Slim ladies.. for whom staying skinny is secretly a constant battle...Tell me how you do it!!

[Callipo]

So I have lost 3 stone .. Hurrah!! and now I am slim... Hurrah!! And I'm starting to love following you SandB lot and enjoying feeling nice about myself and wearing stylish clothes and looking not too bad at all, though I say so myself .
But shaping up was hard work and I am terrified that I will put it all back on the second I stop concentrating. Over Christmas I stopped working on it for about 3 days and gained 2lb. So I need to hear from slender ladies who work at it - not those who are naturally skinny - but those who can tell me how they stay mindful without being obsessed.
I've posted here cos my motivation is to stay slim for style and beauty but do tell me if I need to scurry back to Big/slim..

I think I just don't have a weird relationship with food. I see so many people on here talking about giving themselves "treats" and "being good" by not eating x y and z and I just don't think like that. I love food, don't get me wrong, but I eat when I'm hungry and stop eating when I'm full.

Also, I walk everywhere. I don't have a car.

I lost my weight with ww - was a size 20 and now 8/10. I've maintained since 2003 despite having 3 more babies (already had 3)
I weigh most days and go along to a meeting to be weighed every now & again so I don't let things slide, but most of all I write it all down. It's not obsessive, it's not a disorder, I eat normally. I have treats. I drink wine. Just not usually to excess!

Always been skinny, size 8. Huge DS, but it fell off me.

Reason I post is what I think really helps is that I LOVE fruit, and I always have done. So a really nice pleasure for me is a juicy apple, ripe mango, sweet grape etc. I eat a LOT of fruit, which I think means I am much less inclined to reach for biscuits etc.

I am sensible with food, quite a few treats and 3 proper meals a day (well, cereal and fruit for brekkie and soup and toast for lunch, but always meat and two veg for dinner), it is just that it would NEVER cross my mind to buy myself a chocolate bar. Instead a pack of fruit.

So my advise is up your fruit intake... big time!

why then do i seem to be "stuck" at 10st 7 or there abouts - i eat very little during the day, i eat sensible portion sizes, i do only eat when hungry, i run, and i do weights.

since i broke my coccyx, ive not put much weight on (well, 3lb over xmas) despite having to stop exercise for the time being until its mended, yet when i watch what i eat, and exercise, i still dont lose any. it drives me mad.

when all the xmas food has gone ive decided to get myself on a healthy eating plan, ive used ww and slimming world successfully before, but now, nothing happens!
its so demoralising when i seem stuck at a stone more than i want to be.

Vicar it may be that 10-20 years of yo yo dieting has screwed your metabolism up . When you say you run and lift weights, how do you do that, by which i mean do you do a set distance and steady paced run and do you use machines or free weights and would you say you tended towards low weight/high rep or vice versa? Maybe shaking up your fitness routine would make a difference?

Been about 8 1/2 stone for 15-20 years (Pregnancies aside) am 5ft7
Always very active, lots of excercise, and living in a 4 story house helps (up and down hundreds of times a day) I have quite alot of muscle, which I believe burns calories quicker than fat. Eat 2-3 meals a day, a few snacks but always small portions. The only other thing is that I weigh myself every morning while cleaning my teeth. If I loose a few pounds, I can indulge a bit, if I gain a few I eat a bit less.

Eat a hearty healthy breakfast, include a banana if u can.

Eat a fruit snack mid morning & mid afternoon.

Don't eat any later than 7pm, no cheatin!

Keep moving as much as you can, take the stairs, walk as much as possible & don't be a couch potato in the eve, just do something else EG housework or exercise DVD.

After a few weeks you'll feel fitter as well as healthier & hopefully a few pounds lighter!

Congratulations on your weight loss.
I have lost just shy of 4 stone this year! Did it on a Low carb diet, which has totally gone to pot over Christmas! So normally I stick to low carb, no bread, rice, pasta or potatoes. No sugar. Limited fruit, half a banana ( very carby) but it is a constant battle. Need to get back to strict low carb to undo the damage after my Christmas feasting.

I weight every day, as weight fluctuates daily and if I weigh myself on a fat day, it can make me think that I have gained/STS that week, when have actually lost.

If I don't like something, I won't eat it. I no longer waste calories on "tidying up" the children's left overs. They go in the bin/or the dog. I am not a dustbin any more.

If someone dishes up something high carb, like pasta, potatoes, I will eat the smallest amount that I can and fill up on vegetables, but I can't stand PITA fussy eaters, so I will eat it, just a small portion and make up for it the following day.

Constant vigilance and I keep a pair of size 20 trousers in the back of my wardrobe, just as a reminder.

sleep - i run normally outside 3 x per week, i had just got to 10k when i broke my coccyx. i will have to start again in about 3 weeks time, i would imagine that i will have to go back to a couple of miles to start with, and build back up to 6 miles.

at the gym, i do weights for strength, so high weight, lowish reps. i throw in some pyramid training on certain things, like seated row. I do free weights and use some of the machines but mostly free weights.

like i say - i ve had a set back with the broken coccyx and will need to reset my programme when i can start again.

ive decided to try a super healthy month of eating during January. no crap. no wine. no crisps. Ill see if i can shift some weight with that combined with the renewal of my exercise regime!

I'm finding this thread very enlightening , but what is really dawning on me is that taking care of yourself - whether your motivation is vanity/health/fitness or whatever - is actually a lifelong investment of time and care.
I think I had this idea that I could "just" get to goal weight and then stop thinking about it and rush off and do something else instead/look after the DCs/sort the house/work a bit harder etc.. but actually I (and all of us MNers) should take some time everyday to think about ourselves and put a little effort into being our best selves.
Hope that makes sense and is not too sentimental. Not been drinking honest!!

thats where i went wrong callipo! i got to goal, and went and did something else instead! and my DH is a bloody terrible influence....he tends to cook, he gives me bloody huge portions and i have to now stand over him and tell him to give me a little bit, and even when he knows i am dieting he tempts me with naughty things....

he used to really help me.
think im on my own with the whole diet/exercise/healthy living thing.

still - you have inspired me. i am going to live/eat/exercise well in January. all 3, not just one of them like i usually do!

It's true Callipo, it's a change in mindset I think, your body is your most valuable possession, you should respect it and look after it and enjoy what it can do, not feel like you are battling against it constantly. Food is a pleasure and none (except maybe sugar!) is bad as such, but as it's been said many times before, there has to be a balance between what you put in and what you burn off and to stay slim you must be mindful of this. I think "naturally slim" people are actually very very rare, if a slim person genuinely eats loads on a regular basis then chances are they also move an awful lot, and those who don't move probably consume very little compared to most people.

vicar sympathies on your injury, it must be so frustrating not being able to exercise when you built up your running so well . re your workouts when you are back in action, the weights sound great, maybe it's worth trying some high intensity intervals on stepper or bike for 10-15 mins after weights and doing some speed training/fartlek runs rather than all steady paced ones? This should blast fat and boost your calorie burn post exercise, at the very least it will improve your fitness rapidly (don't try til you are feeling reasonably fit again though!)

I'm 5' 5'' and weigh 8st 13lb (well I did this morning, never EVER weigh yourself at night)

Like dotty said I also write everything down that I eat, on the Boots online diet. I know this sounds a little OCD but after a while it comes naturally so you know how many calories you've had.

After 3 dcs I always carried that extra stone around that I never used to have, since November I've lost about 9lb and feel really proud of myself.

Would totally recommend the boots diet, its pure and simple calorie counting - I'm allowed 1400 cals a day. I don't have the time to exercise either so this diet has been amazing and its only £20 for 3 months.

"no crap, no wine, no crisps" - that sounds like a good way to start the New Year I'll just need to finish off the ten bars of Green and Blacks choc that I got for Christmas.

I consider myself fairly slim but I am conscious that I comfort eat with chocolate and crisps. I am amazed how some of you fit in 4 sessions of exercise a week. DH is away overnight at least once a week, we live in a rural area so would have to drive at least 20 mins to a gym and by the time 7pm comes around and the DC are in bed I'm a bit knackered! The thought of running scares me - I'm worried about the effects on my knees etc.

Hmmm, I'm making lots of excuses I know. My saving grace is walking the dog daily but that can be more of a dawdle with toddler in tow.

A common thing on the thread is to cut down on carbs. Can anyone explain this to me? I've always thought that we needed carbs in our body to give us energy

I am 5'4 and weigh about 8st 12.

My strategy is basically not to have something to eat unless I really want it. For example, if someone were to bring chocolate cake into work. I like chocolate cake, but I don't LOVE it. I certainly don't love it 400 calories worth (or whatever it is, I don't really know). So I probably wouldn't have any. Similarly: biscuits, I like them but find the very modest pleasure they give is not worth the calories.

I love chocolate but I prefer bars and if someone buys me a box I'll just give it away. I won't stuff anything down 'just because it's there,' like I used to when I was young and 7 stone . . . I can't get away with it any longer.

Crikey- it's not all carbs/ just unnecessary piles of processed carbs that make your blood sugar level spike and don't fill you up. Most bread, potatoes, pasta and rice will do this and eat far too big portions of them. I exercise 5 days a week, inc longish runs and circuit training sessions, and I don't 'need' much of any of the things I listed above. Porridge for breakfast (which is a complex carb and not as bad). Soup or big salad with plenty of protein for lunch. Same for dinner, but substitute piles of veg for salad. I'm not saying I never have pasta or rice, but I weigh it carefully, use the whole wheat variety and have about half of what is recommended on the packet.

The exercise thing is always possible if you stop the excuses! My dh is away a lot (military). I have s long commute 4 days a week and don't belong to a gym. When DH is here I try to go running, however I have bought a crosstrainer for when I can't. I also have a load of exercise DVDs (30 Day Shred takes 20 minutes.)

Thanks notyummy. So does the blood sugar level spike have an effect on mood? I eat a lot of carbs- cereal and toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and usually pasta or rice for dinner. (I'm veggie so meat/fish and veg is not an option). Think I'll try and cut down on them and give soups and quinoa salad a go for lunch.

You're right about the exercise excuses! I even have the 30 day shred in the cupboard but stopped after I pulled a muscle doing it. It's just about making the time for it isn't it.

I second notyummy, your body will get by beautifully without any bread, rice or pasta and get all the carbs it needs from fruit and vegetables.

The Dukan Diet was fantastic for losing weight and DH & I now live permanently on a modified version of it where we eat pretty much according to the Dukan rules but still enjoy meals out occasionally and wine 3 or 4 nights a week. It has changed our core attitudes to food but we're not obsessive about it.

I don't think exercise helps you lose weight. Yes it's crucial to keeping toned and keeping up muscle mass, but 'hitting the gym' won't 'drop the pounds' as a quick weight loss method.

i would go to a WW but i would be wasting my money - shift work means i cant get to meetings with any regularity.

wonder if its worth doing online...?

Congratulations to everyone who's lost weight and is maintaining it. My way: I eat 3 healthy meals a day, biggest meal at lunch. And if possible I try not to eat later than 7pm although although this obviously isn't always possible. I don't snack in-between meals and I regularly do 2 circuit classes per week, netball twice a week plus daily walking (fast) with a very energetic, mad dog. I'm 5'4" and weigh 7.9 stone (and have done for ages). Maybe I'm considered underweight bit I feel great, healthier than when I was in my 20s (early 40s now) and very fit. And I love a couple of squares of Cadburys and a glass of wine or two (not necessarily together!)

I think it is probably portion size. I have never been overweight, but, judging by what I see my larger friends eat, it is because I eat less. I am not holier than thou and do eat anything I want, but if I eat chocolate for example I will eat a few squares and not an entire bar. If I have lasagne I want salad with it and not chips (because I can't manage all that stodge and prefer salad anyway). I also have IBS and can't eat cream or rich fatty food without disastrous after effects.

you are what you eat for the most part .. I totally stand by that

Eat well (don't drink too much other than water) and light regular exercise and you will maintain your goal weight (well done by the way!)

I am a slim 8-10 and I eat like an animal at the weekends - I do not CARE on those three days (Friday is a weekend day in my books!) .. instead I take care Mon-Thur

I probably eat half of whatever I really could at any one meal.

eg for breccie I'll have eggs and 1 piece of toast whereas i could easily scoff 4.

at lunch I have soup or a salad and could murder both, with chips!

For dinner I won't have the carbs or just a tiny spoonful.

I don't eat puddings , cakes, biccies due to wheat intolerance or buy sweets, which helps hugely though over Xmas I have nibbled a tiny bit and put on 2-3lbs which I am disgusted at because it is all round my tummy, as I now it will take 3 weeks to lose this, and will do so by cutting out carbs - not completely- and exercising more.