Why are some people prone to being chubby?

[Scarlet2906]

I don't believe any person is naturally obese without consuming a massive amount of calories either through food, drink or both but I do believe that I am naturally prone to being mildly overweight. I am currently 2st overweight.

I have been thin in the past but only when I was barely eating anything all day. I have to go on a huge calorie deficit to lose even a small amount of weight.

I honestly don't eat any more than people that are an healthy weight and regularly go to bed hungry. I also have a job that must burn a lot of calories as I am on my feet all day and on top of that I walk a lot every week. I regularly walk 2 miles home from work.

Are you the same? Do you think that I might have a problem with my thyroid?

Genetics?

Some people have a small skeletal frame. Others are built like a brick shithouse, to coin a phrase, and will always look stocky, no matter what.

Loads of factors

Finish your plate mentality in early childhood

The pushing of 2000 cals for woman by the NHS - too much for most women

Upf and junk food availablity

Totally agree the blanket advice that ‘most adults need 2000 calories’ a day is bad advice!

2000 is maintenance calories for me, and I am very active - 10k steps a day plus an average of 8- 10hrs exercise a week (sweaty, out of breath exercise!)

.

And this is why the internet sucks. I've just given you an explanation based on a lifetime of experience with my very sporty, whole food cooking wife and my two healthily fed, sporty daughters, but because it doesn't agree with your preconceptions you simply dismiss it with disbelief. Fine don't believe me, but I know my wife and kids. I know what they do. I know how they live and the daughter who looked like me from a baby grew to be tall and thin and the daughter who looked like her mother grew to be short and fat. She could be thin, if she starved herself into an eating disorder, but what's the fucking point of that when she's kicking my arse at swimming and giving me a run for my money over 5K already.

I mean I don't really care that much, it's obviously touched a nerve with you though!

This is true.

I'm 5 foot nothing and 2000 would make me gain. A lot. I can only lose on 1200 or under even at 1200 it's slow going, ideally it's no more than 1000-1100 to lose. I'd imagine my maintenance calories to be 1400-1600.

Multiple factors.

I'm obese because I used to eat too much and move too little.

My partner is borderline underweight, and it's because he forgets to eat. I don't think I've ever 'forgotten to eat' in my lifetime. I'm always thinking about my next meal! For most of my life I've been at bmi 23/24 but since getting an underactive thyroid I've gone up to about 26, and I think it's because I'm tired a lot and do less now, but haven't cut back my food.

Too much processed food
Too much sugar
Too little fibre
Too much animal products (they don't contain fibre)
Exponentially growing portion sizes
Not cooking enough from scratch
Too little daily movement
Sedentary lifestyle

@Toothrush of course 'it touched a nerve' with him, because you were being very rude and dismissive - basically calling a stranger a liar.

Maybe you know jack shit about anything

Yes, it was Hack Your Health: The Secrets of your Gut

That said, I have an overweight cat and a thin cat and the thin cat absolutely does eat more.A lot more. And she's not just slim - she looks like the 'mildly thin' shape on the cat body condition score. The reason is though is that she never stops moving. Her idea of play is "let's chase each other and wrestle" and she's constantly up trees, on roofs, etc. My older girl was never like that even when she was a kitten, her idea of play is much more sedate. So clearly they do have natural tendencies towards more or less movement, just like people, and its definitely true that some animals are more food-focused than others. I've probably been Googling too much but I might get the little one checked for hyperthyroidism, because as well as being thin and hyperactive she's quite itchy (no fleas) and has some sore skin.

This, definitely. Our bodies have a set point , which they try to maintain no matter what we do. Look at pictures of your family members - your genes are in charge.

Yeah height plays a big part as many people have said.

That said I don’t know how I did it but I’m only 5ft 3 and after losing 3 stone weight on a 1400 calorie diet in my early 20s - I then ate way above my recommended calories and remained slim for well over a decade. I found it much easier to maintain a slim weight once I’d reached it. I was 8-9.5 stone so not skinny but slim.

It only caught up with me a few years ago when I became extremely sedentary and started eating takeaways more. It has not been easy trying to lose the weight! I was 3 stone overweight but now after almost 3 years I’m down 2 stone. One more stone before I get out of the overweight zone.

But during my slim day colleagues would be baffled seeing how much office cake I’d have compared to how slim I remained . I didn’t skimp on other meals to compensate either - I usually ate breakfast at home and a mid morning work snack (Starbucks cappuccino and cake) and then a (reasonably healthy M&S) lunch. I’d also eat big portions for my homemade dinner (pasta, rice, oven pizza etc). And I’d cook and eat banana bread every weekend.

I think what may have kept it off was the 15K steps daily I was walking throughout the day and I didn’t have a lot of takeaways back then as it was before deliveroo etc.

I remember a do umentary a few years ago where subjects were told to eat (f or a few days) very high calorie diets and the superskin people actually excreted excess calories

Yeah that 2000 cals advice really annoys me . I was eating about that in my maintenance phase for years and remained slim, but as I’ve said it was offset by a lot of walking 7 days a week. At my height I should really only be eating 1400-1600 calories or so at maintenance. Currently at 1200 to lose weight and it’s working. But my lifestyle is way more sedentary now.

They should encourage people to find out what their daily calorie allowance is based on height and activity etc instead of just throwing out that number so much.

It was a Horizon documentary called 'why are thin people not fat'

I do think that walking has been over-hyped as a form of exercise.
If you do half an hour of cardio it will counteract any insulin resistance in your system for the next 72 hours (I think I've remembered that correctly).
There were some big studies done a couple of decades ago on walking for half an hour a day, with all sorts of marvellous results. But what may have happened is that complete couch potatoes were enrolled in these studies, and had fantastic outcomes at the end of a six week study, but only because they were so unfit that a brisk half hour walk was enough to get their heartrate up to 70% of maximum heart rate (i.e. cardio exercise). Once you're fit enough that you can go on a long, brisk walk without breaking a sweat you're no longer getting any of the benefits of cardio exercise.

Weight control is biologically harder for some people than others.

I am sure this is true given how complex and different our bodies are. So it's easy for overweight people to convince themselves that it's just the way their body is. I know someone like this: tried every diet going, still can't lose weight, it's her body's fault not hers etc But she clearly has no understanding of the calorie content of food ('The only snack I've had today is a pork pie'; or 'I only had a sausage butty for breakfast' and many other such examples
I'm overweight but know why and am doing something about it.

Whist for some who are overweight and 'cannot lose weight' it might be down to their bodies but I'd wager for the vast majority it's denial or lack of understanding of what they are consuming, lower activity levels etc

go to bed hungry

If your body is carrying extra weight and yet signalling that you are hungry at bed time, then something about the regulatory mechanisms is not working properly.

For me, it turned out to be my body's way of responding to sugar, as PPs have mentioned insulin resistance. Much like an alcoholics only way is to stop drinking alcohol, a couple of weeks without any sugar or starchy veg and that roar in my ears of needing to eat was one day just switched off.

I started to notice all the reasons I ate, when I wasn't actually hungry but it was 'lunchtime' or I was afraid I'd be 'hungry later on'. Now I eat my fill of real food, lots of vegetables and am not afraid of eating fat. It took a few years but eventually my weight stabilised at a normal bmi.

One thing is for sure, I don't miss that sugar roller coaster feeling of having to eat so urgently. It's really bliss to be free of that.

I tend to know instinctively who is going to be very slim when I talk to people without seeing them....it's mainly about nervous energy imo or they drink excessively and don't really eat.
Those who are slim tend to watch what they eat very carefully.
Those who are plump can be for many reasons but inflammation is a contributory factor for many of us - steroids, insulin, eating certain foods that cause bloating ergo the body is reacting badly to the food or drink.
I read that 70% of Brits have parasites and these can contribute to weight gain, so taking some cleansing food like chia seeds or aloe vera may help.
In your case @Scarlet2906 you sound plenty active enough, so I'd talk to a Dr and get checked out.

I tend to know instinctively who is going to be very slim when I talk to people without seeing them

That isn't instinct- it's ingrained bias. We all do it until we challenge ourselves over it.

Because I put too much food into my face. When I stick to a strict 1200 calorie diet I Iose weight fast even though I am 62 and can't e excise much because I am waiting for hip replacements.
I've lost half a stone a month recently on this diet.
I eat no processed food.
Take high quality gut bacteria supplements.
Vitamin and mineral supplements daily.
I'm vegetarian. I cant lose weight when I eat meat. It doesn't suit my body type. I need lots of fibre and eat all bran every day.

Plenty of people maintain and lose weight through walking. 1-2 hours is ideal for me. That burns me about 600+ calories. I used to do that every day while living in London and it was achieved easily as part of my commute and walking in between different office locations, hence maintaining my slim weight while still eating a fair bit.

I think there are also heart health benefits from just 30 minutes a day too though.

IMO if anything’s been hyped up it’s high intensity workouts which often can result in injuries or burn out. It resulted in both for me.