I am 5.7, 120 lbs, very athletic shape. I played sports in college and have always had good muscle tone. That being said, it is not without work that I stay at 120 lbs, I would say that if I ate whatever I wanted (with the same level of exercise) - I would probably be around 135. So, in my personal case, I workout 2-3 a week BUT more importantly, I watch what I eat. I try to keep it to 1200-2000 cal per day, if I go over one day, I really restrict the next. I don't know if it is healthy, but I try to have 2 meals a day instead of 3, I say no sweet things unless it is the weekend or a special occasion. Some days it is tough to eat less, others, I just don't feel hungry, The bottom line is, I am thin but it is not without constant focus on it.

Anonymous wrote:I walk between 10,000 and 15,000 steps/ day because I move around a lot. I have always eaten what I want, with varying degrees of effect on my weight. I'm 45 with 3 kids and currently 125- not skinny but slim enough considering I've had a beer-heavy winter When I'm stressed I try to move around more instead of grabbing a snack. Everyone in my family is obese with the health problems that go along with it because they don't move around enough and they eat horribly. I don't need to be super-skinny. I just need to be as healthy as I'm capable of being.

How tall are you pp?

I walk between 10,000 and 15,000 steps/ day because I move around a lot. I have always eaten what I want, with varying degrees of effect on my weight. I'm 45 with 3 kids and currently 125- not skinny but slim enough considering I've had a beer-heavy winter When I'm stressed I try to move around more instead of grabbing a snack. Everyone in my family is obese with the health problems that go along with it because they don't move around enough and they eat horribly. I don't need to be super-skinny. I just need to be as healthy as I'm capable of being.

I am thin and most of it is good genes.

BUT...probably because I've never had a weight problem, I don't obsess over food. I eat when I'm hungry. I eat until I'm full. I never eat huge quantities of anything but don't deprive myself or anything. If I ate a huge breakfast, I eat a smaller lunch. I hardly ever snack but also don't skip meals. Ever.

I don't exercise regularly but I walk a lot in my daily life.

I've had 2 kids and I'm on the wrong side of 40 too. Still holding steady.

I really believe most of it is genes.

It's mostly genetics, and a little woring out and what you eat. I am 5'4" 107lbs, and feel too skinny. But it's hard for me to put weight on since I am breastfeeding. I eat 3 full meals plus snacks throughout the day...and this includes a lot of fats and sugar!! One thing though is that I cook alot, and eat maybe 1-2 meals out per week. I work out 1-2x per week, mostly lifting. No cardio, bc I can't afford to burn the calories.

Strict diet and exercise hard. And I weigh myself every day to keep myself at a constant weight. I have never been overweight though even when I wasn't as strict as this. My mother and sisters are overweight but they do eat a lot. I think "naturally skinny" women are different in that they just eat less and perhaps came from families that just put less emphasis on eating a lot.

Anonymous wrote:Those of you who are thin, how to do it? Do you workout like a mad woman daily; eat a really strict diet; count calories; skip meals; ED; etc.

It seems like everytime I turn around, I'm standing next to a thin woman and I feel like a hippo. I could stand to lose a few pounds and it seems like the thinner you are, the easier it is to maintain it.

Strict diet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never known a thin, happy, healthy woman.

Really?? I know tons.

Same. I used to be obese, and am now not. The biggest difference is that I started exercise, and learned to love it - now I can't live without it. Regular exercise (including a variety - cardio + strength training) burns lots of calories. Releases endorphin. Relieves stress. Gives you confidence.

All the thin, happy, healthy women I know are the women I see at the gym on a regular basis.

We also eat a crazy ton of carbs - or at least I do. Alcohol isn't my thing so I don't really drink my calories - but cookies, cake, and chocolate are!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never known a thin, happy, healthy woman.

Really?? I know tons.

Same. I used to be obese, and am now not. The biggest difference is that I started exercise, and learned to love it - now I can't live without it. Regular exercise (including a variety - cardio + strength training) burns lots of calories. Releases endorphin. Relieves stress. Gives you confidence.

All the thin, happy, healthy women I know are the women I see at the gym on a regular basis.

People in my family fun heavy from overindulging in food (and I would say it's the addictive tendencies that are genetic and not just being heavy, for us). On my dad's side many were over 300lbs. Most were thin on my mom's side but she wasn't because of how she eats and doesn't exercise.

I got heavy in middle school because of how they fed me. What a horrible example and it made my life hard. I ended up with an ED in high school that I recovered from in college. To recover, I had to learn all new habits and ways of really finding balance and taking care of myself. I ate better, smaller portions and exercised 3-4 times per week. I opted for walking and stairs when given the choice. I think that combined with being young made it easy to stay thin.

Now in my mid 30s, I am still thin and have been the same weight for the last 5 years (minus pregnancies). However, now I find that when I do eat my full portion dessert it shows up on the scale the next day when it used to not. I also had a much harder time losing the weight after my second pregnancy compared to my first. Slower metabolism plus older age make it hard. So I do need to eat less to maintain now. I check the scale daily and when I see a gain that isn't dropping on its own after a week I go back into weight watchers mode (the app is on my phone) and I count points (not calories because they let you have unlimited fruit and veggies which works well for me). I tend to go light on breakfast and lunch and heavier for dinner and evening snacks, as I enjoy that more. I also run 3 miles 2-3 times per week.

I'm thin, my genes are pretty decent but I still do work on staying thin I am a very toned size 2 5ft5 and 110 pounds. I eat a relatively low carb high protien diet (no I don't treat carbs like the devil) I eat healthy 5 days a week and eat what I want on the weekends. Most importantly I work out with weights, I lift heavy weights slow reps until my muscles fail 3 x's per week. I don't worry about cardio much I just walk when the weather is good because I like to.

Genetics

Enjoy food but also don't think about it a lot. It's easy for me go a whole day and then realize at dinner I only ever had some hummus and crackers as a snack. If something tastes good, let's say chocolate or a brownie, I am usually good with 1-2 bites and don't want the whole thing. I think this is the biggest trick: dieting makes you think too much about food. So does just loving food and eating way too much. But if you're kind of detached from it it's easy not to overdo it or make it a huge deal.

Anonymous wrote:I've never known a thin, happy, healthy woman.

Really?? I know tons.

I do a really demanding, intense sport 2-3x per week and usually lift weights or run a little bit on the other days. I don't count calories, but I don't eat fast food or much processed stuff, drink alcohol pretty sparingly (a glass of wine or a margarita in summer once or twice a month usually), and drink ~100 oz of water every day.

I'm probably skinny fat - as in not very toned - but I was an overweight teen so I understand the differences in my behavior now versus then.

I watch what I eat in the sense that I don't eat until overstuffed very often, I don't eat meat or drink alcohol to excess, and I don't eat dessert every night. I drink soda and juices but try not to have too many of them…when I was overweight I drank way way way too many calories.

I eat what I want in the sense that I don't deprive myself of cookies or Potbelly or pasta or sriracha mayo when I feel like it, but I try to stop at 3 cookies or a "skinny" sandwich and I don't do it 3 meals a day. I probably eat 2 servings of pasta, because who eats just one?

I find myself craving veggies or lighter food after two days of less healthy food. I think that means my body is calibrated to eat this way. It turns me off to eat to excess or to eat too many rich things in a row.

I often skip breakfast because I am just not hungry then. I probably get about 150 calories in my morning coffee via milk and sugar though.

I don't formally exercise. I should for health, but I only walk occasionally. I guess I'm pretty active during the day. For what it's worth, I am maybe 5 lbs more than when I exercised to excess, and that was pre-kids.

My BMI is about 19.5 and I am 35.