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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

This is how a slim person eats

166 replies

photocop · 17/12/2014 17:33

I have never been overweight, apart from post-baby. Would it be helpful for me to tell you how I stay slim?

Disclaimer: I consider myself very fortunate to have been raised by a mother who a) gave us a love of healthy food and being active and b) never had food issues herself, so I have never learned to be an emotional eater.

I really think emotional eating is a huge issue for a lot of my friends. And I don't claim to have the answer to overcome this. I do know, however, that it's a lot harder to "binge" on healthy food. And I believe the food "industry" manufactures food that is addictive, precisely so that you'll buy more.

My self-imposed rules, because contrary to what people around me believe, I'm not "effortlessly" slim. I work at it.

  • nothing is banned, because that would create cravings (I love cake, but I eat it 2-3 times a week not every day)
  • food is neither reward nor punishment
  • vegetables at every meal
  • I don't count calories but I do count fruit & veg - aim for 7 a day
  • eat for health not weight - look at the nutritional value and eat mostly whole foods
  • carbs are fine but 90% of the time they are brown not white
  • drink mainly water or green tea, apart from one coffee & milk a day and approx two glasses of wine a week
  • eat mainly dark chocolate (70%), soon milk chocolate will taste too sweet by comparison
  • walk everywhere if time permits
  • plan ahead so time does permit!
  • do a form of exercise you love, 2-3 times a week (I am not naturally sporty but enjoy swimming and cycling)
  • snacks are to tide you over till a mealtime, not fill you up (nuts, fruit, yoghurt)
  • don't starve yourself, if you're hungry between meals have a healthy snack
  • no low-fat or diet anything, it is usually full of sugar or nasties
  • cook from scratch every day - not necessarily fancy, jacket potato and tuna is fine, with some green veg on the side! if you cook from scratch then there will be no secret addictive ingredients to make you binge eat
  • lean protein with every meal
  • don't buy biscuits or crisps (if you're desperate, bake some, it'll probably not be worth the effort)
  • don't buy sweets for your children, that way they are not there to tempt you (and your DCs don't need them)
  • eat seasonally
  • meal plan all the time
  • eat at roughly the same time every day
  • eat dinner earlier rather than later (for me 7pm)
  • if you need something upstairs, get it now, all activity is good (I potter a lot)
OP posts:
Mabelface · 17/12/2014 18:57

There's a way of doing it though. Even if it wasn't meant, you come over as patronising as if we'll all think "That's it! By Jove! I must emulate photocop immediately!" There are usually deeper seated issues.

amigababy · 17/12/2014 18:58

I live in a bungalow. Clearly I have a problem ......

SillyBlueHat · 17/12/2014 18:58

I'm slim and I ate 2 burgers for lunch. It's my genes.

PoppySausage · 17/12/2014 18:59

I think your op is helpful. It is what I aim for and is logical. I think your title was misjudged but I get where you're coming from

listed · 17/12/2014 19:01

Ahhh hahahahahaaaahaaha

Ok then.

I'm naturally humble and unsmug. Do you want me to tell you how I did it?

InanimateCarbonRod · 17/12/2014 19:02

OP I'm fat ... Size 20 fat. I also eat like you. However a rogue thyroid doesn't allow me to be smugly slim like you.

minklundy · 17/12/2014 19:03

Here OP
Have several BiscuitBiscuitBiscuit

TheBoysMamma · 17/12/2014 19:05

I'm slim too it's genetics. Never seen the need to tell others what to eat though...

JoyceDivision · 17/12/2014 19:06

It makes sense, but...

ah.. I can't be arsed.

I have a double colmans tuna pasta bake with extra cheese and hot pepper sauce mixed in baking in t'oven for when dh gets home...mmmm lush

TheWordFactory · 17/12/2014 19:06

OP, that is what you, as a slim person, eats.

It's not a blue print and it sounds very controlling and unappetizing to be honest. You've sucked all the joy out of food and drink.

I am at a body weight I am very happy with. I drink alcohol most days, our house is teaming with crisps and biscuits, I never cycle and I'm not fond of swimming (never step foot in a public pool). Apart from brown bread, all our carbs are white. And our chocolate is milk more often than not. I don't eat green veg with each meal - far from it.

For me it's not about the relentless day-to-day watching of every mouthful, but having a really comfortable relationship with food and drink.

BigBoobiedBertha · 17/12/2014 19:08

You missed out one big thing that means that even if you follow the list you might not necessarily be thin. Sleep. The effects of lack of sleep on your body and weight can be quite severe so there could be plenty of new or newish mothers who are eating just like you and still manage to be over weight because they are struggling with lack of sleep.

You also mention nothing about portion control. Follow your rules without portion control and you won't lose weight.

What I would like to hear from is somebody who is effortlessly slim. I don't want to have to wade through all those rules before I ever put anything in my mouth. I find that utterly depressing tbh.

NewEraNewMindset · 17/12/2014 19:08

I hoestly think it's more complicated than that. I eat really well and am just on the borderline of overweight. I never eat dinner or cake or crisps or biscuits. I snack on fruit. If I ate the kind of foods that many people eat daily I would jump straight back up to a size 16.

So I cannot follow your food guidelines and stay slim. I have to be more strict than that.

velourvoyageur · 17/12/2014 19:15

I don't think the OP has a controlling attitude towards food actually, I know plenty of people who just follow those habits without thinking much about it and it seems normal to me. It's how my parents did things growing up- they're interested in nutrition (& from abroad, I think it might be a culture thing).

WhatsGoingOnEh · 17/12/2014 19:21

I suppose I was trying to convey that you have to make long-term permanent changes to your diet to stay slim and healthy

I thought I just had a lightbulb moment! Turns out, it was only the fridge opening.

Carry on

judydoes · 17/12/2014 19:25

It doesn't sound very controlling to me (cake 3x a week I'd never do, but for my health not my waistline!) but for reasons I mention above, I don't find it valid.

Also if you've never been overweight, how do you know this is what it takes to stay slim?If you'd BEEN overweight and then lost it and kept it off, fair enough.

MeganChips · 17/12/2014 19:26

I don't think you meant any harm OP but here's the thing: most people know these things already, it's putting them into practice that's the hard thing.

Besides it is far, far more complex. Things like body chemistry, always being made to clear your plate, overeating long term overrides your off switch so you no longer even know when you're full.

People are different. Dark chocolate is still full of sugar, cooking from scratch every day if you are on a tight budget and work full time.

I'm glad you were given a good start in life but it's not necessarily a panacea.

Mulderandskully · 17/12/2014 19:26

I've always been thin. A few years ago I was put on some medication, the side effect of which was weight gain. Goodness- I was out of control. I had a humongous appetite and could in no way control it- it controlled me! Came off pills after a year or so, appetite went back to my normal, weight fell off.
Some people have an appetite like that all the time. Your rules will cause utter misery to them, as simple as they may seem to you. These aren't sick people, or people with disorders- just people with big appetites. YABU to assume everyone can live like you and have the same affects. People aren't stupid

GlitzAndGigglesx · 17/12/2014 19:27

I'm slim, eat what I like and rarely exercise. I'm addicted to pizza and crisps and can eat a pack of biscuits in one sitting. A stupid time consuming diet has nothing to do with it. Pretty smug to try and make others feel like shit

MistyMistletoe · 17/12/2014 19:28

You lot are so mean at times Xmas Sad . Have some Flowers photo' for trying to be helpful.

Mitchy1nge · 17/12/2014 19:45

thing is there is much outside an individual's control that contribute to weight problems though, like where they live - is easy for me to run several miles most days, on or off road, I generally feel safe and am a member of more than one running club, there are plenty of gyms, cycle paths, our schools have huge playing fields etc. I also have horses and they are a ready made daily workout even before riding any of them. I don't know how I would cope in an urban environment - and who they live with, or among, attitudes to food and cooking and activity are shaped a lot by our peers I think

and why is it that so often the poorer people are, the more likely they are to be obese? deprivation and disadvantage seem to set people up for living on terrible diets, it's not very fair

OmnipotentQueenOfTheUniverse · 17/12/2014 19:51

lol

I was slim for years and years, here's what my diet consisted of:

20-40 marloboro red a day
cheese
2 botts white wine per day
coca cola
occasional recreational drugs
plenty of casual sex

I looked great Grin and it wasn't that hard to stick to it either.

Not sure it would suit everybody, mind...

lol

mypoosmellsofroses · 17/12/2014 19:56

Omnipotent Sounds great, but what sort of cheese? Want to be sure I'm doing it right

mathanxiety · 17/12/2014 19:57

Me too.
It all sounds very sensible.

lljkk · 17/12/2014 19:58

You should have started out by saying "I think this is what works for me, do others want to share what works for them?" and that would have been fine.

I do a lot of OP's things but a lot I don't.

Am very Keen to know what Photocop has for breakfast.

mathanxiety · 17/12/2014 20:02

BigBoobiedBertha, you are right about sleep.
But I don't think there is such a thing as someone who is effortlessly slim except for people who do not have enough to eat. People back in the days of rationing were all pretty slim, to judge from old photos.