Are they just lucky?
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I had a friend in college who openly ate junk food constantly. She was extremely active, but, when she and I discussed her "luck" (I could run every minute of every day, and if I ate like her, would still gain weight), she actually looked at me and said "You're the lucky one." When I asked her why, she said, one day I won't be this active and I haven't learned to eat right. It'll catch up. It did, and then she asked me for advice on losing weight. Perspective.0
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As some people have already stated, you don't know the exact eating or exercise habits of those you observe to be "naturally skinny".
No one is just lucky. There are other trends at work.
I know what MY exercise and eating habits were when I was in that category. Just sayin'.
Did you record intake and expenditure? I'm curious how much your TDEE changed if you have that data. It would make for interesting discussion since in most cases people have anecdote and not data.0 -
I always wondered about tiny/skinny people who can eat whatever they want and not gain an ounce. I understand in this world(mfp) that cals in being less than cals out makes you lose weight, doesn't matter how that happens really...it's just the science of it. But what about someone who eats whatever they want....say pizza, ice cream, bacon, etc etc. and never gains weight. Does it mean they just have a high metabolism? They are just lucky?? lol What is it?!
I see friends and family that don't have to try, they eat what they want and don't have to worry about counting cals and here I am stuck counting everything I eat for the rest of my life just to maintain a decent weight. They eat whatever and stay skinny as rails. Grrrr.
Ok, I am done with the pity party now.
some people are 'lucky' - like my husband who can eat what he wants and never puts on a ounce!
but i think in a lot of cases its a misconception. i have friends who say i am 'naturally skinny'. would i be here if i was?!! i just work at it when they dont see, i work out 5 x a week and watch what i eat, so that when i go out with them i may well hoover up 3 courses if i have earnt it!0 -
I always wondered about tiny/skinny people who can eat whatever they want and not gain an ounce.
I'm marrying one. He's 6'2" and fights to weigh 150 (if he eats like he wants he weight 140-145). He never exercises purposefully, but he does walk at his job a lot, helps me around the house and works on his car. Other than that, he is 100% sedentary.
The things I learned about him:
1. He forgets to eat a lot so when he does eat it looks like a ton of food. In reality, he's still under his calorie TDEE by A LOT.
2. He has high blood pressure and could get diabetes in the future.
3. He also can't run a mile and walking a mile or two on the weekend is shocking for him. I can easily walk 6-10 miles in a day and aside from the blisters on my feet, I'm still raring to go.
4. He gets a surprising amount of exercise from doing his hobby's. We track it once and he burned 1500 extra in one day just from all the walking at work and lifting of heavy parts in his car.
In reality, I struggle every day with my weight, but I am 100 times more healthy than my skinny pretty boy. I have low blood pressure, a slow heart rate (about 65 bmp at rest), excellent cardiovascular scores, I can walk for forever, run faster than needed to pass a highschool fitness test, and I never run out of energy.
Don't feel bad, feel the schadenfreude.
I am married to someone sort of like this. lol My husband weighs 135 pounds soaking wet, he is 5'7". He has actually tried to gain weight but if he isn't consciously eating more than his hunger tells him to he just can't. He isn't hungry enough to gain weight by just eating like that. He usually eats one meal and one snack a day and isn't hungry more than that. It sometimes drives me bonkers. I eat the same thing at dinner and feel hungry two hours later and he is good for the night. He is also pretty active, his job is high demand and he has always been active. He ran a lot in school and was super fast and could probably still out run me even though I am working my tail off with the C25K and he hasn't ran in years. :sad:0 -
A lot of people eat crap, but not too much crap to gain weight.0
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As some people have already stated, you don't know the exact eating or exercise habits of those you observe to be "naturally skinny".
No one is just lucky. There are other trends at work.
I know what MY exercise and eating habits were when I was in that category. Just sayin'.
Did you record intake and expenditure? I'm curious how much your TDEE changed if you have that data. It would make for interesting discussion since in most cases people have anecdote and not data.
Sorry to butt in. But I tracked my husbands intake and expenditure on MFP actually. He took in about 2500-3000 calories and does not work out. He's 5"6 and 120lbs. Just shows that it -is- possible for someone to just have a high metabolism. That being said, being thin doesn't necessarily make them healthy.0 -
Yep I agree & I get the same accuse from my mom.I think you'll find those skinny people don't eat as much as you think they do and that they are very active. I get accused of eating all day long but my daily intake is actually about 1300 calories. There are very few people in the world who have a super metabolism. Most people are within 5% of each other whether fat or thin.
I'm eating from 1600-2000+ calories. Today its 1700 & is a rest day for me, a bit over my calorie goal but since I lift heavy weights & so my metabolism is more elevated now than before. I find that I still lose weight on a 1600 calorie diet (my supposed maintenance calories) w/c to most women with a similar 5'2 54kg (120 lb) frame is enough to pack on a kilo or 2.2 pounds. Also I clean my room 2x a week, walk a lot during lunch break & also everyday I walk 2 kms from the office then climb 6 flights of stairs just to get to the nearest bus station. Not to mention that I also fidget a lot. I've been maintaining for more than a year now.yes, this... although my calorie intake is slightly higher then 1300 calories.0 -
Naturally skinny people = eat less calories than imagined and / or do more activity than is imagined.
Activity = planned (exercise) but particularly spontaneous (general everyday movement like walking, standing, fidgeting, gardening, cleaning etc etc)0 -
As some people have already stated, you don't know the exact eating or exercise habits of those you observe to be "naturally skinny".
No one is just lucky. There are other trends at work.
I know what MY exercise and eating habits were when I was in that category. Just sayin'.
Did you record intake and expenditure? I'm curious how much your TDEE changed if you have that data. It would make for interesting discussion since in most cases people have anecdote and not data.
No, But my previous post lists what I ate on a daily basis. It was a lot and I didn't exercise ever. The year I turned 29 I started gaining weight for no obious reason. I had the same job, the same daily activities and the same diet I'd had the year before. Suddenly, I was gaining when I never had that problem before and I had to modify my lifestyle in order to lose that weight.
When I think about what I ate back in the day vs. what I eat now, I should weigh 300 pounds. Restaurant meals more than once a week (always with dessert -- lunch was at least 2,000 calories alone); fast food -- and not the healthier, low-calorie options; and no exercise to speak of.
I'm a creature of habit and always got the same meals at restaurants so I can look back and tell you what my calorie intake was at the time. If I ate like that now, even with exercising nearly daily, I would be gaining weight left and right.
I just looked up my regular entree at TGI Friday, where I often went with people from work: Sizzling chicken and cheese for 1,100 calories and I cleaned my plate and had dessert every time. Then ate dinner. That's just one example.0 -
I don't know if they all eat less than you honk and are more active than you think. Maybe most are. When I met my husband he had a desk job and his hobby was working on satellite/air plane models. NOT a lot of activity there! He ate lots of ice cream, peanut butter, tacos, cheeseburgers.... Was 5'9.5" and weighed 117# (27 yrs old)
He now weighs 140 and is skinny everywhere except his belly.. Maybe all that ice cream caught up with him. (47 yrs old)
I used to wish I could eat like him and be skinny.0 -
As some people have already stated, you don't know the exact eating or exercise habits of those you observe to be "naturally skinny".
No one is just lucky. There are other trends at work.
I know what MY exercise and eating habits were when I was in that category. Just sayin'.
Did you record intake and expenditure? I'm curious how much your TDEE changed if you have that data. It would make for interesting discussion since in most cases people have anecdote and not data.
Sorry to butt in. But I tracked my husbands intake and expenditure on MFP actually. He took in about 2500-3000 calories and does not work out. He's 5"6 and 120lbs. Just shows that it -is- possible for someone to just have a high metabolism. That being said, being thin doesn't necessarily make them healthy.
What does he do for a living and did you weigh his food?0 -
Naturally skinny people = eat less calories than imagined and / or do more activity than is imagined.
Activity = planned (exercise) but particularly spontaneous (general everyday movement like walking, standing, fidgeting, gardening, cleaning etc etc)
^ Bolded part being gigantic. And unless you're using tightly controlled means of measuring this, you can't really assume that the skinny guy doesn't just move more than you think.0 -
I think you'll find those skinny people don't eat as much as you think they do and that they are very active. I get accused of eating all day long but my daily intake is actually about 1300 calories. There are very few people in the world who have a super metabolism. Most people are within 5% of each other whether fat or thin.
so so very true. Really think about it. I know a lot of thin people who eat junk, but they pick at it. A cookie here, a few chips there, etc... It always looks like they are eating crap, but they eat very little of it.
True. When I was 20 I would eat as much as I could and would only go for calorie dense food so I would not "waste the room in my stomach" on low calorie food. No matter how much I tried I would rarely intake above 1400 or so. Usually around 1100.0 -
It means they don't overeat, plain and simple.
Pizza, ice cream, bacon, etc do not make you fat. Overeating does.
This, all the way! I have eaten "whatever I want" since starting MFP 4 months ago, and have lost 28 pounds. I stopped overeating. That's it. Check my diary for proof!0 -
These people are usually very active, even if they're not specifically working out they no doubt move more in general, That, or they don't eat as much as you think. You can eat nothing but junk food and be under the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight, it's not the type of foods (when it comes to simple weight loss) but more the amount of energy/calories.
Ex 1: You have a friend, and go out for lunch once a week and all you see him/her eat is high calorie foods. They order big main meals, with calorie dense foods. They get dessert and eat a ton...... etc, while you're there ordering grilled chicken with salad and wondering how they find it so easy. What you may not know is this friend doesn't eat much beforehand, or just has a light meal / snack in the evening instead of a traditional dinner. Every other area of their life is in moderation, apart from these days out. You don't lose weight by eating low calorie foods for 1 meal a week, so it's very unlikely that you'll gain weight from 1 high calorie meals a week if the rest of your diet is in check.
Ex 2: Friend says "I eat what I want, when I want" or words that are similar. They may well do, but what they want may be a lot less than you. They may feel full / satisfied easier and be able to leave the plate without finishing it all. They may genuinely have a dislike for a lot of normal high calorie junk foods. Usually their total calorie intake is the same or less than is actually required to maintain their weight. Either that or they're lying to make themselves seem better.
Ex 3: Friend eats a ton, unhealthy, high calorie foods. You name it, they eat it! You may spend a lot of time with them, know that it's not just a treat every now and again. Yet you don't realise how much more active they are than you. They may have an active job, spend a lot of the time cleaning the house, or doing chores (I know someone who never sits still!) You don't have to visit the gym to burn calories, or do planned workouts just to lose weight, especially if you don't move much at the moment.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Some people genuinely have a fantastic metabolism or great genetics, while others have the short end of the stick and find it easy to gain weight, or have a crappy metabolism. Yet this number is so much lower than people think. I don't believe people get 150lbs overweight from a slow metabolism if they're eating sensibly. A bit overweight, I can understand but not excessively so. Get them to log their food accurately and consistently, as well as monitoring their exercise, then you'll know for sure. It could be a real eye-opener!0 -
My mother-in-law is always accusing me of this, which is funny because I'm not what I would consider skinny (although I am headed for slim, hopefully) and I've been using this site and working at losing weight for the past nearly two years. She says that because when we have a big meal at their house I will have a little of the rice pudding, or cheesecake, or whatever. What she doesn't see (although I have told her) is me logging that later and making adjustments to my intake for the day to compensate.
I doubt the number of people who can eat whatever they want and stay skinny is nearly as high as people think. I think in her case it's a two-fold fallacy. One, she says that she has to "starve herself and live at the gym" to lose, which I doubt is true. And two, she thinks that I "lose weight very easily" which is categorically false.0 -
As some people have already stated, you don't know the exact eating or exercise habits of those you observe to be "naturally skinny".
No one is just lucky. There are other trends at work.
I know what MY exercise and eating habits were when I was in that category. Just sayin'.
Did you record intake and expenditure? I'm curious how much your TDEE changed if you have that data. It would make for interesting discussion since in most cases people have anecdote and not data.
Sorry to butt in. But I tracked my husbands intake and expenditure on MFP actually. He took in about 2500-3000 calories and does not work out. He's 5"6 and 120lbs. Just shows that it -is- possible for someone to just have a high metabolism. That being said, being thin doesn't necessarily make them healthy.
What does he do for a living and did you weigh his food?
Nothing that requires much physical labour. If any at all. And yes, I weighed his food. Since I was tracking for myself, everything I cook is weighed and portioned. His portions are always double, because that man can eat. Though, he goes through periods where he's not as hungry and eats less. Perhaps that could account for the fact that he doesn't seem to gain? Or maybe it'll just hit him in 5 years and he'll gain a whole bunch of weight. :P0 -
I knew someone like this. She was the skinny ***** in the group. We would go out to eat as friends, and she'd eat with us and we would wonder how she does that. As time dragged on, and we really got to know her, sometimes, she didn't eat all day and the only meal she ate was with us that evening. We would go traveling together, and other than coffee, she just never ate. It was bizarre. But, that's why she was skinny. If you just see her as a friend here and there, or even everyday, you would see her eat and think she has a fast metabolism, what you didn't see is how she didn't eat the whole rest of her day or night.0
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The only person I personally know who does this has chronic fatigue syndrome and has to eat high calorie food just to stay up at a natural healthy weight. It's only been like this since her health condition kicked in. As she said, she would rather have a healthy life and struggle with her weight than the other way round :-(
But you are here and doing the work and because of that you'll get there!0 -
I was skinny most of my life and ate whatever I wanted, including lots of junk food (not good for me, i know...).
So I credit that to a fast metabolism and staying fairly active. Once I hit 40ish, wow, that changed. I am still
active and eat whatever I want, but in much smaller amounts.0
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