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.

We can all find photos to suit our argument. Carol doesn’t look like most peri/menopausal women.

Throw in the dedication to healthy food and exercise, and I expect Kate and Pippa will fair just fine.

My personal small scale study (me and my sister) indicates this is not the case. She is having a very tough time.
I am (fingers crossed) managing very well.

Yeah, but as you say yourself, anecdote is not data.

I agree with this. I am one of those genetically ‘blessed’ people who are naturally slim, fast metabolism, not particularly food driven, yada yada. But put a tube of Pringles in front of me, or a packet of jelly babies, or Jaffa cakes…and I honestly have trouble not eating the entire lot. That is simply not the case with ‘unprocessed’ food (by which I mean, generally, ultra processed). I love cheese. But too much of it would just leave me feeling sick. There’s really only so much toast or fruit I want to eat at once. We don’t buy ‘snack’ food, as a general rule, because what isn’t in the house can’t be eaten. There is absolutely a genetic component. And a self discipline component. And an exercise component. But I honestly think that if there was less processed food, it would be easier. You can’t uninvent processed food. And I can’t resist a Mars Bar with my lunch when I go to the office once a week. But I can choose not to put snacks and processed food in my weekly shop, so it isn’t in the house when I come home.

I don't eat a lot of UPF not because it's addictive for me but because I don't actually like it. I have no problem resisting the office biscuits - weirdly because I head up the team, I even buy the biscuits!

On the other hand, I can eat a lot of fruit - especially things like strawberries in season - and cheese and actually vegetables too.

Sadly despite the lack of UPF and some good genes (my mother is much thinner than Carole Middleton in menopause and my dad took) I am still overweight!

Mine are recent pictures. I don't know what year yours is but she doesn't look like that anymore. Nor should she have to. She's in her 60s and post menopausal. I wasn't posting to criticise her. I was replying to someone who inferred that menopause didn't make her shape change. It did. But for years she worked very very hard to keep trim. But now she's able to relax you can see she has a menopausal middle like most women.

I have had it in the past too.

I also saw some of Desiree Burch's stand-up where she said how "funny" it would be to go up to a skinny woman and call her a "fat bitch" just to fuck with her mind. Never mind that someone could be slim/skinny because they were ill (especially if the illness was an eating disorder, in which case such a comment could be bloody dangerous) or just minding their own business being their natural body shape. What japes

And you've only got to look at this thread to see the fucking awful comments people will make about a slim woman.

Funny how "body positivity" only goes one way, isn't it?

Not really up to you to say what Pippa should eat or exercise to keep herself slim. It probably has a lot to do with genetics. Oh and the fact that she has an incredibly famous and beautiful sister. She's under enough pressure already, don't add to it.

As for you and us other mortal women, just stick to a healthy diet that you can keep on and do some exercise every day.

You’re 100% right!

This thread has made me buy a copy of "why French women don't get fat"

I agree. People often don't realise how calorie-laden foods are - I was standing in Greggs one morning waiting for my (black!) coffee and I was totting up the calories in some of the foods. Have a large latte, a pastry slice and a muffin and you've consumed more than 1,000 calories. And you probably still feel hungry because there's a lot of UPF there.

Throw in some "creative accounting" when it comes to keeping tabs on what you've eaten (as my post above, the "occasional treat" which is every day) and you can easily be eating way more than you think.

What I said was odd was the idea on this thread that you have to be rich to be thin.

Poverty’s correlation with obesity - poor education, poor diet, poor access to good quality food is a different matter entirely.

Posters seem to think if can afford you personal chef you would be more likely to stay thin - but what’s to stop you asking them to make blackforest gateau? or dining on sushi and munching chocolate on the side?

It costs less to eat less food and exercise is free. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I am overweight but have some very slim, fit friends and they would say they eat what they want, they don't diet. it's just what they want is different to what I want! They have very healthy habits and it's not a huge effort because it's just their normal. They might have a dessert sometimes but it's not difficult to resist it usually because it's not something they are too bothered about. Also not obsessed with food, so easily go off food when ill/upset, might skip the odd meal when busy or just have a light snack - I am not like this, so this contributes to my weight gain.

UPF is cheap, low income and you’ll look for cheap food that give you instant gratification, and wonder why you keep wanting more, are never satisfied and piling on pounds when you don’t eat that much

Because it's not really about the cost of food.

If you derive pleasure and enjoyment from your life, you are generally far less likely to look for it from food.

But 63% of adults in the UK are overweight - surely they can’t all be living in such poverty that the only pleasure in life they get is from food.

I don't think anyone has said that you have to be rich to be thin, just that it helps.

The personal chef thing - it depends on the person. For me, yes it would help me to lose weight because I want to lose weight and I like healthy food. I wouldn't instruct them to make me big puddings or whatever because that isn't what I want. But outsourcing cooking would help me. It probably wouldn't especially help others.

Similarly, I do have a PT weekly and that helps me a lot. I just get on with it for the PT because she is at my house. There are days when I wouldn't prioritise it if it was just down to me and my own motivation. 100% if I could afford her to come daily and had the time because I didn't work, I would be more fit. Of course again there are people who it wouldn't help

This is me entirely

If I had a personal chef it would 100% be a pastry chef.

But that statistic can mean anything from two pounds overweight to several stone. You could easily be a couple of pounds overweight yet still living a reasonably healthy, active life.

The ones I know have a huge amount of help (like the Middletones) with career nannies who really are a 3rd parent, have dc in private schools with longer days (8-4), don't work, have more than just a weekly cleaner - more like a housekeeper 2-3 days/week or more, have personal trainers that meet them a few times a week and get a lot of prepped food from Waitrose and M&S. They also eat meals like a roast chicken with steamed veggies, or fish with veggies often. Their idea of breakfast is a coffee typically and they are very active because they aren't sat at a desk working 8 hrs a day. I also have a 'normal' friend who married into this lifestyle, it's been fascinating to watch!

I think also when people say they "eat what they want", that very much depends on what you want to eat. Whilst I like the occasional pizza or whatever, it's not what I want to eat on a day to day basis - that tends to be meat, vegetables, dairy, nuts, fruit etc. I like fizzy water so tend to drink that along with black coffee. I love cooking, I love trying new things and so what I want to eat overlaps a lot with what food is healthy.

If what you want to eat is burgers, chips, pizza, fizzy drinks and so on, "eating what you want" is going to be a hell of a lot less healthy.

Or to put it another way:

There are some people who are highly motivated to be slim and fit and will always prioritise this no matter what else is going on for them, however short of time or money.

There are some people who are always going to be overweight for a mix of reasons - they don't care that much about their weight or emotional issues with food or genetics - they could have all the time and money in the world and it would make no difference.

But most people are in the middle. Where there are things that make it easier or harder for them. E.g. it's very common for mothers of young children to gain weight because they are time and energy poor and for them to start to lose it when their children start school. More time and/or money can make a difference here.

@Comedycook well 26% are obese and even if you take only the top half of the “overweight” category that still leaves a far more sizeable section of the population who have a significant weight problem than those living in poverty.

I genuinely don’t see how being rich helps or makes any difference.

Outsourcing cooking would help any woman but I don’t see how it helps lose weight. If I had a chef I’d likely eat more rather than less - and I’m not a pudding or pie person but I’m a sucker for sushi.

PT I get - that would make a difference - keep you motivated.