Skinny people don't do this

Every notice how skinny people don't count calories, make sure they drink "X" amount of water a day, exercise "X" amount of times a week, avoid certain foods, worry about their body "starving", insure they eat enough protien, etc, etc, etc, the way overweight people do? I know so many thin people who do none of the above and yet manage to stay "naturally" thin. Fair?

Mon. Aug 27, 6:20pm

I do not think this is true at all!

Monday, August 27, 2007, 6:28 PM

It could be that they just naturally have a high motabolism.

Monday, August 27, 2007, 6:29 PM

I have a friend who has always been slim, and she doesn't conciously count calories etc. as you described. However, she was taught good eating habits and appropriate portion sizes when she was growing up; not really as a big deal, but just "this is what we eat". She always complained when we were in high school about how her mom made her eat all this healthy stuff and wouldn't let her drink pop except on the weekends. I think now that her mom played a big part in her weight. I, on the other hand, had a mom that was always overweight and taught me poor eating habits (unconciously of course). As an adult, I now have to relearn how to eat properly, which for me means learning what correct portion sizes and good food choices are.

So I think a lot of skinny people learned good eating habits when they were young, and so they don't have to necessarily count calories. And of course some skinny people DO count calories etc!

Monday, August 27, 2007, 6:38 PM

They may worry about this stuff in their head and calculate without you knowing it.

Also, naturally thin people are often that way because they don't have the screwed up relationship with food that many overweight people have. They eat when they're hungry and that's all.

Monday, August 27, 2007, 9:33 PM

I totally agree. My BF eats really well and doesn't limit himself--- and because he doesn't he also doesn't "crave" sweets every night, he just eats a bit when he wants it or at parties and lets it go at that.
I bought him a slice of pound cake and a small ice cream 3 days ago and he's still working on it and putting it back in the fridge when he's had another bite.
Me? It prob. would have been gone in 10 mins, but I've been getting better. :)
He also eats a very healthy breakfast like it's his JOB, and also stops eating when he's no longer hungry.
Totally fair, I hate to say, but def. hard to learn as an adult.
Bon chance!

Monday, August 27, 2007, 10:58 PM

Hmm. Well, I know a bunch of skinny people who do watch what they eat, make a conscious effort to drink water, etc. And if their pants start to feel tight around the waist, they cut back for a couple of weeks. They just don't feel the need to TALK about it all the time.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 9:22 AM

I know a lot of skinny people who don't care about food. I've actually known a woman who doesn't eat any solid foods when she is on her own. She only eats when she is in company, and then she eats a lot. Once she told me she didn't eat anything on the weekend so she could have a pizza on Monday when she goes out with her cooworkers. Some skinny people may have fast metabolisms but that is so rare, most just have certain habits, some healthy or some unhealthy like this friend I mentioned.
Btw, I also had a friend who fainted because she "forgot to eat." But anyway, don't compare yourself to people, especially if you don't know them very well....

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 9:36 AM

I used to BE one of those skinny girls!! And the reason I was skinny was because I did make a conscious effort to count my calories and exercise and drink my water. But something happened and everything changed where I didn't care anymore. So I think it's fair to say that skinny people DO watch what they put in their mouths and exercise.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 9:40 AM

forgetting to eat

When I was a teenager I read a biography of Marie Curie that recounted a story in which she became so involved in her work that she forgot to eat and finally fainted on the steps to her apartment. I thought, "How stupid can a smart person be, to forget to eat?"

Later in life, I became a scientist and sure enough, one week got so involved in working toward a deadline that I forgot to eat. I was running up the stairs at work and almost fainted -- caught myself, sat down, put my head between my knees, and the story about Marie Curie came flooding back to me. And I thought to myself, "Honey, you are NO Marie Curie. So you'd better just eat something!"

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 10:02 AM

I am thin only because I work my butt off to stay that way. I count calories, work out like a fiend, mconsume water, debate supplements, calories, nutrition just like others. Diabetes and morbid obesity run in my family, and I am determined not to keel over at 53.
Sweeping generalizations often miss their mark.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 10:04 AM

I agree that there are a number of thin people who watch thier diet, and I hope that some day when they decrease their diligence they don't balloon up. But a lot of thin people are just "thin eaters" and don't obsess over food like us fuller figured women do.
I've been reading a book about Intuitive Eating that tries to get you to be a "thin eater" and stop dieting and so far it has helped me a lot. I was to the point that I knew I needed to lose weight, but simply could not bear to count or measure one more thing. It would almost bring me to tears to contemplate it. Now I've started the scale on a downward slide and am feeling much better about myself. I slip up somethimes, but as they say in the book, This is progress not perfection.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 10:41 AM

I am "skinny" and the only reason I'm skinny is I do all the stuff you say we don't do.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 11:14 AM

I was "skinny" now I weight 10 pounds more, and the only reason that happened is because I stopped doing all the things you say skinny people do not do!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 11:38 AM

Exactly! Keeping oneself skinny is a HARD work! You constantly think/watch what you eat, cut all the crap out completely, push yourself to be active, and try to keep positive. And, in response to the above 10:41's, thin people DO obsess over food, and sometimes much too much, so they can easily break into anxiety and binges, and, oh yes, balloon is the right word...

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 12:23 PM

i'd like to point out that there is a difference between thin people who are thin b/c they are low body fat and lean muscle and those who are "skinny fat." one way to tell the difference is by diet. many of those people who you see eat everything bad and not put on a pound on or exercise, by body fat % measurements would probably be obese. they look skinny b/c they have no muscle. i know it's hard to remember that when we're shopping for clothes, but I hope it helps a little!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 1:32 PM

I know so many thin people who skip meals and/or don't eat balanced meals. It's curious to me that I read so many threads on here that say: "oh, you're not eating enough" or: "you need to add protien to your diet" or: " you need to eat every 3-4 hours", etc. "We" (who struggle with our weight) give out so much advice to fellow strugglers on this site and yet "skinny" people (at least the ones I know and/or observe) do not follow these "rules" that "we" say "must be the problem" for not losing weight. Interesting.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 3:32 PM

3:32, I disagree. Reading my profile, you'd probably say I'm one of those 'skinny' people here on the PT. However, if I've gained extra weight (for whatever reason, cold winter, stress, binge-eating), I, too, can reach a dead-hard plateau trying to lose it. I do log every day, and, really, everything I eat. So, a few months ago I followed the advice that my team members gave me: basically, exactly as you said, increasing the calorie count, and adding the protein. And since, I've moved away from the plateau, and can't appreciate that advice enough. My team members also tought me how to count daily calories, and it has been a huge success for me, seeing/acknowledging it myself that I don't eat enough.

My advice to the OP: eat more, add protein, and do less strenuous exercise for a few weeks! LOL

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 4:05 PM

I'm in maintenance stage right now, and I find that I can definitely slip up quite a bit, and then make up for it by just eating a lot less for a bit as well. When I was trying to lose, though, I definitely could not do that! I had to stay very regimented, and not eating would lead to a slip up, and the slip would lead to not losing.

Remember, those skinny people who eat junk and don't eat enough are not losing weight, they are maintaining. For people who need to lose, it just doesn't work that way.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 4:20 PM

nature and nurture

There is definitely both a nature and a nurture aspect to this debate (if I can call it that). I am sure we all know people who do have high metabolisms and honestly don't watch what they eat. I just saw SUPERSIZE ME recently and there is this guy in there who eats 3 or more Big Macs in a day and he is disgustingly skinny! However, one assumption we should not make is that skinny people are healthy.

If someone is not watching what they eat, not working out, etc., even if he/she may not have extra inches on his/her body, still, blood pressure might be through the roof, the person can't run a mile without passing out...that sort of thing. So, the natural ability to ward off the pounds does not necessarily translate into being healthy.

Then there are those individuals who make conscious decisions about what goes into their bodies (like you "skinny" people on PT). This is nurture, training. Way to go! That is a heck of a lot harder, but you know you are making healthy decisions.

I think way we need to not forget is that (though I am no one to judge) it is best if the true goal for weight loss is HEALTH, not just being skinny! Focus on being healthy and maybe you won't be so frustrated wit those "naturally" skinny folks.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 6:50 PM

Thinking about this, I think I get frustrated at my mom, who obviously set a bad example for me eating and exercise wise growing up (she's been overweight since she was my age, and I'll be the same unless I change - which I am doing!) This just motivates me to be a better example for my kids so they hopefully don't struggle with weight as much as I have.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 8:48 PM

Related Content: How To Lose Weight- The Basics Weight Watchers Points System The Fat Smash Diet The Eat To Live Diet The Beck Diet Solution How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight		How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer How To Burn Fat Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight? Tips On Using PEERtrainer Visit The PEERtrainer Community Diet and Fitness Resources
Fitness Weight Watchers Meetings Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are Writing Down Your Daily Workouts Spending Money On A Personal Trainer? How I Became A Marathon Runner		Preventive Health How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot? Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer? Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy Reversing Disease Through Nutrition
New Diet and Fitness Articles: Weight Watchers Points Plus How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program		Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne: Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough How To Delay Short Term Gratification How To Stay Motivated How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule
Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight? Are Protein Drinks Safe? Nutrition As Medicine?		Everyday Weight Loss Tips How To Eat Healthy At A Party How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight The Three Bite Rule Tips On How To Stop A Binge