Why do some people find it so easy to get/be thin?
fteale
Posts: 5,310 Member
And others have to bust a gut just to be normal and will never be skinny? Even if they eat all the right things and exercise like a demon?
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Replies
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Genetics.0
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because our bodies are different, our metabolisms, shape, fat distribution and everything is different, but our bodies know what is healthy for us.
I personally think you look lovely, you know that, I'll never be a rake and I have a lot to lose but I'm hoping to pan out around a 12. Perspective I guess, what's skinny to me and skinny to you may be totally different.0 -
Well, certaintly genetics plays a role. Some people have more muscle mass, some have a higher metabolism, some bodies can function more easily when given junk then others....I just try to do the best with what I was given.0
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because they are the devil!0
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genetics, i'll be like my mom when she was my age when im done. but as soon as i have children ill gain the weight back and its going nowhere well the weight will but not the flab its been like this for generations0
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No one is a scientific anomally. You, me, and everyone else on here weren't born with a body that loses/gains weight any different than anyone else. It's NOT easy even though it may appear that way from the outside looking it.
There's alot of hard work involved, ALOT of hard work. Alot of dissapointments and failures included. The key is persistance. To keep going as though you're dropping ten pounds a day even though you may be losing nothing and to not just TRY your best but give it your all, and I mean your ALL even though you may of had a few burgers too many yesterday.
And getting to your goal weight is just half the battle. Once you've lost it all you have to maintain it, which in of itself is hard as hell.
So no, it's not easier for others. Some just have a higher tollerance for pain than others, both physical and emotional, and are just willing to push past it. That's the key, really, just shutting out the inner bully voice that tells you that you've failed and 'can't' do a damn thing if you tried.
Don't compare your progress to others. Just keep pushing, despite what that scale says. It'll come with time, promise.0 -
One thing I've learnt is that a lot of the people that I thought were skinny without any effort are actually excercising and eating healthy, I just wasn't aware of it!
Sure there are the people who can eat fast food all day and never gain a thing due to genetics, but most people seem to be working out or balancing their diets. Makes me realise that laziness was a large part of my gaining weight!0 -
Well honestly, skinny shouldn't be a priority or goal. There are many body types out there like others say. Your goal should be to evolve into a healthier version of you! If that is skinny, curvy, muscle-tony, whatever. It's easy to get rapped up with what others can do and you can't. Take a look at what you've been able to accomplish. If your goal is just getting skinny, you might head down a dangerous path. (eating disorders etc because the feeling of not being skinny enough) We always look in the mirror and see the old body, while others see us as getting trimmer and losing weight. It is so hard to look in the mirror and say wow i look skinny. But to look healthy, fit, athletic is more realistic and it's sexier to boost
well thats my jabber for the morning, thank you coffee! :flowerforyou: :drinker: 0 -
I was one of those people until two things happened in my life.....1) I quit waitressing 40 hours a week. Gained 15 pounds quickly (which I needed) 2) I hit 45! Now I fight to get this extra 15-20 off (above the original 15) . I feel good at 115 and am 5'2". Not crazy about being in the 130's. I am very small framed and am carrying the weight in the tummy and thighs. We just have to learn to understand what our bodies feel good and look good at. The older I get the more I understand that the less than 100 I was in my 20's is not healthy for me in my 40's. You look great. Don't stress too much over that last bit you might want to lose, it is the hardest! :flowerforyou:0
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Lots of reasons. Some populations are genetically predisposed to carry a bit more weight.
Some people have done the yo-yo thing for many years, so they've messed with their metabolisms. People who haven't dieted frequently have an easier time of it.
A few, though not that many, folks may have some health issue that's slowing them down.
Some folks who've carried a lot of weight for many years have so damaged their joints that exercise is almost impossible.
But for most folks having difficulty,it comes down to mindset. When you're really committed, you do it. When you're not really committed you 'sort of' do it and get so-so results.0 -
No one is a scientific anomally. You, me, and everyone else on here weren't born with a body that loses/gains weight any different than anyone else. It's NOT easy even though it may appear that way from the outside looking it.
There's alot of hard work involved, ALOT of hard work. Alot of dissapointments and failures included. The key is persistance. To keep going as though you're dropping ten pounds a day even though you may be losing nothing and to not just TRY your best but give it your all, and I mean your ALL even though you may of had a few burgers too many yesterday.
And getting to your goal weight is just half the battle. Once you've lost it all you have to maintain it, which in of itself is hard as hell.
So no, it's not easier for others. Some just have a higher tollerance for pain than others, both physical and emotional, and are just willing to push past it. That's the key, really, just shutting out the inner bully voice that tells you that you've failed and 'can't' do a damn thing if you tried.
Don't compare your progress to others. Just keep pushing, despite what that scale says. It'll come with time, promise.
^^^^^AGREED and well said!0 -
because they are the devil!
I like this answer the best
I am a mesomorph. The more I exercise the musclier and bulkier I seem to get. My little sister is an endomorph and has the most beautifully thin waist and arms. I don't go in at the waist at all, and my arms look like a body builder's. I want to look elegant, but this appears to be impossible.0 -
And sorry, but I just don't agree that it's about how hard you work at it. Some people do naturally just not carry weight in certain places. I have always had good legs without an ounce of fat on them, even when the rest of me was a lard bucket (for me). On the other hand I have always had horrible arms. Some people do no exercise and have lovely thin arms, but fat backsides. I want nice arms, and a waist that goes in!0
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And sorry, but I just don't agree that it's about how hard you work at it. Some people do naturally just not carry weight in certain places. I have always had good legs without an ounce of fat on them, even when the rest of me was a lard bucket (for me). On the other hand I have always had horrible arms. Some people do no exercise and have lovely thin arms, but fat backsides. I want nice arms, and a waist that goes in!
That's a different question though. Losing weight is one thing, learning to appreciate the body type that you have is another. 0 -
I always thought that I was one of those people who could never be thin. It turned out that I just didn’t ever truly put my mind to it and work hard and eat properly. I have lost 45lb since the start of 2011 and I am now a UK size 8/10 (US 4/6) which I would say was slim for 5ft 8. I feel great and love my body, I'm never hungry and I enjoy working out. It is a lifestyle change which you have to enjoy instead of feeling like you are always sacrificing things. I lovee being this way and I love my lifestyle so I just hope that doesn’t change
I believe that everybody can lose weight from everywhere it is just a matter of time, effort and being consistent.0 -
Because they are freaks of nature!!!0
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If it's just about work, how come some people can eat cake, exercise 45 mins three times a week and have a 27 inch waist or smaller, when I eat 1200 cals, vegetables and salad mostly, run an hour 3 times a week, do boot camp twice a week (mostly core and weights) and an hour of aerobics, and cannot for the life of me get my waist below 29, or my weight under 140?0
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I used to think this too, but I think I was in denial that other people were eating a lot less than I actually was...and after joining the gym realizing they were moving a lot more. These are the same people just walking down the street...you don't know that an hour ago they were sweating their butts off in a spin class...or they aren't ordering take out. Again.
I was overweight my whole life...I got very big when pregnant...but most of my life, even in high school, I was averaging a size 12-14-16. I didn't think there was anything else I could do. I was naturally "big boned". I did wear a size 9 1/2 shoe, you know! LOL!
People are different shapes and sizes. I will always carry my junk in the trunk. No matter how much I exercise, I will have cellulite on my behind..that's genetics...but if you saw me walking down the street in jeans I'd look like maybe someone who is naturally thin...but in reality I work my *kitten* off. Working out about 2 hours most days, and struggling to make the healthy choice every hour of every day. And some days it REALLY is a struggle. So now that I'm immersed in this "healthy" new world/career I've come to find out that most of these people aren't just thin. They are working really hard, and doing a lot more than I ever did before I "got it". :-)0 -
It really is about appreciating body type. Most women lose from their boobs first (and this upsets them), but not me. In high school when I was a stick, I still had hips and a C cup. I would kill to be somewhere between a B and C cup (mostly for the sake of my back, which always aches) but with a goal weight of 135, I don't see that happening as I was 103 last time they were that small. I also have chicken legs...my thighs are almost completely toned, but they're still pretty big and even doing exercises that normally thins all those areas out, it just doesn't happen on me.
I know I'll never be 100% happy with my body, but as long as I can wear cute clothes again and feel confident in them, I'll consider that a big enough win to make all this effort worth it.0 -
If it's just about work, how come some people can eat cake, exercise 45 mins three times a week and have a 27 inch waist or smaller, when I eat 1200 cals, vegetables and salad mostly, run an hour 3 times a week, do boot camp twice a week (mostly core and weights) and an hour of aerobics, and cannot for the life of me get my waist below 29, or my weight under 140?
Some people are blessed with freaky metabolisms and can, at least while young, do whatever they please and stay fairly thin. I'd venture that most of us are not those people or we wouldn't be here.
You are fit, no doubt.
I'm having a hard time understanding your plan though, as I seem to recall from other posts you've made that you don't closely measure or track your food and you don't eat your exercise calories from what you've just posted.
It's possible that if you tracked more closely, ate your exercise calories or changed up your exercise plan, you'd see some changes. Or maybe you just have to start making peace with the body you have, which sounds strong and fit.
I'm always going to be busty and have a small butt. Would that be my first choice in life? Not really. But it's what I've got, even when I've been my fittest and thinnest. So I've tried to make peace with it, as it isn't going to change even when I'm at goal weight.0 -
I think it really is "activity" and eating which is why I like this site - it tells me daily how my activities affect my weight - we all differ in bone size and have different ideal weights.
Also one can be too thin - I know a few very thin people who just don't eat healthy, they starve themselves. We all have a "happy weight", where we feel fine - and I think it is always balanced with our activity level. I am not hugely active - I try to do things that fit my life like walking cycling, cross country skiing, kayaking. I don't like gyms but do have weights at home that I probably should use more!
Anyhow, I am losing since being on this site and I know it's tracking the exercise that does it for me - reminds me every day how much I need to move to lose. So it's "move it to lose it" for me! And the activities I choose are the ones I like to do, not have to do.
It's probably easy to be happy with your body if you know you are eating right, and moving right - it is perhaps psychological - we do good, we feel good.0 -
I don't really struggle with the desire to be or look "skinny". I struggle with being heavier than what physicians consider to be a heart healthy weight! I started my weight loss journey at 200lbs in 2003. At my thinnest, I was down to 148lbs 2 years ago, and have gradually, steadily, gained the extra 12lbs back, struggling to keep it off and to fend off any more gain. (AGGRAVATION!)
I do think that perhaps I've not balanced what my body needs, compared to what I'm expecting of myself... I recently trained & ran a full marathon on less than 1200 calories a day. My "red flag" was the 3-5 days after my race... when I didn't find myself insatiably hungry, like I SHOULD have been. I took that warning as a sign that my metabolism was in the process of either shutting down, or simply holding onto every morsel for dear life!
Size 5 jeans... I don't care if I ever see them again... don't get me wrong, I still strive to drop those 12 lbs, but I love what I see in the mirror, my Hubby loves what he sees in me, and that's all that matters! It took a long time to reach this point... but I'm finally comfortable in my skin!0 -
The longer I've been eating healthy, the more I see others around me at or around a healthy weight with the same habits I have - passing on dessert, only taking small portions of cheat foods, getting a side of veggies with their meat instead of a big heap of fries. I didn't notice it years ago when I was in the 160-170 range. I would treat myself to double the portion of the unhealthy foods and seemed to be too thick to notice my friends were eating a sensible portion...
Now yes, there are people that are naturally thin that do have a high metabolism or are extremely active and can literally "afford" to eat foods I'd consider terrible. Not that it's healthy for the body, but it's not affecting their weight. Sometimes, though, with age, these same people do eventually put on weight around their midsection and have a harder time taking it off later in life as their metabolism slows. My dad, for example, falls into this category. Used to eat a box of cereal in a sitting and not gain a pound, in his 50s, put on weight and found out he had high blood sugar.
One other thing to consider is - is the person VERY active? Training for a marathon/triathlon, training for an upcoming season or in the middle of a season, etc.? They may have very high calorie needs for their training that we may not realize.0 -
If it's just about work, how come some people can eat cake, exercise 45 mins three times a week and have a 27 inch waist or smaller, when I eat 1200 cals, vegetables and salad mostly, run an hour 3 times a week, do boot camp twice a week (mostly core and weights) and an hour of aerobics, and cannot for the life of me get my waist below 29, or my weight under 140?
Some people are blessed with freaky metabolisms and can, at least while young, do whatever they please and stay fairly thin. I'd venture that most of us are not those people or we wouldn't be here.
You are fit, no doubt.
I'm having a hard time understanding your plan though, as I seem to recall from other posts you've made that you don't closely measure or track your food and you don't eat your exercise calories from what you've just posted.
It's possible that if you tracked more closely, ate your exercise calories or changed up your exercise plan, you'd see some changes. Or maybe you just have to start making peace with the body you have, which sounds strong and fit.
I'm always going to be busty and have a small butt. Would that be my first choice in life? Not really. But it's what I've got, even when I've been my fittest and thinnest. So I've tried to make peace with it, as it isn't going to change even when I'm at goal weight.
I am fit, I just don't have the body I want. I do track my food very closely, but I don't weigh it all. I know I am usually underestimating rather than over, though. Most of the high calorie things I eat like olive oil I do measure. I don't bother measuring my salad (11 calories here or there makes no odds), or vegetables. How much variation can there be in courgette size? How much does it matter if there is?
I have tried eating my exercise cals. I have tried not eating them. I have settled on eating about half.0 -
The longer I've been eating healthy, the more I see others around me at or around a healthy weight with the same habits I have - passing on dessert, only taking small portions of cheat foods, getting a side of veggies with their meat instead of a big heap of fries. I didn't notice it years ago when I was in the 160-170 range. I would treat myself to double the portion of the unhealthy foods and seemed to be too thick to notice my friends were eating a sensible portion...
This is exactly what I mean. I have never eaten desserts or chips. I don't "cheat" because I wasn't brought up eating the kinds of junk food most people on here seem to love. I don't eat cakes or biscuits or chocolate (beside a small amount of 70% cocoa chocolate maybe once a week). I don't drink anything but tea and water. I get terribly frustrated that some people seem to be able to drop weight just by stopping eating those things, because I have never eaten them, and am not.
I know I am not overweight, but I have been stuck at 140 lbs for 5 weeks now and it's getting very tedious, given the amount of effort I am putting in.0 -
It is very easy to blame genetics because if you can blame genetics than you can take responsibility off of yourself. Now I am not saying that genetics are not a factor, because they are, they are just less of a factor than everyone likes to believe. People also like to believe that all it takes is hard work and dedication; practice makes perfect right? No, Perfect practice makes perfect. If what you are doing is not appropriate for your goals then it doesn’t matter how hard you work at it, you will never achieve it.
This comes down to education, and this is not meant to offend anyone, but most people have no clue what is required to achieve their goals. Most people believe that exercise is broken down into two categories, cardio and weights, and if you do them both you are on the right track to your goals. This could not be farther from the truth because there are different forms of both that support different goals, and again no offense intended, but most people choose wrong. Most people find a program, do it, find another program, do it, etc… and never stop to learn why they are doing it and if it aligns with their goals and if it doesn’t they don’t know how to find one that does.
The biggest problem, however, is that most people don’t know what their goals are. Here are two example of what I mean:
Person 1: “I want to look like X person.”
Me: “Ok great, why?”
Person 1: “Because he/she looks good.”
Me: “What looks good about them?”
Person 1: “They’re skinny”
Me: “So how are you going to do it?
Person 1: “I am using Jillian Michaels 30 day shred.” (I am not knocking the program it is just an example)
One year later…
Person 1: “I want to look like the same X person”
Me: “But now you are skinny, isn’t that what you wanted?”
Person 1: “Yes, but I still don’t look like X person”
Me: “That is because you never stopped to identify what you liked about that person and how to achieve those specific goals”
Person 1: “…..”
Person 2: “My goal weight is X”
Me: “Ok great, why?
Person 2: “Because that is my ideal body weight for my height”
Me: “So how are you going to do it”
Person 2: “I do cardio every day and strength training twice a week.”
One year later…
Person 2: “I am at my goal weight but my arms, thighs and stomach are still flabby”
Me: “Who cares? You achieved your goal, right?”
Person 2: “Yes, but I don’t look like I wanted to.”
Me: “But your goal had nothing to do with your looks or body composition, it was only about your weight”
Person 2: “…..”
Now, I admittedly made this overly simplified on purpose. The point being that educating yourself rather than just doing what someone tells you is the key to long-term success. Education is required to set appropriate achievable goals, as well as to choose a program to achieve those goals. Cookie cutter workouts are not a magic solution to achieve any goal.0 -
One thing I've learnt is that a lot of the people that I thought were skinny without any effort are actually excercising and eating healthy, I just wasn't aware of it!
Sure there are the people who can eat fast food all day and never gain a thing due to genetics, but most people seem to be working out or balancing their diets. Makes me realise that laziness was a large part of my gaining weight!
this0 -
My boyfriend eat THOUSANDS of calories everyday, Mcdonalds for breakfast, Wendys number 1 with a large fry AND a milkshake for lunch, and an ENTIRE pizza for dinner, and then polish off half a cake. Sits on his butt and watches Tv all day.. he CAN NOT get over 155 no matter how much he eats. (hes trying to gain weight)
I look at a piece of pizza and a button on my pants flys off!
But the way I look at it, im Healthy. Eating good foods, and exersicing. He may be thin, but im HEALTHY..
I still don't think its fair however...:grumble:0 -
not saying thats you Fredi, but often its the case.
I think sometimes you just got to work with what youve got. Im never going to have slender thighs, or Kate moss' figure, no matter how much i diet. Im never ever going to get the body shape i really want unless i take a chisel to my pelvis0 -
If it's just about work, how come some people can eat cake, exercise 45 mins three times a week and have a 27 inch waist or smaller, when I eat 1200 cals, vegetables and salad mostly, run an hour 3 times a week, do boot camp twice a week (mostly core and weights) and an hour of aerobics, and cannot for the life of me get my waist below 29, or my weight under 140?
Ahhh well that is down to body type. Like what build you are. I have a fairly big build which means that my hip and rib bones are pure lean and visible at this weight hence me knowing that I shouldn't/couldn't get any smaller inch wise. I reckon I could get lose more pounds wise but won’t be trying because I wouldn't be healthy and would look painfully thin.
I'm sure you will drop below 140lb if you stick at it. Maybe try watching your sodium, eat more raw food and cut any non wholemeal/grain carbs for a week and see if that helps. Also if you are close to your goal then maybe eat more calories so that you are aiming to lose less lbs/week. The further into the normal range you are the smaller the deficit of your cals in/cals out should be. This means that the last part of your weight will come off slowly but you are then making sure that you are indeed burning and losing fat not precious muscle.0
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