Anonymous wrote:I am one of those thin people who "eats whatever I want" and my thought is that since I'm not constantly listening to some voice in my head saying not to eat something, I'm happy enjoying a small portion whenever I'd like. A lot of weight management is in your head.

IAWTS. It's a lot easier to be satisfied with a brownie if you know you can have one whenever you want. If you let yourself have one brownie a month, you go a little crazy wanting brownies.

I am one of those thin people who "eats whatever I want" and my thought is that since I'm not constantly listening to some voice in my head saying not to eat something, I'm happy enjoying a small portion whenever I'd like. A lot of weight management is in your head.

I know quite a few people who were naturally, effortlessly slim. I mean "effortlessly" in the sense that they didn't think about what they ate, didn't eat like a bird, didn't bother much with exercise. They were definitely slim mostly because of genetics/natural build. I, on the other hand, have a curvy build and a natural tendency to plump up. Since my early teens, I've had to constantly watch what I eat and exercise more than the vast majority of people (like around 10 hours/week when I was young; 4-5/week now that I work FT and have kids) just to keep myself from crossing the line from fit-but-slightly plumpish to overweight. I've seen in many instances the difference that genetics and body type make.

Most of the people I know who were effortlessly slim when younger, however, plumped up as they approached middle age. They didn't have the eating or exercise habits to stave off the weight gain that tends to come with age. Those of us who've had to struggle all our lives to stave off the weight gain have mostly managed to stay the same. So I guess that's one advantage to not being naturally slim: always had to work for it, so it's "easier" for me now to maintain my (never truly slim) size. Some of my formerly skinny friends comment in awe at the fact that I still have a small waist and flat abs.

Anonymous wrote:All the thin people I know who "eat whatever they want" in actuality don't eat a whole lot (they feel full/done after grazing for a while). So, they are lucky in that they are sated with less than I would be.

True, but this could be genetics, too.

Im 5-9 and 130lbs. And trust me, it DOES NOT come naturally!

When I was in my late teens early 20s, I lost 45Lbs because I was so sick of wearing a size 14. It took me a whole year mind you but I did it....I did not weigh myself for a whole year. Instead, I just stopped eating crap and started exercising. not crazy exercise but 3-4 times per week aerobic's class.
I took the time to really listen to my body and understand what my cravings meant.

Today I am 46, and still exercise and watch what I eat. If I let myself go, I would easily gain weight. Here is how I maintain:
1) walk about 20miles per week, weights 2-3 times per week

2) no eating after 8pm

3) lo carb diet...not atkins but just being diligent about the cards I do eat. I eat complex only - fruit, veggies, whole grain products, brown rice and quinoa. I also eat plenty of protein and fat. FAT does not make you fat, carbs you fat. I try to not eat junk food but I do once in a while.
I also eat quality protein - eggs, fish, little dairy, red meat a few times per month, chicken

4) If I have a heavy meal, I harldy eat for the rest of the day and I watch what I eat the next day to reset my body.

5) I STOP eating when I'm full period, end of story. I hardly ever clean my plate because frankly I'm full and I hate that feeling of being stuffed.

6) I drink coffee in the morning and water the rest of day.

7) I never let myself get hungry, so I graze. nuts throughout the day usually.

And yes, I do think that genetics are involved a bit however most (and I mean most) overweight people don't get that way by accident. I see how they eat. At my office, I am the only slim woman. when we have our weekly team lunches, I see what the other women eat and what I eat. it explains why they are fat and I'm not.

Next time you're at the grocery story, follow a fat person around and see what they put in their carts - that is why they are f-a-t.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the study is conclusive enough for us to stop exercising/ watching what we eat. And blaming genetics is too much like hand-wringing for me. Admittedly it plays a role, but no one seems to know the extent of it, so you've got to do all you can to fight it if you're not one of the lucky ones.
I was plump in my teens but the weight dropped off in college, and I've been small ever since (34 now). But then I have never let up exercising or watching what I eat. I'm also vegetarian and avoid processed foods. I never deny myself anything, though. I drink wine and eat desserts 2-3 times a week, make ice cream at home, etc.

FWIW, I'd like to recommend my breakfast - 2% greek yogurt, homemade granola and some stewed fruit. I work out first thing in the morning and then eat; despite that, this breakfast is so satisfying that I am almost never "hungry" at lunchtime, which is helpful.

I think the problem is portion sizes and the average person's comprehension. I am a huge fan of posting calories, and I disagree that it's mostly about what or how much you eat. Staying active is important. Knowing how to read labels and calculate your daily food intake and regulate your cravings to avoid overeating is important. Knowing the 'shortcuts' (like PP mentioned, eating dessert as a meal if that's what you really want) for your body is important. Realizing that eating in is almost always better than eating out is so incredibly important. And getting enough SLEEP - so many people do that. The moment I have a bad night and get 6 hrs or less, I start craving CRAP.

I don't think the study is conclusive enough for us to stop exercising/ watching what we eat. And blaming genetics is too much like hand-wringing for me. Admittedly it plays a role, but no one seems to know the extent of it, so you've got to do all you can to fight it if you're not one of the lucky ones.
I was plump in my teens but the weight dropped off in college, and I've been small ever since (34 now). But then I have never let up exercising or watching what I eat. I'm also vegetarian and avoid processed foods. I never deny myself anything, though. I drink wine and eat desserts 2-3 times a week, make ice cream at home, etc.

FWIW, I'd like to recommend my breakfast - 2% greek yogurt, homemade granola and some stewed fruit. I work out first thing in the morning and then eat; despite that, this breakfast is so satisfying that I am almost never "hungry" at lunchtime, which is helpful.

Also, eating less usually takes less time, not more!!!! And its really about what you eat, not going to the gym.

Anonymous wrote:"No, I spend a lot of time maintaining my weight - it's not a huge hassle or an obsession, but I do put a lot of thinking and effort into it. "

Right, that's why I'd rather be 15 pounds overweight than put the time and effort in. I've done it before, but it's near impossible for me personally to want to devote that much brain space to this issue indefinitely.

Poster you've quoted here - that's totally fine as long as you're not the one sighing and saying how you wished you could eat whatever you want like me. As long as you're owning it, I couldn't care less. For me personally, the effort is worth it - my body works better, I'm less tired, my clothes fit better, my husband thinks I'm hotter, I feel more confident, I feel healthier. If you're not seeing returns that you care about, then I'm glad you're not worrying about it and are enjoying other things. Seriously. You're not the person my post was about.

"No, I spend a lot of time maintaining my weight - it's not a huge hassle or an obsession, but I do put a lot of thinking and effort into it. "

Right, that's why I'd rather be 15 pounds overweight than put the time and effort in. I've done it before, but it's near impossible for me personally to want to devote that much brain space to this issue indefinitely.

Anonymous wrote:I work out and remain fit and thin (despite a very real and easy ability to gain weight) BECAUSE I prioritize my family. Not taking good care of yourself, means you are running the risk of not being there for your children in the future. It's kind of like planning for retirement, you do the work NOW in order to be able to have a future.

You're right, doing well at work and being a great mom in terms of quantity of time and not just quality of time, are my priorities right now. I accept that I am 15 pounds overweight.

Anonymous wrote:

And to the poster that is 5'4 and a size 14...I'm sorry, but you're in denial. If you are heavy for your weight, then you are eating too much...plain and simple.

Yes of course I am (I'm the 5'4" @ size 14 poster). I admit that and it seems obvious.

I was just responding to the discreet point that eating vegetarian, unprocessed or minimally processed (Fage yogurt, say) foods will lead to being a size 4.

One thing I wish people would include on their back-patting posts is their age. It's one thing to be trim at 27 and quite another to be easily size 2/4 (without smoking or off-label Ritalin) at 55.

Much time spent in health club and pool locker rooms -- where, presumably, everyone naked there cares to some degree about their health/figure -- demonstrates that much.

I'm the vegetarian minimally processed poster and I don't think I said that eating my way leads to a size 4 (otherwise we wouldn't be having this discussion because everyone could just switch to my diet). For me personally it did (I said later that I was a size 12 in HS/college - changing the frequency and volume of what I ate along with avoiding processed foods made me drop the weight with little effort over a two-or-so-year period).

I was saying that it bothers me to see what people eat and then have them sigh and say they wish they were like me and could eat whatever they want, but oh well it's just genetics. No, I spend a lot of time maintaining my weight - it's not a huge hassle or an obsession, but I do put a lot of thinking and effort into it.

I'm 34, two kids, work full-time. I've already noticed that I do have to watch it a little more in my 30s, so I'm sure I'll continue on that track as I get older.

And to the poster that is 5'4 and a size 14...I'm sorry, but you're in denial. If you are heavy for your weight, then you are eating too much...plain and simple.

Yes of course I am (I'm the 5'4" @ size 14 poster). I admit that and it seems obvious.

I was just responding to the discreet point that eating vegetarian, unprocessed or minimally processed (Fage yogurt, say) foods will lead to being a size 4.

One thing I wish people would include on their back-patting posts is their age. It's one thing to be trim at 27 and quite another to be easily size 2/4 (without smoking or off-label Ritalin) at 55.

Much time spent in health club and pool locker rooms -- where, presumably, everyone naked there cares to some degree about their health/figure -- demonstrates that much.

I work out and remain fit and thin (despite a very real and easy ability to gain weight) BECAUSE I prioritize my family. Not taking good care of yourself, means you are running the risk of not being there for your children in the future. It's kind of like planning for retirement, you do the work NOW in order to be able to have a future.

Ok...I'm 5'4 and have been a size 12 (twice) and am now a 2/4. I actually do best when I eat when I want. And to the poster that is 5'4 and a size 14...I'm sorry, but you're in denial. If you are heavy for your weight, then you are eating too much...plain and simple. Sure, maybe your metabolism is slightly slower than someone else's, but that means that your body just doens't need as much food as you are taking in. You're eating too much and not moving enough.

The problem is really our ability to regulate how much we take in. That can be HAAARD. I get it. I've been there. I've done every diet out there. What actually worked for me, was to stop eating things because they were low-calorie or organic/paleo, or low points, or vitamin shakes, or, or, or...I actually just started eating whatever I wanted. I made sure that I limited portion to the extent that I could, but if I felt like a cheesecake for lunch, I had a slice and didn't "balance with healthy food." I treated things like fruit as food (I always used to think of them as "free items"). I used oil and butter. I lost close to 20lbs!!!!! I'm not sure if my cholesterol is as good as it used to be, but my ass looks better, and I'm not stressing about food and I'm enjoying what I eat!

And yes, I walk and run and do yoga. But when I work out too much, I get hungrier and can overcompensate, so I try to keep it light.