Thin Women: How Do You Do It

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used my MYFitness Pal app for a couple months to lose some weight. It's very eye-opening to see how many calories I was actually eating. Once I lost a few pounds, I kind of got into a routine and could figure out how much I could eat to lose weight without the app. I've maintained my weight loss for a couple years now (I'm 5'2" and usually around 113 pounds). I workout about three days a week (very hard workouts). I'm 49 years old.

I'm honestly curious how this works for so many people. Every time I try to track my calories I just end up being discouraged and quiting because it's nearly impossible to do. Unless you eat mostly foods that come out of packages, how do you know how many calories are exactly in your chicken salad? Or how much oatmeal you ended up eating from your serving (was it 1/2 cup or really 1/3 cup)? Are you actually measuring with cups and spoons all your food, even for a few weeks in the beginning? Are you making pretty much all your own food and not eating out ever?

It just seems so daunting and impossible but then again I'm still overweight and maybe that is just my excuse for actually being accountable.

Measuring cups/spoons and food scale (Amazon has lots of models for about $20) are essentials. You will likely find you are underestimating your intake by 100-300 calories a day otherwise.

+1. Get a good kitchen scale. It's a bit of a pain in the beginning but it makes a huge difference if you want to accurately count calories.

Omg, this discussion has gone down to anorexia-Ville.
Measuring spoons? Kitchen scales? Just keep busy, don't stuff your face and get on with your lives.
Do you really look at your own daughters and want them measuring their food on kitchen scales?

NP. Please. I don't have anorexia, and I use measuring cups and a kitchen scale (which, btw, also comes in very handy when you want to bake). I eat 1500-1600 calories a day when I'm working on my health and fitness, and these are tools I use.

Yowsa. I can't imagine living like this.

Living like what? If I have full-fat yogurt with granola, a sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey for breakfast, how is it "disordered" to use a 1/4-cup measure instead of a spoon to scoop the yogurt out of the container? FWIW, that 1500-1600 calories includes lots of tasty, nutrient-rich stuff (I'm at a wine-and-cheese place right now), and also chocolate.

Do i need to spell it out for you? Measuring very morsel of food that goes into your mouth and keeping track of calories is no way to live. Maybe you're not disordered now but it's a slippery slope. I just can't believe that someone would do this and consider it normal. What do you do? Measure each morsel of dinner with Measuring cups before you sit down to eat?

- thin person who eats what I want whenever I'm hungry and stops when full

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used my MYFitness Pal app for a couple months to lose some weight. It's very eye-opening to see how many calories I was actually eating. Once I lost a few pounds, I kind of got into a routine and could figure out how much I could eat to lose weight without the app. I've maintained my weight loss for a couple years now (I'm 5'2" and usually around 113 pounds). I workout about three days a week (very hard workouts). I'm 49 years old.

I'm honestly curious how this works for so many people. Every time I try to track my calories I just end up being discouraged and quiting because it's nearly impossible to do. Unless you eat mostly foods that come out of packages, how do you know how many calories are exactly in your chicken salad? Or how much oatmeal you ended up eating from your serving (was it 1/2 cup or really 1/3 cup)? Are you actually measuring with cups and spoons all your food, even for a few weeks in the beginning? Are you making pretty much all your own food and not eating out ever?

It just seems so daunting and impossible but then again I'm still overweight and maybe that is just my excuse for actually being accountable.

Measuring cups/spoons and food scale (Amazon has lots of models for about $20) are essentials. You will likely find you are underestimating your intake by 100-300 calories a day otherwise.

+1. Get a good kitchen scale. It's a bit of a pain in the beginning but it makes a huge difference if you want to accurately count calories.

Omg, this discussion has gone down to anorexia-Ville.
Measuring spoons? Kitchen scales? Just keep busy, don't stuff your face and get on with your lives.
Do you really look at your own daughters and want them measuring their food on kitchen scales?

NP. Please. I don't have anorexia, and I use measuring cups and a kitchen scale (which, btw, also comes in very handy when you want to bake). I eat 1500-1600 calories a day when I'm working on my health and fitness, and these are tools I use.

Yowsa. I can't imagine living like this.

Living like what? If I have full-fat yogurt with granola, a sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey for breakfast, how is it "disordered" to use a 1/4-cup measure instead of a spoon to scoop the yogurt out of the container? FWIW, that 1500-1600 calories includes lots of tasty, nutrient-rich stuff (I'm at a wine-and-cheese place right now), and also chocolate.

Do i need to spell it out for you? Measuring very morsel of food that goes into your mouth and keeping track of calories is no way to live. Maybe you're not disordered now but it's a slippery slope. I just can't believe that someone would do this and consider it normal. What do you do? Measure each morsel of dinner with Measuring cups before you sit down to eat?

- thin person who eats what I want whenever I'm hungry and stops when full

At the risk of getting into (more of) an argument, no, I don't measure every "morsel." I do cook a lot--almost every meal my family eats--which naturally involves measuring. I'm aware of the caloric and nutritional content of the meals I make, and know what a "serving size" is. I also eat in moderation until I'm full. I then plug those numbers into My Fitness Pal. (I used to be able to "eat whatever and stay thin," but that changed when I hit my late 20s. Now I eat whatever within moderation.)

I'm curious: if you're making meals from scratch, how do you not bust out the measuring cups?

[Anonymous]

cigarettes
diet coke
Adderall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used my MYFitness Pal app for a couple months to lose some weight. It's very eye-opening to see how many calories I was actually eating. Once I lost a few pounds, I kind of got into a routine and could figure out how much I could eat to lose weight without the app. I've maintained my weight loss for a couple years now (I'm 5'2" and usually around 113 pounds). I workout about three days a week (very hard workouts). I'm 49 years old.

I'm honestly curious how this works for so many people. Every time I try to track my calories I just end up being discouraged and quiting because it's nearly impossible to do. Unless you eat mostly foods that come out of packages, how do you know how many calories are exactly in your chicken salad? Or how much oatmeal you ended up eating from your serving (was it 1/2 cup or really 1/3 cup)? Are you actually measuring with cups and spoons all your food, even for a few weeks in the beginning? Are you making pretty much all your own food and not eating out ever?

It just seems so daunting and impossible but then again I'm still overweight and maybe that is just my excuse for actually being accountable.

Measuring cups/spoons and food scale (Amazon has lots of models for about $20) are essentials. You will likely find you are underestimating your intake by 100-300 calories a day otherwise.

+1. Get a good kitchen scale. It's a bit of a pain in the beginning but it makes a huge difference if you want to accurately count calories.

Omg, this discussion has gone down to anorexia-Ville.
Measuring spoons? Kitchen scales? Just keep busy, don't stuff your face and get on with your lives.
Do you really look at your own daughters and want them measuring their food on kitchen scales?

NP. Please. I don't have anorexia, and I use measuring cups and a kitchen scale (which, btw, also comes in very handy when you want to bake). I eat 1500-1600 calories a day when I'm working on my health and fitness, and these are tools I use.

Yowsa. I can't imagine living like this.

Living like what? If I have full-fat yogurt with granola, a sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey for breakfast, how is it "disordered" to use a 1/4-cup measure instead of a spoon to scoop the yogurt out of the container? FWIW, that 1500-1600 calories includes lots of tasty, nutrient-rich stuff (I'm at a wine-and-cheese place right now), and also chocolate.

Do i need to spell it out for you? Measuring very morsel of food that goes into your mouth and keeping track of calories is no way to live. Maybe you're not disordered now but it's a slippery slope. I just can't believe that someone would do this and consider it normal. What do you do? Measure each morsel of dinner with Measuring cups before you sit down to eat?

- thin person who eats what I want whenever I'm hungry and stops when full

At the risk of getting into (more of) an argument, no, I don't measure every "morsel." I do cook a lot--almost every meal my family eats--which naturally involves measuring. I'm aware of the caloric and nutritional content of the meals I make, and know what a "serving size" is. I also eat in moderation until I'm full. I then plug those numbers into My Fitness Pal. (I used to be able to "eat whatever and stay thin," but that changed when I hit my late 20s. Now I eat whatever within moderation.)

I'm curious: if you're making meals from scratch, how do you not bust out the measuring cups?

I'm the PP. My husband cooks probably 3 nights a week and we usually get take out pizza on Friday nights. He usually cooks what he feels like cooking in the amount he feels like cooking it. There is generally enough food so I eat until I'm full. When I cook I usually cook by "feel". For example, tonight I made roast chicken with a bunch of butter and herbs on top, roast potatoes, carrots, and onions, gravy and steamed broccoli with butter. Ice cream for dessert. I couldn't tell you how much chicken or how many potatoes I ate. Or broccoli or ice cream. No clue. We're a family of 4 and I roasted about 14 half potatoes. Not sure if there any leftovers as DH put everything away after dinner. I just find it mind blowing that someone would actually measure the amount of chicken they ate or the number of roast potatoes and gravy. As I said above, this sounds ossessive/disordered. If you're worried about your weight what about exercising more or just eating slightly less? Or just making peace with your weight as it is and learning to love your body. I happen to be thin but if I were overweight I think Id be doing this as life is short and who has time to measure or weight food obsessively?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used my MYFitness Pal app for a couple months to lose some weight. It's very eye-opening to see how many calories I was actually eating. Once I lost a few pounds, I kind of got into a routine and could figure out how much I could eat to lose weight without the app. I've maintained my weight loss for a couple years now (I'm 5'2" and usually around 113 pounds). I workout about three days a week (very hard workouts). I'm 49 years old.

I'm honestly curious how this works for so many people. Every time I try to track my calories I just end up being discouraged and quiting because it's nearly impossible to do. Unless you eat mostly foods that come out of packages, how do you know how many calories are exactly in your chicken salad? Or how much oatmeal you ended up eating from your serving (was it 1/2 cup or really 1/3 cup)? Are you actually measuring with cups and spoons all your food, even for a few weeks in the beginning? Are you making pretty much all your own food and not eating out ever?

It just seems so daunting and impossible but then again I'm still overweight and maybe that is just my excuse for actually being accountable.

Measuring cups/spoons and food scale (Amazon has lots of models for about $20) are essentials. You will likely find you are underestimating your intake by 100-300 calories a day otherwise.

+1. Get a good kitchen scale. It's a bit of a pain in the beginning but it makes a huge difference if you want to accurately count calories.

Omg, this discussion has gone down to anorexia-Ville.
Measuring spoons? Kitchen scales? Just keep busy, don't stuff your face and get on with your lives.
Do you really look at your own daughters and want them measuring their food on kitchen scales?

NP. Please. I don't have anorexia, and I use measuring cups and a kitchen scale (which, btw, also comes in very handy when you want to bake). I eat 1500-1600 calories a day when I'm working on my health and fitness, and these are tools I use.

Yowsa. I can't imagine living like this.

Living like what? If I have full-fat yogurt with granola, a sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey for breakfast, how is it "disordered" to use a 1/4-cup measure instead of a spoon to scoop the yogurt out of the container? FWIW, that 1500-1600 calories includes lots of tasty, nutrient-rich stuff (I'm at a wine-and-cheese place right now), and also chocolate.

Do i need to spell it out for you? Measuring very morsel of food that goes into your mouth and keeping track of calories is no way to live. Maybe you're not disordered now but it's a slippery slope. I just can't believe that someone would do this and consider it normal. What do you do? Measure each morsel of dinner with Measuring cups before you sit down to eat?

- thin person who eats what I want whenever I'm hungry and stops when full

At the risk of getting into (more of) an argument, no, I don't measure every "morsel." I do cook a lot--almost every meal my family eats--which naturally involves measuring. I'm aware of the caloric and nutritional content of the meals I make, and know what a "serving size" is. I also eat in moderation until I'm full. I then plug those numbers into My Fitness Pal. (I used to be able to "eat whatever and stay thin," but that changed when I hit my late 20s. Now I eat whatever within moderation.)

I'm curious: if you're making meals from scratch, how do you not bust out the measuring cups?

I'm the PP. My husband cooks probably 3 nights a week and we usually get take out pizza on Friday nights. He usually cooks what he feels like cooking in the amount he feels like cooking it. There is generally enough food so I eat until I'm full. When I cook I usually cook by "feel". For example, tonight I made roast chicken with a bunch of butter and herbs on top, roast potatoes, carrots, and onions, gravy and steamed broccoli with butter. Ice cream for dessert. I couldn't tell you how much chicken or how many potatoes I ate. Or broccoli or ice cream. No clue. We're a family of 4 and I roasted about 14 half potatoes. Not sure if there any leftovers as DH put everything away after dinner. I just find it mind blowing that someone would actually measure the amount of chicken they ate or the number of roast potatoes and gravy. As I said above, this sounds ossessive/disordered. If you're worried about your weight what about exercising more or just eating slightly less? Or just making peace with your weight as it is and learning to love your body. I happen to be thin but if I were overweight I think Id be doing this as life is short and who has time to measure or weight food obsessively?

People who struggle with their weight often do better when they measure their portions. You are thin, as you've said, so it doesn't sound like this is an issue for you. Congrats, but stop judging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used my MYFitness Pal app for a couple months to lose some weight. It's very eye-opening to see how many calories I was actually eating. Once I lost a few pounds, I kind of got into a routine and could figure out how much I could eat to lose weight without the app. I've maintained my weight loss for a couple years now (I'm 5'2" and usually around 113 pounds). I workout about three days a week (very hard workouts). I'm 49 years old.

I'm honestly curious how this works for so many people. Every time I try to track my calories I just end up being discouraged and quiting because it's nearly impossible to do. Unless you eat mostly foods that come out of packages, how do you know how many calories are exactly in your chicken salad? Or how much oatmeal you ended up eating from your serving (was it 1/2 cup or really 1/3 cup)? Are you actually measuring with cups and spoons all your food, even for a few weeks in the beginning? Are you making pretty much all your own food and not eating out ever?

It just seems so daunting and impossible but then again I'm still overweight and maybe that is just my excuse for actually being accountable.

Measuring cups/spoons and food scale (Amazon has lots of models for about $20) are essentials. You will likely find you are underestimating your intake by 100-300 calories a day otherwise.

+1. Get a good kitchen scale. It's a bit of a pain in the beginning but it makes a huge difference if you want to accurately count calories.

Omg, this discussion has gone down to anorexia-Ville.
Measuring spoons? Kitchen scales? Just keep busy, don't stuff your face and get on with your lives.
Do you really look at your own daughters and want them measuring their food on kitchen scales?

NP. Please. I don't have anorexia, and I use measuring cups and a kitchen scale (which, btw, also comes in very handy when you want to bake). I eat 1500-1600 calories a day when I'm working on my health and fitness, and these are tools I use.

Yowsa. I can't imagine living like this.

Living like what? If I have full-fat yogurt with granola, a sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey for breakfast, how is it "disordered" to use a 1/4-cup measure instead of a spoon to scoop the yogurt out of the container? FWIW, that 1500-1600 calories includes lots of tasty, nutrient-rich stuff (I'm at a wine-and-cheese place right now), and also chocolate.

Do i need to spell it out for you? Measuring very morsel of food that goes into your mouth and keeping track of calories is no way to live. Maybe you're not disordered now but it's a slippery slope. I just can't believe that someone would do this and consider it normal. What do you do? Measure each morsel of dinner with Measuring cups before you sit down to eat?

- thin person who eats what I want whenever I'm hungry and stops when full

At the risk of getting into (more of) an argument, no, I don't measure every "morsel." I do cook a lot--almost every meal my family eats--which naturally involves measuring. I'm aware of the caloric and nutritional content of the meals I make, and know what a "serving size" is. I also eat in moderation until I'm full. I then plug those numbers into My Fitness Pal. (I used to be able to "eat whatever and stay thin," but that changed when I hit my late 20s. Now I eat whatever within moderation.)

I'm curious: if you're making meals from scratch, how do you not bust out the measuring cups?

I'm the PP. My husband cooks probably 3 nights a week and we usually get take out pizza on Friday nights. He usually cooks what he feels like cooking in the amount he feels like cooking it. There is generally enough food so I eat until I'm full. When I cook I usually cook by "feel". For example, tonight I made roast chicken with a bunch of butter and herbs on top, roast potatoes, carrots, and onions, gravy and steamed broccoli with butter. Ice cream for dessert. I couldn't tell you how much chicken or how many potatoes I ate. Or broccoli or ice cream. No clue. We're a family of 4 and I roasted about 14 half potatoes. Not sure if there any leftovers as DH put everything away after dinner. I just find it mind blowing that someone would actually measure the amount of chicken they ate or the number of roast potatoes and gravy. As I said above, this sounds ossessive/disordered. If you're worried about your weight what about exercising more or just eating slightly less? Or just making peace with your weight as it is and learning to love your body. I happen to be thin but if I were overweight I think Id be doing this as life is short and who has time to measure or weight food obsessively?

PP. I'm definitely not obsessed with it. Most of my friends have no idea that I count calories. I love food, and appreciate food that tastes good, as well as food that's nutritious. (Sometimes those overlap. )

So, when I'm cooking, my recipes usually call for ingredients like 1lb flank steak, 2 green peppers, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and so on. Many of them have calorie counts per serving included with the recipe; if not, I can plug it into a calorie calculator. (This takes, like, two minutes, and I usually do it while things are in the oven or on the stove.) I've only been the primary cook in my family for a year and a half, so I do most of my cooking using recipes.

When I repurpose ingredients into a meal using leftovers, it's not at all difficult to grate cheese into the measuring thing that came with my grater, or to scoop things using a measuring cup or spoon. This actually helps me with ratios. And it's absolutely necessary when baking, which I do with DS at least once a week.

To address your suggestions: I practice yoga every day, and walk everywhere I can, so I'm an active person. And I'm sorry, but I don't understand your suggestion to eat less, when you're already concerned about my intake. I eat good, tasty, mostly nutritious foods, with some desserts &c. I also know the nutritional content of that food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Switching to a plant-based diet with low/no oil helped boost my metabolism and lose my pregnancy weight. Read Forks Over Knives.

I would sooner try intermittent fasting for the rest of my life than eat such a joyless diet.

Agreed. Plus it would be far better for your health. Hate that vegan fad.

Yours is a pretty low-information POV. Forks Over Knives, Dean Ornish, the doctor behind Nutrition Facts -- all are relying on decades - yes, decades - of cross-cultural studies (e.g., The China Study) and veganism is not a fad. It's a provable way for most humans to reduce and reverse elevated coronary disease and stroke risk. It guides treatment plans for heart and stroke patients at places like the Mayo Center and the Cleveland Clinic. People get vegan-hater-boners because they can't get a grip on their own behaviors IMO.

Signed, sister of a vegan who lacks the discipline to be one herself - but isn't delusional about the science
(I'm also thin FWIW - size 2, 120 lbs, 5'6")

[Anonymous]

^^ I hope your sister doesn't have kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Switching to a plant-based diet with low/no oil helped boost my metabolism and lose my pregnancy weight. Read Forks Over Knives.

I would sooner try intermittent fasting for the rest of my life than eat such a joyless diet.

Agreed. Plus it would be far better for your health. Hate that vegan fad.

Yours is a pretty low-information POV. Forks Over Knives, Dean Ornish, the doctor behind Nutrition Facts -- all are relying on decades - yes, decades - of cross-cultural studies (e.g., The China Study) and veganism is not a fad. It's a provable way for most humans to reduce and reverse elevated coronary disease and stroke risk. It guides treatment plans for heart and stroke patients at places like the Mayo Center and the Cleveland Clinic. People get vegan-hater-boners because they can't get a grip on their own behaviors IMO.

Signed, sister of a vegan who lacks the discipline to be one herself - but isn't delusional about the science
(I'm also thin FWIW - size 2, 120 lbs, 5'6")

I think any diet that requires supplementation isn't sustainable or healthy, not to mention one that requires "discipline". It's eating, not a post doc program. The China Study has been pretty thoroughly debunked, and who cares if veganism is the diet du jour for coronary patients? Ten years ago it was an equally joyless no salt, no fat, low cal diet. It'll be a different one ten years from now.

And your bolded sentence? I think you are probably the one with some weird food behaviors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ I hope your sister doesn't have kids.

He's my brother, and you're a (fat? I'm just joking with the question mark, honey) bitch.

I'm an omnivore, because it's easier and I'm lazier. I also don't need to insist that a viable, humane, healthy and scientifically-supported diet by respected medical and scientific entities is somehow wrong or faddish. You've got issues including reading comprehension ones, PP. Good luck with the weight loss!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ I hope your sister doesn't have kids.

He's my brother, and you're a (fat? I'm just joking with the question mark, honey) bitch.

I'm an omnivore, because it's easier and I'm lazier. I also don't need to insist that a viable, humane, healthy and scientifically-supported diet by respected medical and scientific entities is somehow wrong or faddish. You've got issues including reading comprehension ones, PP. Good luck with the weight loss!

NP here. Sorry you just confirm my experience that vegans and vegan wannabes are some of the most unpleasant people around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:cigarettes
diet coke
Adderall

Finally some honesty!

[Anonymous]

I'm on the thin side. First of all, it's genetics. I naturally have skinny arms and legs and a small butt and hips. Secondly, I eat whatever I want, but I also watch what I eat and eat in moderation. I try to eat real foods. I'd rather eat a bowl of ice cream or cheese every day than say, potato chips or oatmeal cream pies. I also do most of the manual labor in the house (I do my own housework), my DH barely lifts a finger. I also do yard work in the summer time. I belong to a gym but sometimes don't go for months, and when I do go, I only go once a week for like an hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the thin side. First of all, it's genetics. I naturally have skinny arms and legs and a small butt and hips. Secondly, I eat whatever I want, but I also watch what I eat and eat in moderation. I try to eat real foods. I'd rather eat a bowl of ice cream or cheese every day than say, potato chips or oatmeal cream pies. I also do most of the manual labor in the house (I do my own housework), my DH barely lifts a finger. I also do yard work in the summer time. I belong to a gym but sometimes don't go for months, and when I do go, I only go once a week for like an hour.

And how old are you? Metabolisms so slow down with age.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend the book Slim by Design for those of you who find dieting too hard. It has great tips that will help you get healthier and lose weight.