If you are slim, please tell me how the conversation in your head goes

[whatisheupto]

If you are over the age of 38 and reasonably slim / not overweight, please tell me this:

An hour or two after dinner when you really fancy a bit of toast, do you tell yourself "no" and force yourself to resist the urge? When your brain nags you again, do you give it a firm "no" until and tell it to go away?
When you really want a small bowl of cornflakes before bed, do you just stop yourself and ignore the hunger pangs? Do you tell yourself "come on, you can do this. Think how good you'll feel tomorrow"

Do you tell yourself these things every day? For years? And rarely give in to temptation?

Or do you just never usually fancy a piece of toast or a late bowl of cornflakes? So it's just not a problem for you?

Are slim people better at self control, or are they just experiencing fewer urges?

I also don’t really keep snacks in the house (pre lockdown of course). Usually I’d just think about eating the thing I’m craving the next day as I’ll have to go out and buy it. Chances are that when the time comes, I’m already over the craving. Or if I do have it, I’m not overeating as it would be part of the next day’s food (rather than a late night snack after I’ve already had all my meals of the day)

I never eat until about 1pm, no breakfast. I eat lunch and then maybe some raw veg in the afternoon and dinner at 7. It doesn’t occur to me to eat after that although I do love a glass of wine. I only snack on Friday and Saturday nights when I will have some nice crisps. I simply don’t have a sweet tooth so a cake / biscuits / sweets are just not on my radar

I have been trying to lose around half a stone so tracking calories and the snacks really add up! Especially when in the house more often due to lockdown.

I have to limit myself often. Tricks that are helping me are
Be really good for breakfast and lunch, very careful choices then the rest of the day is easier.
I find painting my nails relaxing so I do that, or have a bath or go a walk if struggling to avoid snacks in the evening.

wastedyearsandtears I have a friend who feels like you, she doesn't understand how enormously valuable she is

Late 30s, BMI of 20ish. If I get hungry before bed I tend to have a Diet Coke if I know I have eaten a lot during the day, if not, I will have a bit of toast.
I don’t tend to have a lot of snacks in the house to avoid temptation, but I do have a sweet tooth so tend to have sweets in.

Don't buy anything you can grab and snack at . If you feel hungry have a coffee

I’m slim (size 10 5’8”) and it’s all down to luck and a bit of lifestyle. But mostly luck. I am terrible for giving in to cravings for junk food at night, probably every second day.

Please don’t think that all thin people have more self control. There are plenty of us who are lazy and weak willed. We probably aren’t often on threads like this one though, I know I’m not. We are just lucky (in our culture) and in no way are we “better people“.

This might sound really strange but sometimes when I have cravings just before or in bed I watch the mukbang/eating shows videos sometimes I imagine it's me (they have ridiculous amounts of food in front of them) If it's a craving of a particular food I watch that until I'm sick of seeing them eat it and this works for me. This doesn't work if I'm genuinely hungry but then I know if I am genuinely hungry as usually it's because I eaten too little in the day but I'm usually good at eating enough in the day, it's just a sometimes get cravings.

I am a 10, aged 47. I lost nearly 6 stone in a year and have been maintaining it for a year. I lost it after a traumatic incident saw my appetite disappear for a long time and then working stupid hours on my feet all the time. So I now have a much smaller appetite, I eat similar sized meals as my nine year old and much less than my teenagers, but I eat more often. So I will have half a sandwich at say 1pm, and have the other half at 3pm. And I rarely snack. If I do fancy something I will have it but I dont have much. I often think "Ooh I fancy X" and buy it but most of whatever it was will sit on the side until one of the kids nabs it!

Also I do think that we are not used to being hungry anymore, when I was a kid if you were hungry you waited until the next meal time. None of us died as a result, but these days it seems like there has to be food available at all times, and the slightest pang must be fed. The snacking thing just didnt happen when I was growing up. The idea of taking the kids out with a bag of snacks to keep them going blows my mind! If we go out I take drinks and maybe an apple each, full day and its just the picnic. My age I think does make a difference here, as my kids have not been brought up on snacking because I wasnt.

I've gained a few kgs from lockdown, so I'm now 63kg at 5'6". I've had lots of ups and downs over the years but since I changed my thinking about food 10 years ago it's been pretty much 60-63 kgs range. So the question you ask is a good one, and the answer is that it's all about habits. I used to do lots of eating after dinner, partly because I ate too little at dinner. I would agonise about it, est when I wasn'tt hungry, eat more because I felt guilty about eating anything. I guess I also thought it was all better than weighing cucumber slices, which is where I was at when I was 17 and weighed 47kgs. But it wasn't better, because my life still revolved around food. I started spending more time exercising and it got me away from the whole thing a bit.bi ran with a friend after work and before dinner, and it made me feel so good about myself that when I got to making dinner, it was just fuel. If I wanted a little treat after dinner, I'd have just a small piece of something I wanted. And if I was still antsy, I'd have a cup of coffee, tea or sugar free squash. I had a big range of flavoured teas so it was still fun and something to prepare. And I just consciously reminded myself there was no shame in any of it, humans weren't designed for constantly available food, so it fucks with our wiring (control/lack of control and all the guilt that comes with it).
Try replacing the craving for cereal with a kiwi. Replace the other snacks with smaller portions. Then accept that humans were designed to go 6-8 hours without food before they really need it. We don't need constant snacks to fuel ourselves. It's really hard and very emotional, so I can only wish you strength and confidence!

For me, I always just want it. I never ever need it. I just want the taste of chocolate in my mouth or the taste of a biscuit.

If you ask yourself honestly ARE you hungry? Or are cornflakes just do crunchy and satisfying that you want them?

I’ve been doing so so well in lockdown but have fallen off the wagon in the last couple of days. I’m really worried I’ve broken my good habits now.

I'm slim (8) but have a large appetite and do eat quite a lot. I think I'm good at self-regulating on healthy eating, i.e. if I've eaten a load of crap one day then I make an effort to eat healthily for a couple of days. I just hate the feeling of eating unhealthily for too many meals in a row - I genuinely start craving salad and steamed veg! I eat large balanced meals with lots and lots of veg.

I am hungry right now because I had a stir fry for dinner and noodles never fill me up enough. I am about to go to sleep hungry. But on another night I might go and have a slice of toast and butter. Just not every night!

I’m tall and slim and reading your post OP has been v interesting. I hate to say it but I just don’t get those cravings. It would never occur to me to eat anything after dinner. We eat quite a large meal for dinner, always have pudding and I often have a couple of chocolates with a decaf coffee to finish off (but literally only 1 or 2 truffles, not the entire box!) and then that’s it, I’m done until mid morning when I feel hungry again.

The only thing that is working for me is to not have snacks in the house. I have zero self control when it comes to chocolate so if I want any I have to physically go to the shop to get it and I can never be bothered by then. I have started a grape habit though. I would always take a snack in front of the tv at 9pm but I'm 2 weeks without doing that and it's honestly getting easier. If I have to have something it will be a cup of tea or coffee.

@whatisheupto a quarter century ago, after my eldest was born, I got in the habit of snacking on crisps at 9:00 pm. Then going to sleep and it going straight on my thighs. Once I quit eating later I lost almost a stone in months.

I definitely have to deny myself. I think - 'just wait half an hour and then you can have something'.

Then I make myself a cup of tea and drink that instead. And a glass of sugar free squash.

Then I go to bed.

But it's definitely a combination of creating good habits (ie, not snacking) and not buying food to snack on (the closest things I currently have in the cupboards that are sort-of snackable are - raw oats, blackberry jam, and yoghurt...)

Carby sugary things are bastards.

Honestly if you cut down on your carbs and get rid of sugar those cravings will go away. I always over eat if I have complex carbs. It’s actually not your fault it’s the chemical process what’s going on in your body. They create the cravings.

Dr Mosley has a book out on it. Interesting read tbh.

Or I just go to bed.

Lighten up summer. Thank you.

Ive just realised that the only time I get really hungry after I have eaten is when I have Chinese food :o

I think its beause thats the only time I have a meal that is really carby. I usually have a fried rice dish (the kids love chinese and I am not keen, thats the only thing I like). Within a couple of hours I am craving more, and I am sure its because of the sugar hit/drop. When I stick to my low carb normal diet, it doesnt happen.

I need our local buffet restaurant to open again so they can have their usual mish mash of chinese and pizza, and I can gorge on chicken curries and no rice :o

You have never been introduced to the best life hack ever if you are getting regular cravings...

I used to feel like you did, then I found low carb/keto/blood sugar diet (they are pretty much all the same) and realised that these cravings are completely expected because of what I was eating

You'll need to look it all up - there is loads of research, sites, blogs, videis, but the long and short of it is, If you eat a lot of carbs (i.e. over 50g a day - and one slice of toast has about 20g, so a 2 slice sandwich is taking you close without any fillings) then your body produces insulin to reduce blood sugar, this process lasts about 2 hours, then it ASKS FOR MORE! And it want MORE carbs - i.e. your toast

Carbs give the body a quick fix of energy, and is the easy quick hit energy. Fat and protein offer a much slower burn, and the body will always prioritise glucose from carbs.

Your OP is describing a perfectly normal pattern if you eat a lot of carbs, so switch to a way of eating that is under 50g of carbs a day (20g if you want to lose weight quickly), and the body will learn to use the slower burning sources of energy.

That means eating meat (more of the fatty pieces like pork belly, chicken thighs - also cheaper), eggs, cheese, salad, fish, above ground vegetables, nuts (check their indiv. content) and lashings of full fat mayonnaise.

You will have a withdrawal for a week, but that is because your body is craving the hit, but it will learn! Your cravings will go, it's just biology.

I am 45, 5'6 and 8 stone 12. I now fast quite a bit because it's really easy and get no cravings whatsoever for snacks....it's the life hack I wish I had had when I spent my days willing myself not to have another piece of toast.

I'm 48, 5ft 3 and about 56 kg /8 st 12. I'm always chasing being 54 kg. I constantly have to try and say no to myself and it's a complete pain - but it hasn't always been like that. I'm going through a hard time and I'm an emotional eater 😬

I used to eat the way you’re describing.. if I fancied instant noodles at 10pm I’d have them, crisps multiple times a day always followed by something sweet to round it off. I almost never felt hunger. I had to completely re-learn a way of eating and now weigh comfortably at 8 stone (5”3). I still get those cravings, I think, if I pop out now I could be having a Twix in 20 mins.. I genuinely could eat a round of buttered toast most nights at 11pm or at 4pm or at 2pm or at 11am! When I was losing the excess weight, I learnt how to live with hunger and learnt to enjoy coming to a meal with real hunger. A bit of hunger makes food taste better. Now that I am at the weight I like to be at, my body doesn’t expect these fleeting wants to be indulged.... however like a PP said, if I know I will be too hungry to sleep, I will eat, even if it’s the craving food. As I am quite healthy most times, I don’t feel bad about it at all If that makes sense. It also helps me that 4pm everyday is tea and a bit of chocolate time 😝 in terms of thoughts, I am hungry right now but am just imagining my lovely country loaf with tons of butter standing to attention next to two lovely soft boiled eggs... but I wouldn’t want to spoil that enjoyment by going down and secret-eating it now

Honestly you are all lovely and valuable. I have fallen into the trap of thinking you are what you look like. Children love you whatever. I wish we were all children. Being beautiful and slim didn’t stop my husband cheating on me. He didn’t deserve me when I was fat or when I was thin. I was the same person Funny and clever and kind. Eat the cornflakes you will be the same person

I agree that the first week of low carb is hard, I think its called Carb Flu.

I was constantly STARVING! So I made a no crust quiche (literally a quiche lorraine but with no pastry) to keep in the fridge and grabbed a slice when I was hungry. It is low carb and really helped, it also makes a good low carb breakfast.

You do get used to it, I feel very stodged and sluggish when I have a lot of carbs now so tend to avoid them. And it has it upsides. When I went on holiday I treated myself to the first chips I had had in a year, and OMG they were delicious! They were standard chain restaurant chips, nothing special but because I hadnt had them in so long I really appreciated the taste, and I only managed about half a small portion (which was served in a mini galvanised bucket....dont get me started.....)

For me denial of snacks is worse, as I can't keep it up. Instead I make sure I have lower cal versions. Eg a mini kitkat/small biscuit to have with a cup of tea in the afternoon or evening (instead of cake/half a pack of biscuits - which I do have occasionally).

I also love crisps, so try to buy the air popped ones, and save the oil fried deliciousness for the weekends.

I don't drink during the week and only 1 or 2 on fri, then maybe 4-5 on Sat, so that helps with calories.

I like to bake which can be dangerous, so try so bake more for the kids so I am not tempted.

I also make sure portions are big enough so I am not hungry soon after dinner.

I still eat all the things I like though, but maybe not super regularly.