AIBU to ask people who maintain a healthy weight how they do it?

[smoggii]

I know that to lose weight you should eat less and move more but I would love to know what the balance is for healthy (or just slightly overweight) maintenance.

I think I am being unreasonable because i know this should be common sense but after years of dieting (losing a significant amount of weight - still a bit overweight but not supermorbidly obese as i once was) i am struggling to maintain a weight, i'm either dieting or gaining weight and i'm starting to feel a bit stupid that I can't just maintain it.

by the way DH says I should eat healthy, exercise plenty and not think about it. He does none of these things but his weight has not altered in the 7 years i've known him

You say you're usually dieting or gaining weight. Do you have a habit of binge eating?
I do this and I know this is why I am a couple of stone overweight.

they don't stuff their faces with rubbish and do no exercise like me

I know it really, eat sensibly and take some exercise

but my God I can't stick to it!

Have you thought about reading the Paul McKenna book, 'I Can Make You Thin'? It's basically a book about how naturally slim people eat and how they deal with food. There are some threads about it on the Weight Loss board too.

You will never perfectly maintain your weight. It constantly changes, even for people who seem to always be the same weight. They won't be. I lost 6 stone in 18 months and have been 'maintaining' my weight now since last June. My weight can go up by 4-5lb in a month, and then I'll cut back and get back to my 'goal' weight.

Expecting yourself to always be the same weight isn't realistic at all. I personally won't let myself go any higher than 5lb over my goal weight, if I notice I am nearing or at that, I cut back, and to me - that is a realistic way of maintaining my weight. Accepting it will fluctuate, but not by enough to make it noticeable.

Some people are just lucky. My BIL eats as much as he wants and stays skinny. But best way I've found to do it is to weigh myself at least once a week, and to skip breakfasts if it's over the amount it should be. People tell you you shouldn't do that - but personally I find that's the meal I can skip without really caring too much. I guess a better plan would be to cut out cakes, chocolate, etc if you're over whatever weight you set as your limit.

Your DH is absolutely right imo.

Have you looked at your portion sizes? I know a lot of people really don't think they eat much but they do have what I consider to be very large servings.

If your DH has large servings, then perhaps you're comparing yours to his and thinking you eat less than you actually do if that makes sense?

Once your stomach stretches, it takes more food to make it feel full up.

I have been overweight in the past, not now, but when I was I was inactive, eating take aways (Indian), too tired to be active iyswim. Anyway the curries have stopped and I'm now probably verging on underweight as I'm not a big foodie (except curry .

I think stop thinking about food? Some of my colleagues talk about what they're having for dinner first thing in the morning, I know people food plan and stuff (and as I say, I 'm hopeless with food so its just not for me although I think its really sensible).

Some people eat when they need to.

You sound like you're doing a lot right to me though, just an extra something?

Good luck.

I tend to be around the same weight most of the time.

I exercise once a week officially, but am on the go all the time just due to lifestyle - I think this is the main reason I don't put on too much weight.

I weigh myself every day generally, and if I see the weight creeping up, I ease back on carbs and crap. Usually a couple of days of this and I am back to usual weight. Quick action is the key!

Stop eating when you're full - I hate that bloated feeling so this is what I do - agree about Paul mcKenna book - if you read it, it will make sense

i weigh myself a few times a week and if i notice the weight going on, i cut back a bit or go on a few runs.

I do watch what i eat in general though, although i still eat crap sometimes, but if i eat crap, i take it into account the rest of the day, like if i eat a bar of chocolate, id probably skip lunch or only have a light dinner.

I have always been a naturally thin person. Not so much now I am in my 40s and my job is sedentary. One thing I always do is walk everywhere if the walk is less than half an hour. I'm sure it helps.

I lost four stones over 18 months and have kept it off (am now 10st 5'9") for 4 years.

I no longer diet but I changed what I eat. Low fat, low carb and higher lean protein works for me. I no longer like the taste of fat (eg cheese or chocolate), don't eat unrefined carbs (and only really have carbs in porridge. No bread, pasta or rice on a daily basis. And if I do, they are wholegrain) and eat tonnes of veggies, chicken, fish, homemade soups, fruit and salad. Low alcohol during week. I don't snack or eat take aways or fast food.

And I exercise four to six times a week.

All these things mean that I eat what I want if I go out to dinner!

and if it doesnt taste fab, i dont bother, especially if its unhealthy

Ordered chocolate fudge cake when out today, and it wasnt awful, but didnt taste home made or as amazing as i thought it would, so i left most of it. I dont eat things i dont enjoy

Good meals, no snacks, and a treat on a Friday night.

It depends on what kind of metabolism you have. I have a friend who eats and eats and never puts on weight. I however, will put on weight easily if I overindulge. I find that not eating anything after 6pm works for me. I have a big breakfast, big lunch and then a light supper. After 6pm I do not eat anything - sometimes hunger for food can be mistaken for thirst, so I will drink water or eat fruit if this happens. It really works, and the weight drops off. By doing this, I can still have snacks like chocolate during the day and not feel guilty.

Also, obviously, your meals need to be healthy but nothing boring like rabbit food.

I weigh myself weekly

I know lots of people who won't have a set of scales in the house for some reason.

They say they can tell they're putting on weight from how tight their clothes are...but most of them wear leggings or loose fitting clothes, so I really can't understand how they can tell...until it's too late and they've gone up a whole dress size

I eat when I'm hungry, and don't eat when I'm not hungry. For example, I realised that I only ate pudding cos I liked it, I'm not actually hungry right after a main course, so I usually skip pudding and have it as a snack later or the next morning when I'm actually hungry. I eat what I want on the whole, fairly healthy food, and try to be aware of portion size for calorie-rich foods. I weigh myself every week or two to check I'm staying the same, but I can usually tell from the mirror and trouser tightness anyway. I don't do any exercise at the moment due to disability.

I'm not sure that this would work for everyone though, having seen how much some people struggle to keep weight off. I might just be lucky with my metabolism and appetite.

Portion size, it's that simple, really.

I love food, really love it, I can be a few pounds overweight, or underweight, dsepending on my health, but I do something about it very quickly, before it gets to be an issue, and what I do, is adjust portion size.

I won't have scales in the house, I find it very easy to get obsessed with the numbers.

i low carb

look, its not rocket science is it - pif your fat and it isn't a medical condition - you are eating too much and not exersizing enough, its a simple equation.

food = energy

don't use energy

body stores energy

unused energy = big fat arse

or
food = energy
use the energy
body doesn't store the energy
have people who know you tell you that you are too slim, have no tits and have no arse and try to sabatage you into eating chocolate becuase 'one wont harm you'

but you will look and feel better

you need to find your own vehicle for doing this

sanctimonious fanatic
the more sanctimonious twats will tell you to just eat less and exercise more - they do it and have never got fat.... they can't possibly understand why this simple rule doesn't work for everyone - everyone must be stipud to spend money on diets

my way or the highway fanatic
weight watcher, slimming world, low gi, low carb, gluten free, junk food diet
do what i say and no other way i lost 17 stone, only my way works

truth is you need to want to get to where you are going and you need to find the best way for you - it could be low carbng, or calorie counting, going to zumba or walking round the block.

good luck

You have muesli for breakfast, soup and roll for lunch and a chicken or fish dinenr with veg and pots. You walk everywere that is within a 20 min walk distance, take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator and allow yourself a treat every now and again. You drink spirits with a diet mixer. You do all of the above as a lifestyle choice, rather than as a short term diet.

Apparently.

I can't do the above, so as a result am 2/3 stone heavier than I should be. I know what I need to do. I'm just not ready to change my lifestyle yet.

I very rarely eat sweet stuff e.g. cake, biscuits, sweets, chocolate etc. I don't drink alcohol. I don't eat crisps or takeaways. I also hardly eat any bread and don't eat any cereal apart from porridge.

I don't know if it is what you want to hear but it is the truth and my weight is stable. I know I'm not active enough to be eating any more than I eat now (Walk about 3-4 miles a day and that's all).

I think that at least half the supermarket is irrelevant to me.

Sorry if this is depressing, it sounds a bit severe written down like this but I enjoy food immensely and cook with fresh ingredients, veg, whole foods and love home cooked meals.