Naturally slim people to post

What a lot of useful advice. I agree cook your own meals. Do not use low fat items they usually have more sugar. Do not believe anything written on packets or in advertisements. They just want to sell their products to you.
Learn to read labels carefully. Follow what is included in 100gms of the food. Make sure you're not reading the what's in one biscuit , or cake etc.
Try to keep under 3gms of sugar in 100gms of product.
Remember even One biscuit, piece of cake, or ice cream etc. puts on the inches. There's lovely savoury things, eg cheese scones, in place of sweet items.

If you eat plenty of vegetables and up to 2 pieces of fruit a day you will consume plenty of sugar. If you doubt this look up under "Sugar in Vegetables". Sugar in vegetables and fruit comes with plenty of roughage.

Eating sugary things just makes you want to eat a second and a third biscuit etc.

For more information see David Gallespie's book Sweet Poison or Sugar Blues by William Dufty. Both interesting reads.

Happy eating

My DH who has just turned 60 looks the same body shape as when I met him and the same weight. He is still very muscular, 4 pack tim and works out every other day, always has. He eats like a horse and get the shakes near to meal time. We thought maybe he was diabetic and went for blood test. Our Dr. said he has a very fast metabolism and to stuff his pockets full of Mars bars. He is 12 3 and never puts an ounce on. Me... underactive Thyroid and constantly battling with weight gain....

Breakfast..special K sugar free muesli, grapefruit,banana, berries.1/2 slice toast smear of marmalade. Drink diluted cranberry and water. Don't eat during morning.Dinner jacket pot. Tuna, sweet corn, tomato, small amount grated cheese and light Mayo. Pud often fresh fruit.Nothing to eat in afternoon. Evening,often don't have anything except perhaps bag of crisps and apple, yoghurt. Evening, decaf coffee.
I do 2 dance classes per week and swim for an hour. Find swimming really makes a difference.

I think it's very unfair that my stomach has never understood the words "I'm full".

Ooh also agree with the 'fidgit' post..am never still lol

Hi ..have lost lot of weight over last 4yrs...dont know why...now size 8/10..
loved being size 14!!!
Breakfast wholemeal toast.marmalde(1st of about 8cups of tea half tsp sugar)
Mid a.m banana
Lunch...salad sandwich cheese or homous
Dinner..veggie chilli.rice.salad. Or such?
2gls? every nite
Slice of toast with butter....

I have to be careful not to lose weight - recently after stress I lost a stone very rapidly and went down to just over 7 stone, normally I weigh around 8 stone and have always weighed this (5 ft 4). Yesterday I ate a boiled egg and a piece of homemade bread as toast with butter. I always eat butter! Cup of coffee mid morning. Lunch was a wrap with lettuce, hummus, tomato, grated cheese, a falafel (only one to use it up) and salad dressing. With a glass of apple juice. Dinner was glass of sparkling pomegranate/elderflower, chicken casserole with mushrooms, leeks and tarragon, 2 potatoes, carrots and green beans. Lemon curd yogurt later. This morning I had fried egg, baked beans and homemade toast. Will have some soup for lunch with piece of bread.
The above makes me sound very good but I don't stint myself at all. I will have 1.5 croissants for breakfast at the weekend with butter and marmalade, usually a salad or sandwich or wrap for lunch and proper dinner. Occasional glass of wine - used to drink one every day but unfortunately it began to make me feel ill. I think it is more to do with the fact I can't eat big portions of anything, get full quite quickly and don't really eat inbetween meals, prefer to have a meal. I don't really have a sweet tooth, don't eat chocolate or sweets. I do like cake occasionally but plain rather than gooey. I really do like pastry though so have the occasional Danish. I think it's metabolism and small appetite. I don't wish to complain but it's as hard to put weight on as it is to take it off and I have a skinny OH too!!!! Oh, and we have a skinny dog LOL.

Weekdays:
Kenyan coffee and two Digestives
10 or so nuts
Two Weetabix for lunch with sweetener & skimmed milk. Apple
Afternoon cup of tea and cake
Small dinner (salads, soup etc.)

Saturday & Sunday
Breakfast of toast and marmalade or croissants and jam
banana for lunch
(smaller)cake and tea
Saturday nice dinner such as steak, chips & peas or roast lamb or fish
Followed by three chocolates

Friday - Sunday

A couple of glasses of fizz and perhaps a small Cointreau

I have otabix with frozen berries, defrosted, Greek yougurt and a drizzle of honey with skimmed milk cup of hot water before I eat with a fish oil tablet and a cup of tea after. Because I have my breakfast at 6 I will have a piece I'd sourdough bread with marmalade no butter or peanut butter.about 10 am.
For lunch I will have soup, fresh not tined , or egg, boiled, fried in a little oil with a piece of sourdough bread.piece of fruit. Or yogurt.
Dinner is usually, fish,chicken or jacket potato with salad and veg.
I am a size 16 on the bottom part and 18 on the top, big boobs.

I am a size 10, about 5.8 inches tall. I eat what I like.... But no cakes, biscuits, fried food, takeaways, no added sugar. I walk my 10 000 steps most days and I am 65 years old. I never use the word "diet", it's too negative.

Oops! I eat Sainsburys part baked baguettes and they're white ? We have cut down massively on portion sizes of certain foods. For example, we used to have a pasta bake every week made in a large dish and it all got eaten up. Now the same quantity makes four day's meals (the three extra portions of sauce go in the freezer) and we are satisfied with that amount. Also, I eat a smaller portion than my adult male family members. That's really important too.

I'm a size 8 but inside there is a fat person trying to get out! I always attend Weightwatchers and lost a stone with them to get my weight down to where it is now. I do find it more difficult to maintain my weight then losing it. I keep active, mainly dancing. It is not in my genes to be slim as I come from a family of fatties. Maybe that's why I dread the though of being overweight. I eat what I want when I go out but at home I'm very careful but, to be honest, eat very little that does me any good!

My failings are roast potatoes, and chocolate, plus Magnums! If I keep away from those, I will maintain my weight loss. Stop eating when you feel you've had enough and include fruit and veg in your diet . . . and when you lose weight, give away your 'fat' clothes.

I'm 65 years old, 5'6" (approx) 10 stone in weight (plus or minus a pound or two) BMI 22/23, waist to hip ratio 0.74. I practice 5:2 fasting, walk my dog and take part in three 90 minute karate training sessions a week.
Things I don't consume: fizzy drinks (so called diet drinks are bad as well as the high sugar ones), fruit juices and squash, sugary cereals (Check the box. They all have masses of added sugar.), white bread.
Things I rarely eat: cakes, other baked goods (but never say never!)
Things I do eat: full fat natural Greek yogurt every day*(Fage Total and M&S Authentic Greek 10% fat are the scrummiest), walnuts *every day, beans and pulses, meat (though not every day), eggs, wholemeal bread (not every day), rice, pasta, vegetables, potatoes, fruit (but not every day), butter, crumpets, ready made pastry for an occasional pie... chocolate (not every day but I binge), unsweetened coffee and tea with milk.

I think portion size is important. 5:2 fasting naturally leads to portion control without counting calories on non-fasting days.

Hi. I used to be a size 16. Following a health scare, my husband was told to lose weight. Since I do most of the cooking, I lost weight too! What worked for us was this - we don't eat wheat, unless we're out for dinner and rarely eat processed food when we're at home. Following dietary advice, we eat full fat everything. This works well for us and we have both managed to keep most of the weight off. When we're with friends, we don't worry about what we eat but it's boot camp when we get back! Hope this helps.

I've come to the conclusion that the simple answer to 'what do slim people eat?' is, 'less than me.'
I've a slim friend who (to larger me) seems to be on half portions. She is what my mum would call a fidgety Phil who can't sit still type so all the nervous energy that she uses up must have an influence.
Very slim indeed, it's hard to believe that she complains of having a big tummy. I pull my top up, stick my podge out and reply, 'no, this is a tummy.'
Oh dear.

I think movement has something to do with it. Slim people are often fitgets, getting up and down, going to get things, etc but may not actually do exercise as such.
Also good muscle tone makes you look slimmer.
I am neither a fidget nor have good muscle tone!

Hello Overthehill

Here's my experience. Most of my adult life I have been tubby - slim legs and arms but fat tummy midriff and boobs. Not any more tho as I have changed what I eat and don't feel deprived. Breakfast is a porridge made with almond milk, lunch rye bread with avocado or egg plus fruit and an Alpro natural yoghurt. Dinner is fish or chicken with sweet poptatoes loads of veg. Or quorn burgers, mince or sausages.
I don't eat puddings, occasionally I eat tea cakes as they are low sugar. Avoid white rice or white pasta. Basically try to wean yourself off sweet things.if I am peckish I eat pop chips ( baked and popped crisps) more fruit, nuts or more yoghurt or milky coffee. . I never drink sweetened drinks but do have full fat cappuccino. Avoid low fat things as they are loaded with sugar.

Good luck - just give it a try!

I was always slim as a child (DM had me at Doctor's as I was so skinny) & through my teens & early 20s. I put weight on when I was pregnant with DD although I was very active. I never shifted that weight until H walked out on us & I lost 3 stone in 3 months without trying. Throughout my 30s & 40s I weighed about 10 stone to 10 half stone, I'm 5'7" but was never less than size 12/14.

I gained weight in my 50s as I was diagnosed with Epilepsy & a side effect of the medication is weight gain caused my slowing of metabolism. I was still fairly active especially gardening. However as time has passed my Arthritis limits walking & exercising. My weight has risen although I lost a stone last summer as I was doing some heavy gardening but I've put it on during the winter.

I am Diabetic so try to eat healthily, lots of veg, not too much fruit (natural sugars), smaller portions, virtually no alcohol, limited carbs but this has little effect on my weight.

5 years ago I was 55kg and loving it. Then I stopped smoking and swapped standing outside shivering and having a cig for lying on the sofa eating chocolate - and not just little bars of chocolate! I used to buy the big ones thinking I'd have a single row of squares and inevitably ended up eating the lot .
So having peaked at 71kg, I'm now following the Food Doctor (who I followed to get down to the 55kg). From him I get that it's about eating little and often - he makes me eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, and have snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon as well, but it's all healthy and loads of veg and few if any carbs for the evening meal.
So once I've shifted the excess weight (only another 7.5kg to go!) then I intend to be careful and limit my treats as many here have said they do. Even now I'm allowing myself a toasted teacake with lashings of butter at the weekends!
Because on my deathbed I don't think I'm likely to be saying "I wish I'd had less chocolate"

Interesting to see that Downsized says 7st was not a good look. I am a size 12 and have rummely bits that I really hate. I have a friend who is size 20 and looks about 40 yo when she's 50 yo. I have a SiL who lost weight and was asked by everyone if she'd been ill. I would like to lose the rummles but think it would come off my face first. By the way, I eat yog, fruit and a little granola for breakfast, sandwich or eggs for lunch, fish/chicken/lamb for supper with lots of veg. My down fall is snacking in between ...

And this business of appetite and always being hungry; those of us who went to boarding school in the 1950's will remember being starving for the first 3 weeks of each term: the school portions were so tiny! Then it settled down. But for the first couple of weeks back home in the holidays, we just couldn't finish our meals. Stomachs had shrunk. Back to school again - starving! Stomachs had expanded- as they do- to accommodate the amount of food we put into them.
So that's why 'Eat less' works.
The ancient Buddhists knew this: they said you should never eat more than your two cupped hands can hold, each meal. Because that's the normal size of your stomach.

A far too skinny, as many will say except my doc,50kg
5.6 never to see 75 again sort of veggie although I have the occasional fish and chip shop meal.
I developed an aversion to meat 30 years ago when with my late DH we bought a property next to farmland. The livestock 'smell' I could never escape and I found cooking a piece of meat let alone eating it turned my stomache.
I eat cakes, biscuits, crisps but can't abide choccies as I find them far far too sweet.
I also have soya milk in preference to any other milk.
I believe its the luck of the draw and am naturally
slim as are my two DD' although I have 'robust 'cousins who are constantly on diets.

I am five foot three and weigh eight and a half stone. I eat what I think are normal portions and three meals a day, but nothing in between meals except fruit. I have a big glass of red wine on Saturday and Sunday. I gave up dairy about two and a half years ago and lost a stone without even trying. No dairy means no milk, cheese, butter, cream - but also no biscuits, cakes or puddings made with milk, butter or cream and none on veggies, in mash etc. Its made a huge difference with relatively little effort. In tea, coffee and porridge I have soy, almond or substitutes for milk with extra added calcium and eat coconut yoghurt.

Do you remember that chunky MP Ann Widdicombe? When she lost a lot of weight a publisher asked if she'd write a diet book. She proposed a big glossy book full of blank pages with just 2 words on the first page: Eat less.

Forgot to say my eating plan consists mainly of plenty of vegs fruit and protein ...