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 going through a stage in life where I am very busy. I work full time, I help my Father and do his cleaning and laundry, as well as cleaning my own house etc. There is little spare time. I can eat what I want and I stay at 9.5 stone. At 5ft 8, this is light enough.

I used to be able to eat anything and never gain weight. Now that I’m in my forties that is no longer the case! I still don’t diet as such, but I do avoid processed food and refined sugar and that seems to keep the weight off. Walking helps too but I don’t always have time in a busy day.

I agree.

I'm 5'7" and 11 stone. I've just gone down to a 10.

I was "naturally slim" in my youth. Gained in my pregnancies and used the expenditure of breastfeeding to lose the surplus while returning to my regular eating patterns. I'm short and gained a hefty 3-4 stones of pregnancy weight in part to becoming sedentary from pelvic pain making most movement too painful, but could reset back to normal in my 30s.

The battle has been since turning 40 in the lockdowns with a bad combination of lifestyle disruption, comfort eating and shifting hormones, and I just couldn't shake it off. I managed to restore movement routines, and reset some new unhelpful snacking habits, but while I could maintain weight, when there's been disruption such as a holiday it's got harder to lose it, and as a middle-aged woman, living with rapidly growth-spurting teens and a tall MAMIL, it's hard to eat little enough to keep at a deficit or long-term maintainance level that takes disruption into account. Eating half the amount of food as the people surrounding you at the dinner table is not fun, and that's despite the weights, active lifestyle, drinking few calories and eating well most of the time.

I've ended up starting HRT and using Wegovy to get out of being overweight, and it is breaking the cycle. I haven't changed my food choices, but I am now satisfied on a smaller portions, and not craving sneaky little snacks to boost my energy, especially in the luteal phase. I'm getting a bit more bounce back so I'm getting more little bursts of movement back as I'm less sluggish. It's feeling comfortable to move more and eat what my body needs, not what my brain wants, and I'm feeling more in sync like I was when I was younger. I'm hoping that I can trigger some longer term reset from this.

Keeping to a healthy weight isn't "natural" for me as it was when I was when I was younger, and looking at my family, I'm not genetically advantaged; we all struggle after 40, not helpful being short either. While there's a lot I do right, having a metabolism running at 1500 calories per day average just leaves little slack for anything off-piste, and things like Christmas, holidays and the odd meal out totally bugger that up. My maintainence looks like other people's strict dieting which really sucks

This works for me once I’m at my target weight to maintain it, but it’s not enough to lose it in my 50’s.

Lots of protein, fruit and veg, oily fish twice a week. I have a smoothie and a greek voghurt or kefir for breakfast. 50% of my main meals are pasta, my salad dressing is extra virgin olive oil. No fizzy drinks and occasional alcohol. I rarely eat bread or crisps. If I'm peckish I'll have a handful of nuts or I'll have porridge. No takeaways beyond fish & chips once every few months. Size 10.

I use carefully chosen healthy ready meals as portion control (and because I don't enjoy cooking) so I don't have to think about how much I'm eating for my main meal.

I think this is an important point. They might not be dieting in the usual sense, but they probably realize they don’t need that much food, snack little ot not at all, don’t eat much processed food, eat lots of fresh veg, fish, no soft drinks, leas alcohol. Probably only eat 2 meals a day or small meals.

Rather than a diet, it’s a habit. I think this comes with reading up about healthy eating too, rather than following an actual prescribed diet. At one point you’ll have the knowledge to make choices that a better for you and you’ll enjoy that more.

Walking everywhere that’s under 30 minutes walk away.

Yeah this is me. I eat when I’m hungry, stop when I’m full, and otherwise don’t really think about food. It’s not willpower or anything like that, because I’m not doing anything to overcome temptation, I’m just not bothered so the temptation isn’t there.

Consistency.

In the week, I’m extremely consistent. I don’t exceed a certain number of calories. I weigh and record what I eat. I chose nutritionally dense foods that fill me up. I go to the gym twice a week, same time, same days, and do 60-90 of strength training. I incorporate walking into my daily life - I walk everywhere within a reasonable distance, where time permits, and always hit a steps target.

Weekends, I let the calorie count go a bit.

I don’t feel deprived, I eat good, tasty foods, in volume. I used to be terrible for high sugar trash, now I can barely face them at all.

I also used to be obese and the changes above lost the weight and kept it off. The only sustainable way of doing it is changing lifestyle.

Yeah there is.

Mounjaro

I eat all i want, I just don't want much these days.

Eat a diet high in natural fat and keep the carbs low. This will reduce blood sugar spikes, insulin and cravings. You will feel very satiated and probably only want to eat twice per day.

Depending on your baseline, I would transition slowly to eating more fat to allow your body to adjust. If you are already insulin resistant then it can take time for this to normalise. Be patient.

Exercise will have minimal impact but walking and moving in general is beneficial.

I am late 30s and have the same waist and athletic shape I had at 18. In fact, I’m in better shape now with minimal effort.

Always been super slim. I do a lot of sport.
Currently I am running on nervous energy and stress. The first thing to go is my appetite.
I know I eat more slowly than a lot of people. I don't tend to overeat or think having 3 courses at the Xmas meal is a great treat, when I'm quite happy with 2.

The following are not part of my thinking -

oh go on, have a slice of cake
cheeky Nandos
wine's got grapes in so is a fruit ha ha ha
I've been for a run so now I've earned a cream tea

Mostly I think I naturally balance out my needs e.g. we're out for dinner tomorrow. Nice. I will probably have a rich desert. Also nice. It won't make me feel bloated or anything, but I imagine I will naturally just eat less over the w/e.
Also, genetics.

I’m putting on weight now in my 50s (though still just about getting into a size 8).

You eat less. Small portions, and a couple of treats a week, not every day. Avoid hidden calories in drinks. Have 4-5 chips with your fish and only eat the top half of the batter. 2 biscuits, not 4 with your tea.
I was brought up like this so to me it’s normal.

There’s no secret magic to it, it is just self discipline (easier if you were brought up to eat small amounts and not allowed processed snacks very often.) Eat whole foods, not UPFs. It’s hard to eat enough meat/fish/potatoes/veg/fruit/nuts to get fat.

What?

Mounjaro doesn’t melt fat, it reduces your appetite so you eat less.

If you took Mounjaro and ate 8000 calories a day, you’d put on weight.

Some people also find it easier to do extra things than impose restrictions if that makes sense. I've always had terrible impulse control, likely linked to my ADHD, and diets just don't work. I can ruin the whole day in ten mins of scoffing. However, getting to the gym is much easier for me. Still takes effort but it can't be so easily dismantled as a diet can. Once I'm driving there I'm 100% going to train.

That is nice and slim. I am 5.4 and 9.5 stone and now have a tummy in side profile which I never did!

Eat whole foods, not UPFs. It’s hard to eat enough meat/fish/potatoes/veg/fruit/nuts to get fat.

Dunno. I ate a whole 200g bag of honey roast peanuts earlier. 🤣

I've been naturally slim all my life. Both parents also slim. I have never been a big eater, always loved vegetables, but for most of my life ate 3 proper meals a day. I've not been an 'active' person physically, but for a large section of my life walked everywhere. Not done any sports though. I would say genetics plays a large part in being slim, there's really been no 'self discipline' on my part.

Genetics.

I don’t have those genetics.

I’ve lost a lot of weight on injections and to maintain it I try to completely fast for at least a 24 hour period each week. Not eating for one day feels both horrible and great. I feel alert, light, energised the next day.

Always healthy BMI. Never had to be careful about weight until post-menopause. Lost 10kg over 4 months after lockdowns by cutting carbs and sugar.

• Think genetics play a large part
• Was brought up with homegrown/homemade meals, ate seasonally etc.
• Always been sporty, family walks, dancing etc
• Don’t eat meat
• Cook from scratch. Few UPFs
• Don’t really like or buy unhealthy snacks (e.g. crisps, biscuits, confectionery)
• Don’t drink fizzy drinks
• Small portions
• No car so walk everywhere and carry groceries home myself, so only buy what I need
• Drink alcohol but mainly Guinness or wine - never lager
• Swimming

I eat the same stuff every weekday.

Banana or yoghurt or boiled egg for breakfast
Beef jerky or dried chickpeas as a mid morning snack
Reduced sugar beans on toast for lunch
Protein & veg for dinner with minimal carbs
Dark chocolate after dinner

It’s high in protein so keeps me full but is low calorie and low in sugar.

Weekends I relax a bit!

I don’t drink alcohol at all though and rarely eat crisps, biscuits, cheese etc. Try to snack on fruit or veg or plain popcorn if I’m hungry in between meals.

Stress.

A bottle of wine a night and no exercise. How inspiring 🙄

Haha, same with cashews 😂