Thoughts on people who eat so much yet stay skinny

funkycamper

My husband is one of those people and he's not active on a regular basis either, has a desk job, etc. As an example, we were on a trip a few months back and went into a restaurant for breakfast where they had some huge, special breakfast that, if you ate the whole thing, you got a discount on the meal, they would put your picture on their wall, and you got a certificate showing you ate it. We read what the meal consisted of and I said to him "gosh, it sounds like your normal week-end breakfast to me". He ate it, part of my breakfast (much smaller, not the special) and about an hour later he was stopping for ice cream while I was still stuffed from my much smaller breakfast. He's eaten like this on a regular basis throughout our 30 years of marriage and, now in his late 50's, he's just now having a tendency to develop a paunch but still slender everywhere else.

Both my kids wish they had inherited his metabolism, not mine. Me, too. The rest of us are actually are in awe quite often watching him eat.

Now, about his paunch, which he has lost several times, he will have one sandwich for lunch instead of two, eat a normal-sized bowl of his nightly ice cream instead of one-half of a half-gallon and put a little less chocolate syrup on it, and he'll have lost the paunch in a week.

Yeah, it's hard to not be jealous.

NatalieWinning

30's, 40's 50 yrs old. I saw it pack on. And it's 3 X harder to get a pound off now. But if I log it all, and exercise a lot every day I can keep it off. My daily allowance of calories is so small I thought it was going to be impossible on maintence. The closer I got tomaintence after a year of getting off the flab the more I saw it's possible and enough to eat. Nothing like in my 20's and 30's though! Nothing!

That was me in my 20s. Very healthy, very active, ate well. Genetics.

After age 30 it all changes (learned that what you did that worked in your 20s will no longer work in your 30s). Darn hormones.

Still a healthy eater but with work travel I have found it is really important to log in order to lose a little or maintain. I've always been a healthy weight.

So no, I don't hate on the healthy thin folks (especially those in their 20s). Since that was me at one time.

OspreyVista

People who seem to eat what they want without gaining are either:
1. Very, very active
2. Not eating as much as you think

Example for #1 - my dad eats tons. But he never sits down. He has a physical job, is constantly moving, working on projects until it's bedtime, etc. He can eat a lot because his TDEE is high.

Example for #2 - A friend that packs away the food when we are out to dinner. But what I don't see is that she eats salad for lunch and yogurt for breakfast and very rarely snacks. She can eat what she wants in certain situations because she eats in moderation the rest of the time.

Wrong. Sooo soo sooo wrong. My fiance is NOT very active AT ALL and he eats sooo much and doesn't gain weight. So yeah, number 1 and 2 are not ALWAYS true.

TavistockToad

People who seem to eat what they want without gaining are either:
1. Very, very active
2. Not eating as much as you think

Example for #1 - my dad eats tons. But he never sits down. He has a physical job, is constantly moving, working on projects until it's bedtime, etc. He can eat a lot because his TDEE is high.

Example for #2 - A friend that packs away the food when we are out to dinner. But what I don't see is that she eats salad for lunch and yogurt for breakfast and very rarely snacks. She can eat what she wants in certain situations because she eats in moderation the rest of the time.

This.

One thing I have learned is that very few people can/do actually eat 'whatever they want' and not worry about it.

People think I can, which is totally not true but I don't sit there saying 'actually this meal fits in my weekly cals and I work my *kitten* off 5 times a week to do it' cos it's not what people want to hear!!!

Medwayguy

I agree....
There are many factors: no black and white answers just shades of grey

Vailara

I used to be like this (could eat whatever I wanted without putting on weight, and had a good appetite!) so yes, I'm a little envious. It's not that I want to be able to eat loads and loads, but that I'd like not to have to THINK about what I'm eating all the time.

Sarauk2sf

People who seem to eat what they want without gaining are either:
1. Very, very active
2. Not eating as much as you think

^ This, exactly.

Totally this.

Before I got ill and got chunky, people would see what I ate and wonder why I did not put on weight. I moved a lot more and I strength trained a lot plus I did not eat much at home. When I got chunky, people always commented on how little I ate. I hardly moved and what I ate was very calorie dense. Basically, when I was thin, I moved more. When I was chunky, I moved less. Simples.

SideSteel

Does anyone have food records and expenditure records of your relatives who eat all this food and don't gain weight? Are you tracking their intake?

KirstenTheFamilyCoach

Remember - sometimes people look skinny but have a high body fat percentage. And the last time I went out my friends commentedon how much I had lost -- little did they know I was wearing spanks!

Dub_D

Unless they are working out then it's probably not so pretty when the clothes come off.

shakybabe

There was a program in Uk about it and it's to do with your NEAT, how much you move about naturally (fidgeting etc).

I have under active thyroid which I was born with. When I was young and active I was not overweight. When my thyroid went wrong in my 30's causing mobility problems I piled weight on. (reached 16st in 2003)

I was later diagnosed with a neurological condition that as it progressed I developed involuntary muscle movements. I've lost all that extra weight and weighed in at 9st 2 last week after my last period ended. I started here at 12st 7 last august (2011) still with 48" tummy, its now only 2" off my waist measurement! (now 30")

I'm a wheelchair user and mostly housebound so the only real energy expenditure, other than going on my passive trainer bike (pedals legs for me) are the involuntary movements.

RobKarmic

I've got really bad chronic acid reflux and I could hold down the(****ing liter of clay and a shot of radioactive chemicals) barium swallow for them to look at my insides so I don't know what is wrong with my insides what scares me about it is that I could have a fatal ulcer in my esophagus and not know about it

I can eat enough to make myself sick around 200lb and not give 2 ****s about how healthy I am but I prefer to be thinner so I tend to eat more healthily

SideSteel

There was a program in Uk about it and it's to do with your NEAT, how much you move about naturally (fidgeting etc).

I think this is one big piece of the puzzle.

grrrlface

I can understand. I've had this experience myself recently... Lots of drinking and pizza/convenience food but lots and lots of walking and rushing around!!! I have hardly had a moment to sit down in the last 7-10 days. Lost 5lbs! I was amazed considering my current diet. lol

libbymcbain

Hello

To some people, my husband looks like one of these people- can eat whatever he wants and doesn't put on weight, even though he has a desk job. In fact, one nosy acquaintance of ours used to ask all the time "isn't it annoying to live with someone who can eat whatever he wants". I was doing weightwatchers at the time and what was in fact was pretty annoying was her attempts to sabotage me...

That aside, what she didn't see was:
1. He would work out 3 or 4 times a week, usually for at least an hour swimming or running plus weights
2. He was always active at home doing things- from dishes to chopping wood
3. He would only eat red meat 1 or 2 times a week, he mostly went for chicken or fish
4. He NEVER eats when he is not hungry. You just can't make him do it.
5. Most of his diet is very clean, very healthy, he actually had to think about adding healthy fat back in because he veers away from fatty things so much.
6. He watches his weight and alters his diet exercise based on that- eats more when he has lost and cuts back when he has gained, varies his exercise routine. If he flutucates more than 2-3 pounds he takes action. He actually lost about half a stone one time when he was ill, and it took such an effort to get it back on- but after a few months of real effort he did manage- eating more, less cardio, heavier weights. Then he was back at his ideal weight, he stopped the extra eating.
7. He used to think his ideal weight was about 164-165 (he is 5'11"), now he thinks he should be a little heavier 168 or so. He is putting on that extra pound or two with extra protein and heavy weight work outs, not cakes.

So in this context, if he gets offered a cupcake by someone, or course he is just going to eat it (especially as he would consider it rude to refuse something someone had made him). But the acquaintance who started baking for me regularly as soon as she heard I was trying to lose weight? Gone.

angieleighbyrd

My husband can eat a dozen donuts without gaining an ounce. He doesn't exercise, but he also is active. He very rarely just relaxes. He has a very demanding job. When he does just sit and relax he's usually playing black ops. It sounds stupid, but there was a study not too long ago showing that playing video games does burn calories due to the raised heart rate. I don't know if the study is factual though.

neonemesis

i know someone that eats complete junk like i mean burger king and potato chips. he doesn't work out period. he has 3 meals daily and its always that stuff. however even though he can eat what he wants he doesn't look fit he just looks skinny. i don't know about you but i've become a fitter looking me not a skinnier one and love it.

lanapoo

My SO eats at least 2 bags of potato chips daily plus 10 thick slices of cheese (practically the whole block of cheese), 2 big sandwiches for lunch, a huge dinner, and he'd eat anything in his sight. My grocery bill is high due to his excessive eating habits. I constantly make him junk food like peanut butter cup pie the other day. He loves my cooking, but I can't really eat what I cook due to my diet restrictions. He's skinny like a stick. I'm jealous, but he works as a carpenter so he works with heavy wood and big machines. I try and assist when I can so I can be skinnier, too! He's also an avid skier. He's very active and young. I keep telling him that one day, his metabolism will finally slow down so I can spend less on food!

CoderGal

skinny person is very active, tall, or doesn't eat as much as you think
the non skinny person who is trying to lose weight is eating or use to eat more then they think, or they exercise to the point of hindering themselves so they see no progress, or they have a health issue

Sarauk2sf

People's metabolism (well, actually TDEE) is the main variable in the equation of how much someone can eat and not gain weight. People's RMR is impacted by siize, age, LBM and certain metabolic idiosyncrasies - but its not really by that much in the scheme of things. What does vary A LOT is NEAT. How active people are day to day. There are so many things that can increase someone's NEAT that you would not really think about - walking round the mall, playing sports, doing household chores etc etc etc. The other thing is the energy intake. We may see people eating a lot, but do they eat a lot at home or do they snack?

Unless you monitor someones activity for 24 hours a day and log their calorie intake, the premise that they can 'eat what they want and stay skinny' and not be active by some form of wizardry is a false one.