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 get urges to eat in the evenings definitely, I did tonight...
I filled a very small glass dish with overnight oats, made with almond milk and a bit of full fat Fage Greek yoghurt (I never eat the low fat stuff) and a teaspoon of jam. That did the trick.
I keep a big bowl of fresh fruit salad in the fridge too. I tend not to eat fruit at night, but will have a bit of apple sometimes
If i fancy something and it’s really late, I’ll just have a cup of Tea.
I don’t drink Alcohol anymore and I’m lucky that most of the stuff I like is fairly healthy. Except for Biscoff spread which I can’t have in the house!!
I do Yoga and have started lifting weights.
I’m 5.9, 9 stone 7 and 55 years old.

@Wastedyearsandtears Thank you that is lovely. But I have lots of confidence and actually kind of don't care that much how I look. But I do get fed up of my clothes not fitting and I don't like it when I shop for new clothes and find it hard to find clothes that work (I need to lose 2 dress sizes). Above all it's for health and fitness.... and to avoid getting more and more overweight over time.

Eating very refined carbs now, such as a Dominos pizza, makes me want to puke.

I can feel the bloat just thinking about it.

I never ever feel bloated on low carb. You feel somewhere between good and amazing all the time.

I heard someone describing what low carb does to your craving as "removing the devil who sits on your shoulder telling you to eat that next slice of toast".

I know many people think it is a willpower thing and there are many examples on this thread that show people are responding to cravings by using willpower, e.g. going to bed, but once you find out what the body is doing and why........you realise it was never your fault, it was just what you were putting in your body.

@hamstersarse

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.

This!

I'm the wrong side of 45 and under 8st (v.short as well!) We eat around 7 most evenings and it's very rare that I have anything after that as it just doesn't cross my mind. If I do feel a bit peckish I'll have a cup of tea and perhaps a biscuit but that would be it.

I have teens so there are a fair amount of crisps and snacks around and I would never consciously deny myself anything, but I just don't think about food much.

@tenredthings nothing with any sugar in at all? Ie. No fruit

For some reason I pretty much eat what I want, when I want. I don’t have a huge appetite for sweet things. I enjoy chocolate most evenings with my tea at bedtime. I love my meals and am not bothered with toast or snacks much between meals. But if I’m hungry I eat. And sometimes eat 3 caramel squares just because I wanted more. I think it’s genetics, portion size, low taste for some junk food. Dunno. I’m 38 and a size 8.

I've always wondered this too OP. I think about food ALL the time, I could easily eat toast an hour after (a large) dinner.

It genuinely blows my mind that slim people don't get these constant thoughts about food. I am envious.

I don't snack, never have. it just isn't something I do. If I fancy a snack on a rare occasion then I wold have one knowing that it is the exception rather than the rule and I would enjoy it all the more. If I am peckish outside of meal times I would probably deny myself knowing that the feeling with pass in an instant and that I am fully fed and satiated anyway. I don't allow myself to get hungry I guess. If I did fancy a treat I would first question whether I really was hungry.

Firstly, I don't eat toast or cornflakes, they're just empty calories. Make sure your main meals minimise carbs and contain lots of protein so your too full to feel tempted with snacks. A balanced diet will stabilise your blood sugar, resulting in less cravings. So basically, i used to feel tempted by snacks and had to control my cravings, and now I don't.

So, 48 very slim and in all honesty I don't say no, I'm a terrible snacker. I eat fruit in the evening but also crisps, cheese & crackers etc
I do think it's partly genetic/fast metabolism but I'm also a real grazer, my meals are very small and I do a lot of snacking in between.
Dd is back from uni and she commented that I eat something at least every hour

Tricky one that. Pre lockdown I was a Reiss size 8, post lockdown, ie now, I can just squeeze into my super stretch larger jeans. Weight gained 7 kgs. Now that I’m fatter, my entire attitude to food has changed and it’s about filling something that’s missing, which of course it definitely isn’t. Actually odd to think about.
Re your question though: size 8 brain says, “I had a nice meal, why would I need more food, it’s nearly bedtime anyway, I always get a puffy face from eating late so I won’t as the cute guy at work might be there today”. And usually I didn’t have snacks in the house anyway, but even when I did I would occasionally have some then stop.
Size L brain says: but I want it, and anyway tomorrow is another day, I can start again tomorrow, it’ll be such a rest and I’ve had a bad day and I’m a bit angry about being alone. Or, I’ll burn it off, I’ll have a really big exercise day tomorrow.”

Basically, ask yourself whether you deserve a nice healthy body or a piece of buttered toast. You know which one will make you happier in the long term and that’s where I should also be focusing. The long term starts right now, not tomorrow.

Such an eye-opening thread OP. This really resonated with me.

Also yes pregnancy and breast feeding definitely changed my habits and I probably carried on with those habits a bit too long!

I was 9st or less from my teens through to early 30s. Never have weight much thought. I was sick as a dog in my first pregnancy too so it was such a pleasure to start eating after the birth. DH made me three cooked meals a day and endless snacks. I used to keep cereal bars, nuts and chocolate in my bedside drawer for night-time feeds. Breastfeeding shrank me back quickly but I never really stopped the endless snacking. Now, three pregnancies later I am up two stones and seem to be a habitual snacker. It’s not even a conscious thing. It’s handfuls of crisps here, handfuls of nuts there, half a large bar of chocolate now, bag of Pretzels later. I don’t even notice it happening. I can spend ALL day like this. I don’t make lunch, somehow imagining that that makes up for the snacking but the scales tell me different.

It genuinely blows my mind that slim people don't get these constant thoughts about food. I am envious.

Hasn’t this thread shown you that plenty of slim people do?

I often eat a mushroom 2 egg omelette for breakfast as I find if I eat eggs I just don't get hungry and can miss out lunch. When I cut out sugar the cravings to snack went away. My rule is nothing processed or ready made and no sugar.

Yeah, it's fucking relentless staying slim for me tbh.

I'm around 140 lbs and 5'5. I low carb and say no a lot of the time... If I am hungry inbetween meals I have veg sticks, fruit, cheese, ham. Lots of water.

It's worth it though!

I've recently stopped drinking wine, which has helped with losing weight.

I am not slim, but normal weight. BMI 22-23. Over 38, (the age you mentioned).

I make hot chocolate in the evenings, mixing a teaspoon of cocao with hot water and then a little bit of milk. I drink it unsweetened - took about a week to get used to it without sugar.

The chocolatey taste and smell stops me feeling like I'm missing out, and it's not fattening.

I feel better when I stop eating early evening but am sometimes tempted to eat. Tonight we had peaches with custard and chocolate sauce which was so delicious, but I can't do that too often.

Seconding eating eggs like tenredthings

They really satiate

PEARS not peaches. Don't know why I wrote peaches!

(Not that it's important)

@MutedGrey I avoid processed sugar, I eat fruit.

35 here

There are a couple of things I remember reading that seem to help

1. Saw this chart on how hungry you are. You should eat when you're hungry and not when you kinda feel like having something to eat. Try having a glass of water and check the clock. If it's 11, I'm sure you can wait another hour until lunchtime. (I'm a snacker.... 2 fried eggs for breakfast made me lose 3kg! The protein maker you less hungry)

1. It's apparently not bad to go to bed ever so slightly hungry. I have a couple of biscuits with tea after a conscious portioned dinner. And after that I avoid eating anything else. I look at the chocolate and go:No! And brush my teeth, that feels final. I hate eating with the taste of toothpaste in my mouth.

1. I'm pregnant and tired with 2 children. How I look at the Nutella jar..... but I make myself eat more fruit. Good choices.

Wait! 3 hours after dinner?! That's a bit.... my body clock demands food after 3/4 hours.

My mum always had a warm glass of milk before bed. Milk had fat in it (a tiny bit) so it'll help with that hunger.

I'm a bit of an imposter because I was slightly overweight but now after a month I'm no longer overweight. I cut out sugar and snacks. Once you decide to stop eating sugar and snacks the cravings diminish. Now if I eat sugary food it tastes awful. I just eat fruit if I want sweetness. I eat a very light lunch now. Try it for a couple of weeks.

Three meals, few (if any) snacks and eat well most of the time.

Try not to skimp on meals. Stop buying high calorie 'filler good' to have in easy reach.

If you want to eat you have to cook it properly. And if you're as naturally lazy as I am you won't bother til you're really hungry.

If I stick to that, toast and cereal wouldn't tempt me most nights. That means I can have something tastier - like a yummy chocolate cake or takeaway - at the weekend.

If you’re hungry for toast an hour after dinner it suggests you aren’t eating properly at dinner? It

It is almost never about hunger for me. I nearly always want to keep on eating after I have finished a meal and I regularly get urges to eat without being here ngry throughout the day. The more I eat the more insistet the urges are . But I am fat so am reading this with interest

Fasting helps with this a bit as I find weirdly that the fewer times I eat during the day, fewer opportunities there are for those urges . They are nothing to do with hunger.