Calling all Skinny Moms....

[Anonymous]

Cutting carbs, cutting down on alcohol and sweets, exercising 5X a week (running, eliptical, pilates, weights, hiking), switching from sandwiches and burgers at lunch to salads or raosted veggies with lean protein (like salmon or those bags of tuna). Take small or no portions of carbs at dinnertime with DH, who does a lot of the cooking. I WOHM and find breakfast and lunch are the two meals I have most control over. Had to stop buying snacks for between meals at work, I would too often eat the whole bag in one or two days instead of spacing it out all week. Lots of water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I"m a skinny Mom of 2:
Here's what i eat on a typical day:
6:30 am - Piece of fruit
8:30 - handful of peanutbutter and crackers on way to drop kids off to school
9:00 - bagel with butter and coffee
10:30 - greek yogurt
11:30 - piece of fruit
12:30 - turkey sandwich with chips
2:00 - piece of fruit
5:00 - couple of twizzlers on my way to pick up kids
6:00 - dinner - chicken, rice, veggies, glass of wine
7:00 - couple of cookie
8:30 - chips with dip, glass of wine

This just confirms my suspicion that skinny people just have a different metabolism. One of my best friends at school, a tall skinny girl who could eat like a horse, she was on swim team in HS and did rowing in college, but basically she had been underweight her whole life and had to eat a lot just to not feel hungry and faint.
I stopped being able to eat what I wanted after having kids, the old 'eat what I wanted maintenance weight' shifted upwards by 30 pounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's interesting that some seem to accept that one can be skinny genetically, but not overweight. I've thin my entire life with little to no effort. I exercise to stay toned, not thin. My mother, on the other hand, has struggled her entire life to keep her weight at 150lbs. She runs 3 miles, 5 days a week, and does light weight training. We have the same eating habits, eat the same portions, but I weigh 115 and she weighs 150. We're both 5'6.

OP, eat well, exercise regularly and see where your weight settles. Then be happy. It's all good.

Great advice, now if only DH did not care about the difference I would be golden.

[Anonymous]

Ok. So I'm not ultra skinny but at what I consider a good weight. I'm 40. 3 kids. Weigh 116 am 5'2. I eat very little during they day. Coffee, Greek yogurt and turkey sand which. But I do eat quite a bit at night - a full dinner and snacks in front of TV. I find it pretty easy to stay on the go and eat light during the day but I hate going to bed hungry! I think you just have to find what works for you. I gained about 10 pounds a couple of years ago and did calorie counting to get down to where I am now and that's where I discovered saving my calorie for the evening worked best for me.

[Anonymous]

I was really skinny until I had two kids. Now I'm just thin although at almost 40 I have a little bit of a belly but hard to tell because I'm also tall, genetics totally helps, although I have to say eating well and regular exercise really help. I stopped eating fast food and drinking regular soda and juice (lots of sugar) but still eat normally and drink water and diet soda and orange juice at breakfast. Honestly exercise for me makes the biggest difference but it is hard to find the time. When I start exercising 30 minutes a day 4 or 5 times a week I start to lose those last few pounds, but I just can't sustain it with my schedule...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cutting carbs, cutting down on alcohol and sweets, exercising 5X a week (running, eliptical, pilates, weights, hiking), switching from sandwiches and burgers at lunch to salads or raosted veggies with lean protein (like salmon or those bags of tuna). Take small or no portions of carbs at dinnertime with DH, who does a lot of the cooking. I WOHM and find breakfast and lunch are the two meals I have most control over. Had to stop buying snacks for between meals at work, I would too often eat the whole bag in one or two days instead of spacing it out all week. Lots of water.

I wouldn't be happy with low carbs and cutting down on alcohol. Not worth it just be a bit thinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok. So I'm not ultra skinny but at what I consider a good weight. I'm 40. 3 kids. Weigh 116 am 5'2. I eat very little during they day. Coffee, Greek yogurt and turkey sand which. But I do eat quite a bit at night - a full dinner and snacks in front of TV. I find it pretty easy to stay on the go and eat light during the day but I hate going to bed hungry! I think you just have to find what works for you. I gained about 10 pounds a couple of years ago and did calorie counting to get down to where I am now and that's where I discovered saving my calorie for the evening worked best for me.

How can you get through a busy day while eating so lightly?

[Anonymous]

You really don't need to eat a lot, unless you are a farmer or construction worker. Most of us who have desk jobs or light activity really only need between 1200-1500 calories per day. At lunch today, I watched an overweight coworker scarf down a huge stomboli with french fries...oh, and a diet coke. Really?

[Anonymous]

I'm not incredibly thin but I'm 39 and have the same weight as I did in high school (5'5", 130). I eat a lot of protein during the day (nuts, eggs) and try to work out when I can (only 2-3x week). I eat a half portion of whatever we're having for dinner, whether it's salmon & broccoli or pizza. However, I do not & will not give up beer. I love a beer or two each night. It's fun to sit down with DH and watch our silly shows or talk about the day while relaxing with a drink. I figure if I can maintain this weight / shape forever, I'll be ok. Sacrificing any more isn't worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You really don't need to eat a lot, unless you are a farmer or construction worker. Most of us who have desk jobs or light activity really only need between 1200-1500 calories per day. At lunch today, I watched an overweight coworker scarf down a huge stomboli with french fries...oh, and a diet coke. Really?

Eh, it depeneds - if you do no exercise, maybe. my "no exercise" maintenance is about 2100 cal (i am about 20 pounds over weight). I can eat around 2600 to maintain, assuming I exercise. I eat about 2000 to lose. I would die on 1200.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You really don't need to eat a lot, unless you are a farmer or construction worker. Most of us who have desk jobs or light activity really only need between 1200-1500 calories per day. At lunch today, I watched an overweight coworker scarf down a huge stomboli with french fries...oh, and a diet coke. Really?

My resting metabolic rate is 1600 (tested by my doctor).

[Anonymous]

I eat between 1200-1500 calories and I am thin, so it works for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A simpler method:
Always walk
Eat three good meals - whatever you want as long as you load up on fruit/veggies.
Minimize or eliminate snacking
Watch beverages - no soda, no milk, no juice, no booze (or allow 2-3/wk glasses wine when it's worth it)

Works for me. When I follow it

This is pretty much true for me. I have good genes to start with but I've noticed I get heavier when I have a "desk job." Sitting for 8 hours a day will really do it. Fortunately, I usually have a job where I'm moving around most of the day. Plus, I walk half a mile each way to work and in nice weather I go out for lunch so that I end up walking about 40 minutes round trip. I never do cardio or run, walking is more than enough to keep it off in addition to no booze/no sodas (unsweet tea is the best pick). I eat candy and desserts but I've realized not as much as some others do. Outside of avoiding soda, I rarely think about what I eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cutting carbs, cutting down on alcohol and sweets, exercising 5X a week (running, eliptical, pilates, weights, hiking), switching from sandwiches and burgers at lunch to salads or raosted veggies with lean protein (like salmon or those bags of tuna). Take small or no portions of carbs at dinnertime with DH, who does a lot of the cooking. I WOHM and find breakfast and lunch are the two meals I have most control over. Had to stop buying snacks for between meals at work, I would too often eat the whole bag in one or two days instead of spacing it out all week. Lots of water.

Alas--this is me..but as I push 43 early next year it just isn't enough to anymore.

I also work out hard 6 days a week (or more!). Metabolism is shot recently. I don't look big to anyone on the outside--prob pretty fit. I just am starting to gain more in my mid-section and I NEVER had belly fat in my life. It still is just a slight layer but I know the trend is for women to gain here when menopause hits.

I have been losing a lot of hair lately so am thinking of getting thyroid levels checked. I do need to drink more water. I've never been good about that.

[Anonymous]

How many of you Skinny Moms don't drink alcohol, or drink very little? I drink about 5 glasses of wine a week.