Is this how thin people eat?

[Anonymous]

I’m 5’4 and 140 pounds, so within a healthy weight range but not thin. I got a stomach bug and didn’t eat for 24 hours, and for the past week post bug I’ve been eating about 1000 calories a day - my appetite just isn’t back to normal - and I actually feel great! I’ve lost a total of 3 pounds and I’m not really any hungrier than normal.

I make sure to have protein, fat, veggies, etc so is there any reason not to restrict calories to this level? I’m wondering if this is just how skinny people always eat?

[Anonymous]

Skinny people with EDs might eat like that. You are unlikely to be able to get all the nutrients you need from 1000 calories a day. Healthy skinny people are active, have high NEAT and tend to have good relationship with food.

[Anonymous]

You need probiotics, that's how my post infection IBS started.

[Anonymous]

I am thin and I eat a normal 2000 calorie a day diet. I do exercise regularly, but also my body just defaults to thinness.

My two cents is that starving yourself to lose weight basically never works long term, and is likely to result in more weight gain later. Your height/weight sounds perfectly healthy and fine— why not learn to embrace it instead of messing around with your health to drop a dress size just because?

[Anonymous]

I’m thin and eat about 1400 cal a day just because I would feel too full eating more than that. On days I exercise, it’s a little more.

[Anonymous]

I'm about your weight (138-142) and several inches taller at 5'7''. Age 40.

About half the month I feel somewhat bloated and puffy and about half the month I feel thin and fit and less desire to eat. Probably cyclical, but I sure do prefer the second half!

[Anonymous]

Youre at a fine, perfectly healthy weight. Probably very fertile. Why even worry about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thin people eat normally, just smaller portions than the average slob

Lol!! This is so not true. All my thin friends restrict calories and drink diet coke/sugar free coffee drinks.

Well one of the biggest sources of calories is sugar-filled drinks, so it's not bad to drink sugar free beverages. Of course water would be healthier but I would rather drink diet Coke than regular Coke.

[Anonymous]

What!? Of course not. I am 5’4 and flux between 120 and 125. The key is exercising and eating a ton of protein. Cut out sugar and alcohol at night.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I should note that I’m not planning on eating like this long term…I’m just not quite back to full hunger yet so more wondering if there are people who really do eat like this forever.

[Anonymous]

I think I'd worry that you might hurt your metabolism if you restrict your calories too much, and it will end up going against you. My advice is to look into macro counting - making sure you are hitting a good protein, fat, carb ratio and not worrying about calories (the macros will take care of that). The more I read on up-to-date research, the more convinced I am that getting enough protein (most people consume too little) is increasingly important as we age.

[Anonymous]

I guess I am thin, 5’6” and about 128 pounds and 65 years old. I never eat after dinner, I haven’t had a diet drink soda or fast food in 2 decades, and rarely eat out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thin people eat normally, just smaller portions than the average slob

This is not true at all. Most of the overweight people I know are doing calorie restriction type diets and most of the thin people I know eat like crazy.

The "average" people eat like you describe above. But ACTUAL thin/skinny people need a lot of calories for their metabolism. Just shows the poster above doesn't really know how bodies work

The overweight people that are restricting their calories are doing so too late. They have been overeating for a long time and are now in reverse mode.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thin people eat normally, just smaller portions than the average slob

This is not true at all. Most of the overweight people I know are doing calorie restriction type diets and most of the thin people I know eat like crazy.

The "average" people eat like you describe above. But ACTUAL thin/skinny people need a lot of calories for their metabolism. Just shows the poster above doesn't really know how bodies work

This is just not true and an illustration of the wishful thinking obese people have that it’s not their fault.

[Anonymous]

People eat too much for their body composition and snack. It’s that simple.

The challenge is trying to avoid that with all the garbage food around and decades of doing it. So it’s a challenge for sure. And one that can’t be navigated successfully for a lot of people on their own.