Naturally Skinny People

amother

Ivory

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 10:27 pm

amother [ Copper ] wrote:

Until I started having kids, I would eat a ton. Since I’m picky, my diet was pizza, pasta, ice cream, and junk. Breakfast was cake or cookies or a milkshake (no coffee because I don’t like anything other than water.) lunch was pizza or pasta, supper was pizza or pasta. Sometimes I would have something else for supper, but like tacos or burgers, nothing low in calories or fat or carbs.
Snack was junk and ice cream.
I am 5’6, and I always 120-125, which is thin. Now I weigh 110-115, which is probably borderline underweight.
I just don’t have time to eat. I don’t take my mask off at work, and then I’m too busy after work to eat. So I nibble a bit. Once the kids are in bed, I have a normal supper.

I gain weight while on a normal healthy diet (genetics Smile

). If I ate what you ate, pizza, pasta, ice cream, cake, etc...I would probably weigh over 500 lb. No kidding.

amother

Burgundy

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 10:27 pm

amother [ Copper ] wrote:

Until I started having kids, I would eat a ton. Since I’m picky, my diet was pizza, pasta, ice cream, and junk. Breakfast was cake or cookies or a milkshake (no coffee because I don’t like anything other than water.) lunch was pizza or pasta, supper was pizza or pasta. Sometimes I would have something else for supper, but like tacos or burgers, nothing low in calories or fat or carbs.
Snack was junk and ice cream.
I am 5’6, and I always weighed 120-125, which is thin. Now I weigh 110-115, which is probably borderline underweight.
I just don’t have time to eat. I don’t take my mask off at work, and then I’m too busy after work to eat. So I nibble a bit. Once the kids are in bed, I have a normal supper.

Yeah I wld consider u naturally thin. I’m 5”5 and I’m underweight. I weighed 115 in high school when I was considered normal weight. Haven’t been able to reach that nbr yet only during pregnancies I get up to 124 and I really try to eat

amother

Copper

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 10:30 pm

amother [ Plum ] wrote:

If I would eat as infrequently as you do, I would probably pass out!

Lol when masks started last year, and I would keep on my mask the whole time at work and not eat, I would get really crabby and a little light headed. At this point, my body is used to it.
Before masks, I would eat very randomly throughout the work day. If I had time, I would pack lunch, if not I would stick with granola bars or whatever snacks were in the kitchenette.
Before kids, I had all the time in the world for real meals!

amother

Copper

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 10:31 pm

amother [ Ivory ] wrote:

I gain weight while on a normal healthy diet (genetics Smile

). If I ate what you ate, pizza, pasta, ice cream, cake, etc...I would probably weigh over 500 lb. No kidding.

Yeah I would not recommend either of my diets LOL

amother

Copper

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 10:32 pm

amother [ Burgundy ] wrote:

5’5 and 115 is super skinny!!

amother

Blush

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 10:33 pm

Dh is 6”2 135 lbs. eats 6 pb&j sandwhiches for lunch daily.

amother

Copper

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 10:36 pm

amother [ Blush ] wrote:

Dh is 6”2 135 lbs. eats 6 pb&j sandwhiches for lunch daily.

My eyes just popped. Whoa whoa whoa. My husband is 5’10, weighs 140, and is 2 dimensional. I can’t imagine how teensy your husband is!

amother

Blush

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 10:38 pm

amother [ Copper ] wrote:

My eyes just popped. Whoa whoa whoa. My husband is 5’10, weighs 140, and is 2 dimensional. I can’t imagine how teensy your husband is!

Very very very very skinny. Anyone meeting him for the 1st time immediately comments on his weight and then he tells them about all the cr*p he consumes Wink

Makes for great conversation

amother

Burgundy

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 10:41 pm

amother [ Copper ] wrote:

5’5 and 115 is super skinny!!

Yeah some ppl wld look like a stick but it was my natural weight - and healthy looking. now I’m way below that can’t even write it down too embarrassing but doc sees me as healthy bh - don’t fluctuate no matter what junk diet I try. So I just have my specific healthy eating habits and nosh, eat carbs together to balance it out.

gilamom

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 11:25 pm

DD is very underweight, always has been. She's also lactose intolerant, I wonder how much her lack of ability to have dairy plays into how underweight she is.

amother

Aubergine

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 11:42 pm

I don’t agree. It for sure varies by the person. I’m naturally skinny and don’t have the best eating habits. I do like the taste of ww, drink water and enjoy exercising, but that doesn’t mean I eat like that all the time. I eat loads of junk, I’m very inconsistent with meals and don’t have lots of time to exercise. This is just the way I was made.

amother

Forestgreen

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 11:46 pm

amother [ Tangerine ] wrote:

Gravitating towards buffets, catered foods, desserts and starches isn’t just a habit. It’s a neurochemical wiring. Like an addiction. Same reason it doesn’t occur to you to eat fruits and vegetables. They don’t give you a fix. Very often inflammation is at the root of this wiring, and that is the same reason your body holds on to calories. And so even when you try to emulate your friends habits, your body will never look like hers. Same for her. Her eating less isn’t necessarily a habit, she got lucky In that her brain just isn’t obsessed with food all the time.

All that said, I think this is true only some of the time. I know thin people who have awful eating habits and heavier people who really eat well.

What do u mean inflammation is at the root of it? My body can’t lose weight no matter how hard I try to eat right my bloodwork all good maybe this is an idea for me?

amother

Magenta

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 11:56 pm

I’m naturally thin as well as my parents and sibling but I married a larger guy and I see with my children- it might be genetic to be overweight but the habits are even more genetic. My children who take after my husband by Personality love to eat and they’re the type to have a few dinners ans take snack up to their room etc etc and my kids that are thin are just not always thinking about food- I have to remind them to eat and when they are young I’m coaxing them to finish their food etc

notshanarishona

Thu, Mar 04 2021, 11:59 pm

Every person is different, their are plenty of naturally skinny people who eat junk and have bad habits and plenty of naturally overweight people with healthy habits.

amother

Burlywood

Fri, Mar 05 2021, 12:03 am

op, there are definitely other factors that weight gain...and yes, it has to do with genetics...what I mean is... you can have 2 ppl eating the same unhealthy foods and one person will be fat the other will be thin(ive seen many of my classmates eating tons of sugary foods and drinking sugary drinks compared to fatter girls eating healthier on a diet)

you are forgetting that each body will process that food differently ...im referring to the hormones and ill start with insulin which regulates blood sugar and fat storage....for some reasons unknown to dr fung(genetics and..) some ppl can only eat x amount of sugar/carb before their bodies will have high insulin that will cause insulin resistance(which can eventually cause diabetes) and others can eat so much more sugar/carbs and their bodies will NOT put them into a state of high insulin and eventually insulin resistance....high insulin causes the body to hold onto fat...once this hormone is off and there is extra fat it affects other hormones that are not at proper levels and it becomes a cycle thats hard to get out of...

another 2 factors that affects weight is sleep and stress...too much stress causes cortisol which causes high insulin which causes fat storage and insulin resistance etc...and not getting enough sleep causes the body to be in a high state of stress which causes high insulin from the high cortisol...etc

ive seen so many ppl go through life eating unhealthy while I eat healthier but they dont gain weight...my thin friend told me she never exercises...there are so many other hormones I didnt mention such as grelin etc. they all play a role and are affected by others...its very complex...

amother

Lavender

Fri, Mar 05 2021, 12:18 am

I think it's part genetics and part habits, but I think genetics part is why it is that some people want to eat more or less. I've always been thin, and my eating habits are weird. I don't get hungry, I get dizzy. Often I don't even notice that I didn't eat in a while until I start feeling dizzy.

I need to eat every few hours or I start feeling dizzy so naturally, the way my body is, I prefer to eat smaller meals more often. I actually prefer not to have meals at all but to snack all day.

I love lots of healthy foods. To me a big salad with protein fillings like chick peas and nuts, is delicious. Dh struggles with his weight, and part of it is he really does not enjoy vegetables or healthy foods.

Same with water and soda. I actually dislike soda, I feel it never quenches my thirst so I much prefer water, always. Dh is the opposite.

I have more sugar and junk than I should, but my quantities are small. On the days I find myself eating nosh (usually when I'm very sleep deprived), I'm also skipping meals. Which isn't great, but the total calorie intake is balanced somewhat.

As far as what's in the house, I let the kids take cookies and chips to school for snack, but other than that nosh is for shabbos. I find that when I slice up vegetables and put them out, the kids will eat them. About once a week when I'm shopping I'll pick up a box of cookies or something from the bakery and let the kids have. I don't want to emphasize junk, but I also don't want them to feel that they're missing out.

And with all this, I have some very thin kids and some...not. So there you go.

amother

Silver

Fri, Mar 05 2021, 1:06 am

I used to be average weight as a girl and ate a healthy breakfast and lunch every day (whole grain cereal, whole wheat bread, salad, etc) and also made a point of walking or being active and then o got married and just lost weight and quite thin now while I eat coffee (with real sugar) and chocolate and/or cake for brunch and any healthy lunch and tons of noshing and fried dinners. No excercize. DH as well has horrible eating habits (he is probably to blame for my downturn lol) and is over 6”0 and weighs 140 lb lol

amother

Periwinkle

Fri, Mar 05 2021, 1:25 am

This is something I think about all the time. Yeah, it comes down to time spend thinking about food. Naturally thin people do not spend every waking moment thinking about food in some way or another. There is no other thing I think about as much as food. And I don't mean fantasizing about scarfing down delicious food. Very much the opposite, it's obsessive thought about the latest, greatest diet scheme, thinking about what I will eat, planning menus, planning shopping trips, figuring out when I will eat, how much I will eat, worrying about which foods will be filling enough for me, strategizing how to cut out late night snacking, wondering if I should eat now even though I'm not hungry because what if I get hungry later and I'm not home and I end up eating junk instead of real food.... it's never ending obsession. Total center of my life. I hate it.

amother

Puce

Fri, Mar 05 2021, 2:11 am

Not naturally skinny but 'naturally' normal weight. It was strange to me to realize at one point that a lot of my habits keep me at normal weight, until then I thought I was just lucky.

I drink lots of water. Not on purpose, I'm just always thirsty.

I have a lot of food intolerances and allergies and can't eat most junk food. I also don't like meat very much. So I mostly eat vegetables, eggs, rice and fish.

Eating past the point where I'm full makes me feel horribly sick, so I really try not to do that (sensitive stomach, I get heartburn really easily).

In general, I move a lot, even when sitting (thanks, ADHD).

But genetics is also a huge part of it. It's also much much harder to lose weight than to not gain weight.

I don't get skinny. Once I could only eat around 600-800 calories a day for a couple weeks for medical reasons. I gained 2 pounds.

My siblings are both a bigger than me even though they are both way healthier. My brother can swim for an hour straight, and bike all day, and is obese.

amother

Indigo

Fri, Mar 05 2021, 2:28 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

They say that whether or not you are thin or heavy has to do with your genetic makeup. Many overweight people torture themselves their entire adult lives, yet never manage to get thin. Your body has a set point it wants to be at.

And I believe that is true, because I see it in families.

BUT, I have also observed that there are certain habits that naturally skinny people have. And by the same token, there are habits of overweight people (such as myself.) And I believe that genetics is only half of it. These habits will play a big role.

I have a good friend and fellow teacher who is so thin, she makes it a point to drink special fattening drinks so she could gain some weight. And yet, except when she is pregnant, she is always underweight. I have noticed that despite her best efforts to gain weight, she has certain habits that I can only hope to emulate.

I have observed that:
1. She eats quite often, about every two hours.
2. When she eats, she eats very slowly and deliberately. She doesn't look at her phone or grade papers or do other things while she eats.
3. When at an event, she gravitates to the people and uses the time to socialize.
4. At a simcha or function, she often will not eat. She enjoys her own food, not so much catered food.
5. She eats lots of fruits and vegetables.
6. She uses whole wheat in her baked goods, whenever possible. She bakes her own bread with half white and half ww.
7. She never takes the elevator at school.
8. She drinks only water. Doesn't use splenda ever.

Contrast that with my habits:
1. I will go hours without eating and then eat a LOT at meals.
2. I'm always doing other things while I eat. I read, talk on the phone or drive...
3. At an event, I gravitate towards the buffet table. I try everything. I fill up my plate and go for seconds and thirds.
4. I look forward to going to a simcha for the food. embarrassed

. I love eating catered foods, and will eat every course. I get upset if my husband wants to leave before the desert is served. I eat my plate clean.
5. It doesnt occur to me to eat fruits or vegetables on a regular basis. I'll eat it if it's in front of me, but I won't take the time to clean and cut it. I will always choose the starch over the vegetable.
6. I dont use whole wheat unless I'm actively dieting. I go for processed, refined grains.
7. I never take the stairs if I can help it. I park my car as close as I can to my destination. I get almost no exercise.
8. I use splenda in my coffee and like diet drinks

So you see...its not just my genes. It's also my habits.
I have observed other heavy people (people who are always dieting) and they have the same bad habits as me. One very overweight friend only uses splenda in her salad dressings. But she and her family eat out several times a month. Another very overweight (but always dieting) friend buys takeout a lot.

In my family, my parents and siblings are all overweight. My mother overcooks and serves in abundance. Her house is always stocked with nosh and cake. Cake is always sitting on the counter in a cake plate. All the grandkids know exactly where the nosh is and run to that cabinet the second they come into the house.

My husbands family, his parents and siblings are all thin to normal. My mil cooks enough but nothing extra. She has cake but she keeps it in the freezer. If there is a nosh cabinet in her house, I dont know where it is.

If you are naturally skinny, can you share some of your food habits?

I am medium but I was capable of changing certain habits. Baked goods or nosh are not eaten on the daily basis. Veggies and fruit are always available in some kind of form not necessarily as a salad. Salad dressing ia mostly oil and lemon juice because I won't bother. No sugar or anything else.
I often use honey instead of sugar. I drink my hot drinks unsweetened. I only eat dark chocolate.
I cook very simple food. I have had lengthy phases when I didn't eat processed foods. I do now but not regularly.
I almost never eat any bread. I eat gf noodles made of Humus, conjak etc. very occasionally.
I only eat things that I am sure are gf, otherwise I don't.