AIBU to ask how people stay slim without strict dieting?

[Coffeeloveer]

If you are wanting to lose weight or if you maintain a slim figure but dont go on a specific diet or calorie count. What eating patterns/ habits do you have to achieve this? I have a busy and a social lifestyle so conventional diets don’t work for me and to be honest I just end up breaking them.. how do you achieve the above on the go etc

I am 5’5” and just under 9 stone.

I eat around 1800 calories a day, vegan diet, no alcohol, walk the dogs for an hour a day and then run and/or do weights 4 times a week.

A typical day would be

B/ Porridge with oat milk, nuts, seeds and fruit
L/ Chickpea and avocado salad
D/ Bean and veg chilli with rice/quinoa

For snacks I’ll have fruit, soya yogurts, nuts, smoothies, dark chocolate, crisps a couple of times per week. I have some tea with milk, green tea, peppermint tea and water.

I only eat things like cake, biscuits, sweets etc occasionally.

For me it was about learning not to say yes to everything on offer.
Take a normal portion size at the buffet rather than trying a bit of everything and going back for seconds.
You dont have to order desert just because everyone else is or order a drink because someone is getting a round in.
You don't have to take every cake or chocolate on offer in the office or take a biscuit from the pack that's passed around.

If we are invited to children's parties around meal times I have fruit and a yoghurt just before getting there to avoid picking at the crisps and sausage rolls. In general I try to make good decisions and while I dont calorie count or follow a specific diet I am always conscious of taking the healthy option.

They stay in their maintenance calories. You get used to what that looks like after a while and don’t need to track as closely

You'll get any number of opinions but I think it has a lot to do with portion size. We've all become used to bigger portions than decades ago. If you eat smaller amounts you don't have to cut out any food type. You can even have one junk food item per day such as a packet of crisps, a small bar of chocolate or a can of full sugar soft drink. For example a frequent weekend lunch for me used to be a slice of toast with beans and a slice with a poached egg. Then I realised that I didn't need the other slice. So now I have one slice with the beans and egg on it. Even when I'm not trying to lose weight. When trying to lose weight I have 2 tangerines instead of 4 as dessert. Or half the size of cheescake portion/ice cream or whatever. For breakfast smaller plate of cornflakes than normal (the recommended portion size is tiny) and a smaller banana than usual. Etc etc. Not the fastest way to lose weight but it works for me. As you don't intend to 'diet', then perhaps just cut down on portion size generally. It seems strange at first but you get used to it quickly.

Weight training - increased muscle raises your metabolism so you use more calories at rest.

Also though I just eat what I fancy but I don't overeat - I have never done the "eat one biscuit so might as well eat the packet". Not because of consciously restricting myself but just the feeling of having had enough so I stop

I wondered this too. I'm 5'8 and at 10.5 stone I was a size 10

I've got thin genes which helps.

I do a sport for at least 6 hours a week (easy as it's a sport I am passionate about).

I don't drink alcohol (easy for me as I hate it).

I don't really snack much. I'd say I eat whatever I want, but generally what I want is pretty healthy. Even "unhealthy" stuff, I try to find the best quality version. I try and avoid upf.

Today I ate:

Greek yoghurt, honey, strawberies, banana, homemade granola.

Homemade bread (2 thick slices) with butter, cheese, apple slices, cucumber, olives, tomatoes.

Homemade giant triple chocolate cookie (yum).

Tuna pasta and cheese.

That's a pretty typical day.

I’m 60, slim, never been on a diet or done calorie-counting. I don’t do a great deal of exercise and I have a sedentary job. I don’t drink alcohol or any fizzy drinks. I mainly drink water or tea. I do eat biscuits and chocolate. I never have takeaways. Meals are always home-cooked from fresh. I have cereal, oats or yoghurt for breakfast, usually a sandwich for lunch, or leftovers, and proper meal in the early evening. I do tend to have dessert, usually fruit and yoghurt, or cheese.

Luck and genetics.

I eat what I want, when I want. But I don't tend to want processed foods, I get full easily and quickly and I stay full. I have no idea what "food noise" is like.

10k steps a day without fail and gym 4-5 times a week

5ft 4 and 9 stone 3, so not the skinniest, but I have a muscular build. I ensure that I exercise at least 5 days per week, weight training, running and reformer pilates. My diet is mostly plant-based with occasional fish/seafood, lots of legumes. I limit alcohol to two days per week, I eat something chocolate most days though and never calorie count. I don't tend to eat ginormous portions.

Honestly I think a lot of it is genetics, all of my family are tall and slim. I’ve gained a bit of weight recently which is peri menopause related but have never been over a size 12.

I eat what I like 🤷‍♀️

I was clinically obese for many years. I lost 35kg and am now a healthy weight. There are no shortcuts and no magic tricks, particularly in middle age. It’s all about getting the balance right. Calorie intake vs exercise. Sensible days vs ‘treat’ days. I absolutely love good food and I also love decent beer & red wine, and I’m not pretending it’s easy.

Monday to Friday afternoon of a normal week, I eat very sensibly. Usually healthy cereal, eg porridge, weetabix for breakfast. Sandwich or salad & fruit for lunch. Normal dinner. I eat loads of lean protein & fresh vegetables. No snacks. No puddings / cakes / chocolate/ biscuits / pastry / random crap etc. Definitely no alcohol. If I want a snack I have raw veggies with low fat hummus. If I want something sweet I have grapes or berries. I exercise by doing a LOT of walking, plus cycling & tennis.

At weekends, & when I’m on holiday, I eat & drink whatever I want, within reason, but I don’t go mad because I know that my body gains weight very easily & losing it again is a very hard slog.

I’m gluten and mostly dairy free for medical reasons. Also low fodmap. Very slim due to the sheer tedium of the amount of things I can’t eat. Also don’t drink alcohol. But before my boring diet, I worked out eating more earlier in the day and a very small snack for dinner, very early in the evening, really kept weight off. If you have a big dinner late it seems to have less chance of being burnt off.

Keto - I eat loads but 0 carbs. Easiest way to lose weight and stay slim imo.

I think I have to leave you all to it, I am severely downhearted listening to these often effortless tales from the Slimside. 😊

I try my best and am sort of within BMI but it's a battle all the time. Add to that a change in meds that despite everything I do, is messing with metabolism and what was once a little belly is now like a Buddha.

Yes, my husband is like that. He's in his 60s and has been underweight his whole life. It's actually fascinating to observe the eating habits of someone who has never, ever had to worry about gaining weight. He eats what he wants, when he wants, he'll eat things that I'd never dream of eating except as a special treat - he was eating some doughnuts this afternoon - but if you actually add up his average calorie intake (which I've done out of interest) he rarely eats more than 1500 calories a day, which is below the TDEE for his height.

Don't drink, don't snack, stay away from sugar, get your bulk from veggies.

Regular eating out and partying is a killer ngl.

Breastfeeding. I easily eat over 3000 calories a day and struggle to keep weight on.

Maybe consider inducing lactation?

No snacking. Portion control. Eating low calory/low carb versions. Get plenty of protein (which curbs appetite) and exercise.

Most people that are fat eat too many carbs, eat too often and are just spiking insulin over and over. You can't access and use your stored fat when insulin is present.

Think about how very small children eat.
My toddler would take what he wanted from a plate, taking whatever he fancied first. And then just stop. Not taking one more biscuit, because it was yummy and it was the last one. Just stopping.
Didn't matter if it was half a plate or only one mouthful left, you could not get hum to take one more tiny mouthful.
I've struggled with my weight all my life. I lost 75lbs on the weightloss jabs and for the first time within memory recognized this feeling. If I am drinking a latte, I suddenly reach a point, maybe even just a quarter down, when I think "ok, I am done. Don't fancy more of that." Before the jabs, the idea of eating 2/3rds of a croissant was, well, unthinkable. Now, some days that's all I want and I am happy to just stop.
To me, this is the difference between naturally thin people and those who are overweight. But, until I took the medication, I believed that naturally thin people were just more disciplined. I now really don't believe that is the case.

Similar as in very active as a fitness trainer and love exercise and would sooner exercise five hours a day than live on salads! In my 50s and always built heavy so I use my genetics to build as much muscle as possible to help me stay metabolically active. I also prefer home cooked to processed food. I definitely eat cake but freshly made as opposed to packaged stuff full of additives.

No snacks in between meals and no desserts.

But yeah if by socialising you mean eating out at restaurants and meeting for drinks at bars regularly then that’s going to be hard to counteract. Especially if you’re over 40. As I have discovered from experience sadly

By growing up in the 90s and being aware of every squishy bit. Portion control. I have a sweet tooth and love alcohol, but i kind of treat it like a bank account, where everything has to balance at the end of the month. I think about food way more than I should.

Yog for breakfast.
6-8000 steps a day in work.
Banana
Tin of fish+ veg lunch
Pasta/,, rice/ veg/protein dinner
Cake

Repeat. Add alcohol and crisps at weekend.
Subtract 2 gym and 2 x run.

Have a portion of protein (meat, eggs, avocados, fish, pulses or Greek yoghurt, etc.) at every meal and avoid upf. Include lots of vegetables, fruit, dairy, complex carbs (beans, oats, nuts and seeds, nut butters). Meals are filling but not enormous, e.g. will add lots of spinach to a curry and serve with cauliflower rice.

Cook from scratch and vary meals. Grow own veg and fruit and incorporate in menu. No low calorie/fat substitutes for food or drink.

No bread, biscuits, cake, crisps or wine at home (except birthday/Xmas etc) but permitted in moderation when eating out/visiting. Desserts are yoghurt or fruit (or both). Also make yoghurt 'ice cream' and fruit sorbets with Ninja Creami.

Breakfast after exercising and no snacking during the day. Snack in evening if needed: a few nuts and raisins, a yoghurt drink (small) or piece of cheese.

Drinks at home: coffee, occasional tea, water.

Exercise every day, varying the activity, e.g. resistance training gym/class, Zumba, yoga, aqua fit.

Weigh self a couple of times per week.

Do not consider this a diet/exercise regime for weigh control but for health and longevity.