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

@dadshere I used to get the "how can you stuff your face Infront of me" from work colleagues. They would be nibbling variations on teeny crispbread and low-fat spread while I munched a bread roll and peanuts. Then at 3pm they would eat chocolate and crisps while I sipped black coffee. If they saw me looking at their chocolate they would think I was judging them. There's obviously some cognitive dissonance going on, but I wouldn't call it delusional, because that might hurt their feelings.

shankayak same here

My colleagues were perma-dieting , telling me that having a salad and a sandwich was greedy and 2 lunches for 1 person

Then they’d all eat packets of biscuits or get cake at 3pm

I think knowing when to stop eating is the crux of it. Ie being satisfied with a standard portion of food, instead of eating until you’re full to the brim.

Before lockdown I had normal eating habits.

During lockdown I would polish off a pack of Pringles or a tub of ice cream in one sitting! I just got into a bad habit of boredom snacking. I’m trying to get back to normal, ie have a bit, but be happy to put the rest away for the next day instead of completely finishing it. Moderation is key.

I lost 12st a decade ago, and up until this year, kept it off.

I calorie counted for a LONG time, but then you do start to learn what a healthy breakfast looks like, and the portion sizes of each meal etc, so you can eventually stop the counting.

This, plus regular exercise, helps you stay slim.

I weighed myself once a month just to make sure I was doing okay, and I usually was, give or take a couple of pounds either way.

I have a lot of work to do in the new year to make up for this year, but I've done it before (on a much bigger scale, if you'll pardon the pun) so I absolutely know that I can do it again.

To add to my post above .. you also have to change the way you think about food, and not see 'bad' food as the ultimate reward.

In the past (and admittedly I've slipped again during lockdown) I would have a McDonald's because I'd had a bad day, or treat myself to a chocolate bar if I'd passed an exam - but then I thought to myself, why do I call it a 'treat' when I'm just damaging my body? It makes no sense!

Once you stop seeing food as a reward, and more something to fuel your body, it becomes easier.

Also, get a hobby that keeps your hands busy. I do 5D diamond painting, and console gaming - both of which help me stay away from the evening snacks!

I think also, that people have to accept that sometimes they will feel hungry. That doesn't mean you should eat. Eat proper, healthy meals and avoid snacking. When you are trying to lose weight, you will feel hungry, that is pretty much unavoidable. Be prepared for it, be aware of it and accept it.

dadshere
Even if you're not trying to lose weight, you'll feel hunger.
I seriously wonder if some people aren't good at differentiating between hunger and thirst, but also hunger vs not feeling full.

If they step away from the habit of endless snacking every time they feel slightly less than full then to start with that will feel like hunger.

@Labobo - I can only think it's the high protein and natural fats in nuts...but will stand corrected if anyone has any other ideas about strong nails. This is a first for me, right from my school days.

@ByersRd I eat at least 700g of almonds and cashew nuts a week but have awful nails due to iron deficiency. If I take supplements I manage to get my ferritin up to 27 my nails stop splitting and hair stops falling out...but without the iron supplements the non essential things fall apart

By only eating at mealtimes and minimising empty calories- eg alcohol

"Even if you're not trying to lose weight, you'll feel hunger."

I only feel hunger at meal times or if my meal has been delayed or something. I don't think it's normal to feel hungry all the time.

"but that's a diet surely? You're restricting calories."

No, if you give up breakfast for IM you eat more at your other meals, once your appetite gets used to eating like that. I now have 2 meals a day instead of 3, but I don't eat any less.

I'm slim and have been all of my life. I wouldn't say I'm always on a diet but I do watch what I eat / monitor my weight to an extent or I would be overweight/bigger than I'd like to be. I weigh myself regularly and eat what I like generally but if I notice my weight increasing, I'll rein in my eating.
I have an absolute upper weight I don't allow myself to go above.
I do love food and junk but I'm aware I can't (as can't most people) eat whatever / whenever with absolutely no consequences to my weight.

Genetics is definitely the reason for me. My whole family; parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents are/were all slim.
I have been naturally slim all my life at about 8st. I am 45 and over lockdown my weight has crept up and is at 8st 8.
Never had to make a conscious effort but I notice that my portion sizes are smaller than friends, don't always clear my plate when eating out and I can't drink as much!

Tips: drink water first if you feel hungry as sometimes dehydration can make you feel hungry before thirst kicks in.
Have a small portion on a smaller plate. If you're still hungry you can have more but loads on a big plate is tempting to eat the lot.

I am slim, always have been, but the older I have got the weight has creeped up slowly, so now I run.
It keeps it off and I eat as I did, although I must say the bonus is if I run in the evening it stops me snacking later as I can't eat after a run as it puts me off food.
I feel healthier too and love achieving longer/faster runs as I improve.

Total mystery to me op. I have always had a weight problem, my whole life, and I hate it. I loathe fat. So I have restricted what I eat to an extent for the whole of my adult life. Luckily I have quite a small appetite and can't eat a lot at one go. I don't do sugar.

Yet still I lug around an extra 2 stone with me. It was half a stone in my 20s, a stone in my 30s, a stone and a half in my 40s, 2 stone in my 50s. You get the picture.

Also, I don't do breakfast.

I do 2 meals a day and have done for as long as I can remember.

I think we learn a lot of our eating habits in childhood and it can be hard to unlearn. Also a lot of what they tell you is not right, ie. that you need 3 meals/2000 calories a day and something terrible will happen if you don't eat breakfast. All nonsense I've found. I do 16-8 now and feel so much more balanced and not craving stuff all morning.

My DM and my DMIL were very slim for their whole lives and both ate really well and enjoyed food and cooking.eg DM has porridge followed by toast and marmalade and a piece of fruit for breakfast, a little something mid morning, lunch is meat or fish with vegetables and potatoes , a little cheese and biscuits, yoghurt or stewed fruit for pudding and some chocolate, she has a slice of cake or a scone or similar in the afternoon and something light eg scrambled eggs or soup for her dinner preceded by a glass of wine. We ate the same way throughout my childhood ( swapping dinner for lunch of course). She just eats the amounts that she uses up I suppose. Her portion sizes have gone down now that she is ancient and you never see her wolfing down tubes of Pringles or the like! My DSis eats the same way but having been slim until my 50s I have managed to get fat through being chaotic and comfort eating.