How skinny people stay skinny - link to article
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Calliope610
Posts: 3,771 Member
http://www.chron.com/news/article/How-skinny-people-stay-skinny-6845737.php
TL;DR...
The study's co-author, Brian Wansink, said that rather than sticking with a restrictive diet, registrants had "simple practices" they employed to stay healthy.
Many of the habits include common sense things that most people know to do: eat breakfast (96 percent), exercise (42 percent work out 5 or more days a week) and do weekly weigh-ins (50 percent).
Yep, lifestyle, not "diet".
TL;DR...
The study's co-author, Brian Wansink, said that rather than sticking with a restrictive diet, registrants had "simple practices" they employed to stay healthy.
Many of the habits include common sense things that most people know to do: eat breakfast (96 percent), exercise (42 percent work out 5 or more days a week) and do weekly weigh-ins (50 percent).
Yep, lifestyle, not "diet".
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Replies
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Lifestyle choices that work for them maybe.....but arent required to be 'skinny and stay skinny'.
A more accurate answer to how they stay skinny would be that they consciously (or unconscously) dont over eat.0 -
Wansink is the real deal. I haven't read the study in question, but this is consistent with his messaging on the subject. There are real-world ways that people control their weight.
Mrs Jruzer is an example. She lost weight a few decades ago, and has kept it off by developing good habits. For example, she looks forward to a treat every night. But if she indulges during the day, she doesn't allow herself to have that treat. SInce she really looks forward to it, that keeps her from indulging.
Not overeating is the strategy. These kinds of tricks are the tactics.0 -
It's important to note that this particular registry, unlike the NWCR, is for people who have never been overweight. They don't diet because they never needed to. The point of the study is to figure out whether the rest of us can learn from them about how to live in an obesogenic environment without getting fat (again).0
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I loved that article, but as almost always, words get in the way. "Diet" and "dieting" can mean "the way you eat" and "restricting food intake conciously to lose weight". It would be obvious that a person who has never been overweight (never fluctuating more than a few pounds) never would have to diet. "Restriction" is a vague term and what feels restrictive is subjective. What we mean by "dieting" can also be a lot of things, from the craziest fads and VLCD to a 250 calorie deficit and everything in moderation. The way thin people eat, seems part restrictive, part annoying, to fat people, but it's just that they practice moderation, not necessarily at every meal every day, but consistently.
I knew what I had to do to lose weight, but I thought "I don't want to live like that, I'd rather be fat". But preference has everything to do with habit and attitude. Once I got a structure to my eating, found some ways I could "have my cake and eat it too", and stopped feeling "entitled" and "poor me" and started learning what I really want and need, I enjoy that, and I eat and live and think like a skinny person. I use several of the “non-restrictive” strategies mentioned in the article.0 -
Yes, like others have mentioned, I think it would be more interesting to find out WHY "naturally skinny" people never seem to gain weight. We know how losing weight works if we've been using MFP for awhile. But I'd love to find out what it is about people who have never needed to lose weight that bucks the trend of obesity. In the US, 2/3 of us are obese or overweight, and that is not helped by the constant peddling of fast food, sweets, buffets, huge portion sizes, etc. What is going on mentally for someone who seems to stay healthy effortlessly?
My belief is that for the people who seem to just stay healthy and lean without having to do anything special, they are probably more mindful of it than they let on or at least it's just not obvious. I've had people joke with me at parties or special dinners where they might see me eating more than I normally would these days---"Uh oh, you better not eat that--you'll gain all that weight back!" What they don't see is that I've been busting my butt all week to make sure I'm eating proper foods/portions and exercising enough so a cheat meal isn't going to hurt anything. For people who have "always been skinny without even trying", we just have the false belief that they can eat whatever the want and have always been this way. That's just not how it works.
There is something about "naturally skinny" people that makes them able to resist all the garbage they're constantly surrounded by in the US. My wife is this way. She has never had a weight problem, has never really logged her food or done any crash dieting. She eats full meals and snacks and all that stuff. It makes me crazy!
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Domicinator wrote: »Yes, like others have mentioned, I think it would be more interesting to find out WHY "naturally skinny" people never seem to gain weight. We know how losing weight works if we've been using MFP for awhile. But I'd love to find out what it is about people who have never needed to lose weight that bucks the trend of obesity. In the US, 2/3 of us are obese or overweight, and that is not helped by the constant peddling of fast food, sweets, buffets, huge portion sizes, etc. What is going on mentally for someone who seems to stay healthy effortlessly?
My belief is that for the people who seem to just stay healthy and lean without having to do anything special, they are probably more mindful of it than they let on or at least it's just not obvious. I've had people joke with me at parties or special dinners where they might see me eating more than I normally would these days---"Uh oh, you better not eat that--you'll gain all that weight back!" What they don't see is that I've been busting my butt all week to make sure I'm eating proper foods/portions and exercising enough so a cheat meal isn't going to hurt anything. For people who have "always been skinny without even trying", we just have the false belief that they can eat whatever the want and have always been this way. That's just not how it works.
There is something about "naturally skinny" people that makes them able to resist all the garbage they're constantly surrounded by in the US. My wife is this way. She has never had a weight problem, has never really logged her food or done any crash dieting. She eats full meals and snacks and all that stuff. It makes me crazy!
I don't know if this was your intention or not but skinny does not equal healthy.0 -
I hate the term naturally skinny. I have never been overweight but I am conscious of what I eat and work hard at the gym. I hate when throw that term around and say how lucky I am to be the way I am when in fact I work really hard at the gym, usually don't overeat and am active. It takes away from my effort and implies I am lazy and gorge myself.0
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Well I'm thin and I've always been thin and I've never eaten breakfast in my life.0
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Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Well I'm thin and I've always been thin and I've never eaten breakfast in my life.
I don't either. Actually I eat within a pretty short timeframe 12 pm- 5 PM)0 -
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Well I'm thin and I've always been thin and I've never eaten breakfast in my life.
Same here. And on the occasions that I do eat breakfast, I end up overeating that day.0 -
UGH - DH is one of these people. (And I'm not, which is why I am here). At 46yrs and 5ft 11, he's been at a healthy weight all his life. I've puzzled over the unfairness of it for years. He eats all kinds of "bad" stuff - chips, ice cream, fried foods, etc. He credits it to playing ice hockey for a 2hr session every single week for the last 20 years.
I say that working out a mere 1 day a week cannot be the only reason.
Since being on MFP, I have been paying more attention and I think I figured out his secret. Yes he pigs out at some meals. Yes, some meals are high calorie counts. But the majority of the time, he eats a healthy (or even small) portion size naturally simply due to preferences (like half a tiny thing of yogurt and a banana for breakfast). Unlike me, he doesn't need to eat massive quantities of a favorite food at one sitting. And of course, at his height, he can eat double what I eat and be within maintenance calories (we often eat about the same quantity of food - good for him, terrible for me).0 -
First off, I have to say that I absolutely hate the word "skinny"...it does not conjure up a vision of good health to me...
That said, I do have a number of friends who have never had weight issues...some are fit and others not really...but this is what I have observed over the years and I have put into practice myself for quite awhile now...
- They tend to eat three solid meals per day
- They don't tend towards mindless snacking throughout the day...they might have a snack or two...it's usually fruit or something
- They tend to appreciate quality food and don't eat much in the way of "junk"...they just don't really like it
- They don't eat out with great frequency...maybe once per week tops.
- They don't drink a lot of their calories (to include alcohol, juice, soda, etc)...most of them drink water and tea for the most part.
- They tend to be busy doing things a lot of the time...not a lot of idle time/down time
- At minimum they tend to be recreational active...they don't spend a lot of time sitting around...they tend to be out and about doing this that and the other...hiking or at the zoo or visiting museums or at the park, etc.
- They tend to watch a very minimal amount of television
- My fit friends obviously spend a good deal of time with deliberate exercise and most participate in various events or sports
I do not believe it takes much conscious effort for these folks...it is who they are.0 -
Idk if this is completely on topic/helpful but I've always been at a normal weight/BMI (5'8" 130lbs) that most people would consider thin or average (idk about skinny). I just used to eat meals and not really think about it. What tripped me up was when I went to college and got scared about gaining weight cause everyone was talking about the freshman 15. I just stopped eating meals and started being scared of food. It messed up that whole just eating when I was hungry/what I felt like mentality I had had for my entire life up until then. Then when I tried to go back to eating meals I couldn't figure it out and get it back and that's when I gained more weight than I had begun with and had to figure out how to lose it healthy. I did lose the weight I gained with MFP and calorie counting and I'm under 130 now but if I could go back to that mentality of not thinking about food or weight, I would do it in a heartbeat.
I feel like that is the mentality they're talking about in the article. Where food for some people is just food, not something that they have to think about as much as people who have lost weight or are trying to maintain a certain size after losing weight.0 -
I think it's a million factors but one that has me interested lately has been the connection of eating and serotonin. I am a person who has always had difficulty with depression, even in childhood. And as a child, I was often comforted with food (easiest way to make me be quiet I guess.... Mother also struggled with depression). I have a life-long tie between food and raised serotonin levels giving me feel good emotions I didn't have often.
Right now I'm working on managing my serotonin levels so that those can be closer to normal so that I don't crave food when I lack proper levels (which has been all the time for most of my life). I believe people we consider "naturally thin" or at least don't have problems with their weight may not have the brain chemistry issues I have. Now of course, maybe over eating as a child caused this connection and serotonin has nothing to do with it! But I have been following some known ways to increase my levels as naturally as possible and I have noticed less of those big hard to resist cravings and im not constantly thinking about or looking for food. Has the first successful weekend without a binge in several weeks, I'm into my third week of trying to boost serotonin. Just my opinions of course!0 -
Well I am married to one of those freaks of nature. No mindful eating, just a fidgety, fidgety, fidgety person. One more time, fidgety.0
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Domicinator wrote: »Yes, like others have mentioned, I think it would be more interesting to find out WHY "naturally skinny" people never seem to gain weight. We know how losing weight works if we've been using MFP for awhile. But I'd love to find out what it is about people who have never needed to lose weight that bucks the trend of obesity. In the US, 2/3 of us are obese or overweight, and that is not helped by the constant peddling of fast food, sweets, buffets, huge portion sizes, etc. What is going on mentally for someone who seems to stay healthy effortlessly?
My belief is that for the people who seem to just stay healthy and lean without having to do anything special, they are probably more mindful of it than they let on or at least it's just not obvious. I've had people joke with me at parties or special dinners where they might see me eating more than I normally would these days---"Uh oh, you better not eat that--you'll gain all that weight back!" What they don't see is that I've been busting my butt all week to make sure I'm eating proper foods/portions and exercising enough so a cheat meal isn't going to hurt anything. For people who have "always been skinny without even trying", we just have the false belief that they can eat whatever the want and have always been this way. That's just not how it works.
There is something about "naturally skinny" people that makes them able to resist all the garbage they're constantly surrounded by in the US. My wife is this way. She has never had a weight problem, has never really logged her food or done any crash dieting. She eats full meals and snacks and all that stuff. It makes me crazy!
I don't know if this was your intention or not but skinny does not equal healthy.
No--that was not my intention. I just meant that there is a minority of people who naturally seem to have the right idea about food and eating. They probably have to work at it just like the rest of us, but they never became overweight or obese before waking up and realizing that they needed to eat better. It's a challenge to be that way in the US--we just aren't programmed like that here anymore. So it seems to me that there is something unique about people who are able to go against the grain.0 -
Husband is skinny. He has always been skinny. He eats all kinds of foods..."good" and "bad." The only time he ever gained weight was when he was in boot camp and they ate a LOT of food. Even then, he only gained 10 lbs at best...he just doesn't normally eat a lot. So yeah, his trick for being "naturally" skinny is that he doesn't eat more calories than he burns PERIOD. There is no great mystery, special trick, or body chemistry. I am done fooling myself and/or envying people who didnt develop the same disfunctional behaviors as I did. I taught myself new behavior and BOOM! Down 30 lbs., "naturally." Thanks MFP for all the science and debunking. I was lost without you! 0
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Domicinator wrote: »Domicinator wrote: »Yes, like others have mentioned, I think it would be more interesting to find out WHY "naturally skinny" people never seem to gain weight. We know how losing weight works if we've been using MFP for awhile. But I'd love to find out what it is about people who have never needed to lose weight that bucks the trend of obesity. In the US, 2/3 of us are obese or overweight, and that is not helped by the constant peddling of fast food, sweets, buffets, huge portion sizes, etc. What is going on mentally for someone who seems to stay healthy effortlessly?
My belief is that for the people who seem to just stay healthy and lean without having to do anything special, they are probably more mindful of it than they let on or at least it's just not obvious. I've had people joke with me at parties or special dinners where they might see me eating more than I normally would these days---"Uh oh, you better not eat that--you'll gain all that weight back!" What they don't see is that I've been busting my butt all week to make sure I'm eating proper foods/portions and exercising enough so a cheat meal isn't going to hurt anything. For people who have "always been skinny without even trying", we just have the false belief that they can eat whatever the want and have always been this way. That's just not how it works.
There is something about "naturally skinny" people that makes them able to resist all the garbage they're constantly surrounded by in the US. My wife is this way. She has never had a weight problem, has never really logged her food or done any crash dieting. She eats full meals and snacks and all that stuff. It makes me crazy!
I don't know if this was your intention or not but skinny does not equal healthy.
No--that was not my intention. I just meant that there is a minority of people who naturally seem to have the right idea about food and eating. They probably have to work at it just like the rest of us, but they never became overweight or obese before waking up and realizing that they needed to eat better. It's a challenge to be that way in the US--we just aren't programmed like that here anymore. So it seems to me that there is something unique about people who are able to go against the grain.
Fair enough, just wanted to make sure because there are a lot of people who correlate skinny with healthy and that's not always the case 0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »I hate the term naturally skinny. I have never been overweight but I am conscious of what I eat and work hard at the gym. I hate when throw that term around and say how lucky I am to be the way I am when in fact I work really hard at the gym, usually don't overeat and am active. It takes away from my effort and implies I am lazy and gorge myself.
+1
I get so fed up of being told how I'm so "lucky to be naturally thin" when actually I work damn hard at it and always have. I work out at least 4 or 5 times a week and regularly don't let myself have treats if I've already eaten enough that day.
The only times I've been overweight was during both my pregnancies. I was unable to exercise and I over ate. Guess what happened - the weight piled on. I'd say that just goes to show I'm just like everybody else in that if I don't exercise and/or I too much, I will get fat. I'm certainly not "lucky".0 -
I've never been more than four or five pounds into the BMI "overweight" range. I've been a size 6-8 pretty much all my adult life. I don't work hard at it, and I'm not saying that to brag - I just don't get hungry that often, and I fill up fast when I eat. When I am hungry, it doesn't bother me; it's not pain, it's not even really discomfort, it's just something like a mild headache that I can easily ignore. I don't eat food for comfort, or because I'm upset - what are you going to do, chew angrily? I don't have any emotional attachment to food at all.
I honestly don't like a lot of the food people rave about on weight loss boards. If you're eating a huge juicy hamburger and I'm eating a salad, I'm not envying you - I'm wondering how you can eat something that greasy and fatty and awful, and considering myself fortunate to have a meal that won't weigh me down. And that's not because I've found Health Food Jesus, either - as a child, I drove my (morbidly obese) mother nuts by cutting all the fat off my meat, scraping icing off my cake, and meticulously cleaning the horror that is whipped cream off everything that went into my mouth. Stuff like that just tastes really nasty to me.
At 47, I doubt I'll ever be obese - not because I consciously follow the strategies in that article (LOL breakfast), but because I physically can't ingest that much food, or live on a diet that's highly calorie-dense, without getting really ill.
I'm the only person in my mother's family, and one of the few in my father's, who isn't significantly overweight or obese. I don't know why, but I'm inclined to think I dodged a genetic bullet of some sort. I'm not fat because I just plain can't eat that much, bottom line.0
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