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Original poster

Spent the weekend with slim people and I now see why I'm overweight

717 replies

ChristmasTreeLight · 03/12/2017 17:07

After having spent the weekend with slim people, it appears that they:

a) don't need as much food to feel full,
I couldn't believe that after X amount of food, they were full - I could have happily carried on eating.

b) can go much longer between meals without eating,
At one point in the afternoon, I was ready to gnaw my arm off, I asked if anyone wanted to stop for a snack (thinking they'd be starving) but no, they were happy to keep going

c) don't crave sweet stuff in the way I do.
I I need sweet things as pudding, I was almost desperate for some chocolate, whereas again they just did not seem to feel that urge.

I am a size 14 and they are 8-10 and now I can see why. It's led me to wonder is it something innate, something physical? Are you just born like that, not to have the appetite or the sweet tooth? Am I simply fighting a losing battle in the vain dream of being a size 10 one day?

Hmm
OP posts:
JumpingintoLCHF · 29/12/2017 15:12

I don't see why unless you make a really big thing of it. I've beem encouraging my whole family to eat less carb anyway but children need carbs as they grow from what I understand. Nothing wrong with them seeing lower carb meals as normal for adults. As a nation we are so big on carbs and we don't need to be.

BitOutOfPractice · 29/12/2017 16:09

Depends on how you talk to them about it. I have two teenage DDs and we just talk about stuff and why they need more carbs or why I'm cutting down mine. I'm just open and relaxed about it - it's no big deal.

Bigfoot1 · 29/12/2017 20:55

This is a really interesting thread.
I genuinely believe that the introduction of processed foods is what led to the obesity epidemic in the second half of last century.
By processed food I really mean the highly processed carbs containing high fructose corn syrup and very refined sugar. And believe it or not, high quantities of these are present in the majority of processed foods (even savoury, and so called "health foods" such as cereal bars)
For me the best approach is the least processed the better. And if you are going to eat processed food then process it yourself so you know what's in it!
This morning I had scrambled eggs left over asparagus and half a left over salmon fillet from last night. I ate that at about 10am and I am now genuinely feeling the first hunger pangs of the day.
You are much more likely to overeat all processed foods. Bread is highly processed and a weakness for me so it's something I only have occasionally.
We weren't built to eat highly processed food. We can't efficiently turn them into energy so we store them as fat and we eat them to excess....

Whoever mentioned sleep is also spot on.
Sleep deprivation puts you in a state of stress. Your body thinks it's under threat so will crave high calorie food to try and survive the stress. We are highly adapted for this and as a species are highly successful.

Period of starvations also make us fat and turn the body into stress mode causing overeating....
This is why only 5% of people on calorie controlled diets keep the weight off in the long term. And that 5% usually combine their diet with training...

Just my take on it....

Bigfoot1 · 29/12/2017 20:57

In summary I think slim people are rested, less stressed, eat less processed food and eat intuitively

Gwenhwyfar · 29/12/2017 21:50

"the highly processed carbs containing high fructose corn syrup "

High fructose corn syrup is an American thing. It's not really a problem here.

Gingernaut · 31/12/2017 02:44

High fructose corn syrup is an American thing. It's not really a problem here

Guess again. Many processed foods now contain glucose/fructose mixtures.

Movablefeast · 31/12/2017 03:21

In 2016 I followed a lifestyle changing program at my gym here In the USA. They educated us a lot showing us the results of scientific studies.

It was all very interesting and eye opening. The doctors talked about high and low metabolism at that studies have shown people have little difference in metabolism. When people with "high" metabolism are tracked it turns out they are just a lot more active. They don't spend hours in the couch but move around a lot more. All that activity counts, even people who constantly tap their feet are burning calories!

There is no magic formula other than eat enough calories that you can burn in a day - no more.

Movablefeast · 31/12/2017 03:23

In 2017! Hmm My memory is rubbish!!

Gingernaut · 31/12/2017 04:17

Metabolism can be raised with exercise.

Most obese/overweight people have got normal/slightly raised metabolic rates because of the extra work required to haul the extra weight around.

Movablefeast · 31/12/2017 04:57

Right, I am 49 and was a complete couch potato this time last year. I got moving, started weight training and changed what I was eating and lost 25lb (1 stone and 11lbs). Focusing on gaining strength and losing more weight in 2018.

Sostenueto · 31/12/2017 06:06

Omg! Size 14 is not fat!!?? The average size in this country is size 16, size 5 shoe, and 5' 5" tall for a woman! For a wonder there's so many teens suffering about their body image! My DGD is a 12/14 at age 15 she's a county swimmer and in no way fat!??!!. I wouldn't dream of telling her to diet! In fact, some of her friends are so thin and worry about what they look like so much they are having mental health issues! Crazy it is!

MuseumOfCurry · 31/12/2017 06:22

Nope I disagree with “wat when hungry”.

Agreed.

Omg! Size 14 is not fat!!?? The average size in this country is size 16, size 5 shoe, and 5' 5" tall for a woman! For a wonder there's so many teens suffering about their body image! My DGD is a 12/14 at age 15 she's a county swimmer and in no way fat!??!!. I wouldn't dream of telling her to diet! In fact, some of her friends are so thin and worry about what they look like so much they are having mental health issues! Crazy it is!

As a 45 year old woman, I was fat at a size 12. I'm sure there are athletes who are not fat at a size 12. That the average UK (adult?) is a size 16 is not a great metric, because the UK is a fat country.

Movablefeast · 31/12/2017 07:24

Agreed, an athlete is also not comparable to someone sedentary.

Ifailed · 31/12/2017 07:33

Average UK women is 5' 5" and 11 stone, that puts them into the 'overweight' category with a BMI of 25.6.

MsHarry · 31/12/2017 10:57

I'm 5ft 5 and 9st 8lb. Only been 11 st once and that was heavily pregnant. Far too much for my frame in normal circumstances.

MsHarry · 31/12/2017 10:58

My BMI is just over 22.

Middleoftheroad · 31/12/2017 11:08

In summary I think slim people are rested, less stressed, eat less processed food and eat intuitively

Annoyingly my super skinny husband is stressed, sleep deprived and eats a Gregg's sausage roll for breakfast and lots of processed foods. He still has a 29 inch waist and is around 9stone.

I tell him he us a TOFI (thin on the outside and fat inside) and I worry about his blood pressure/cholestoral.

Gingernaut · 31/12/2017 11:48

Stress reactions can vary.

For a lot of overweight people, stress brings on comfort eating and for some, stress causes appetite loss (anorexia) or they start to self-harm.

For us fatties, stress, added to a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, the relative abundance of processed foods high in fat and sugar and a tendency to underestimate calorie intake and you've laid the path to Simply Be and Jacomo.

I want to shop in Wallis again. Blush

MuseumOfCurry · 31/12/2017 16:35

In summary I think slim people are rested, less stressed, eat less processed food and eat intuitively

I think in the case of adults, you're correct. At the risk of sounding like Gwyneth Paltrow, there's a 'virtuous circle' of lifestyle factors that I'd broadly categorise as sleep, alcohol/diet, exercise, and mindfulness/stress.

Once you get going with one or two, the others can more easily fall into place.

Wishingandwaiting · 31/12/2017 17:07

I don’t think slim people are necessarily more relaxed and less stressed. It’s how we deal with it.

Yesterday I was dressed, hell of a lot on. The thought of stuffing myself with crisps was alien to me. Instead I pulled on my trainers and went for an amazing 10k run. Blew the cobwebs away. The stress was still there but the way I handled it didn’t add to my waistline!

Wishingandwaiting · 31/12/2017 17:10

I suspect the associating slimness with restfullness and good sleep and relaxed etc is simply another excuse. Another reason why X is slim and you’re not.

Don’t fall in to that trap. It will get you no where. You are overweight because you eat too much and don’t burn what you do eat through exercise.

Wishingandwaiting · 31/12/2017 17:11

Eat too much of the wrong foods I should say.

Every day I stuff myself, never hungry, but it’s steamed veg, lots of fruit, chargrilled chicken and prawns that comprise my “stuffing”

Movablefeast · 31/12/2017 17:29

Agree wishing you can eat plenty of food so you are full but it needs to be lean protein, whole grains, veggies and fruit rather than huge portions of pasta.

Movablefeast · 31/12/2017 17:31

Clinically shown that without enough sleep you will eat an average of 300 extra calories the next day. Sleep deprivation causes us to overeat.

MuseumOfCurry · 31/12/2017 17:56

Poor sleep absolutely causes you to gain weight. You may be familiar with the extreme example of the night shift.