change it, change it… surely?

@OneHornedFlyingPurplePeopleEater

I find myself making excuses for why I can't change my lifestyle.

At least you own that! I suspect a lot of the posters above making disparaging comments about Pippa Middleton/healthy eaters want to believe that it is Pippa et al who are doing something wrong.

I see it all the time with my own family; a lot of defensiveness around "Well, you've got to treat yourself sometimes!" when that "sometimes" is several times a day every day. The defensiveness comes without comment from anyone else, so they must know it's not healthy but don't want to change so it's easier to say people who do the opposite are the unhealthy ones. It's the same here, people deriding those who like the healthy food they eat or who limit unhealthy foods as joyless restrictive dieters.

I’ll be 40 next year and still a size 6/8, currently sporting the aforementioned high waisted jeans and a crop top (I am in a warm climate!). No kids to contend with though.

i know in my case my genes have massively played a part as my mum was exactly the same at my age and my dad was tall and slim naturally (beer belly crept in though). I’d say that’s definitely the case with the Middletons as their parents are both slightly built.

Saying that I do exercise 3-4 times a week (running or Pilates usually) and I don’t stuff my face but I do drink a lot more than I should. I have had an unhealthy relationship with food over the years and don’t often eat 3 meals a day but will eat what I want when I want. Currently on holiday so todays calorie intake is probably 48372288447 already…

This is really interesting @ItsAllAboutTheDosh

The 1950s was not a time of social media.
The only women we saw in films and magazines were film stars.
The 'look' was a figure like M Monroe. And actresses and models were chosen for the classic 36/24/26 figures.

Some women have that figure naturally.
My Mum does. She's a 32F with 36 hips and had a fab figure.
I am nothing like her- tiny boobs and small hips but I do have a waist.

However, we are both disposed to being 'apples' and if we put weight on that's where it goes- our tummies.

There is a limit to how much anyone can change their shape.

PM is fit and healthy. It's shocking some posters think she has an ED.

And you don't have to be posh to eat healthily.
Basic foods , fresh and simply cooked, with very few refined carbs, are attainable for anyone.

I think genetics play a part in all our bodies...if your genetics lean you towards being overweight you can overcome that...it just takes a lot more work than someone whose genetics means they are lean. And the naturally lean person isn't necessary never going to be overweight either...it's just less likely.

I have similar aspirations and issues! So I have a very healthy homemade smoothie in the morning, then that's done and I've basically had my 5-a-day.

If no one else eats healthily at your house, what I do is do sh*t loads of veg so while they're chomping nuggets or whatever I eat that with a tiny bit of whatever crap they're eating.

Unless you mean -gasp- takways!!! <Clutches pearls and faints.>

It is easier to eat healthy if you have money. Much easier to buy healthy pre made salads. Or to make meals with a wide variety of ingredients. Steamed fish with veg is much nicer with a good fish from the fishmonger and organic veg in season, than a frozen piece of coley and carrots and peas.

@LetusandLoveit very sadly and unfairly people from certain demographics tend to be healthier and lower bmi than others. Massive range of reasons.

Eat less and do more exercise. Poor people can (and do) this as well

They can and do....but there are more barriers.

I was in Costa yesterday and people watching while DH got our drinks.

In most cases other customers looked to be having drinks with syrups and/or cream. And lots of it. If that's more than a weekly or few times a week treat there's a shit load of bad stuff from a drink alone. Not even a snack or meal.

In most countries the poorer are not fatter than the wealthy. This is a phenomenon peculiar to certain industrialised countries with access to highly processed food.

You don’t have to be eating line caught expensive fish with organic leaves to have a healthy and delicious meal.

I don't think its standard to eat a roast dinner and then sausage and mash and I can be a 🐷

Yes society has changed so that now in developed countries poverty is linked to obesity.

But it's not really as simple as you can buy cheap, healthy food. That is true but the barriers are varied. Food is actually used by many poorer people as a cheap hit of dopamine. It's affordable, ita available and it's socially acceptable.

So?

My parents were extremely poor.

They were never overweight. They did know how to eat sensibly though.

It's lack of education with a lot of people and an inability to learn how to cook healthy meals at a low cost.

Absolutely. These drinks can contain 100’s of calories.

I think a lot of people have no idea of the calories they’re taking in. I remember years ago there was a program called Secret Eaters and they secretly logged the calories families were consuming over a week. The difference between what they thought they were consuming and what they actually were was huge. 9/10 people way underestimate their calorie intake, citing ‘slow metabolism’ or ‘genetics’ as the culprit, when they’re really lying to themselves.

I have a similar body shape and count macro's, go to the gym and run but am by no means posh. But if you want a lower body fat higher muscle ratio protien and weight lifting is key.