What do truly skinny people eat?

breathless575

I am hungry all the time and need to lose weight. I set my calorie goal at 1350, although to get where I need to be I really should be only eating 1200 calories per day, but even 1350 is a struggle. So, I was wondering what do the thin people here on MFP eat, specifically those who eat 1200 calories a day or less?

ctalimenti

Don't worry. Give it a week and you'll be fine with 1200. Eat a high protein breakfast that'll hold you til lunch. You won't have to snack. Eat a good high protein lunch that'll hold you til dinner and so forth. Stay away from the crap. Eat what counts. Of course drink water but yadda yadda on that. Water never filled me up. If your stomach growls, tell it NO! Just because it's growling doesn't mean it needs attention.

jennifer52484

Higher protein foods work wonders for fullness. Try to keep your carbs under 125g

mrsRhughes

Thin people eat MORE than 1200-1300 calories a day!!! (Thin, healthy people that is!) At 5'7 and 123 pounds I normally take in around 1700-1900 calories a day. But they are all "good" calories - make sure you get enough healthy fats (avocados, nuts, good cooking oils). Even though these things may be "high" in calories, they are awesome for your body! If you're hungry all the time, EAT! But snack on carrots, cut-up bell peppers, apples, kiwi, any kind of fruit. These things are naturally full of fiber and will keep you full. Good luck! I know it sounds annoying to tell you to snack on fruits & veggies, once you start doing it for awhile you actually learn to love them when you realize how much more you can eat as opposed to grabbing handfuls of empty carbs (chips, pretzels, etc.)

Bumdrahp

I always hear the opposite of what she( cali ) is saying ^^ I hear the more water the better, Drink two glasses before a meal, and if your stomach is growling, feed it. BUT clean foods!!!!

Onesnap

Well for some of us it's all about age.

I did not have trouble with my weight until after age 30.

In my teens and 20s I was the woman everyone loved to hate. I ate EVERYTHING and could not gain weight. I was active and I ate really well (we love to cook).

So, in my case a thin (active!!) woman eats whatever she damn well pleases.

Darn hormones, loss of muscle and bone mass...all comes with age and makes it so what worked in your 20s will not work in your 30s and beyond.

littlewords

It's true, you will adjust somewhat, but also true that you're going to be hungry sometimes.
Definitely eat lots of protein and some healthy fat - it makes you feel the most satisfied and keeps you that way longest.
Cottage cheese, yogurt, lean chicken and beef, fruit and lots of vegetables - I eat any kind of fruit I can reasonably get and focus on more substantial vegetables like asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc.

jennalink807

I'm almost to my goal, and I would NEVER survive on 1200 a day. I net AT LEAST 1600, eating back my exercise cals. I've lost consistently. 1200 isn't for everyone, if you're starving, eat more.

JenniLisette

i'm not skinny but i do eat few calories, but one thing i've always been told is plenty of Protein with each meal (eggs, chicken, fish, beans) and they will fill u without fattening u. plus lots of water.

BerryH

The slimmest and most successful among my MFP friends eat 2,000 calories (including wine and pizza when they feel like it) and work out hard!

Onesnap

I am hungry all the time and need to lose weight. I set my calorie goal at 1350, although to get where I need to be I really should be only eating 1200 calories per day, but even 1350 is a struggle. So, I was wondering what do the thin people here on MFP eat, specifically those who eat 1200 calories a day or less?

I'm never hungry on this program. On days where I'm burning 500 calories (hiking, Zumba) I'm NET 1200 so actually taking in more food. If you're NET 1350 you're actually eating MORE than that (so taking in closer to 2,000) if you're working out.

ccb1128

I'm 5'5, 126 lbs. I eat a lot of greek yogurt, eggs, fruits & veggies, nuts, and lean meats. I'm never hungry. I try to make sure all of my calories are quality calories and as clean as possible.

chicpeach

I'm eating about 1700 cals daily and am losing weight. You can eat quite a bit and get or stay skinny depending on your activity level and fitness level. The more muscular you are, the more calories it takes to support those muscles, so you do actually have to eat more. I noticed that I needed the increased calories when I started weight lifting.

Onesnap

Don't worry. Give it a week and you'll be fine with 1200. Eat a high protein breakfast that'll hold you til lunch. You won't have to snack. Eat a good high protein lunch that'll hold you til dinner and so forth. Stay away from the crap. Eat what counts. Of course drink water but yadda yadda on that. Water never filled me up. If your stomach growls, tell it NO! Just because it's growling doesn't mean it needs attention.

Actually the experts say snacking is good and eating every 2-3 hours is the only way to keep your metabolism amped up.

Angie_Fritts

What works for me to keep hunger pains at bay is that I eat hight protein breakfast and have a mid morning snack of almonds or string cheese. Then I have a high protein lunch and then an afternoon snack of almonds or string cheese. I keep my carbs around 60 per day. If I eat too many carbs especially the crappy kind, then I am hungry all of the time. I keep my calories around 1300. MFP shows I should be eating about 1280 to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week.

Good luck!! Just play around with your protein and carb ratios and see what works for you.

ElizabethRoad

Don't worry. Give it a week and you'll be fine with 1200. Eat a high protein breakfast that'll hold you til lunch. You won't have to snack. Eat a good high protein lunch that'll hold you til dinner and so forth. Stay away from the crap. Eat what counts. Of course drink water but yadda yadda on that. Water never filled me up. If your stomach growls, tell it NO! Just because it's growling doesn't mean it needs attention.

Actually the experts say snacking is good and eating every 2-3 hours is the only way to keep your metabolism amped up.

Who are these "experts", exactly?

amyy902

truely skinny people dont eat much. i speak from personal experience. im a rice cake snacker, but thats as healthy as it gets, i mostly eat gummy sweets chocolate crisps fizzy drinks sometimes i'll eat a banana. lots of butter, erm yeah i dont eat healthy, just dont eat heapos, just seems like i do because i graze all day. but i guess i havent ever had toooo. but i wouldnt reccommmmend my diet. i dont really have a puroose for using mfp, i just have it to keep track of some of my clients' diarys (im a PT) and its good to see whats working and whats not in conjunction with their training!!!!!!!

thebigcb

My partner is pretty lean(*****)

Shes like a little squirrel. Never has big meals, loads of smalls. Breakfast, one egg and maybe two rashers(wouldn;t finish it), me, toast, two eggs, two rashers and whatever she has left.

thebigcb

And she eats real slow

FlaxMilk

Some thin, healthy people eat 1200-1300 but it really depends on your specific stats. What is your weight right now--1350 might be too low for you.

That said, I would never be able to do 1200 calories if my meals were made up of convenience foods like microwave dinners. I eat a lot of nuts/seeds, fruits, veggies. I have dietary restrictions unrelated to weight so I also use a lot of protein powder.

Onesnap

Don't worry. Give it a week and you'll be fine with 1200. Eat a high protein breakfast that'll hold you til lunch. You won't have to snack. Eat a good high protein lunch that'll hold you til dinner and so forth. Stay away from the crap. Eat what counts. Of course drink water but yadda yadda on that. Water never filled me up. If your stomach growls, tell it NO! Just because it's growling doesn't mean it needs attention.

Actually the experts say snacking is good and eating every 2-3 hours is the only way to keep your metabolism amped up.

Who are these "experts", exactly?

Whoops, it's actually every 4 hours according to Jillian Michael's book:
http://www.fitsugar.com/Book-Review-Jillian-Michaelss-Master-Your-Metabolism-3023230

I've always heard every 2-3 hours and it works for me.

stylistchik

I try to eat every few hours. Some say it keeps your metabolism going, I do it to keep from getting hungry. Roughly 250 calories (not much more than a large snack) every 3 hours, 5-6 times per day. I never get really hungry and I never get stuffed so I don't have blood sugar spikes and crashes and about the time I get hungry again it's time to eat. I recently raised my protein goals and it does help keep me full.

miami_mimi

I'm not a skinny person but I have lost nearly 40lbs! and the last 8lbs were due to lean clean eating. I had hit a plateau. I eat lots of berries, veggies, nuts, lean protein (chicken breast, lean ground beef, tilapia), brown rice... just to list a few

thistimeismytime

The fittest and thinnest people that are on my friends list eat a LOT, and they still lose weight....2000+ calories, but it's very clean eating, and they work out a lot.

nsblue

When eating healthy and a well balanced day...with protein evenly dispersed with fruits veggies n a few starches ....low sugar... drinking your water... one doesnt have that "hungry " feeling n can be quite satified on 1200 cal... I can be satified on 800 for that fact.
sometimes it is what you eat that can be the very thing that makes you wanna eat more.

meerkat70

When you say you 'shoulld' be eating 1200, what are you basing that on? how have you calculated your deficit?

ladybg81

Thin healthy people eat a lot more than 1200 per day. I'm 5'10, 130 pounds and I eat 1700-2000 per day.

budhandy

Thin people eat MORE than 1200-1300 calories a day!!! (Thin, healthy people that is!) At 5'7 and 123 pounds I normally take in around 1700-1900 calories a day. But they are all "good" calories - make sure you get enough healthy fats (avocados, nuts, good cooking oils). Even though these things may be "high" in calories, they are awesome for your body! If you're hungry all the time, EAT! But snack on carrots, cut-up bell peppers, apples, kiwi, any kind of fruit. These things are naturally full of fiber and will keep you full. Good luck! I know it sounds annoying to tell you to snack on fruits & veggies, once you start doing it for awhile you actually learn to love them when you realize how much more you can eat as opposed to grabbing handfuls of empty carbs (chips, pretzels, etc.)

Best advice on this thread

zenchild

All depends on activity level. Really FIT people eat 1500-2000+ but they're burning off quite a bit through exercise. If they didn't eat so much they'd have a hard time maintaining their fitness routines. There are also people who net 1200 (or slightly below but I don't want to open that can of worms) and get thin.
Right now I'm working on cardio/strength with JM DVDs so I can burn fat. I do two sessions back to back. When I'm within 5-10 pounds of my goal (another 7-12 pounds), I'll increase strength to get the definition I want. My reward to myself will be another tattoo so I want the definition to show it off properly.

Meg_78

I am eating to gain right now (2300), but I realize I probably was very thin both from my naturally high metabolism, but also my natural tenancy towards lower cal foods. I have seen since putting my foods into the recipe tool here on MFP that I do eat very low cal, so change it up had been a challenge for me.

Basically I ate masses of veggies, I love veggies, and when I cook with them, I don't add much to them because I enjoy their natural flavor. When I eat meat, I eat reasonable portions of very good quality lean meat or chicken, I grind my own mince so I can be sure of the quality. I ate a lot of soups, both thick and creamy and clear based ones, but not fatty soups, if i used cream in soups it would be only very little. I didn't feel the need to add cheese or cream to my meals, I like dairy, but I keep it separate. I cooked almost everything in a little a olive oil. I love roasted pumpkin or sweet potato or carrots as a side, or you can use a riser on potatoes to give them a different texture.

Now veggies wont keep you full for as long as other foods, so you will want some good protein with you veg, but you can eat a lot more veg for fewer calories, esp if you keep it clean.

ElizabethRoad

Don't worry. Give it a week and you'll be fine with 1200. Eat a high protein breakfast that'll hold you til lunch. You won't have to snack. Eat a good high protein lunch that'll hold you til dinner and so forth. Stay away from the crap. Eat what counts. Of course drink water but yadda yadda on that. Water never filled me up. If your stomach growls, tell it NO! Just because it's growling doesn't mean it needs attention.

Actually the experts say snacking is good and eating every 2-3 hours is the only way to keep your metabolism amped up.

Who are these "experts", exactly?

Whoops, it's actually every 4 hours according to Jillian Michael's book:
http://www.fitsugar.com/Book-Review-Jillian-Michaelss-Master-Your-Metabolism-3023230

I've always heard every 2-3 hours and it works for me.

Oh well if JILLIAN said it, it must be true!

"I've always heard" is not equal to "experts say". I'm glad it works for you, but that doesn't mean anything to the general population. It works for some and not for others.