I just don't eat much. It sucks, but I save my eating for dinner time. I don't drink alcohol and I exercise at least five times a day for an hour.

-Eat lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, protein.

-Avoid processed/fake foods, sodas, high calorie coffee drinks, non-fat/low-fat dairy (I only eat full-fat dairy).

-Drink mostly plain water or sparkling water.

-Never do stuff like this: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/282622.page

-Cook healthy, homemade meals at least three times per week. Meals are eaten at the table, not in front of the tv.

-Work out twice a week with weights, walk a couple miles each day with my dogs.

-Drink a glass of wine every night after dinner.

-Only snack if I'm really hungry, and then it is something like a handful of nuts, string cheese, or apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

-Watch portion sizes.

-Eat small portions of really high quality desserts; I don't waist calories on so-so crap.

-Don't eat because I am bored, upset, or tired. Eat mindfully.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a food as fuel person too. Weigh 5 lbs more than my high school weight after 4 pregnancies and wear a size 4. I have coffee for breakfast, toast with peanut butter for lunch, yogurt midday and whatever for dinner.
Virtually no exercise over the past year but I trying to do better there to improve muscle tone.

I would rather be the way I am with a fast metabolism and not much into food for its own sake, than struggle with losing 15-20 lbs. Everyone in my immediate family as a child is obese in their midlife/ senior years and dealing with diabetes and high cholesterol. Strokes run though put my maternal side. My blood work shows I have great cholesterol levels and low blood pressure, and I hope to keep it that way and stay healthy into an old age where I'm still sharp mentally.

To each their own. I'd rather have 15 or 20 pounds to lose and enjoy food.

and heart disease with a sprinkle of daily diabetes.

15 to 20 extra pounds is not going to earn me heart disease or diabetes. Please.

Like metabolism, this also has a lot to do with genetics and depending on your diet and activity, it absolutely could (also on your definition of an extra 15-20lbs...vanity versus BMI)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a food as fuel person too. Weigh 5 lbs more than my high school weight after 4 pregnancies and wear a size 4. I have coffee for breakfast, toast with peanut butter for lunch, yogurt midday and whatever for dinner.
Virtually no exercise over the past year but I trying to do better there to improve muscle tone.

I would rather be the way I am with a fast metabolism and not much into food for its own sake, than struggle with losing 15-20 lbs. Everyone in my immediate family as a child is obese in their midlife/ senior years and dealing with diabetes and high cholesterol. Strokes run though put my maternal side. My blood work shows I have great cholesterol levels and low blood pressure, and I hope to keep it that way and stay healthy into an old age where I'm still sharp mentally.

To each their own. I'd rather have 15 or 20 pounds to lose and enjoy food.

and heart disease with a sprinkle of daily diabetes.

15 to 20 extra pounds is not going to earn me heart disease or diabetes. Please.

Anonymous wrote:All you "I'd rather enjoy my food and have to lose weight" people are kind of missing the point. Thin people enjoy their food too. Maybe they just don't need as much of it though. If I eat one bowl of pasta for dinner vs. four bowls, it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It just means I was full after one bowl and didn't feel the need to gorge.

I wouldn't complain if I could have a full bowl of pasta at night without eating nothing but oatmeal and salad the rest of the day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a food as fuel person too. Weigh 5 lbs more than my high school weight after 4 pregnancies and wear a size 4. I have coffee for breakfast, toast with peanut butter for lunch, yogurt midday and whatever for dinner.
Virtually no exercise over the past year but I trying to do better there to improve muscle tone.

I would rather be the way I am with a fast metabolism and not much into food for its own sake, than struggle with losing 15-20 lbs. Everyone in my immediate family as a child is obese in their midlife/ senior years and dealing with diabetes and high cholesterol. Strokes run though put my maternal side. My blood work shows I have great cholesterol levels and low blood pressure, and I hope to keep it that way and stay healthy into an old age where I'm still sharp mentally.

To each their own. I'd rather have 15 or 20 pounds to lose and enjoy food.

and heart disease with a sprinkle of daily diabetes.

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. It's not "genetics". I get so sick of that argument. No matter what your genetic make-up, if you don't put too many calories in your body, you won't get fat. Calories don't just magically appear.

The secret to staying thin? Put down the damn fork and move your body.

OK, the the definition of "too many calories" varies from person to person, and genetics has a significant impact on what that number is for each individual.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. It's not "genetics". I get so sick of that argument. No matter what your genetic make-up, if you don't put too many calories in your body, you won't get fat. Calories don't just magically appear.

The secret to staying thin? Put down the damn fork and move your body.

My, aren't you the sanctimonious one? Sheesh!

+1

A lot of it is genetics. People have different metabolisms, for one. Different builds, bone structures, heights. All these are factors.

And so, it doesn't mean everyone that has a high metabolism is thin and some people with slow metabolisms are slim. I am hypothyroid and thin, because I eat less. It may not be fair, but if you're overweight you're eating more calories than your body needs...but of course that is psychologically hard.

And I've had my ups and downs in weights. You have to learn what works for you (THAT ALSO makes you happy!). People have a tendency to eat things they don't really want, BUT also while eating the things they do want. Listen to your body, eat what makes you happy but try to eat just a little less of it. You'll see results.

All you "I'd rather enjoy my food and have to lose weight" people are kind of missing the point. Thin people enjoy their food too. Maybe they just don't need as much of it though. If I eat one bowl of pasta for dinner vs. four bowls, it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It just means I was full after one bowl and didn't feel the need to gorge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. It's not "genetics". I get so sick of that argument. No matter what your genetic make-up, if you don't put too many calories in your body, you won't get fat. Calories don't just magically appear.

The secret to staying thin? Put down the damn fork and move your body.

My, aren't you the sanctimonious one? Sheesh!

+1

A lot of it is genetics. People have different metabolisms, for one. Different builds, bone structures, heights. All these are factors.

eat the 5-9 fruit and veg servings a day. Fills me up. I'm eating a big pear right now and later, I'm going to have a mini-cucumber and pile of little tomatoes. I already had a pile of grapes and I think my veggie frozen meal should count as one serving. So that's at least 4 before dinner.

I think where diets sometimes go wrong is they are all about what you DON"T eat. I like to focus on what I do eat.

And i drink a lot of water and walk a lot (take metro, walk to meetings, ect)

I found this show really helpful for understanding how not all calories affect your body in the same way, and this is why cutting processed food out of your diet helps a lot:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-01-07/dr-robert-lustig-fat-chance-beating-odds-against-sugar-processed-food-obesity-and-d

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. It's not "genetics". I get so sick of that argument. No matter what your genetic make-up, if you don't put too many calories in your body, you won't get fat. Calories don't just magically appear.

The secret to staying thin? Put down the damn fork and move your body.

My, aren't you the sanctimonious one? Sheesh!

I'm the PP...its not sanctimonious. Its the TRUTH!! The scale doesn't lie. If you aren't losing, you're net calories are too high. If you think your metabolism is slow get your thyroid checked. The sad truth is though, women just don't need a ton of calories, no matter how much we wish we did.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another coffee for breakfast person here. I eat a light lunch around 11-12 (closer to 11am when I work out in the morning). If I really want to snack during work I eat celery. For dinner I nibble and have a glass of wine. I feel like I eat whatever I want, but I do eat very small quantities.

I'm 42 now- I realize that my metabolism has slowed and I just can't eat as much anymore, although if I listen to my body I also realize that I don't need as much food. My parents are in their 70s, and will have a batch of steamed broccoli and call it dinner.

Of course you're thin...you come from a family that views food as fuel instead of one of the true joys in life. Eating strawberries with champagne with a special someone, or having DH make me a new york strip with twice baked potatoes....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Or enjoying a latte with a fresh croissant and Kerrygold butter in the morning...

I know people like celery girl, and I don't get it.

Well...strawberries and champagne sound like a fairly low cal snack to me. I eat all the things mentioned here...I just give something else up during the day (like breakfast)...or if I have a super good breakfast I have a really low cal lunch. I actually stay thinnest when one of my meals is delicious and high fat! I refuse to eat anything if I don't LOVE it...even healthy foods. That apple not as crisp as I thought it would be...toss it! That's 80-90 calories saved on something that sucked. But, if that cheesecake is the best thing I've eaten all year, I'll finish it. Just make choices that'll make you happy.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a food as fuel person too. Weigh 5 lbs more than my high school weight after 4 pregnancies and wear a size 4. I have coffee for breakfast, toast with peanut butter for lunch, yogurt midday and whatever for dinner.
Virtually no exercise over the past year but I trying to do better there to improve muscle tone.

I would rather be the way I am with a fast metabolism and not much into food for its own sake, than struggle with losing 15-20 lbs. Everyone in my immediate family as a child is obese in their midlife/ senior years and dealing with diabetes and high cholesterol. Strokes run though put my maternal side. My blood work shows I have great cholesterol levels and low blood pressure, and I hope to keep it that way and stay healthy into an old age where I'm still sharp mentally.

To each their own. I'd rather have 15 or 20 pounds to lose and enjoy food.