Eat like a thin person......what In the heck does than mean?

MelanieAG05

Hi Ya'll! I heard a long time ago that if you are overwight, you should observe how a thin person eats and then work that into your daily plan.

Well, here is my observation... they are full after a couple of bites of their meal.

I don't get it....that doesn't work for me...I'm HUNGRY.

Any advice on how a real thin person eats and how do I incorporate that into my plan?

these guys vouch for eating at the maintenance calories for the weight you want to be www.fat2fit.com

pudadough

i think this should be renamed "how do you eat like a fit person" - that's a better question.

Yes, because in my experience, "thin" people are that way naturally and could eat a full grown horse everyday and not gain weight. My brother is like that. He crams food in like there's no tomorrow and never works out and he's just as thin as ever...

emyishardcore

Eat six small meals a day

Sarauk2sf

Eat six small meals a day

Why?

emyishardcore

It keeps you full, this way. I prefer six small meal over 3 regular meals.

kimberliiw

My mom was always thin without trying to be. She rarely ate desserts, she ate verrrry slowly, ate small portions, drank a lot of water and didn't drink soda. Pretty much what MFP promotes.

On the other hand DH is skinny and eats like crap.

neverstray

I can tell you this for sure: I know why most of my friends are fat. I have spent weekends with them, hung out for long periods of time, and I know what they do, how they eat, and why they are over weight. It is so obvious to me. But, I try not to say anything unless they ask or whatever. But, it's really easy to see. I don't know if they consider me skinny, but if they followed me around for a week and ate what I ate, they'd lose weight right off the bat. They are lazy (don't exercise at all), the ones that do exercise put in minimal effort and then ruin it with a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. They eat like crap; fried food, heavy food with butter salt, cream based things, and giant portions...i mean HUGE. Where I live, most people eat out more than at home. So, if you take shorter women that eat these crazy huge plates of restaurant food drenched in oil and butter, it's pretty easy to see where the problem is. It's one thing to say you're hungry. It's another to say that that is nutrition. Sorry, but that's the truth.

So, in some respects, if anyone that is overweight hung out with me, I'm pretty sure they'd drop weight if they did what I did. If they didn't drop weight, I would say that they probably should visit their doctor because something else is going on. And, by eating what I eat, I don't mean the same portions, I just mean basically we ate together for every meal, and we did the same exercises for a week or two.

So, yes. I think it would work. But, that's just me.

And, I am assuming that that is more of what the nutritionist is talking about. They are not saying, hang out with anyone that is thin and copy them. She probably means, and you should clarify, hang out with someone at a weight and fitness level you would like to achieve and do what they do, and you will probably get similar results, or better results, at a minimum. Just a guess, but that's probably what the nutritionist means.

rsm1972

It keeps you full, this way. I prefer six small meal over 3 regular meals.

Do you eat smaller meals? Do you a Calorie 1500 or more?

meshashesha2012

all of the naturally thin people i know eat FOOD.

they just eat when they are hungry. not because it's there. not because they are bored or sad. they stop eating when they are full, even if that means their eyes were bigger than their stomachs when ordering or putting food on their plates.

there's also no schedule they all adhere to. some eat small meals, some eat 1 big meal and 2 snack, some eat 3 meals no snacks, etc

Larisonlj

and i only drink water now, havent had a pepsi in almost 3 weeks!

Good for you!! I've had maybe two sodas in the past 9 months and we split them @ the movies.

Sarauk2sf

It keeps you full, this way. I prefer six small meal over 3 regular meals.

That is your personal preference. It is not the case for many. I prefer two meals a day - that makes it easier to stay within my calorie limit. There is no real physiological advantage to either.

CharityEaton

now that I am thinner, I eat waaaay more than I did 36 pounds ago. It's crazy. I weigh less, I'm losing weight and I eat an incredibly higher amount of food......the difference?? I eat a TON of fruits and veggies, I eat (usually) several small meals a day. I am also significantly more active now.

Thin peaople eat all the time but for the most part...as long as they are healthy thin people, they eat smart. It is nothing for me to eat more food than my 200 pound 6 ft tall husband. I eat all day long. He eats 2 pretty decent sized meals and that's it. I eat breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner and usually ice cream before bed. I'm a pig and what blows my mind is that a year ago I would have NEVER thought that I would actually lose weight eating the way I do now...but it works because I eat healthy about 90% of the time and I am very active all day.

I think the important thing is to eat smart..not neccesarily like a "thin person" some thin people eat really crappy. Also, if you were following my day yesterday you would NEVER believe I was a healthier version of whta I used to be....I had an "off" day and ate terrible...but I do that every now and then because that's what keeps me motivated!
I love food and I can stay focused on good choices if I give myself a break from time to time!

opuntia

It's meaningless advice, because each thin person eats differently. People can be thin for a whole variety of reasons.

delilah47

Eat like a thin person? My sister was very thin all her life and she ate like a hog. It depends on one's metabolism how food is processed in your body. Just eat healthy and use the MFP food log to help you.

CharityEaton

I can tell you this for sure: I know why most of my friends are fat. I have spent weekends with them, hung out for long periods of time, and I know what they do, how they eat, and why they are over weight. It is so obvious to me. But, I try not to say anything unless they ask or whatever. But, it's really easy to see. I don't know if they consider me skinny, but if they followed me around for a week and ate what I ate, they'd lose weight right off the bat. They are lazy (don't exercise at all), the ones that do exercise put in minimal effort and then ruin it with a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. They eat like crap; fried food, heavy food with butter salt, cream based things, and giant portions...i mean HUGE. Where I live, most people eat out more than at home. So, if you take shorter women that eat these crazy huge plates of restaurant food drenched in oil and butter, it's pretty easy to see where the problem is. It's one thing to say you're hungry. It's another to say that that is nutrition. Sorry, but that's the truth.

So, in some respects, if anyone that is overweight hung out with me, I'm pretty sure they'd drop weight if they did what I did. If they didn't drop weight, I would say that they probably should visit their doctor because something else is going on. And, by eating what I eat, I don't mean the same portions, I just mean basically we ate together for every meal, and we did the same exercises for a week or two.

So, yes. I think it would work. But, that's just me.

And, I am assuming that that is more of what the nutritionist is talking about. They are not saying, hang out with anyone that is thin and copy them. She probably means, and you should clarify, hang out with someone at a weight and fitness level you would like to achieve and do what they do, and you will probably get similar results, or better results, at a minimum. Just a guess, but that's probably what the nutritionist means.

Well Said!!! I LOVE this!
I know a few people that could follow this advice! I have actualy ad people ask "what did you do to lose all your weight" They start to tune me out when they realize I didn't havesome magic spell....It was a whole lot of work, healthy eating, sweat and tears to get where I am now but it was worth every minute!

Weebs628

My husband is thin. This is what he ate yesterday... 1 bag of popcorn, half of a sandwich and about 1/2 cup of tortellini with spaghetti sauce. I don't get it. He eats like a bird. I always have and probably always will eat more than him.

pink_butterfly

All my skinny friends eat whatever they want... I have one friend that cut out meat all together...

My advice and has worked so far for me... I eat smaller portions than before.. BUT, if im hungry an hour or two later, eat something again... from eaing the small portions your stomach will shrink and then it won't take you as much to be full, which also will stop you from wanting to eat another meal an hour or two later. I eat small portions (I try to keep lunch and breakfast before 300 cals (because my daily limit is 1200), and then supper I will make it whatever I have extra ... which is normally up to 500, and then snacks in between meals if im hungry... I also (when im REALLY hungry), stop halfway through my meal and drink a big glass of water, wait a few minutes and then continue eating.. This REALLY makes me feel full and not as hungry... When I first started on here I was hungry all the time. I felt like I was starving.. but smaller portions over time helped me feel fuller with my stomach shrinking. Good luck!

MrGonzo05

Wouldn't the thin person be creeped out that you follow him taking notes?

geebusuk

A thin house-mate of mine used to say "but, I eat loads of food and still can't put on weight".
If I watched him, sure he might eat a whole big bar of chocolate. But he wouldn't have had a full breakfast and lunch that day.
While I would have, then would also eat said whole bar of chocolate in addition.

I find it rare that skinny people really do just have a "faster metabolism" and more often that in reality they are eating a fair bit less, even if looking at specific times it doesn't seem like that.

TheRealParisLove

Don't try to eat like anyone else, just eat what fuels your body.

Food is fuel. If you are fueling your body with high calorie (yet low in nutrition) foods you will be hungry. Pick your foods based on the nutrition value of the foods. Apple juice has a lot of calories and very little nutrition, eat an apple instead and you get lots of nutrition for very few calories.

How to tell if a food is nutritionally dense? If it is it's natural form, you are going to get good nutrition. Whole foods that are in the same form as when grown or picked are going to be best.

Some exceptions to that rule are foods that are high in fat naturally, like nuts and dairy. Use those like condiments and not as the main ingredients.

Add extra protein to your diet. Aim for 40% of total calories consumed from protein.

Add fiber to your diet. Try to have 30-50 grams of fiber a day. Fiber will keep you full longer and is good for your heart and colon.

hayleymc3

I have actually been paying more attention to thin people that I know lately. I've noticed these common things about all of them:

- They don't have many sweets or sugary things. In fact, most of the things I love (ice-cream, chocolates, and pastries) they don't care for at all.

- They don't eat much, but what they do eat isn't nutritious or healthy. They just have small servings of it. I have noticed one friend in particular has one fast food meal a day, and that's it.

- One friend does eat a rather large amount (more than me, actually!) but never gains an ounce of weight. However, it should be noted that his family is naturally quite thin and he has a hard labor job which certainly burns calories!

- Some just eat what they want, when they want, and that's that. I can't figure this one out, because they do not care for exercise or exertion.

Overall, I've come to the conclusion that thin or fat doesn't dictate how a person will eat. It simply can't. I've found too many inconsistencies between my thin friends' diets. Some eat a lot, some eat very little, some have horrible foods, some eat nutritiously, some exercise, some hate exercise and refuse to do it - they are all thin. I don't think we can compare diets and body types and all that. This is about finding what works for you and your lifestyle, not trying to "eat like a thin person." You will be terribly unhappy if you attempt to copy another person's diet just because they are thin and find yourself feeling constantly hungry or even gaining weight! Just be yourself and work hard, success will come thereafter.

angiechimpanzee

Well when you're used to eating smaller servings, tiny bits of food suffice.
When you're used to eating big servings, then duh you'd be hungry trying to eat that little.

I've noticed the same thing about my thin friends. They SAY, "omg i eat what i want just gotta fast metabolizum". But actually they'll eat like TWO BITES of a cheeseburger, never the whole thing.

jkestens63

My advice would be to disregard how thin people eat and instead focus on how you should eat.

Start by creating a reasonable calorie deficit and using some common sense with food selection.
Get some exercise.
Get rest
And repeat.

And don't complicate it beyond that.

Exactly!!

bikinibeliever

I would probably say not only eat like a thin person, but exercise like one too. Except my thin son who eats like a horse and does not do a thing....there will always be exceptions to any rule. :laugh:

jchrisman717

I had a trainer tell me to think like a thin person not eat like a thin person and what he meant was picture yourself the weight you want to be and carry yourself that way - it's more of a positive thinking thing - think positive and positive things will come your way.

emyishardcore

It keeps you full, this way. I prefer six small meal over 3 regular meals.

Do you eat smaller meals? Do you a Calorie 1500 or more?

I try to eat 1800- 2000 calories per day.