How do people stay so slim without being on a diet?

[Cwoffeelover1]

How do people maintain a slim weight when not actively dieting does anyone have any tips on how they stay slim? I hate being on strict diet plans because it makes me crave the food more lol

@Planet42

My sister is slim whereas I could do with losing a couple of stone.She eats whatever she wants and enjoys her food as much as I do. She loves to snack.The difference between her and myself is she always feels full much before I do and just stops. Her portion sizes are smaller because she genuinely has had enough. I can carry on eating loads before I get really full. It’s not fair that I didn’t get that genetically as well

See I'm just not sure that that is a genuine argument (although I know I could be completely wrong if a load of scientists want to give me some reliable research).

If I start eating a lot over a few weeks: two courses instead of 1, ordering nan and popadoms and chips with an Indian, slipping in more puddings after meals, upping portion size generally - especially of carbs, then I start feeling like I'm not full with just a normal sized meal. If I do a short term diet like the 5:2, then it doesn't take too long for me to feel satisfied with much smaller portions and to struggle with a full meal out at a pub and not be able to manage a desert - whereas if I've had a month of over eating, I'd manage it no problem.

As you say - you can eat more until you're 'really full'. I think a lot of people eat until they get to that feeling of 'couldn't eat another bite', whereas others just eat until they are full. I know that I do both. I dont think its genetics, i think its habbit.

I do think that it's about what portion size you are used to to feel full and think people (myself included) can be totally deluded about what a normal portion size is. Stayed with my SIL and I cooked a curry. She had those boil in the bag rice packets and I was shocked at how small it looked on the plate when I cooked one bag each.

As you say - you can eat more until you're 'really full'. I think a lot of people eat until they get to that feeling of 'couldn't eat another bite', whereas others just eat until they are full. I know that I do both. I dont think its genetics, i think its habbit
I agree.
There was a study done where they measured how much people ate. One set of participants had a set portion of soup and the other had a soup bowl that automatically refilled somehow. Those who had the refilling bowl ate substantially more than those without.

Genetics help and obviously affect someone's build, but weight is one of those topics where I think too many people find it comforting to set the cause or responsibility or blame on an external factor rather than their own actions.

Turns out slim people just don't think about food all the time so eat what they need for fuel.
Honestly this blew my mind a little, I had always assumed everyone was struggling and depriving themselves but nope, just not hungry it turns out

This is absolutely true for me. My dm is a definite foodie and gets a lot of pleasure from food / feeding others. My df is like me and just eats because he has to, have always been like this and can see my ds following suit

I eat too much. I love food! I go to the gym 6 days a week. Its a trade off that works for me. I try to eat generally healthily during the week and cut myself a bit more slack at weekends.

I cannot stand the "well its alright for you, you're skinny" type comments. You have to put some amount of effort in.

I do intermittent fasting too. Thats just from my lifestyle though, rather than an active diet choice.

I've never liked having a big evening meal so rarely have one. I'm also not a fan of breakfast so don't tend to eat until 11.30am/12pm. I will have a bigger lunch.

Some days I'm hungry. I'll have breakfast/tea on those days.

I agree with pp saying eating shouldn't really be a hobby.
I used to be thin and now I'm fat. It all started when I got married to someone who like cooking. Apparently I do like food. Nice food. My mums cooking was so shite if just never realised before.

I now have to actively decline dh baked treats such as cupcakes and cookies. Ahhh sigh. I appear to have turned eating into a delight that was never there before and my BMI most definitely reflects this. Previously if attributed being thin to my genetic makeup. I now attribute it to mums shit dinners

I'd not if *

I lost weight when I started cooking @shinyunicorn. That was swapping freezer food for veg based healthy meals. I love cooking and I’ve found focussing on savoury not sweet is much better for my waistline.

Thanks @PurpleDaisies my dh cooks everything. He loves it. His dinners are wonderful. But portion sizes are not, he is slim so doesn't notice when I'm piling on the pounds in the meantime with his servings and then desert every evening.

He is slim because the amount of food is ok for him but he will half the portion with me even though I'm clearly not the same build as him.
So unfortunately not just cakes etc but I need to get some self control on the go, prior to dh I never needed self control, I'd genuinely thought that half cooked aunt bessies potatoes that were pretty cold in the middle was what food was supposed to be like and I decided food was just something that had to be endured

I am 45.

I weigh 8 stone 10, 5 foot 4.

I run 3/4 times a week. Swim as well.

I count calories, and try not to exceed 1850 a day. Is that a diet?

I have one of those DHs too @shinyunicorn.
He is 6ft5 and could eat for Britain. I never let him serve up for me and I immediately put portions aside in tubs for the freezer/lunch so they don’t end up on the plate. I feel your pain. I guess it’s a blessing and a curse having a good cook in the family!

@PurpleDaisies I definitely need to take a leaf out of your book, sounds like you have a similar dh!

I am 55, 5'8 and 59kg. I run 60 miles a week, I do 16:8 every day (no breakfast), and don't eat a lot of carbs. For an evening meal I eat whatever I cook for the family but with salad instead of rice/pasta/potatoes. Week-ends more relaxed. It isn't a diet or hard because I like eating like that and love sport.

Small portions, even using a smaller plate.
Not afraid to leave something for later (or throw out/ give to dog/birds) if I feel I have too much
Don't drink much alcohol
Not keen on chocolate
Limit crisps and biscuits etc to when I REALLY fancy them, not just a habit
Exercise 3 times a week
Cook from scratch/ don't eat a lot of processed/ repacked food

Some of the slimmest and healthiest women I know are in their 50s and 60s. My DM is tiny (a U.K. size 6 is often loose on her) and she's in her 70s.

One thing they all have in common is high levels of activity, whether sport or just energetic in general. DM won't even drink a cup of tea sitting down, she's always on the go!

@Jemen sorry I dont know how to tag. Im 5ft6

I think a couple of posters have hit the nail on the head. I love food but I don’t eat to the point I could pop. I can feel when I’m getting full and I stop when I’m full as opposed to uncomfortably full. I could still polish off the last couple of spuds but I know if I do that, I’ll feel uncomfortable. I hate that feeling!

I think the more you eat until you’re ready to pop, the more you expand your stomach, the more you need to make you feel full. The cycle continues.

I normally don’t feel hungry until dinner time. So I just drink coffee through the day, then have a big evening meal, and perhaps a packet of crisps, chocolate or a few crackers in the evening.
It’s probably not the healthiest, but I just don’t feel hungry for breakfast/lunch.
My weight is always between 8.5-9 stone.

I have quite high base exercise needs - I feel an urge to walk/move and quite antsy until I have done equivalent of 4 miles a day if I don't do some more vigorous cardio. I have a desk job, so I probably need it.

I suspect that I do have a higher than average metabolism though - when I was in labour with DC, I threw up to the point that there was nothing left and they had to put me on a drip. They didn't want to feed me in case I needed a section (which I eventually did). It was quite clear that the standard IV line for salt/sugar/fluid et. was insufficient for me, as however much blanket and warmth I was given, my teeth kept chattering due to low blood sugar so they eventually had to let me have some more sugar every so often to top me up.

When I was younger I was slim and never dieted. But I did a lot of natural fasting. Just didn't feel hungry during the day so was either (without intending do) doing OMAD diet or intermittent fasting. I also really dislike the taste of high fat foods and find most of them very hard to digest, so I tended to go for salads as starters and fruit salads as deserts rather than deep fried camembert and chocolate bombe.

@JKRismyPatronus

Anxiety keeps me slim. When I am feeling anxious I lose my appetite.

Oh yes! And probably one of the reasons I hate diet talk is when I’ve been model thin (BMI

I'm not convinced about gut bacteria, certainly not for myself, as I was on and off antibiotics for most of my teens and young adult life so no doubt my gut bacteria was wrecked yet I ate what I wanted and remained skinny until I was about 30. Have been slim rather than skinny since then but do need to exercise a bit and no longer do things like eating a whole box of mince pies. Weight aside, that can't be a good thing! Saw alcohol mentioned and hadn't thought of that. I don't enjoy it so don't drink.

Not driving.

I'm slim and often miss a meal here or there because I'm caught up in something or I haven't scheduled in lunch. Breakfast is the most likely meal to be missed, and I will just have something more substantial for lunch, and possibly not another actual meal but a few snacks later on. I love food and have a history of disordered eating so I weigh myself every morning. I do not diet. I have a dog and walk alot every day and work as a cleaner. These things help. I'm from a fat family and my siblings have all struggled with their weight too.