Skinny people who don't diet but just eat carefully. What is on your plate?

[Anonymous]

I know many skinny / thin older people. They really do not eat much. Like: breakfast half piece of bread, plain. Lunch salad. Dinner about the size of a lean cuisine. No snacks. One glass wine on weekends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been skinny my whole life. I am 5'6" and about 110 smoking wet. Size 2 or 0.

I just don't have that big of an appetite, and I hate feeling full.

It's rare for me to finish a meal -- even a whole sandwich. I just get sick of tasting the same food and need a break. It's why I love tapas!

I do eat dessert -- dark chocolate, flourless chocolate cake, flan, ice cream etc. but much smaller portions than most people. Like I'll order a kid's cup of ice cream and I may or may not finish it.

I'm also kind of picky and a food snob -- I don't eat gross processed baked goods, and if something is off to me, I won't eat it just because I ordered it or just because it's sitting there.

What do I eat? Mostly meat, veggies and rice. I love Lebanese food, Vietnamese food. Last night dinner was blackened salmon, roasted broccoli and rice. Had the leftovers for breakfast. Not much of a snacker at all. Maybe some cheese and crackers and olives around 4 p.m.

I eat an insane amount of guacamole -- I add it to salads, use it as a dip etc.

I really don't care how much I weigh and have never been on a diet. I know that I am lucky.

I’m like this. Early 50’s, 5’7”, 112 lbs. I don’t restrict or count calories. I run about an hour a day. I typically have a coffee or matcha latte before my run and a smoothie (banana, berry, kale, protein powder, hemp seed, milk sub) after my run. I usually eat leftovers for lunch but sometimes I’m out and about and forget to eat lunch. I’ll have an afternoon snack of nuts or chips. I have a big dinner consisting of carbs (rice, pasta, bread, etc), meat/fish/protein, and lots of vegetables. I almost always cook from scratch. Mostly ethnic foods (Asian, Mexican, Italian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, etc.) I don’t limit fats or salt. I go heavy on vegetables. I don’t drink alcohol, juice, or soda. I have a bowl of ice cream every night and pieces of dark chocolate as a snack. I like rich desserts and good food. Occasionally, I’ll eat junk food like Doritos or McDonalds (rarely but sometimes I want junk).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone who is 5’4” and around 110 lbs chime in! This is my goal weight and I would like to know what you eat.

That’s me, I’m about 107. I have a decent amount of muscle on my frame, I work out five days a week (mostly strength training, cardio for about 10-15 minutes to get my heart rate up). I wear a size 0.
I usually eat a filling breakfast-an English muffin with peanut butter and a banana, or overnight oats with almond butter, chia seeds, and fruit. I don’t snack. Lunch is dinner leftovers, usually protein, salad or vegetables, and maybe a starch like rice thrown in. Dinner can be anything, but I make it early. I don’t like to fill up on processed junk and spoil a meal. We cook a lot, but I do eat pizza and other takeout once a week without guilt. I’ll eat two slices of pizza and fill up on salad if I’m really hungry. I will not eat a dinner (and rarely eat a lunch) without vegetables. I fill my plate with mostly vegetables and don’t limit myself-I can eat three helpings of salad (maybe romaine, avocado, carrot, onion, oil and vinegar) or roasted broccoli/asparagus/etc. some nights.

[Anonymous]

I’m 5’2” 110 lbs. I usually fast from about 8/9 pm until 1 or 2 the next day (except I do drink coffee). On the occasions I do eat breakfast, it’s generally just a yogurt or something small like that. It’s not even necessarily purposeful fasting. I just don’t have much of an appetite earlier in the day and the first half of my day is busy (working from home with elementary kids distance learning).

Today for lunch, I ate 3 rejected chicken nuggets off my kids’ plates, some strawberries, and a few Pringle’s.

For dinner, I had a small bowl of poke that we ordered out.

The past few nights of dinners have included steak salad, crab cakes, baked potato loaded with veggies, and tomorrow night is pizza night.

Mostly I just have pretty good portion control because I don’t have a huge appetite. It doesn’t take much to fill me up. I do have a sweet tooth, which I indulge in moderation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m 5’2” 110 lbs. I usually fast from about 8/9 pm until 1 or 2 the next day (except I do drink coffee). On the occasions I do eat breakfast, it’s generally just a yogurt or something small like that. It’s not even necessarily purposeful fasting. I just don’t have much of an appetite earlier in the day and the first half of my day is busy (working from home with elementary kids distance learning).

Today for lunch, I ate 3 rejected chicken nuggets off my kids’ plates, some strawberries, and a few Pringle’s.

For dinner, I had a small bowl of poke that we ordered out.

The past few nights of dinners have included steak salad, crab cakes, baked potato loaded with veggies, and tomorrow night is pizza night.

Mostly I just have pretty good portion control because I don’t have a huge appetite. It doesn’t take much to fill me up. I do have a sweet tooth, which I indulge in moderation.

Oh and I realize there are others posting who are taller than me and the same weight, but the way I’m shaped, I am a size 2. I have a decent amount of leg muscles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone who is 5’4” and around 110 lbs chime in! This is my goal weight and I would like to know what you eat.

That’s me, I’m about 107. I have a decent amount of muscle on my frame, I work out five days a week (mostly strength training, cardio for about 10-15 minutes to get my heart rate up). I wear a size 0.
I usually eat a filling breakfast-an English muffin with peanut butter and a banana, or overnight oats with almond butter, chia seeds, and fruit. I don’t snack. Lunch is dinner leftovers, usually protein, salad or vegetables, and maybe a starch like rice thrown in. Dinner can be anything, but I make it early. I don’t like to fill up on processed junk and spoil a meal. We cook a lot, but I do eat pizza and other takeout once a week without guilt. I’ll eat two slices of pizza and fill up on salad if I’m really hungry. I will not eat a dinner (and rarely eat a lunch) without vegetables. I fill my plate with mostly vegetables and don’t limit myself-I can eat three helpings of salad (maybe romaine, avocado, carrot, onion, oil and vinegar) or roasted broccoli/asparagus/etc. some nights.

Thank you dear! This was helpful. Do you drink coffee or tea?

[Anonymous]

5’7” 125lb

This is what I eat most days.
Breakfast: nothing. I have not eaten breakfast since high school
Lunch: large salad or half a sandwich with a cup of soup
Snack: cappuccino with a cookie or fruit and a protein bar
Dinner: grilled fish or chicken with rice and veggies

I love ice cream and have some every weekend in summer.

I also exercise 5 times a week.

[Anonymous]

More of us this applies to should be honest and say we don’t necessarily eat much better than most people who struggle with weight. It’s just we were given a big, BIG leg up with our genes. All women in my family are slender. I build muscle easily and can eat pretty much whatever I want. I can’t pretend like that’s all my doing. And other people work way way harder than me to be thin and have a harder hill to climb if they were handed different genetics.

[Anonymous]

I am 5'9" and 133 lbs. Over 50 and have always been thin. Typical day:
Breakfast: Coffee with half and half, toast and fruit.
Lunch: A sandwich or dinner leftovers (which would be chicken and potato, fish and rice, something like that) or a salad with pita and feta cheese.
Snack: cheese and crackers or popcorn or a cut up apple
Dinner: Always a protein (about 6 oz.), a starch, a cooked veg and salad. Usually a glass of wine. Maybe a few squares of chocolate for dessert.
Once a week or so: A restaurant meal, 3 courses, wine--in other words, a blowout.

[Anonymous]

5’ 5’ and 115
Breakfast-coffee w milk. Oatmeal, blueberries, walnuts
Lunch-whole wheat peanut butter sandwich, half apple, carrots, hummus, egg
Dinner-salmon or chicken, spinach salad, sweet potato

[Anonymous]

General strategy: stay active, workout 5 days per week, skip breakfast, eat 5 veggies and fruits per day, and avoid sugar.

Morning: always water and coffee w milk with nothing else before about noon; Lunch examples: grilled chicken over a greek salad and one bread role with a pat of butter and a pomegranate cup; 2 eggs, slice of whole wheat toast, sauteed spinach, half a banana, half an avocado; 4pm snack examples: sunflower seeds and an apple; cashews and a grapefruit; Dinner example: 7 ounces of steak, rice and broccoli.

I break these habits with social outings and festivities and when I do, I'll make up for it at the next meal with a fruit and veggies platter to replace a meal.

I eat dessert maybe once per month somewhere worth it like Dairy Godmother. I only have wine on weekends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not super-thin PP, but what many people don't want to admit is that we actually don't need very much food to survive, especially after we age. A small-framed person could easily get by on 1400 calories per day.

This. I don’t think most people understand how little food we require.

I’m thin and my overweight friends would likely say it’s genetic. The truth is that I eat less. I’ve never known anyone who is overweight who does NOT eat a good bit more than I do. However they likely think we eat a similar amount.

For example if I go out to dinner with friends, I don’t eat much the evening before. I likely don’t order fries or only eat half my entree. It’s the little bit more than they eat at every meal that is resulting in the higher weight.

Yes. Totally agree. I cannot believe the volume of food overweight people eat. Multiple times per day. My stomach could not handle that amount of food. I think heavy people don’t realize their portion sizes are out of control, especially if they are only eating with obese people.

[Anonymous]

I'm a guy, 45 yrs old. 5'10', ~145 lbs, maybe 10-12% body fat (just guessing based on appearance, I have what I'd call a blurry 6 pack). Basically, I eat whatever I want, but not as much as I want. I have a pretty good sweet tooth - like, I could probably eat half a package of oreos in a sitting (which I used to do when I was younger), but I'll settle for 2. I also don't eat out that much. Maybe once a week. Plus I exercise a lot. This is what I ate today more or less:
Breakfast: overnight oats (oats, chia seeds, flax meal, dried fruit, toasted pecans, whey protein, honey)
Lunch: chicken sausage on a bun with toppings, potato chips. Cake.
Dinner: Shrimp alfredo, garlic bread, sauteed spinach/kale, Ice cream.
Some snacking (nuts, crackers, orange) throughout the day, and a couple protein shakes.

For exercise, I ran 8 miles, walked another 4, and did about 40 minutes of lifting. Most days I run 3-4 miles, walk another 3-4, and lift 30-45 minutes.
I'd guess I ate around 2,500 calories. Who knows how accurate my fitness watch is but is usually estimates around 3,000 calories a day burned.
Some of it is genetics, my parents are both skinny, but they barely eat anything. My older brother is 6'1 and I'd guess him at 190-200 lbs. But its mostly because I'm not overeating and exercising a lot. In my 20s, I was probably eating roughly the same amount but exercising a lot less and was 160-170 lbs.

[Anonymous]

I’m 39, 5’4”, 118 lbs, size 2

Breakfast-2 cups of coffee with half and half, egg and toast or some type of egg-based breakfast sandwich. I’ll occasionally eat half a large bagel with cream cheese, but I feel so much better with some solid and filling fat and protein.

Lunch-Bowl of soup/stew, or small sandwich with chips, Diet Coke.

Dinner-Some type of meat/poultry/seafood with a starch (rice, pasta, potatoes) and a vegetable. 1-2 beers.

Dessert-Fun-sized candy bar or small cookie.

I agree with others upthread who mention portion sizes. When I go out to eat, I mentally cut my plate in half and just take the other half home in a doggy bag. It’s mind boggling how much people eat in one sitting.

[Anonymous]

5'7". 120 if that counts. I am 50 years old. I think the answer is I eat very small portions. I don't feel like I'm denying myself, I just can't handle a lot of volume. I look at what other people, even in my family, eat as a "serving" and I just can't. I am full and I feel gross.

For example, tonight we had baked potatoes with all the toppings- I can eat about half of a potato with everything on it and a side salad. If we have pizza, I eat one, maybe two slices. I can't make a real dent in restaurant entrees. Sometimes I just order an appetizer.

I also work out almost every day (peloton).