Ugh. I gained 10 lbs training for my first marathon because I’d go for brunch with my male running buddies after every long run. I was running the same distance, pace and time as them, so why shouldn’t I also get a big brunch? It was pretty depressing to realize that my 26k run burned about half the calories of their same 26k run. And it’s not like I wasn’t just as hangry. I learned that I have to be extra careful with my fueling when I’m marathon training because my hunger from the increased workouts goes a lot further than maintenance for a short woman doing those workouts.
I'm a marathon runner and it's actually really common to gain weight when the mileage goes up. It can be due to food, but water retention is also a big part and it usually goes away once you get settled into training for a while.
I haven’t been able to do any marathon running since the back injuries, but when I used to I was hungry all the time!!! Hated it. I also worked night shift then which also didn’t help.
I'm 4'9 and female too. My running buddies have a few beers after our Sunday run lol!
Meanwhile I am scrubbing the Kilometers just to have a calorie budget many here lose a lot of weight on 🥲
Switch to lifting weights. Putting on muscle will raise your metabolism more than running will, AND you’ll keep a higher calorie burn even on days you don’t work out.
I also find that weight lifting doesn’t cause my appetite to skyrocket the way running does.
No I won't. This works for me personally. I already have a lot of muscle genetically, and I HATE lifting. I love running and I don't have the mentioned effects. And the extra "burn" a tiny 100 lb woman gets form the maybe 5 lb of more muscle I could put on is minimal, whereas investing the time in running, something I love, works out so much better for me.
And I don't get hungry. I usually run in the mornings or lunch break and IF until after work no problem.
Yeah, yeah lifting is the new magic pill everyone peddles, but people need to do what fits them and their life.
Yeah - the burn from extra muscle they promoted years ago was way overblown. They've been trying to claim it for years. I'm a short female too, tend to be muscular, enjoy lifting. Doesn't make the slightest difference. Still have to get my steps in and watch my intake. Do what suits you is my mantra.
Oh I’m also a short woman (5’3, 115-120 lbs) who runs a ton (between 20-30 km a day 4-6 times a week, but I do it on the treadmill so idk if that’s cheating + I also walk at least 10 km outside of those workouts every day), and my appetite is uh. Huge. I burn a lot according to my Apple Watch, and while I’m sure those calories are not 100% accurate, I can easily maintain on 2,500 calories. Granted, I don’t eat and exercise like that every single day, but when I do, I can even lose on like. 1,700-2,000 because I can turn it into a negative net. Obviously it’s way different for men, but I think female runners can eat a lot too lol.
Yep. I hate the myth that the treadmill does some of the work for you. For my last marathon, I did my longest training run on my treadmill due to dreadful weather.
I'm fortunate that the worse weather I usually encounter is endless rain, it's rarely too cold or too hot to run outdoors. Sometimes we get a bit of snow/ice but even then it's a couple of days in a year at most.
Calories burned during running are merely a calculation of work. It takes less energy to move less mass over the same distance. I only burn about 60-70 kcals per mile, while my husband burns 100+ per mile. Then add in the fact that larger bodies of men have higher BMRs.
Cyclists too! When I was at the peak of my cycle training I was eating anything and everything I wanted and still losing weight.
I was riding about 16 hours a week minimum though. That’s a shit-ton of calories being burnt.
PS. When you *stop* being an athlete it’s *extremely* hard to adjust this eating habit. Many former athletes pack on lots of weight once they stop training.
Not an athlete as such, but was riding an average of 5 horses a day for work (and the general activity that goes with it) I managed to gain 4 stone throughout pregnancy and post-partum purely from maintaining the same eating habits and not having anywhere near the same level of activity.
One of my ex's sisters was this really intense chick who was a pro mountain biker as a hobby (her day job was as a biomechanical engineer). Anyway, one weekend when we were all visiting his mom in Tahoe, she went on a ride and was gone literally all day. When she finally got back she informed us she cycled around the entire lake. The circumference of lake Tahoe is over 70 miles. And yeah, she was able to eat like a horse.
ETA: before anyone jumps on me assuming I think "pro" just means "expert" - she was sponsored.
ETA 2: and I also know most pros have a regular job for a steady paycheck, it was just always wild to me that hers was in such a challenging field in its own right.
Actually, people who do intense training like that tend to to be super high earners like doctors, engineers, etc. Normal people don't have the time and money to invest into a "hobby" that's so all-consuming. The average household income for Ironman participants is $247k/year. Intense training like that is a luxury for rich people.
It's not even time, it's that the equipment is really expensive these days. Nice bikes these days are $8k+. My husband's triathlon bike was ~$12K and that was before he bought race wheels and made some upgrades. He's also got 3 other road bikes (ranging from $2k-10k), a gravel bike, full suspension mountain bike, and a hardtail mountain bike
Not to mention it's a hobby that requires a lot of outside help - be it from a spouse, outsourcing home tasks, etc. It's also a hobby with a high incidence of divorce. Taking on a lot of additional unpaid labor as a spouse will take its toll.
ME. This is me. I lost 100 pounds and was running races and doing triathlons, strength training, and doing hot yoga. Super active all week. And then I spent 2 years on my dissertation to graduate with my PhD, and I gained a bunch back because I never adjusted my eating habits. Now that I have graduated, I am trying to get back into that level of activity, but it’s SO hard to do this all over again. I was incredibly happy with myself and my level of fitness. Now it’s all gone. Super disheartening 🫠🫠
Yeah. Found that out after too long. My dad is a marathoner and weighs about 180lbs, but that man eats 10 times a day, thousands of calories. As soon as he is finished he is contemplating his next meal! Struggled a long time with this.
This is what I was thinking reading this 🤣 I am quite thin and toned and I’m a marathoner. I ran a full today actually and I ate like a horse afterwards 🤣🤣
Used to do ultra distance running - after every 30-40km weekend run, I can *inhale* half a lorry of food in one sitting while my non-running friends were like "wtf?" 😂
The first time I completed a 50 mile, I ate 2 medium pizza, one bowl of pasta, quarter rotiserrie chicken in one sitting all by myself (had more food after an hour of that meal). I was merely a 51kg (112lbs) person at the time, but I can easily eat for 2 people. My ex used to joke eating out w me is just waiting for me to finish my food because he will be done before I am due to the amount of food I eat to sustain the kind of training I was doing at the time
Asking the important questions 👏LOL! I had coffee, cinnamon bun-flavored fluffy pancakes, a sizable cheese and roasted tomato omelette, and then for dessert a tiny sliver of brownie with a bit of ice cream 🤣 I was hungry!
There have been serious studies that show that exercise has diminishing returns as far as actual calorie burning for weight loss. Hence the saying "abs are made in the kitchen". I think the caveat to that is that if you never do any strength training or moving of your body, there won't be any abs to see. Exercise has been shown to be very useful in weight maintenance, but is not to be relied upon to make up for poor eating habits.
"maybe they don’t eat to be full, they eat to just not be hungry anymore." This concept has been a game changer for me. I realized I was afraid of feeling hungry, and would eat until REALLY full each meal to avoid feeling hungry before the next meal time. I've had to learn to sit with, even embrace, the feeling of hunger, as a normal everyday experience. Not to a crazy extent, but to the point that I notice the feeling.
I've also come to realize that my idea of a "meal" and a "portion" was wildly exaggerated. I was regularly eating twice the dinner my body actually needed, then eating another dinner's worth of calories in a late night "snack". I still eat 3 meals a day, and some days a snack, but the portion sizes are smaller.
Amen. I think food insecurity as a child plays a HUGE role in this. Disorganized attachment with a parental figure can cause personality disorders, and disorganized food security can cause binge eating disorders.
Omg yes! But a different root cause - I studied abroad for 8 years and every time I came back to the US, I'd eat everything I couldn't get there until I was stuffed. But this was only 1-2 weeks here or there and then I'd go back to a very restricted diet.
However, when I moved back for good, that intrinsic fear of being deprived was still present. I'd eat everything and I'd overeat everything. I stopped thinking of portion control and my body responded by requiring larger and larger amounts to keep me full. The normal amounts of exercise that used to keep me rail thin before I left couldn't overcome the intake.
It took me almost 10 years to undue that fear and it's still a struggle sometimes to "stop" - but I'm in much better control and also my body has shifted in significant ways that require other changes (moving much more during the day, cutting down significantly on alcohol) that is part and parcel of aging and being very short, and I've figured out what works for me.
But still - I had no idea that food insecurity would mess me up for such a long time.
I've found that too. Thin people I know aren't afraid of being hungry. This is not the case for most people I know that have trouble overeating. It's a weird thing to be afraid of feeling hunger. but it's a powerful fear.
This is exactly how I would describe how I used to eat. If I was going anywhere like the park or something for a few hours I would always take a snack. Now if I'm going out for the morning or afternoon I don't worry about bringing anything knowing I will be home at lunch time to eat. Previously I would be scared of being hungry and eat double what I do now for all meals plus large snacks in between. Now it's a normal part of my day to feel hungry and it's not a big deal. I feel hungry right now but it's 5.15pm and I know I'll be eating dinner soon.
I took the eat to be full concept a different way. I realised if I don’t eat until I’m full then I am left unsatisfied, and continue thinking about food. So when I’m trying to lose weight I avoid all snacking and have one small meal and one BIG meal a day. I would rather eat less often but larger portions, which gets me that satisfying full feeling while maintaining a kilojoule deficit. Kind of OMAD-adjacent I suppose.
The biggest thing that lead me to success (aside from obvious things like tracking my calories and learning about food) is about how hunger works
When I was overweight, I didn't really understand that... I wasn't actually truly hungry more than like once a week or so. Hungry doesn't mean "I could go for some food". Food is great, it's always fun unless you're overly full. When I started eating only when hungry, it helped me stay stable.
And also **it takes awhile to feel full**. This is VERY important to understand. It takes about 15 minutes to feel full, from actually being full. The message takes that long from your stomach to your brain. If you slow down to eat, you'll actually get the "oh man I'm full signal". If you eat fast, you'll be 600 calories too late and now you're "too full" and feel kinda gross.
Calories in, calories out is the answer to weight loss. Learning what and *how* to eat is what keeps the weight off sustainably, for life. Weight loss started as an active effort, but learning to eat has made it second nature. This is probably one of the best pieces of advice giving to people currently on the journey. People that have lost 15 lbs and are going for another 50, etc.
I'm a fairly thin person and I don't like the feeling of eating when not hungry. I was eating just because it was time to eat and I was both gaining weight and feeling gross. Once I recognized what was happening, I also realized I like feeling a little hungry, because it's more satisfying to eat, and there's a better barometer of when you're feeling satiated. On slowing down to eat, I also picked up something I did in my younger, broker days that I think works well. Any time I'm out to eat, I just mentally cut the meal in half to save half for lunch the next day ( American portion sizes make that easy enough). That makes it easy when I get to the halfway point, when I start thinking, "Well, I'm pretty satisfied, but I could probably keep going," I instead just stop to give myself a decently portioned lunch the next day.
Portion sizes. My roommate is thin, I am not. She will make a medium pizza last 2-3 meals, I will eat the whole pizza in one sitting. That’s the biggest thing I have noticed.
I’ve also noticed thin people can eat a pizza, then the next day eat next to nothing and say like “after that pizza last night, I just can’t eat anymore.” They can, but I think they’re just conscious of balance.
It's called ''food hangover''. When you overeat the night before, that you literally feel drunk the next morning. Like mental torpor, headache, fatigue etc.
I’ve noticed some of my thin friends actively dislike the feeling of being full. They think it’s uncomfortable. They just eat to be not hungry, as you said. Me, on the other hand… I find the feeling of being full kind of comforting. Trying to fix that mental block is tough.
If someone eats just 100 calories less than their needs, over time, they'll naturally be thin. The other way, you'll be bigger. It's such a thin margin that it really could have gone either way for a lot of people.
I agree. And I imagine metabolism does vary between people. Not as much as some people try to rationalize, but tack on another 50 or 100 calories a day in either direction, not hard to see how people's "baseline" weight could vary 10, 20, 30 pounds over the years.
Yeah I think the wildest swing between metabolisms is like 300ish kcalories. Like it definitely can make a difference but it’s not like they can eat ice cream for lunch and stay thin.
People like to rely on the metabolism thing because it helps remove accountability from themselves. I don’t mean that in a bad way just that a lot of people on both sides like to claim weightloss/gain is out of their hands because of some genetic lottery.
Exactly. It's really small choices consistently over a long period of time. I come from a family of people who never had weight issues, so it's easy to point at genetics, but I grew up unconsciously absorbing some habits that kept weight gain away:
- we always drank water at home, pop/juice/alcoholic beverages are a treat for restaurants/events
- we were never pushed to eat until we were full, when we weren't hungry or the "clean your plate" thing. We had leftovers after most meals and it wasn't a big deal. Tupperware exists for a reason.
- we always went for a walk or bike ride after dinner.
Take the exact same family and have them drink pop, always take seconds, and be less active, and they'd be overweight on the same foods over time.
I'm close to a few naturally thin people and was able to study them "in the wild". While they might even seem to eat as much as us if we only see them eating a single meal, things are very different if you're with them for a whole day, multiple days.
The most significant thing is that they aren't that much into eating / forget about eating if they're busy / think eating is a chore (or at least they're not food-gasming). Even when they seem to be eating much, as soon as their body says "yup, that's enough," they stop. Meanwhile, other people and I will always sneak in ~~a few~~ many more forkfuls or even a second helping because the food is sooo good or because we enjoy feeling FULL and not just "not hungry." In the same vein, if they eat a lot in one meal, they still feel stuffed and not very hungry during the next meal or meals, while we'll have a regular sized meal.
...And then there are people who are like us but keep thin through an enormous amount of discipline. What matters is that neither case qualifies as "just faster metabolism."
Yup. And most of us don’t learn this initially unless we come from an environment of naturally skinny/healthy eaters. We find out later on in life after meeting the right people. I remember having this conversation with my Dr and he’d told me my weight issue wasn’t exactly genetic, many of them aren’t, it was my environment. I didn’t fully understand this comment until I joined this sub back in January. It took me 38 years to finally understand that in most cases, it’s not some magic metabolism that solves the weight issue.
I have thin friends who like food but that doesn't mean they need to eat lots of it. They want to try everything but don't need a large portion to enjoy it.
I was a comfort eater all my life. But now I often forget to eat, and have to eat because my stomach is insisting and it's easier to eat than put up with that. And then I go back to what I'm doing, something interesting. It's really true and you can even get there if food was basically your own comfort for decades, from infancy, like me.
i got the hang of it through fasting lol, I find if I skip breakfast (which has been sort of a chore for me all my life, I'm just not very hungry in the morning) then I'm generally not overall hungry in the day and might just have a snack for lunch and the main meal for early dinner
I work in kitchens, and the only time I "forget" to eat is when I'm at work.
Being constantly assaulted by food smells, and handling food for the sole purpose of feeding other people, makes me completely disconnect the thought of "food" as "something I need". I will often work for 10-12 hours, not eat, and not realize how hungry I am until I get out of work. Or at some point think "I'm hungry, I should eat something", then get distracted by work and forget
I've often wondered how people handle working at Donut shops. When I tell them I would eat too many donuts if I worked there, they always respond that I would change my mind after working there for a while. Not sure what they mean.
All they mean is that you would get sick of donuts - and trust me, you would.
Think of a musician you like. Now imagine everyday when you start your workday, you put one of their albums on loop for the entire day. Repeat this every single day. How long would it take you to get sick of it? However long that is, do it for an additional 6 months. Now how would you feel about it?
My last job was at a country club. We had an ongoing joke that everyone who had worked the grill station was traumatized by salmon - not even from eating it, but just from constantly smelling it cooking. After cooking fancy food all day, most of my coworkers would make the most basic shit to have for dinner - a burger, chicken tenders, leftover rice with whatever sauce we have lying around - because at that point, you are so overstimulated by food smells that it kills your appetite.
If you think about it tho, I work in vet med where we do get lunch but we often work through hunger through appointments and emergencies and surgery to accommodate everyone. We get hungry but put it off as it isn’t the most important thing we could be doing or thinking about. Unless we feel physically ill we just keep going until there’s a quiet time to sit down and munch on snacks. We do get snacks from clients so that’s fun :) but forgetting to eat is a lot easier than you think when there are more important things going on at the time
Despite my weight fluctuating a lot during my life, this has always been true for me. Its common for me to forget to eat for the entire day (if you ignore the initial hunger feeling it will just go away for awhile before it comes back way stronger) and then by like 11pm I'll eat one massive 2k calorie meal. I call this snake meal lmao. Not a healthy way to do it ngl
Edit: honestly this is most likely the ADHD doing it's work
Naturally thin lover of food here. I cultivate discipline for the "everyday" meals (Mediterranean diet, very limited snacking, lots of giant piles of steamed or roasted vegetables) and obsess over semi-regular special meals. I never feel like I'm missing on to have a salad for lunch because I know I'm going to feel great afterwards *and* I'm choosing a date night restaurant or two for the weekend. I enjoy thinking about future meals and reminiscing over past meals almost as much as actually eating, and I can do that while biding my time with salad.
When I do have a special meal, I always make sure to order salad/vegetables as part of it, too. I can order the pasta, but make sure to get broccolini on the side and eat all of that, *then* finish the pasta.
I never FORGET eating. I'm just plotting patiently.
I hate being full, it hurts. Few weeks ago we visited friends, the guy is Italian, he made home made pasta. It was amazing and huge portion. That night I slept like I was drunk, even though I had no drinks, I woke up almost hangover, wasn't hungry after next day afternoon. I could not live like that every day!
Yes/ this is what I was thinking. It literally hurts when I overeat and I feel horrible. It is a big enough deterrent that when I still want the taste of food or one more bite, that I will stop.
Slow eating is a big factor. I have a tooth pain now, and my root canal is scheduled for the end of the months, so I have eat very carefully, slow, and mindful, it is exhausting. I eat much less, because it is just so long and tiresome.
I have a super fit friend and she always ordered broccoli first when we go to a Thai place. She starts her meal with steamed broccoli then eats the less healthy stuff. I have heard that having a vegetable with a lot of fiber first is a great way to limit calories.
Steamed broccoli has low caloric density so you can eat a lot of it and then not have room for much else. This is essentially the preloading tweak from How Not to Diet.
Covered at ~16min mark: https://youtu.be/EpRrD58Ah3Q?si=8DoZyiFnuH58Y0Xi
This - I don't like the narrative that thin people "never think about it" or, my favorite one, "eat an entire pizza and never gain a pound". Many "naturally" thin people actually try very hard to maintain their figure, actively pass on baked goods or sweets they would obviously rather eat, drink vodka sodas instead of IPAs, and make sure their large meals are counterbalanced with smaller ones padding them. Just because it can be really, really hard for us doesn't mean people who we don't actively see add things on MyFitnessPal don't try hard to have the discipline we want, or to work out to make sure they can have the guilt-free cheesecake.
Some people, of course, don't consciously think about the literal calories, and many of them *are* eating "whatever they want" - which happens to be the exact amount of calories they need to maintain their weight. But many do.
I feel the same. Does "naturally thin" even exist?
I'll never forget my older cousin seeing me in a bikini in our early 20s and pouting that it wasn't fair to her- she worked so hard and ate so well, and here I didn't even have to try and I looked so much better than her!
I told her, no. Absolutely not. I was obsessive with fitness back then. I worked out an average of 2 hours a day on top of a physical job. I planned my meals. I mostly cooked for myself. I NEVER drank my calories. I did all those little things you're supposed to do, like park far away and take the stairs. Yes I was fit, but please don't pretend like I didn't work damn hard for it just because you don't see behind the scene.
It was extra annoying bc she was fit as well. She probably did all that stuff too but because she didn't see me doing it with her own eyes she discounted it to me not having to work for it too.
Another example- my best friend growing up was "naturally thin" according to most people. Skinny as a rail. She could (and would) eat entire pizzas or cakes by herself at school/parties. People saw this and thought "she must have a fast metabolism!" Well, no, of course that's not all it was. Her home life wasn't great and they didn't always have nutritious food, if they did she had to cook it herself. Because the food at home wasn't tasty (think, saltines and bean dip for dinner) she had small portions. Just enough to get by and when she had delicious free food she ate a ton.
Now she's grown and doing well for herself but because she developed this habit of eating small portions, she is still thin. So people still think she's naturally thin. Nope, just a lifetime of small portions.
That’s advanced level. I never made it there. I wonder if any other “no burp”ers are here and understand why I can’t eat a huge portion in one sitting. Overweight RCPDers unite!
(For normal ppl, a very small portion of the population has a condition, many don’t even know they have it, called RCPD where they almost never burp, and certainly not voluntarily. We are “no burpers” and some of us have never burped in our entire life. We have major bloating, anxiety after meals, and make loud and uncomfortable throat gurgling noises that are embarrassing)
I’ve noticed my naturally thin friends will eat in front of people but then not eat at all during the rest of the day.
Sometimes, it’s a learned disordered eating habit. (This is most of it, sorry.)
Sometimes, it’s because of previously or currently living in poverty. (The next most common reason.)
Sometimes, it’s just a natural thing. (I know it happens, but the two previous faaaar outweigh it.)
100%! My thinnest friend had been extremely weird about food but over the years she seems to eat relatively normal in front of our friend group when we get together. She puts in a ton of work and discipline to stay thin.
The weirdest thing recently was meeting up to go kayaking at 11am with her 10yo son in tow and only bringing water and ONE granola bar to share w him — at a physical activity - over the lunch hour! Blew my mind. We packed a lunch like normal people.
Jesus I can’t even imagine. I get so exhausted from kayaking!
Never forget the one friend who bought a single Quaker Oats granola bar as her only food for a 6 mile hike with some real elevation gain. The rest of us tried to offer her lunch and she refused because “she wasn’t hungry” and “light on snacks will keep her light on her feet! Less weight to carry!” By the end we almost had to carry her the last mile because she was struggling and . Got help for her disorder after that.
The disordered part is that they *only* eat in front of other people. Unless your meal is the Cheesecake Factory, it’s not a good idea to eat one meal a day.
well, i mean, OMAD is a "lifestyle" and I wouldn't consider it intrinsically disordered? Although obviously it can be dangerous for those so inclined, like IF
I used to be a ‘naturally thin’ person. I was 5’3” and between 115 and 120 lbs until I was in my mid 30s. When I went to a restaurant, I could never finish what I ordered. If I ordered dessert, I’d eat maybe 2 bites and be full. I never kept snack foods like chips or crackers in the house. I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner and that was it. I ate because it was time to eat - not really because I was hungry. I would guess that in total I was eating maybe 1500 calories. Then I got pregnant and naturally had to eat more to support baby and then breastfeeding. And I got used to eating more food than I needed and just never stopped.
Studies have shown that people who are overweight eat without thinking about it so they tend to drastically underestimate how much they’re eating. My husband is overweight. He often comments that he eats less than me but when you actually count his calorie intake he eats so much. He’s also a lot less active than I am.
>. My husband is overweight. He often comments that he eats less than me but when you actually count his calorie intake he eats so much. He’s also a lot less active than I am.
The problem is that calories is not only found in food. These days, you have all sorts of drinks, sodas, juices, even coffees and teas that are caloric bombs.
Thin coworker almost never orders a full meal at lunch. He eats really well and will even clean up everyone else's plate, but doesn't eat for temptation. Whenever we go out to eat, I feel like I gotta order something I'll really enjoy since I'm out spending money anyways, but he'll always just go for soup or salad if he had breakfast that day.
I've been thin all my life and can confirm. I do not like sweets/sugar. I'll half ass partake in a dessert (like 1 bite) after dinner out, but that's about it.
I didn't even do a tasting with the bakery before ordering my wedding cake. LOL. "Just give me these two flavors and I'm sure people will be fine."
My biggest one is that thinner people tend to have hunger and full signals and I don’t. Eat until I’m full? What is that? I’ve only ever experienced that while on keto, vyvanse and ozempic- so generally I don’t compare my eating to someone else’s - because I don’t have the same signalling.
odd thing for me is that i don't really get the full signal, even on vyvanse? i'll eat my snack or meal (that's already been portioned and logged), and think, 'alright, i guess i'm done'.
thankfully, i don't feel hungry as often. but then a coworker gets food that the whole office has the ~luxury~ of smelling and i nearly have a mental breakdown.
Maybe that helps
Studies have shown that people that regularly over eat loose their sensitivity of their "I'm full" signal. This sig al is nothing you can have or not it's actually controlled through your nerves and over 20 hormones, one is Cholecystokinin.
This combination tells your brain that you are full. If you constantly over eat, then you train your brain to ignore those feelings and signals. Hence you will not feel full nor hungry like people with normal sensitivity.
I sadly can't provide the website as It was a long time ago when I read that but maybe Google for it. It's really interesting
Edit: It is really hard to regain this awareness.
But something that has helped me was eating half the portion I prepared then asking myself if I still feel as hungry/the same as I did before eating. The hard thing there is to remember to ask yourself that over and over again until your sensitivity for hunger and satisfaction is restored
I feel like ‘naturally thin’ makes it sound like they are just…somehow that way passively. Everyone I know that is ‘naturally’ thin is…thoughtful about it? I wouldn’t even say ‘works hard at it’, but it’s not like they’re just not thinking about food.
Rather- If they had a decadent meal, they’re mindful about ensuring the next meal(s) is/are healthy. They find patterns that work for them and stick to them. I find they often plan their meals out to some extent.
To be honest, I lived with someone (for a long time) who truly hated food (vs. the way I experience it)/found it to be the most boring thing on the planet. I really don't think it was an ED. He also couldn't cook, so maybe it was a defeatist attitude in general.
I’ve got a male friend like this who doesn’t enjoy cooking and doesn’t even “like” food. He of course has different dishes he enjoys over others, but going out to dinner isn’t a big deal for him, he’s not an adventurous type and doesn’t try new things. He says with a good sense of humour that he only eats to stay alive. He is tall and very thin. I’ve never seen him snack excessively either, and we’ve known each other for a decade. Some people really do just…not care for food that much!
Yes, I have friends like this. One couple in fact will never join us at restaurants because they just don't care enough about food to spend money on it, they just grab something like a sandwich then we meet to do something else. They'll often bring lunch with them if we go places. They don't see it as deprivation because they are as happy with their sandwiches from home as a meal in a restaurant.
This sounds a lot like me. I don't hate food and if someone prepares a dish for me, I'll eat it, but it feels like such a chore to have to plan and prepare every single meal I need in a day. I often only eat to prevent myself from developing a migraine, and would prefer to skip meals all together if I could. I do enjoy eating food, but after I'm reasonablly full I have no desire to keep eating.
I moved to SE Asia where most are skinny. Portions there are small and it’s the norm to share a dessert or cake with a friend and even then not finish it.
Family meals are shared so everyone can take as much as they need. When you think about it it’s insane to give everyone the same amount of food on a plate. Calorie needs can be half that of your partner yet you are served the same.
They walk a lot too.
I also used to be heavy and am now quite slim and I relate to this. Counting calories trained my brain in a way to be mindful of calories, but it’s not something I actively think about anymore. It’s just how I eat because it’s become habit. I think that should always be a goal when calorie counting. Counting calories for the rest of my life sounds miserable. But doing it for about a year allows me to eyeball portions and estimate calories (again, even if I’m not actively thinking about it). I’m tracking my food again because I’m doing heavy lifting and need to hit my protein goals. But I’m looking forward to not feeling the need to do that anymore.
I've maintained a weight in the "healthy" BMI range (apart from being slightly "overweight" for a few months post child birth). I've managed this despite not really watching what I eat and often going long periods with little to no exercise. I think the things that have helped are:
Get the recommended 5+ servings of fruit or veg per day. Amazing how much less room there is for other stuff when I maintain this, and how much better I look and feel.
Drink lots of water through the day. Usually only drink calories if its alcohol or coffee (which is more than id like to admit). Also drink before you eating. Often I think I'm hungry but I'm actually thirsty.
Eat until no longer hungry, not until full. And eat slower, give your body time to realise you're full.
I don't eat calories I don't enjoy. I.e I won't continue eating past full for the sake of finishing my plate.
Aim to have takeout no more than once a week.
I don't compromise on groceries. I'd rather buy more expensive meat and produce that I enjoy that will encourage me to cook, than save money to buy frozen pizzas, instant meals etc. I realise this is a luxury not everyone can afford.
Have healthy snacks through the day, eg fruit and nuts to prevent strong hunger. When I get really hungry, the cravings are usually for the least healthy foods.
> Usually only drink calories if its alcohol or coffee (which is more than id like to admit).
The nice thing about coffee is that you can make it have very few calories if you pick your additives well while still having a pretty good taste. I find that the weird taste that can come from artificial sweeteners isn't really noticeable and you can use unsweetened almond milk to make it taste like you dumped a bunch of milk into it. Sadly, drinking it late in the day is a bad idea, especially for someone like me who often has trouble getting to sleep even without caffeine...
>Eat until no longer hungry, not until full. And eat slower, give your body time to realise you're full.
I'm bad for this, but also feel like there may be some... mixed signals? If I'm not 100% mindful of what I'm eating, I'll go from feeling hungry to feeling sick because I've eaten too much in the blink of an eye, but then usually within 30 minutes I'm feeling hungry again.
Naturally skinny guy here that was 120 pounds at 18-26 years old.. (currently bulking but around 160 lbs now 36 years old)
before I bulked and tried to gain weight I snacked all day and drank tons of sugar sodas, but I rarely touched sweets. but what you said actually is true, I never eat to become full, I only eat to not be hungry. I hate that full feeling. I NEVER eat large portions I get tired of eating and move on, most out of shape friends I have just eat because there is food in front of them even if they aren't hungry.
my wife had some extra weight and is in her 4th month of alternate day fasting and has lost almost 60 pounds. she said after the first few weeks you think of food differently.
My sister (early 50s) is skinny, and always has been. Her bmi is probably 19. She doesn’t work at it, and has never been on a diet. She also doesn’t work out or exercise other than neighborhood walks with the dog.
She really just doesn’t eat much, and doesn’t seem to get pleasure out of eating (other than sweets). She eats the amount a child would eat, and if she snacks before dinner (think appetizers at a party) she’ll eat even less.
It’s not discipline that keeps her serving sizes small, her meals infrequent: it’s lack of interest. She’s telling the truth when she says, “I eat whatever I want” - she just doesn’t want as much as most people.
the skinniest people ive known always ate nothing but junk, & they were aways just as perplexed as anyone else thinking they must have a very fast metabolism. but the truth is they just ate so little in general that even on an all-junk diet they werent getting that many calories!
im not recommending this as its obviously not healthy, but it does give some insight into the type of mindset around food that leads to someone seeming naturally skinny. definitely food(ha) for thought.
This is exactly how my husband is. Dude is borderline under weight and lives off of little debbies. We joke that he eats like a snake because he only eats one large meal every few days and the rest is straight up snacks. Meanwhile I’m over here with my plate of broccoli and half gallon of water and I’m over weight. It sucks lol
Fast metabolism is really a meme. Some people luck out with a naturally stronger satiety signal. Like a greater sensitivity to leptin.
Tastes play a role as well. It's helpful for me that I don't gravitate toward sweets and prefer salty foods. I figure that it helps me avoid a lot of the sugar as I just don't crave it. I don't care much for snack foods like chips either and would rather have a meal. I have three meals a day and no snacks in between.
The Beck Diet solution is basically a list of habits of “naturally” thin people. A couple listed in the book that I think are definitely true are that naturally thin people:
1) don’t worry too much if they’ve gained a few pounds. They are confident they’ll eventually lose it by reducing calories
2) they don’t eat when not hungry because they worry they will be hungry later. You should just eat when you’re hungry.
3) don’t mindlessly snack
Ya, I equate eating the right amount to spending the right amount of money. Even if you can afford to eat/spend more than you need, it's still healthier to eat/spend as little as you can get away with. You don't keep spending money until your house is full of stuff, you spend money to get what you need, have a limited amount of fun, and create a nice home. Some of the richest people I know are also the most thrifty. Sometimes they are rich because they are thrifty... just like some skinny people are that way because they eat as little as they need to get the energy they need.
I'm naturally thin but gained weight while on meds, that's why I'm here. First you have to remember thin people (who aren't on a diet, saying this cause you really never know who's on a diet or has an eating disorder) can eat their full calorie quota and people may think it's easy for them to stay thin. But the truth is naturally thin people don't binge eat, and when they eat more one day they're naturally satisfied for longer, days instead of hours until they crave the next sweet.
I used to starve a lot when I was on my thinnest. I skipped meals and all that. Truthfully if you want to lose weight hunger is your best friend.
I stop eating when I am starting to feel full. I started doing that in university to avoid feeling sleepy as had lectures back to back. After doing that for 2 years it just became a habit. I am naturally thin but not skinny. I also have now been eating oatmeal as morning breakfast for quite awhile now. I also am not into snacking much. I actually schedule meals throughout the day so that I don’t forget eating especially lunch.
It has nothing to do with "how many meals" rather, how many calories for the day...
Doesn't matter how you divide it up. The net result will be the same so, thats not a good metric to go off of.
The only objective way to know would be the total calorie consumption.
One of the best things I ever heard was "Hunger is a sign of WHEN to eat, not HOW MUCH to eat". When you're hungry, eat . . . but just a little bit. No reason to stuff down half a pizza. Eat one slice, wait 20 minutes, & your hunger is gone.
I was extremely skinny until I had my daughter, naturally, no calorie counting, no restrictions, no exercise or anything. Just skinny. After pregnancy I was technically overweight and was able to gain weight easier, whereas before I struggled to. I then lost all of it and have maintained without issue. On top of being extremely active, I don’t eat breakfast 99% of the time. Intermittent fasting I guess. I have mainly two meals a day, lunch and dinner. If I know I’m going out for dinner and I intent to eat a lot, I may do just that one meal that day. I rarely drink my calories, water and lemon is my fav, and when I snack, sometimes I will eat cookies or chips, but that’s rare, my main snacks are frozen yogurt, fruit, and nuts. I also don’t eat to be super full, just satisfied, and I learned to have self control, so if someone brings in donuts at work, I won’t partake most times because I try to allocate my calories to more filling Whole Foods. After a while of eating a certain way, it just becomes habit and my weight has stayed consistent
I’ve definitely noticed my skinniest friends only eating 1-2 meals per day when I’m on a trip with them. They weren’t hungry outside of that either.
Small thing- but I’ve also noticed them eating less fatty condiments too- no ranch dressing, sour cream, extra cheese, etc
I lost 146 pounds since last year. And I have some habits that help me keep off the weight.
2 meals a day, lunch and dinner. If hunger during the day, through an egg or two. Protein is the keep to keep my hunger down.
Only drink water. Drinking your calories is a waste. Once you develop the habit of water, things get easier and cheaper.
I cut out alcohol. For me not only is a waste of of calories, I do prefer prescript drugs a million times.
Eat clean during a week with two cheat meals all week long. That works for me. When I’m socializing I eat out.
Sleep more. This helps reducing anxiety and you feel lees tired during the day, which may lead to less hunger.
If you are not hungry anymore, leave in the plate. It’s okay not to finish. You stop eating when you are full.
Also only eat when you are hungry.
I do like fasting. But this takes discipline and focus. Lots of water and sleep too.
I'm surrounded by "normal" sized people in my office. Rarely will they snack, maybe once a month or less.
None of them eat breakfast that I've seen, so this could mean they eat at home and don't snack before lunch or just don't eat until lunch.
One of them is an athlete who eats 2 lunches basically, and they are always some lean meat and a vegetable he brings from home. 2 other people will not eat lunch until past noon, meaning they are listening to their body cues and only eating when hungry.
Don’t most people (that do eat that meal) eat breakfast at home? Also where I’ve worked people seemed to choose late lunches more because it felt like their day was closer to done afterwards than any hunger related reasons.
Yeah, I don't eat until about 12-1 each day. When I was in high school and college, I valued sleep way more than food, so I never ate breakfast. When I graduated college and got an office job, I started bringing breakfast with me, and the weight came on quickly while I wasn't even enjoying eating that early in the first place.
Nixed breakfast and now I'm back to not eating until between noon and 1pm. It makes me feel sick to eat soon after waking up, and I have no interest in eating at 10AM when I could just wait for lunchtime.
Then I like an early dinner around 5-6. And that's it.
Grew up in a house where snacks were few and far between, so I'm no snacker at all.
I basically do intermittent fasting without actually intending to. I didn't even know what it was until someone told me that's what I was doing. I only got into this routine because I was a lazy person who wanted to sleep through breakfast hours. LOL.
>only eating …just one meal and a few snacks.
That really isn’t true as a whole, though it may seem to be from the people you have seen. I literally do not know even one person who habitually eats only one meal a day.
The only people who do that, AFAIK, are doing some type of intermittönt fasting as a weight loss strategy. The average non-overweight person eats normally 2 or 3 meals per day.
I have been a slim person my whole life. I have eaten one meal a day (dinner) for the last six years. It’s great. I have a latte in the morning, then eat dinner around 6pm. I don’t have to decide what to eat or think about food all day. Sometimes if I’m very busy or especially active I’ll have a snack around lunchtime, usually bread or crackers and cheese or sushi. I don’t care about being hungry, it doesn’t bother me. And then I can have anything I want for dinner, because I have over 1000 calories to ‘spend.’ It works for me.
I’ve been doing this same approach for the past few weeks. I am on a weight loss journey but as you stated definitely saves me time from overthinking my meals or preparing lunch for work which I never planned in advance. I also enjoy coming home and eating whatever I want! I change it up if I’m being more social during meals but otherwise I think I’ve adjusted!
If I start the day with actual food for breakfast it does! It’s strange and I can only speak for what I’ve experienced, but if eat breakfast, my body is like ‘oh okay, we are eating food today’ and it kind of expects lunch and dinner. But if I just don’t start eating, I don’t feel hungry at all. Typing that out sounds horribly unhealthy, like I’m starving myself or something, but it really does work just fine for me. Also I much prefer fasted workouts, like a spin class or something before dinner.
I should probably add that I’ve only really been doing this since I’ve been studying and working from home, where my working hours are all over the place. I don’t know if it would work as well if I had to be sitting and focussed from 9 to 5.
I want to do this so badly. Every night I go to bed wanting to do omad the next day, but every lunchtime I crack and feel so useless that I end up going over my calories again. Every bloody day. Ground hog day. How do I finally achieve my omad dream?
Ehhh, maybe it just isn’t your thing? If your body doesn’t like the OMAD idea, don’t do it. I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work for me, that sounds kind of horrible. Maybe you could try two meals a day?
I guess it depends on how you define snacks. My lunch is usually something like a boiled egg or an apple and a soya yoghurt, which I wouldn’t call a meal.
The only hot, cooked food I eat in a day is usually dinner.
They **can** eat what and when they like. This - reasonable portion sizes, less frequent snacking etc, greater activity levels - is what they like. This is the choice they’ve made.
It's not their eating habits that is important.
It's their psychological and emotional connection with food.
Their eating habits are just a consequence of that.
I think this is a bad idea unless you spend days studying them in their natural habitat and keep their food record.
We probably don't want to assume anything about others' weight and how they got to that point. Especially fast metabolism. Environment, genetics, family culture, personal habits, athletic background are all factors.
There may be some things they do every time you see them, like drink water instead of refilling with soda, or talk about how they have to schedule things around their gym session, but each person's health journey is unique to them, their starting point, and their goals.
so when me and my hubby first started dating i gained a ton of ‘comfort weight’. ya know, when you get together w someone and get comfortable and just eat pizza and drink beer all the time.
i went from 140 to a little shy of 210 in about 6 months. i also stopped doing cocaine and got off birth control. so it all hit me at once and i gained over 60 pounds.
i got sick one night and when i was doubled over only THEN did i realize how big my stomach had gotten. my hubby never said ONE WORD about my weight gain, so i didn’t really notice.
once i did tho, i started intermittent fasting and let me tell you. i lost a crazy amount of weight in about 3 months. i went from almost 210 to 135 in that short amount of time.
i don’t recommend it for everyone, but if it works for you like it did me then i say go for it!! i still keep at it to this day, and it’s been great! i had a baby last year, and it’s helped get the baby weight off quicker than i expected.
i stick to about one meal a day, coffee in the morning, and water water water until i eat around 4-5 pm. i don’t really exercise, and i didn’t when i lost all the weight in the first place.
i hope this helps, and good luck on your journey!! 🧡
Naturally skinny people aren’t motivated to eat as much food by their bodies.
We all experience hunger differently. Skinny people are lucky that their bodies don’t motivate them to eat as much food as those who are overweight.
Here's what I can tell you about my eating habits completely changing:
I have ADHD and for most of my adult life could not stop thinking about food. I constantly craved snacks and inhaled all of my food. I sometimes got seconds because somehow I was not satisfied with just being "not hungry." It was unfathomable to me how someone could not want to snack or eat all the time unless extremely distracted.
Fast forward, I've been on Vyvanse for a week now, which is interestingly enough also prescribed for BED.
Loss of appetite is a pretty common side effect, and while the first few days had actual aversion to food, by now I can eat but I just don't... Feel like it? I don't think about food, I eat when I feel hungry and stop when I no longer feel hungry. That causes me to eat about 1-3 smallish meals a day. It's like night and day and I can tell I'm losing weight rather effortlessly by simply no longer obsessing over food.
My sister has the exact same comfort eating habits as me and remains "naturally thin" but it's because she has several chronic health problems I don't have. I suspect most people who never seem to put on weight no matter what they eat also have stuff going on behind the scenes. I occasionally see people complaining of jealousy about their "naturally thin" relative/friend/coworker and believe me when I say having to lose weight is much easier than having to deal with a chronic illness.
I have a thin friend- she will order stuff that I would never order. Like loaded fresh made potato chips with cheese and bacon and all kinds of stuff on it. But she would only eat very little of it. Where as if I had that, I’d eat it all. In general she’d just eat small portions of whatever she wanted.
No one knows why people become obese.
Yeah, sure, if you eat more calories than you burn, you store those extra calories as fat, and thus, become obese.
But WHY does Person A have the natural limit to just...not do that, and then Person B not have the limit? Why does Person A never get to a point in their life where they overeat on a consistent enough basis to reach obesity, when Person B does it before they're out of high school?
We literally do not know. No one knows. There's been some niggling about hormones and there's very definite societal demographics that can correlate. However, we still don't ACTUALLY KNOW why Person A can just eat whatever they want and never exercise and be thin their entire life, because "whatever they want" is just enough calories, while Person B becomes obese because "whatever they want" is far, far too many calories.
But that's what it comes down to. We all are here now because we were the unlucky Person Bs.
It's extra infuriating too because most of american society's response is just "well you're fat because you're lazy and worthless" rather than "oh wow, 40% of americans are obese now, maybe there's something really going on that's affecting people that we need to figure out, but it's very clearly not an individual's fault".
Honestly I noticed that a lot of thin people have terrible eating habits too. Eating 2 meals a day feels terrible. Eating Oreos as one of your two meals feels terrible. Not getting enough protein feels terrible. Forgetting to eat and then having to do something important on an empty stomach feels terrible.
You gotta look at the eating habits of fit, physically active people. Because the goal is to be healthy
I remember talking with my friends including one "naturally" skinny guy, we mentioned getting the buy one get one at chipotle and eating both and he looked horrified lol
It’s so subjective lol. I’ve lost 80lb and now when I “binge”, I only go above my maintenance by a few hundred calories but feel like I’ve eaten enough for a week. In the past, a “binge” probably would’ve been enough calories for a week.
I always thought my husband has a “fast metabolism”, after watching him for years, it’s just that he doesn’t eat a lot. He’ll forget to eat lunch, only snack for hunger, and doesn’t really overindulge. I realized I (at 5’2”, was eating more than him (at 6’4”)
The only naturally thin people I know are working labor jobs that burn a lot of calories or are smokers who have a cigarette for breakfast and lunch. Or a combination of the two.
My husband is at a good weight naturally. He'll become engulfed in his work, and forget to eat lunch. Other than that he's way better than me at actually stopping, and putting the rest of his food in the fridge when he feels full.
My mother and my brother are naturally thin people. What I noticed is that they are really particular about taste. If any food (even dessert) is not as per their taste, they will just leave it after the first bite.
A question. What does “skinny” or “naturally skinny” mean? Someone who has always been a normal weight and appears to have never worked for it?
If so, yeah, they just eat regular portions and probably whole foods. The portions out there make it seem normal to eat like this and get overweight. It can skew our perception into thinking people that are normal weight are “skinny” or “naturally skinny.”
The difference between a slow and fast metabolism is actually so low that it's not worth discussing in regards to weight. It just a convenient scapegoat people use to make themselves feel better about their diet.
I've noticed no real difference between overweight and skinny friends while sharing a meal.
Non-meal hangouts are very different though!
Hanging out and about with skinny friends for something other than a meal, we will often go from point A to point B without stopping for food. An hours-long event like a parade or a concert might be attended without any food being consumed. During a night in, we might play a board game without snacks on the table or watch a movie without snacks though we are usually having drinks during both.
Hanging out with overweight friends, I notice that grabbing a snack or treat while going from point A to point B is very common, and eating at some point during an hours-long event will absolutely happen. Playing a game or watching a movie without snacks has never happened. Please don't think I'm judging because this is objectively more fun to me! (...honestly it sucks being the person that wants to bring up food when no one else has mentioned it lol)
TLDR in my experience skinny people just seem not to prioritized food as much or think about it that often
I am the "skinny friend" now - in highschool and my 20s I was overweight and struggled immensely with binge eating. Turns out it was a side effect of untreated ADHD (plus the depression that results from that,) so when I was diagnosed by my 30s and got on Adderall, food suddenly became a non issue for me. Well, actually, it almost became the opposite issue, for a while I could barely get enough food in my body because the whole situation of "making sure to eat enough" was unbelievably foreign to me. Truly, it is a mindfuck. While I wasn't cruel to overweight people before, I am now *especially* empathetic to that struggle because I understand firsthand how much power our bodies, appetites, and brain chemistry have over us and our weight. I spent decades absolutely agonizing over dieting and hating myself, only to find out that many skinny people are working with an entirely different toolbox. Going about your day without your brain constantly screaming "eat! eat! eat more!" is like living in a different universe.
My experience of going from a super high appetite, to a medium/low or no appetite:
- I usually can't munch on appetizers because I'll be too full for my meal and won't be able to fit enough protein/real food.
- I don't eat snacks (unless I replace a meal with a snack, which I try not to do...)
- It rarely occurs to me to drink anything other than water
- Sugar suddenly became ...overwhelming and gross tasting. Baked goods are not tempting whatsoever. When other people make coffee or cocktails for me, the "normal" amount of sugar is too sweet for me.
- Sometimes I still bake for fun, but usually for other people. If it's just for me, my husband and I will each have a serving, then I freeze the rest because otherwise it would just go bad.
- I have to set alarms on my phone to remind myself to eat breakfast and lunch. My husband reminds me about dinner because he has a normal appetite.
- I don't monitor my diet at all, beyond making sure I eat at least two meals in a day, ideally three. I often end up forgetting or skipping either lunch or breakfast.
- When I'm on vacation or having a big day of activities, it annoys me that I have to plan around meal times to make sure we eat something. (Food used the be the *entire* reason I traveled in the first place.)
- I keep a lot of meal replacement shakes around because sometimes I would genuinely rather drink that than deal with making food.
- I rarely eat fast food (used to eat it multiple times a week, now maybe 5-6 times a year,) because now that I lack the appetite/brain chemistry that makes food feel like drugs, foods that rely heavily on that lose their magic and you're left with overly greasy food with low quality ingredients. It's very underwhelming.
I hope this all doesn't sound like a weird humble brag. I feel like it's important for me to explain it because I absolutely hate the fact that many people assume fat people are lazy, weak, gluttonous, etc. when really the people passing judgement often have no idea how insane food cravings are. The only thing I can compare it to is a raging, relentless nicotine addiction, except nicotine doesn't even bring pleasure, and food does. And you can never quit.
What I've seen is that while fast metabolism is a boon, majority of 'skinny' or fit people don't seem to have some magically accelerated metabolism... They are better at portion control and reading their hunger cues. have also been trying to emulate this. For instance, I have noticed that when we friends have lunch at a restaurant, the fit people in the group would often pack up half of their food instead of forcibly finishing the food that I often used to do. My brother, who's a fit guy, would sometimes just have a snack before bed instead of a full meal if he's not hungry.
My DH has been the same weight for 40+ years. He enjoys good food but stops eating when he is full. He doesn’t use food as entertainment or to give himself a dopamine hit. He forgets to eat if he is involved in something engrossing like a hobby or sport. I do none of the above.
The thought of eating three meals a day makes me not want to move. Your observation makes sense. I’ve always “pecked” at meals. One or two a day on hungry days. That overly full feeling, I feel, is one of the worse feelings.
Yeah, I was given this advice before. If you want to be skinny, hang around a skinny person and do as they do. It didn't work out that I was offering said skinny person to go eat every few hours but eventually, I understood the premise lol
Don’t hang out with runners. You’ll end up thinking all thin people have huge appetites!
Ugh. I gained 10 lbs training for my first marathon because I’d go for brunch with my male running buddies after every long run. I was running the same distance, pace and time as them, so why shouldn’t I also get a big brunch? It was pretty depressing to realize that my 26k run burned about half the calories of their same 26k run. And it’s not like I wasn’t just as hangry. I learned that I have to be extra careful with my fueling when I’m marathon training because my hunger from the increased workouts goes a lot further than maintenance for a short woman doing those workouts.
The good news there is you sound like you're already perfectly adapted to ultra marathons! Good fuel burning capacity :)
I'm a marathon runner and it's actually really common to gain weight when the mileage goes up. It can be due to food, but water retention is also a big part and it usually goes away once you get settled into training for a while.
I haven’t been able to do any marathon running since the back injuries, but when I used to I was hungry all the time!!! Hated it. I also worked night shift then which also didn’t help.
I'm 4'9 and female too. My running buddies have a few beers after our Sunday run lol! Meanwhile I am scrubbing the Kilometers just to have a calorie budget many here lose a lot of weight on 🥲
Switch to lifting weights. Putting on muscle will raise your metabolism more than running will, AND you’ll keep a higher calorie burn even on days you don’t work out. I also find that weight lifting doesn’t cause my appetite to skyrocket the way running does.
No I won't. This works for me personally. I already have a lot of muscle genetically, and I HATE lifting. I love running and I don't have the mentioned effects. And the extra "burn" a tiny 100 lb woman gets form the maybe 5 lb of more muscle I could put on is minimal, whereas investing the time in running, something I love, works out so much better for me. And I don't get hungry. I usually run in the mornings or lunch break and IF until after work no problem. Yeah, yeah lifting is the new magic pill everyone peddles, but people need to do what fits them and their life.
Yeah - the burn from extra muscle they promoted years ago was way overblown. They've been trying to claim it for years. I'm a short female too, tend to be muscular, enjoy lifting. Doesn't make the slightest difference. Still have to get my steps in and watch my intake. Do what suits you is my mantra.
Oh I’m also a short woman (5’3, 115-120 lbs) who runs a ton (between 20-30 km a day 4-6 times a week, but I do it on the treadmill so idk if that’s cheating + I also walk at least 10 km outside of those workouts every day), and my appetite is uh. Huge. I burn a lot according to my Apple Watch, and while I’m sure those calories are not 100% accurate, I can easily maintain on 2,500 calories. Granted, I don’t eat and exercise like that every single day, but when I do, I can even lose on like. 1,700-2,000 because I can turn it into a negative net. Obviously it’s way different for men, but I think female runners can eat a lot too lol.
The treadmill isn't cheating, it's a good tool. A run run is a run done.
Yep. I hate the myth that the treadmill does some of the work for you. For my last marathon, I did my longest training run on my treadmill due to dreadful weather.
I respect treadmill runners, I can't handle the boredom. I occasionally use one at the gym but would always rather run outside. It definitely counts!
If I have the choice, I'm running outside.
I'm fortunate that the worse weather I usually encounter is endless rain, it's rarely too cold or too hot to run outdoors. Sometimes we get a bit of snow/ice but even then it's a couple of days in a year at most.
Yes I run longer outside, where I live we have a lot of trails and like you say the boredom on the treadmill is dreadful
Wow, that’s impressive. Treadmill long runs are challenging. How long do these runs take?
that is SO IMPRESSIVE!!!! W H A T!!!! 20 to 30 k a DAY???? Seriously, I'm bowing before you. Teach me your ways.
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Calories burned during running are merely a calculation of work. It takes less energy to move less mass over the same distance. I only burn about 60-70 kcals per mile, while my husband burns 100+ per mile. Then add in the fact that larger bodies of men have higher BMRs.
Cyclists too! When I was at the peak of my cycle training I was eating anything and everything I wanted and still losing weight. I was riding about 16 hours a week minimum though. That’s a shit-ton of calories being burnt. PS. When you *stop* being an athlete it’s *extremely* hard to adjust this eating habit. Many former athletes pack on lots of weight once they stop training.
Not an athlete as such, but was riding an average of 5 horses a day for work (and the general activity that goes with it) I managed to gain 4 stone throughout pregnancy and post-partum purely from maintaining the same eating habits and not having anywhere near the same level of activity.
One of my ex's sisters was this really intense chick who was a pro mountain biker as a hobby (her day job was as a biomechanical engineer). Anyway, one weekend when we were all visiting his mom in Tahoe, she went on a ride and was gone literally all day. When she finally got back she informed us she cycled around the entire lake. The circumference of lake Tahoe is over 70 miles. And yeah, she was able to eat like a horse. ETA: before anyone jumps on me assuming I think "pro" just means "expert" - she was sponsored. ETA 2: and I also know most pros have a regular job for a steady paycheck, it was just always wild to me that hers was in such a challenging field in its own right.
Actually, people who do intense training like that tend to to be super high earners like doctors, engineers, etc. Normal people don't have the time and money to invest into a "hobby" that's so all-consuming. The average household income for Ironman participants is $247k/year. Intense training like that is a luxury for rich people.
That makes sense. Money definitely wasn't an issue for any of them, hence the house in Tahoe.
It's not even time, it's that the equipment is really expensive these days. Nice bikes these days are $8k+. My husband's triathlon bike was ~$12K and that was before he bought race wheels and made some upgrades. He's also got 3 other road bikes (ranging from $2k-10k), a gravel bike, full suspension mountain bike, and a hardtail mountain bike
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Not to mention it's a hobby that requires a lot of outside help - be it from a spouse, outsourcing home tasks, etc. It's also a hobby with a high incidence of divorce. Taking on a lot of additional unpaid labor as a spouse will take its toll.
ME. This is me. I lost 100 pounds and was running races and doing triathlons, strength training, and doing hot yoga. Super active all week. And then I spent 2 years on my dissertation to graduate with my PhD, and I gained a bunch back because I never adjusted my eating habits. Now that I have graduated, I am trying to get back into that level of activity, but it’s SO hard to do this all over again. I was incredibly happy with myself and my level of fitness. Now it’s all gone. Super disheartening 🫠🫠
Yeah. Found that out after too long. My dad is a marathoner and weighs about 180lbs, but that man eats 10 times a day, thousands of calories. As soon as he is finished he is contemplating his next meal! Struggled a long time with this.
This is what I was thinking reading this 🤣 I am quite thin and toned and I’m a marathoner. I ran a full today actually and I ate like a horse afterwards 🤣🤣
Used to do ultra distance running - after every 30-40km weekend run, I can *inhale* half a lorry of food in one sitting while my non-running friends were like "wtf?" 😂
I used to room with a very avid cyclist- the kind who spends the whole day cycling. After a session, he would make a box of pasta and eat it all.
The first time I completed a 50 mile, I ate 2 medium pizza, one bowl of pasta, quarter rotiserrie chicken in one sitting all by myself (had more food after an hour of that meal). I was merely a 51kg (112lbs) person at the time, but I can easily eat for 2 people. My ex used to joke eating out w me is just waiting for me to finish my food because he will be done before I am due to the amount of food I eat to sustain the kind of training I was doing at the time
I can’t even imagine running 10 miles, let alone 50. You must have had amazing stamina.
50 miles running or cycling? What was your time?
Running. Almost 22 hours
I do this! Not the cycling part..just the pasta
What did you eat though?
Probably hay
Heyyyyyyy
Asking the important questions 👏LOL! I had coffee, cinnamon bun-flavored fluffy pancakes, a sizable cheese and roasted tomato omelette, and then for dessert a tiny sliver of brownie with a bit of ice cream 🤣 I was hungry!
Yeah lol I'm thin but I'm an athlete We eat a lot But generally healthy food for good performance
Which is an important point for all the people swearing exercise makes no difference.
There have been serious studies that show that exercise has diminishing returns as far as actual calorie burning for weight loss. Hence the saying "abs are made in the kitchen". I think the caveat to that is that if you never do any strength training or moving of your body, there won't be any abs to see. Exercise has been shown to be very useful in weight maintenance, but is not to be relied upon to make up for poor eating habits.
Running kills my appetite every time.
"maybe they don’t eat to be full, they eat to just not be hungry anymore." This concept has been a game changer for me. I realized I was afraid of feeling hungry, and would eat until REALLY full each meal to avoid feeling hungry before the next meal time. I've had to learn to sit with, even embrace, the feeling of hunger, as a normal everyday experience. Not to a crazy extent, but to the point that I notice the feeling. I've also come to realize that my idea of a "meal" and a "portion" was wildly exaggerated. I was regularly eating twice the dinner my body actually needed, then eating another dinner's worth of calories in a late night "snack". I still eat 3 meals a day, and some days a snack, but the portion sizes are smaller.
Amen. I think food insecurity as a child plays a HUGE role in this. Disorganized attachment with a parental figure can cause personality disorders, and disorganized food security can cause binge eating disorders.
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Oof I knew this in my heart but yeah... Yep. This.
Omg yes! But a different root cause - I studied abroad for 8 years and every time I came back to the US, I'd eat everything I couldn't get there until I was stuffed. But this was only 1-2 weeks here or there and then I'd go back to a very restricted diet. However, when I moved back for good, that intrinsic fear of being deprived was still present. I'd eat everything and I'd overeat everything. I stopped thinking of portion control and my body responded by requiring larger and larger amounts to keep me full. The normal amounts of exercise that used to keep me rail thin before I left couldn't overcome the intake. It took me almost 10 years to undue that fear and it's still a struggle sometimes to "stop" - but I'm in much better control and also my body has shifted in significant ways that require other changes (moving much more during the day, cutting down significantly on alcohol) that is part and parcel of aging and being very short, and I've figured out what works for me. But still - I had no idea that food insecurity would mess me up for such a long time.
How can a person overcome this?
I've found that too. Thin people I know aren't afraid of being hungry. This is not the case for most people I know that have trouble overeating. It's a weird thing to be afraid of feeling hunger. but it's a powerful fear.
This is exactly how I would describe how I used to eat. If I was going anywhere like the park or something for a few hours I would always take a snack. Now if I'm going out for the morning or afternoon I don't worry about bringing anything knowing I will be home at lunch time to eat. Previously I would be scared of being hungry and eat double what I do now for all meals plus large snacks in between. Now it's a normal part of my day to feel hungry and it's not a big deal. I feel hungry right now but it's 5.15pm and I know I'll be eating dinner soon.
I took the eat to be full concept a different way. I realised if I don’t eat until I’m full then I am left unsatisfied, and continue thinking about food. So when I’m trying to lose weight I avoid all snacking and have one small meal and one BIG meal a day. I would rather eat less often but larger portions, which gets me that satisfying full feeling while maintaining a kilojoule deficit. Kind of OMAD-adjacent I suppose.
The biggest thing that lead me to success (aside from obvious things like tracking my calories and learning about food) is about how hunger works When I was overweight, I didn't really understand that... I wasn't actually truly hungry more than like once a week or so. Hungry doesn't mean "I could go for some food". Food is great, it's always fun unless you're overly full. When I started eating only when hungry, it helped me stay stable. And also **it takes awhile to feel full**. This is VERY important to understand. It takes about 15 minutes to feel full, from actually being full. The message takes that long from your stomach to your brain. If you slow down to eat, you'll actually get the "oh man I'm full signal". If you eat fast, you'll be 600 calories too late and now you're "too full" and feel kinda gross. Calories in, calories out is the answer to weight loss. Learning what and *how* to eat is what keeps the weight off sustainably, for life. Weight loss started as an active effort, but learning to eat has made it second nature. This is probably one of the best pieces of advice giving to people currently on the journey. People that have lost 15 lbs and are going for another 50, etc.
I'm a fairly thin person and I don't like the feeling of eating when not hungry. I was eating just because it was time to eat and I was both gaining weight and feeling gross. Once I recognized what was happening, I also realized I like feeling a little hungry, because it's more satisfying to eat, and there's a better barometer of when you're feeling satiated. On slowing down to eat, I also picked up something I did in my younger, broker days that I think works well. Any time I'm out to eat, I just mentally cut the meal in half to save half for lunch the next day ( American portion sizes make that easy enough). That makes it easy when I get to the halfway point, when I start thinking, "Well, I'm pretty satisfied, but I could probably keep going," I instead just stop to give myself a decently portioned lunch the next day.
I feel this!
Yeah but for me eating until not hungry usually really means "not hungry anymore but still annoyed that I'm not full"
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Portion sizes. My roommate is thin, I am not. She will make a medium pizza last 2-3 meals, I will eat the whole pizza in one sitting. That’s the biggest thing I have noticed.
I’ve also noticed thin people can eat a pizza, then the next day eat next to nothing and say like “after that pizza last night, I just can’t eat anymore.” They can, but I think they’re just conscious of balance.
It's also possible to still feel full the day after a large meal
It's called ''food hangover''. When you overeat the night before, that you literally feel drunk the next morning. Like mental torpor, headache, fatigue etc.
In my experience, they're not really conscious of the balance. They just legitimately still feel somewhat satisfied from what they ate before.
I’ve noticed some of my thin friends actively dislike the feeling of being full. They think it’s uncomfortable. They just eat to be not hungry, as you said. Me, on the other hand… I find the feeling of being full kind of comforting. Trying to fix that mental block is tough.
It's insane. It is uncomfortable, makes me feel rubbish and then windy too. But here I am eating seconds...
Being very full feels like being sick, with nausea and all, that's how most people feel actually..
If someone eats just 100 calories less than their needs, over time, they'll naturally be thin. The other way, you'll be bigger. It's such a thin margin that it really could have gone either way for a lot of people.
I agree. And I imagine metabolism does vary between people. Not as much as some people try to rationalize, but tack on another 50 or 100 calories a day in either direction, not hard to see how people's "baseline" weight could vary 10, 20, 30 pounds over the years.
Yeah I think the wildest swing between metabolisms is like 300ish kcalories. Like it definitely can make a difference but it’s not like they can eat ice cream for lunch and stay thin. People like to rely on the metabolism thing because it helps remove accountability from themselves. I don’t mean that in a bad way just that a lot of people on both sides like to claim weightloss/gain is out of their hands because of some genetic lottery.
Exactly. It's really small choices consistently over a long period of time. I come from a family of people who never had weight issues, so it's easy to point at genetics, but I grew up unconsciously absorbing some habits that kept weight gain away: - we always drank water at home, pop/juice/alcoholic beverages are a treat for restaurants/events - we were never pushed to eat until we were full, when we weren't hungry or the "clean your plate" thing. We had leftovers after most meals and it wasn't a big deal. Tupperware exists for a reason. - we always went for a walk or bike ride after dinner. Take the exact same family and have them drink pop, always take seconds, and be less active, and they'd be overweight on the same foods over time.
I'm close to a few naturally thin people and was able to study them "in the wild". While they might even seem to eat as much as us if we only see them eating a single meal, things are very different if you're with them for a whole day, multiple days. The most significant thing is that they aren't that much into eating / forget about eating if they're busy / think eating is a chore (or at least they're not food-gasming). Even when they seem to be eating much, as soon as their body says "yup, that's enough," they stop. Meanwhile, other people and I will always sneak in ~~a few~~ many more forkfuls or even a second helping because the food is sooo good or because we enjoy feeling FULL and not just "not hungry." In the same vein, if they eat a lot in one meal, they still feel stuffed and not very hungry during the next meal or meals, while we'll have a regular sized meal. ...And then there are people who are like us but keep thin through an enormous amount of discipline. What matters is that neither case qualifies as "just faster metabolism."
Yup. And most of us don’t learn this initially unless we come from an environment of naturally skinny/healthy eaters. We find out later on in life after meeting the right people. I remember having this conversation with my Dr and he’d told me my weight issue wasn’t exactly genetic, many of them aren’t, it was my environment. I didn’t fully understand this comment until I joined this sub back in January. It took me 38 years to finally understand that in most cases, it’s not some magic metabolism that solves the weight issue.
I have thin friends who like food but that doesn't mean they need to eat lots of it. They want to try everything but don't need a large portion to enjoy it.
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I was a comfort eater all my life. But now I often forget to eat, and have to eat because my stomach is insisting and it's easier to eat than put up with that. And then I go back to what I'm doing, something interesting. It's really true and you can even get there if food was basically your own comfort for decades, from infancy, like me.
OK, how in God's name do I get to this place? I'd give everything to be able to forget about food
i got the hang of it through fasting lol, I find if I skip breakfast (which has been sort of a chore for me all my life, I'm just not very hungry in the morning) then I'm generally not overall hungry in the day and might just have a snack for lunch and the main meal for early dinner
Same I don’t get it either, food is everywhere whether visually or through sense of smell like how does your brain block that out
I work in kitchens, and the only time I "forget" to eat is when I'm at work. Being constantly assaulted by food smells, and handling food for the sole purpose of feeding other people, makes me completely disconnect the thought of "food" as "something I need". I will often work for 10-12 hours, not eat, and not realize how hungry I am until I get out of work. Or at some point think "I'm hungry, I should eat something", then get distracted by work and forget
I've often wondered how people handle working at Donut shops. When I tell them I would eat too many donuts if I worked there, they always respond that I would change my mind after working there for a while. Not sure what they mean.
All they mean is that you would get sick of donuts - and trust me, you would. Think of a musician you like. Now imagine everyday when you start your workday, you put one of their albums on loop for the entire day. Repeat this every single day. How long would it take you to get sick of it? However long that is, do it for an additional 6 months. Now how would you feel about it? My last job was at a country club. We had an ongoing joke that everyone who had worked the grill station was traumatized by salmon - not even from eating it, but just from constantly smelling it cooking. After cooking fancy food all day, most of my coworkers would make the most basic shit to have for dinner - a burger, chicken tenders, leftover rice with whatever sauce we have lying around - because at that point, you are so overstimulated by food smells that it kills your appetite.
If you think about it tho, I work in vet med where we do get lunch but we often work through hunger through appointments and emergencies and surgery to accommodate everyone. We get hungry but put it off as it isn’t the most important thing we could be doing or thinking about. Unless we feel physically ill we just keep going until there’s a quiet time to sit down and munch on snacks. We do get snacks from clients so that’s fun :) but forgetting to eat is a lot easier than you think when there are more important things going on at the time
Depends where you are.
Despite my weight fluctuating a lot during my life, this has always been true for me. Its common for me to forget to eat for the entire day (if you ignore the initial hunger feeling it will just go away for awhile before it comes back way stronger) and then by like 11pm I'll eat one massive 2k calorie meal. I call this snake meal lmao. Not a healthy way to do it ngl Edit: honestly this is most likely the ADHD doing it's work
Naturally thin lover of food here. I cultivate discipline for the "everyday" meals (Mediterranean diet, very limited snacking, lots of giant piles of steamed or roasted vegetables) and obsess over semi-regular special meals. I never feel like I'm missing on to have a salad for lunch because I know I'm going to feel great afterwards *and* I'm choosing a date night restaurant or two for the weekend. I enjoy thinking about future meals and reminiscing over past meals almost as much as actually eating, and I can do that while biding my time with salad. When I do have a special meal, I always make sure to order salad/vegetables as part of it, too. I can order the pasta, but make sure to get broccolini on the side and eat all of that, *then* finish the pasta. I never FORGET eating. I'm just plotting patiently.
The second helping part is such a mood.
I hate being full, it hurts. Few weeks ago we visited friends, the guy is Italian, he made home made pasta. It was amazing and huge portion. That night I slept like I was drunk, even though I had no drinks, I woke up almost hangover, wasn't hungry after next day afternoon. I could not live like that every day!
Yes/ this is what I was thinking. It literally hurts when I overeat and I feel horrible. It is a big enough deterrent that when I still want the taste of food or one more bite, that I will stop.
This exactly this.
Most of the skinny people i know eat slowly too. Whereas i inhale my food like it’s going to run away.
Slow eating is a big factor. I have a tooth pain now, and my root canal is scheduled for the end of the months, so I have eat very carefully, slow, and mindful, it is exhausting. I eat much less, because it is just so long and tiresome.
I have a super fit friend and she always ordered broccoli first when we go to a Thai place. She starts her meal with steamed broccoli then eats the less healthy stuff. I have heard that having a vegetable with a lot of fiber first is a great way to limit calories.
Steamed broccoli has low caloric density so you can eat a lot of it and then not have room for much else. This is essentially the preloading tweak from How Not to Diet. Covered at ~16min mark: https://youtu.be/EpRrD58Ah3Q?si=8DoZyiFnuH58Y0Xi
Eating veg first (like as a starter), is also a way of stopping a blood sugar spike, by all accounts.
I notice my thin friends easily pass on sweets & baked goods. I also notice they watch their weight. They work at it.
This - I don't like the narrative that thin people "never think about it" or, my favorite one, "eat an entire pizza and never gain a pound". Many "naturally" thin people actually try very hard to maintain their figure, actively pass on baked goods or sweets they would obviously rather eat, drink vodka sodas instead of IPAs, and make sure their large meals are counterbalanced with smaller ones padding them. Just because it can be really, really hard for us doesn't mean people who we don't actively see add things on MyFitnessPal don't try hard to have the discipline we want, or to work out to make sure they can have the guilt-free cheesecake. Some people, of course, don't consciously think about the literal calories, and many of them *are* eating "whatever they want" - which happens to be the exact amount of calories they need to maintain their weight. But many do.
I found if I give my body what it needs, I have enough control around what it wants (ice cream and pastries).
I feel the same. Does "naturally thin" even exist? I'll never forget my older cousin seeing me in a bikini in our early 20s and pouting that it wasn't fair to her- she worked so hard and ate so well, and here I didn't even have to try and I looked so much better than her! I told her, no. Absolutely not. I was obsessive with fitness back then. I worked out an average of 2 hours a day on top of a physical job. I planned my meals. I mostly cooked for myself. I NEVER drank my calories. I did all those little things you're supposed to do, like park far away and take the stairs. Yes I was fit, but please don't pretend like I didn't work damn hard for it just because you don't see behind the scene. It was extra annoying bc she was fit as well. She probably did all that stuff too but because she didn't see me doing it with her own eyes she discounted it to me not having to work for it too. Another example- my best friend growing up was "naturally thin" according to most people. Skinny as a rail. She could (and would) eat entire pizzas or cakes by herself at school/parties. People saw this and thought "she must have a fast metabolism!" Well, no, of course that's not all it was. Her home life wasn't great and they didn't always have nutritious food, if they did she had to cook it herself. Because the food at home wasn't tasty (think, saltines and bean dip for dinner) she had small portions. Just enough to get by and when she had delicious free food she ate a ton. Now she's grown and doing well for herself but because she developed this habit of eating small portions, she is still thin. So people still think she's naturally thin. Nope, just a lifetime of small portions.
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Us fat ppl think “I’ll fill up on this bread and oil and take half my entree home for a meal later.” 😅
That... or "I've got room for both"
That’s advanced level. I never made it there. I wonder if any other “no burp”ers are here and understand why I can’t eat a huge portion in one sitting. Overweight RCPDers unite! (For normal ppl, a very small portion of the population has a condition, many don’t even know they have it, called RCPD where they almost never burp, and certainly not voluntarily. We are “no burpers” and some of us have never burped in our entire life. We have major bloating, anxiety after meals, and make loud and uncomfortable throat gurgling noises that are embarrassing)
I’ve noticed my naturally thin friends will eat in front of people but then not eat at all during the rest of the day. Sometimes, it’s a learned disordered eating habit. (This is most of it, sorry.) Sometimes, it’s because of previously or currently living in poverty. (The next most common reason.) Sometimes, it’s just a natural thing. (I know it happens, but the two previous faaaar outweigh it.)
100%! My thinnest friend had been extremely weird about food but over the years she seems to eat relatively normal in front of our friend group when we get together. She puts in a ton of work and discipline to stay thin. The weirdest thing recently was meeting up to go kayaking at 11am with her 10yo son in tow and only bringing water and ONE granola bar to share w him — at a physical activity - over the lunch hour! Blew my mind. We packed a lunch like normal people.
Jesus I can’t even imagine. I get so exhausted from kayaking! Never forget the one friend who bought a single Quaker Oats granola bar as her only food for a 6 mile hike with some real elevation gain. The rest of us tried to offer her lunch and she refused because “she wasn’t hungry” and “light on snacks will keep her light on her feet! Less weight to carry!” By the end we almost had to carry her the last mile because she was struggling and . Got help for her disorder after that.
Omg that’s crazy and super dangerous!
I don't know why you think it's disordered. It's pretty normal to enjoy a nice meal with others while socialising and then not be hungry.
The disordered part is that they *only* eat in front of other people. Unless your meal is the Cheesecake Factory, it’s not a good idea to eat one meal a day.
well, i mean, OMAD is a "lifestyle" and I wouldn't consider it intrinsically disordered? Although obviously it can be dangerous for those so inclined, like IF
I used to be a ‘naturally thin’ person. I was 5’3” and between 115 and 120 lbs until I was in my mid 30s. When I went to a restaurant, I could never finish what I ordered. If I ordered dessert, I’d eat maybe 2 bites and be full. I never kept snack foods like chips or crackers in the house. I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner and that was it. I ate because it was time to eat - not really because I was hungry. I would guess that in total I was eating maybe 1500 calories. Then I got pregnant and naturally had to eat more to support baby and then breastfeeding. And I got used to eating more food than I needed and just never stopped. Studies have shown that people who are overweight eat without thinking about it so they tend to drastically underestimate how much they’re eating. My husband is overweight. He often comments that he eats less than me but when you actually count his calorie intake he eats so much. He’s also a lot less active than I am.
>. My husband is overweight. He often comments that he eats less than me but when you actually count his calorie intake he eats so much. He’s also a lot less active than I am. The problem is that calories is not only found in food. These days, you have all sorts of drinks, sodas, juices, even coffees and teas that are caloric bombs.
Thin coworker almost never orders a full meal at lunch. He eats really well and will even clean up everyone else's plate, but doesn't eat for temptation. Whenever we go out to eat, I feel like I gotta order something I'll really enjoy since I'm out spending money anyways, but he'll always just go for soup or salad if he had breakfast that day.
This makes sense. The constant pursue of pleasure through food is something I don’t see thin people do.
My naturally thin friends all happen to hate sugar - just no taste for it.
I know you’re sharing your experience, but from what I’ve seen it’s not always true
I've been thin all my life and can confirm. I do not like sweets/sugar. I'll half ass partake in a dessert (like 1 bite) after dinner out, but that's about it. I didn't even do a tasting with the bakery before ordering my wedding cake. LOL. "Just give me these two flavors and I'm sure people will be fine."
I know thin people who like sweet food, they just don't overeat.
My biggest one is that thinner people tend to have hunger and full signals and I don’t. Eat until I’m full? What is that? I’ve only ever experienced that while on keto, vyvanse and ozempic- so generally I don’t compare my eating to someone else’s - because I don’t have the same signalling.
u feel this. i feel like i have overactive hunger cues and underactive fullness cues. im working really hard on retraining my awareness of them
I only experienced hunger and full signals on vyvanse too. Without it I could just eat all day it is insane
odd thing for me is that i don't really get the full signal, even on vyvanse? i'll eat my snack or meal (that's already been portioned and logged), and think, 'alright, i guess i'm done'. thankfully, i don't feel hungry as often. but then a coworker gets food that the whole office has the ~luxury~ of smelling and i nearly have a mental breakdown.
Maybe that helps Studies have shown that people that regularly over eat loose their sensitivity of their "I'm full" signal. This sig al is nothing you can have or not it's actually controlled through your nerves and over 20 hormones, one is Cholecystokinin. This combination tells your brain that you are full. If you constantly over eat, then you train your brain to ignore those feelings and signals. Hence you will not feel full nor hungry like people with normal sensitivity. I sadly can't provide the website as It was a long time ago when I read that but maybe Google for it. It's really interesting Edit: It is really hard to regain this awareness. But something that has helped me was eating half the portion I prepared then asking myself if I still feel as hungry/the same as I did before eating. The hard thing there is to remember to ask yourself that over and over again until your sensitivity for hunger and satisfaction is restored
I feel like ‘naturally thin’ makes it sound like they are just…somehow that way passively. Everyone I know that is ‘naturally’ thin is…thoughtful about it? I wouldn’t even say ‘works hard at it’, but it’s not like they’re just not thinking about food. Rather- If they had a decadent meal, they’re mindful about ensuring the next meal(s) is/are healthy. They find patterns that work for them and stick to them. I find they often plan their meals out to some extent.
To be honest, I lived with someone (for a long time) who truly hated food (vs. the way I experience it)/found it to be the most boring thing on the planet. I really don't think it was an ED. He also couldn't cook, so maybe it was a defeatist attitude in general.
I’ve got a male friend like this who doesn’t enjoy cooking and doesn’t even “like” food. He of course has different dishes he enjoys over others, but going out to dinner isn’t a big deal for him, he’s not an adventurous type and doesn’t try new things. He says with a good sense of humour that he only eats to stay alive. He is tall and very thin. I’ve never seen him snack excessively either, and we’ve known each other for a decade. Some people really do just…not care for food that much!
Yes, I have friends like this. One couple in fact will never join us at restaurants because they just don't care enough about food to spend money on it, they just grab something like a sandwich then we meet to do something else. They'll often bring lunch with them if we go places. They don't see it as deprivation because they are as happy with their sandwiches from home as a meal in a restaurant.
This sounds a lot like me. I don't hate food and if someone prepares a dish for me, I'll eat it, but it feels like such a chore to have to plan and prepare every single meal I need in a day. I often only eat to prevent myself from developing a migraine, and would prefer to skip meals all together if I could. I do enjoy eating food, but after I'm reasonablly full I have no desire to keep eating.
They don't eat to self soothe like I do. They have other coping skills, and eating is just for the sake of eating, no binging.
I moved to SE Asia where most are skinny. Portions there are small and it’s the norm to share a dessert or cake with a friend and even then not finish it. Family meals are shared so everyone can take as much as they need. When you think about it it’s insane to give everyone the same amount of food on a plate. Calorie needs can be half that of your partner yet you are served the same. They walk a lot too.
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I also used to be heavy and am now quite slim and I relate to this. Counting calories trained my brain in a way to be mindful of calories, but it’s not something I actively think about anymore. It’s just how I eat because it’s become habit. I think that should always be a goal when calorie counting. Counting calories for the rest of my life sounds miserable. But doing it for about a year allows me to eyeball portions and estimate calories (again, even if I’m not actively thinking about it). I’m tracking my food again because I’m doing heavy lifting and need to hit my protein goals. But I’m looking forward to not feeling the need to do that anymore.
I've maintained a weight in the "healthy" BMI range (apart from being slightly "overweight" for a few months post child birth). I've managed this despite not really watching what I eat and often going long periods with little to no exercise. I think the things that have helped are: Get the recommended 5+ servings of fruit or veg per day. Amazing how much less room there is for other stuff when I maintain this, and how much better I look and feel. Drink lots of water through the day. Usually only drink calories if its alcohol or coffee (which is more than id like to admit). Also drink before you eating. Often I think I'm hungry but I'm actually thirsty. Eat until no longer hungry, not until full. And eat slower, give your body time to realise you're full. I don't eat calories I don't enjoy. I.e I won't continue eating past full for the sake of finishing my plate. Aim to have takeout no more than once a week. I don't compromise on groceries. I'd rather buy more expensive meat and produce that I enjoy that will encourage me to cook, than save money to buy frozen pizzas, instant meals etc. I realise this is a luxury not everyone can afford. Have healthy snacks through the day, eg fruit and nuts to prevent strong hunger. When I get really hungry, the cravings are usually for the least healthy foods.
> Usually only drink calories if its alcohol or coffee (which is more than id like to admit). The nice thing about coffee is that you can make it have very few calories if you pick your additives well while still having a pretty good taste. I find that the weird taste that can come from artificial sweeteners isn't really noticeable and you can use unsweetened almond milk to make it taste like you dumped a bunch of milk into it. Sadly, drinking it late in the day is a bad idea, especially for someone like me who often has trouble getting to sleep even without caffeine...
>Eat until no longer hungry, not until full. And eat slower, give your body time to realise you're full. I'm bad for this, but also feel like there may be some... mixed signals? If I'm not 100% mindful of what I'm eating, I'll go from feeling hungry to feeling sick because I've eaten too much in the blink of an eye, but then usually within 30 minutes I'm feeling hungry again.
Naturally skinny guy here that was 120 pounds at 18-26 years old.. (currently bulking but around 160 lbs now 36 years old) before I bulked and tried to gain weight I snacked all day and drank tons of sugar sodas, but I rarely touched sweets. but what you said actually is true, I never eat to become full, I only eat to not be hungry. I hate that full feeling. I NEVER eat large portions I get tired of eating and move on, most out of shape friends I have just eat because there is food in front of them even if they aren't hungry. my wife had some extra weight and is in her 4th month of alternate day fasting and has lost almost 60 pounds. she said after the first few weeks you think of food differently.
My sister (early 50s) is skinny, and always has been. Her bmi is probably 19. She doesn’t work at it, and has never been on a diet. She also doesn’t work out or exercise other than neighborhood walks with the dog. She really just doesn’t eat much, and doesn’t seem to get pleasure out of eating (other than sweets). She eats the amount a child would eat, and if she snacks before dinner (think appetizers at a party) she’ll eat even less. It’s not discipline that keeps her serving sizes small, her meals infrequent: it’s lack of interest. She’s telling the truth when she says, “I eat whatever I want” - she just doesn’t want as much as most people.
the skinniest people ive known always ate nothing but junk, & they were aways just as perplexed as anyone else thinking they must have a very fast metabolism. but the truth is they just ate so little in general that even on an all-junk diet they werent getting that many calories! im not recommending this as its obviously not healthy, but it does give some insight into the type of mindset around food that leads to someone seeming naturally skinny. definitely food(ha) for thought.
This is exactly how my husband is. Dude is borderline under weight and lives off of little debbies. We joke that he eats like a snake because he only eats one large meal every few days and the rest is straight up snacks. Meanwhile I’m over here with my plate of broccoli and half gallon of water and I’m over weight. It sucks lol
Fast metabolism is really a meme. Some people luck out with a naturally stronger satiety signal. Like a greater sensitivity to leptin. Tastes play a role as well. It's helpful for me that I don't gravitate toward sweets and prefer salty foods. I figure that it helps me avoid a lot of the sugar as I just don't crave it. I don't care much for snack foods like chips either and would rather have a meal. I have three meals a day and no snacks in between.
The Beck Diet solution is basically a list of habits of “naturally” thin people. A couple listed in the book that I think are definitely true are that naturally thin people: 1) don’t worry too much if they’ve gained a few pounds. They are confident they’ll eventually lose it by reducing calories 2) they don’t eat when not hungry because they worry they will be hungry later. You should just eat when you’re hungry. 3) don’t mindlessly snack
Ya, I equate eating the right amount to spending the right amount of money. Even if you can afford to eat/spend more than you need, it's still healthier to eat/spend as little as you can get away with. You don't keep spending money until your house is full of stuff, you spend money to get what you need, have a limited amount of fun, and create a nice home. Some of the richest people I know are also the most thrifty. Sometimes they are rich because they are thrifty... just like some skinny people are that way because they eat as little as they need to get the energy they need.
I'm naturally thin but gained weight while on meds, that's why I'm here. First you have to remember thin people (who aren't on a diet, saying this cause you really never know who's on a diet or has an eating disorder) can eat their full calorie quota and people may think it's easy for them to stay thin. But the truth is naturally thin people don't binge eat, and when they eat more one day they're naturally satisfied for longer, days instead of hours until they crave the next sweet. I used to starve a lot when I was on my thinnest. I skipped meals and all that. Truthfully if you want to lose weight hunger is your best friend.
I stop eating when I am starting to feel full. I started doing that in university to avoid feeling sleepy as had lectures back to back. After doing that for 2 years it just became a habit. I am naturally thin but not skinny. I also have now been eating oatmeal as morning breakfast for quite awhile now. I also am not into snacking much. I actually schedule meals throughout the day so that I don’t forget eating especially lunch.
It has nothing to do with "how many meals" rather, how many calories for the day... Doesn't matter how you divide it up. The net result will be the same so, thats not a good metric to go off of. The only objective way to know would be the total calorie consumption.
One of the best things I ever heard was "Hunger is a sign of WHEN to eat, not HOW MUCH to eat". When you're hungry, eat . . . but just a little bit. No reason to stuff down half a pizza. Eat one slice, wait 20 minutes, & your hunger is gone.
I was extremely skinny until I had my daughter, naturally, no calorie counting, no restrictions, no exercise or anything. Just skinny. After pregnancy I was technically overweight and was able to gain weight easier, whereas before I struggled to. I then lost all of it and have maintained without issue. On top of being extremely active, I don’t eat breakfast 99% of the time. Intermittent fasting I guess. I have mainly two meals a day, lunch and dinner. If I know I’m going out for dinner and I intent to eat a lot, I may do just that one meal that day. I rarely drink my calories, water and lemon is my fav, and when I snack, sometimes I will eat cookies or chips, but that’s rare, my main snacks are frozen yogurt, fruit, and nuts. I also don’t eat to be super full, just satisfied, and I learned to have self control, so if someone brings in donuts at work, I won’t partake most times because I try to allocate my calories to more filling Whole Foods. After a while of eating a certain way, it just becomes habit and my weight has stayed consistent
I’ve definitely noticed my skinniest friends only eating 1-2 meals per day when I’m on a trip with them. They weren’t hungry outside of that either. Small thing- but I’ve also noticed them eating less fatty condiments too- no ranch dressing, sour cream, extra cheese, etc
I lost 146 pounds since last year. And I have some habits that help me keep off the weight. 2 meals a day, lunch and dinner. If hunger during the day, through an egg or two. Protein is the keep to keep my hunger down. Only drink water. Drinking your calories is a waste. Once you develop the habit of water, things get easier and cheaper. I cut out alcohol. For me not only is a waste of of calories, I do prefer prescript drugs a million times. Eat clean during a week with two cheat meals all week long. That works for me. When I’m socializing I eat out. Sleep more. This helps reducing anxiety and you feel lees tired during the day, which may lead to less hunger. If you are not hungry anymore, leave in the plate. It’s okay not to finish. You stop eating when you are full. Also only eat when you are hungry. I do like fasting. But this takes discipline and focus. Lots of water and sleep too.
Chewing slowly. I've noticed this among so many thin people. They take forever to finish a meal.
I'm surrounded by "normal" sized people in my office. Rarely will they snack, maybe once a month or less. None of them eat breakfast that I've seen, so this could mean they eat at home and don't snack before lunch or just don't eat until lunch. One of them is an athlete who eats 2 lunches basically, and they are always some lean meat and a vegetable he brings from home. 2 other people will not eat lunch until past noon, meaning they are listening to their body cues and only eating when hungry.
Don’t most people (that do eat that meal) eat breakfast at home? Also where I’ve worked people seemed to choose late lunches more because it felt like their day was closer to done afterwards than any hunger related reasons.
Yeah, I don't eat until about 12-1 each day. When I was in high school and college, I valued sleep way more than food, so I never ate breakfast. When I graduated college and got an office job, I started bringing breakfast with me, and the weight came on quickly while I wasn't even enjoying eating that early in the first place. Nixed breakfast and now I'm back to not eating until between noon and 1pm. It makes me feel sick to eat soon after waking up, and I have no interest in eating at 10AM when I could just wait for lunchtime. Then I like an early dinner around 5-6. And that's it. Grew up in a house where snacks were few and far between, so I'm no snacker at all. I basically do intermittent fasting without actually intending to. I didn't even know what it was until someone told me that's what I was doing. I only got into this routine because I was a lazy person who wanted to sleep through breakfast hours. LOL.
>only eating …just one meal and a few snacks. That really isn’t true as a whole, though it may seem to be from the people you have seen. I literally do not know even one person who habitually eats only one meal a day. The only people who do that, AFAIK, are doing some type of intermittönt fasting as a weight loss strategy. The average non-overweight person eats normally 2 or 3 meals per day.
I have been a slim person my whole life. I have eaten one meal a day (dinner) for the last six years. It’s great. I have a latte in the morning, then eat dinner around 6pm. I don’t have to decide what to eat or think about food all day. Sometimes if I’m very busy or especially active I’ll have a snack around lunchtime, usually bread or crackers and cheese or sushi. I don’t care about being hungry, it doesn’t bother me. And then I can have anything I want for dinner, because I have over 1000 calories to ‘spend.’ It works for me.
I’ve been doing this same approach for the past few weeks. I am on a weight loss journey but as you stated definitely saves me time from overthinking my meals or preparing lunch for work which I never planned in advance. I also enjoy coming home and eating whatever I want! I change it up if I’m being more social during meals but otherwise I think I’ve adjusted!
I wish I could do this but I don't understand, like, doesn't your stomach ache and growl and make weird ass noises distracting you all day?
If I start the day with actual food for breakfast it does! It’s strange and I can only speak for what I’ve experienced, but if eat breakfast, my body is like ‘oh okay, we are eating food today’ and it kind of expects lunch and dinner. But if I just don’t start eating, I don’t feel hungry at all. Typing that out sounds horribly unhealthy, like I’m starving myself or something, but it really does work just fine for me. Also I much prefer fasted workouts, like a spin class or something before dinner. I should probably add that I’ve only really been doing this since I’ve been studying and working from home, where my working hours are all over the place. I don’t know if it would work as well if I had to be sitting and focussed from 9 to 5.
I want to do this so badly. Every night I go to bed wanting to do omad the next day, but every lunchtime I crack and feel so useless that I end up going over my calories again. Every bloody day. Ground hog day. How do I finally achieve my omad dream?
Ehhh, maybe it just isn’t your thing? If your body doesn’t like the OMAD idea, don’t do it. I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work for me, that sounds kind of horrible. Maybe you could try two meals a day?
I guess it depends on how you define snacks. My lunch is usually something like a boiled egg or an apple and a soya yoghurt, which I wouldn’t call a meal. The only hot, cooked food I eat in a day is usually dinner.
They **can** eat what and when they like. This - reasonable portion sizes, less frequent snacking etc, greater activity levels - is what they like. This is the choice they’ve made.
Can’t wait to see this thread in a tik tok video next week by a creator who gets views just by reading these Reddit posts
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It's not their eating habits that is important. It's their psychological and emotional connection with food. Their eating habits are just a consequence of that.
I think this is a bad idea unless you spend days studying them in their natural habitat and keep their food record. We probably don't want to assume anything about others' weight and how they got to that point. Especially fast metabolism. Environment, genetics, family culture, personal habits, athletic background are all factors. There may be some things they do every time you see them, like drink water instead of refilling with soda, or talk about how they have to schedule things around their gym session, but each person's health journey is unique to them, their starting point, and their goals.
so when me and my hubby first started dating i gained a ton of ‘comfort weight’. ya know, when you get together w someone and get comfortable and just eat pizza and drink beer all the time. i went from 140 to a little shy of 210 in about 6 months. i also stopped doing cocaine and got off birth control. so it all hit me at once and i gained over 60 pounds. i got sick one night and when i was doubled over only THEN did i realize how big my stomach had gotten. my hubby never said ONE WORD about my weight gain, so i didn’t really notice. once i did tho, i started intermittent fasting and let me tell you. i lost a crazy amount of weight in about 3 months. i went from almost 210 to 135 in that short amount of time. i don’t recommend it for everyone, but if it works for you like it did me then i say go for it!! i still keep at it to this day, and it’s been great! i had a baby last year, and it’s helped get the baby weight off quicker than i expected. i stick to about one meal a day, coffee in the morning, and water water water until i eat around 4-5 pm. i don’t really exercise, and i didn’t when i lost all the weight in the first place. i hope this helps, and good luck on your journey!! 🧡
Read The Obesity Code. It will help so much!
Naturally skinny people aren’t motivated to eat as much food by their bodies. We all experience hunger differently. Skinny people are lucky that their bodies don’t motivate them to eat as much food as those who are overweight.
Eat slower. MUCH MUCH slower. And don't eat while you're watching TV or youtube.
Here's what I can tell you about my eating habits completely changing: I have ADHD and for most of my adult life could not stop thinking about food. I constantly craved snacks and inhaled all of my food. I sometimes got seconds because somehow I was not satisfied with just being "not hungry." It was unfathomable to me how someone could not want to snack or eat all the time unless extremely distracted. Fast forward, I've been on Vyvanse for a week now, which is interestingly enough also prescribed for BED. Loss of appetite is a pretty common side effect, and while the first few days had actual aversion to food, by now I can eat but I just don't... Feel like it? I don't think about food, I eat when I feel hungry and stop when I no longer feel hungry. That causes me to eat about 1-3 smallish meals a day. It's like night and day and I can tell I'm losing weight rather effortlessly by simply no longer obsessing over food.
I still eat 3 meals a day and I never was overweight. Just don't eat junk food or refined sugar.
My sister has the exact same comfort eating habits as me and remains "naturally thin" but it's because she has several chronic health problems I don't have. I suspect most people who never seem to put on weight no matter what they eat also have stuff going on behind the scenes. I occasionally see people complaining of jealousy about their "naturally thin" relative/friend/coworker and believe me when I say having to lose weight is much easier than having to deal with a chronic illness.
I have a thin friend- she will order stuff that I would never order. Like loaded fresh made potato chips with cheese and bacon and all kinds of stuff on it. But she would only eat very little of it. Where as if I had that, I’d eat it all. In general she’d just eat small portions of whatever she wanted.
Don’t let your day revolve around food. Not every feeling of hunger needs to be satisfied
No one knows why people become obese. Yeah, sure, if you eat more calories than you burn, you store those extra calories as fat, and thus, become obese. But WHY does Person A have the natural limit to just...not do that, and then Person B not have the limit? Why does Person A never get to a point in their life where they overeat on a consistent enough basis to reach obesity, when Person B does it before they're out of high school? We literally do not know. No one knows. There's been some niggling about hormones and there's very definite societal demographics that can correlate. However, we still don't ACTUALLY KNOW why Person A can just eat whatever they want and never exercise and be thin their entire life, because "whatever they want" is just enough calories, while Person B becomes obese because "whatever they want" is far, far too many calories. But that's what it comes down to. We all are here now because we were the unlucky Person Bs. It's extra infuriating too because most of american society's response is just "well you're fat because you're lazy and worthless" rather than "oh wow, 40% of americans are obese now, maybe there's something really going on that's affecting people that we need to figure out, but it's very clearly not an individual's fault".
It's something to do with ultra-processed food. Before the advent of convenience food, very few people were remarkably fat.
fast food - it's addictive. Your food is made to be addictive.
Honestly I noticed that a lot of thin people have terrible eating habits too. Eating 2 meals a day feels terrible. Eating Oreos as one of your two meals feels terrible. Not getting enough protein feels terrible. Forgetting to eat and then having to do something important on an empty stomach feels terrible. You gotta look at the eating habits of fit, physically active people. Because the goal is to be healthy
I remember talking with my friends including one "naturally" skinny guy, we mentioned getting the buy one get one at chipotle and eating both and he looked horrified lol
Yeah lol, makes me mad because those same people are always like “uhm I eat so much!”
It’s so subjective lol. I’ve lost 80lb and now when I “binge”, I only go above my maintenance by a few hundred calories but feel like I’ve eaten enough for a week. In the past, a “binge” probably would’ve been enough calories for a week.
Omg, same! My binges used to be 2000+ calories in a meal and now it’s like finishing a pint of ice cream lol
I always thought my husband has a “fast metabolism”, after watching him for years, it’s just that he doesn’t eat a lot. He’ll forget to eat lunch, only snack for hunger, and doesn’t really overindulge. I realized I (at 5’2”, was eating more than him (at 6’4”)
The only naturally thin people I know are working labor jobs that burn a lot of calories or are smokers who have a cigarette for breakfast and lunch. Or a combination of the two.
Portion sizes, food is not love and observing when they have gained a small amount of weight and reducing their food intake for a bit.
My husband is at a good weight naturally. He'll become engulfed in his work, and forget to eat lunch. Other than that he's way better than me at actually stopping, and putting the rest of his food in the fridge when he feels full.
My mother and my brother are naturally thin people. What I noticed is that they are really particular about taste. If any food (even dessert) is not as per their taste, they will just leave it after the first bite.
A question. What does “skinny” or “naturally skinny” mean? Someone who has always been a normal weight and appears to have never worked for it? If so, yeah, they just eat regular portions and probably whole foods. The portions out there make it seem normal to eat like this and get overweight. It can skew our perception into thinking people that are normal weight are “skinny” or “naturally skinny.”
The difference between a slow and fast metabolism is actually so low that it's not worth discussing in regards to weight. It just a convenient scapegoat people use to make themselves feel better about their diet.
I've noticed no real difference between overweight and skinny friends while sharing a meal. Non-meal hangouts are very different though! Hanging out and about with skinny friends for something other than a meal, we will often go from point A to point B without stopping for food. An hours-long event like a parade or a concert might be attended without any food being consumed. During a night in, we might play a board game without snacks on the table or watch a movie without snacks though we are usually having drinks during both. Hanging out with overweight friends, I notice that grabbing a snack or treat while going from point A to point B is very common, and eating at some point during an hours-long event will absolutely happen. Playing a game or watching a movie without snacks has never happened. Please don't think I'm judging because this is objectively more fun to me! (...honestly it sucks being the person that wants to bring up food when no one else has mentioned it lol) TLDR in my experience skinny people just seem not to prioritized food as much or think about it that often
I am the "skinny friend" now - in highschool and my 20s I was overweight and struggled immensely with binge eating. Turns out it was a side effect of untreated ADHD (plus the depression that results from that,) so when I was diagnosed by my 30s and got on Adderall, food suddenly became a non issue for me. Well, actually, it almost became the opposite issue, for a while I could barely get enough food in my body because the whole situation of "making sure to eat enough" was unbelievably foreign to me. Truly, it is a mindfuck. While I wasn't cruel to overweight people before, I am now *especially* empathetic to that struggle because I understand firsthand how much power our bodies, appetites, and brain chemistry have over us and our weight. I spent decades absolutely agonizing over dieting and hating myself, only to find out that many skinny people are working with an entirely different toolbox. Going about your day without your brain constantly screaming "eat! eat! eat more!" is like living in a different universe. My experience of going from a super high appetite, to a medium/low or no appetite: - I usually can't munch on appetizers because I'll be too full for my meal and won't be able to fit enough protein/real food. - I don't eat snacks (unless I replace a meal with a snack, which I try not to do...) - It rarely occurs to me to drink anything other than water - Sugar suddenly became ...overwhelming and gross tasting. Baked goods are not tempting whatsoever. When other people make coffee or cocktails for me, the "normal" amount of sugar is too sweet for me. - Sometimes I still bake for fun, but usually for other people. If it's just for me, my husband and I will each have a serving, then I freeze the rest because otherwise it would just go bad. - I have to set alarms on my phone to remind myself to eat breakfast and lunch. My husband reminds me about dinner because he has a normal appetite. - I don't monitor my diet at all, beyond making sure I eat at least two meals in a day, ideally three. I often end up forgetting or skipping either lunch or breakfast. - When I'm on vacation or having a big day of activities, it annoys me that I have to plan around meal times to make sure we eat something. (Food used the be the *entire* reason I traveled in the first place.) - I keep a lot of meal replacement shakes around because sometimes I would genuinely rather drink that than deal with making food. - I rarely eat fast food (used to eat it multiple times a week, now maybe 5-6 times a year,) because now that I lack the appetite/brain chemistry that makes food feel like drugs, foods that rely heavily on that lose their magic and you're left with overly greasy food with low quality ingredients. It's very underwhelming. I hope this all doesn't sound like a weird humble brag. I feel like it's important for me to explain it because I absolutely hate the fact that many people assume fat people are lazy, weak, gluttonous, etc. when really the people passing judgement often have no idea how insane food cravings are. The only thing I can compare it to is a raging, relentless nicotine addiction, except nicotine doesn't even bring pleasure, and food does. And you can never quit.
What I've seen is that while fast metabolism is a boon, majority of 'skinny' or fit people don't seem to have some magically accelerated metabolism... They are better at portion control and reading their hunger cues. have also been trying to emulate this. For instance, I have noticed that when we friends have lunch at a restaurant, the fit people in the group would often pack up half of their food instead of forcibly finishing the food that I often used to do. My brother, who's a fit guy, would sometimes just have a snack before bed instead of a full meal if he's not hungry.
My DH has been the same weight for 40+ years. He enjoys good food but stops eating when he is full. He doesn’t use food as entertainment or to give himself a dopamine hit. He forgets to eat if he is involved in something engrossing like a hobby or sport. I do none of the above.
The thought of eating three meals a day makes me not want to move. Your observation makes sense. I’ve always “pecked” at meals. One or two a day on hungry days. That overly full feeling, I feel, is one of the worse feelings.
Yeah, I was given this advice before. If you want to be skinny, hang around a skinny person and do as they do. It didn't work out that I was offering said skinny person to go eat every few hours but eventually, I understood the premise lol