How normal, thin people eat.
Replies
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With a sister who struggled with anorexia, I don't think you always know when someone is "normal" and "thin." I think there are very few people who actually eat the way you're describing, because most people become dissatisfied with their bodies at some point and their eating habits get warped (and dieting to lose 10 pounds turns into a lifetime of not understanding your hunger signals!).
Also, the food that is available to us in the US leads people to crave food they don't need--the people who are thin just happen to burn the calories they take in; they aren't magically immune to the temptation to eat things that are unhealthy.
Also, we all have our vices. Some "normal, thin" people are addicted to drugs, sex, alcohol, video games, etc......just a thought.0 -
Let's aspire to be normal!
....my worst nightmare.....
Hahahahaha.....thank you
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This is true for most naturally thin people but some really do just have fast metabolisms. My boyfriend is very lean, around 8% body fat, 5'10, 145lbs. He maintains around 4,000 calories a day. To bulk, he needs at least 5,000 a day. He even wakes up to eat cookies or chocolate in the middle of the night every single night. He'll eat a "snack" like a soda, an energy drink, two huge protein bars, and a huge candy bar totaling to over 1,000 calories like it's nothing. This is what we call a "hard gainer" even though some people like to think they don't exist.
It's not that people don't think they exist, it's that most of them complain that no matter what they do they can't gain weight. The solution is always the same: eat more.0 -
Bump0
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I love to watch people eat. It's what I do everyday. Here's my observations of how naturally thin people eat.
1. They actually do eat less than you think. They may say oh I eat all the time. I'm always eating this and this or you may watch them eat a ton, but thats pretty much it for the day. I can bet they will not eat a full meal the rest of the day they will graze.
2. They arent food motivated. Put a piece of candy ontheir desk and it will sit there.
3. They move more. Watch your coworkers notice who sits,stands and walks. Thin people move more always
4. Their portions are small. I've never seen a thin person finish off a 12 inch subsandwhich, chips, cookie and soda. I've never seen a thin person eat more than 2 slices of pizza and maybe a small salad. There will always be leftovers on the plate.
5. They stop when they are full. Move on actually have to remind themselves to eat sometimes.
I know I'll never be naturally thin my brains not wired that way.0 -
if your metabolism is fast.. you will crave food all of the time... you just wont get fat as easily.
That would be my wife. She eats a lot more than me, doesn't have as active a job, and doesn't exercise. While not rail thin, she is a beautiful, healthy weight, and the doctor praises her each year. Meanwhile, I'm all pudgy. And by eats a lot more than me, I mean her portion sizes are larger at each meal, AND she eats more times throughout the day. Since I'm the cook when we're not in school, I have to say it gets quite exhausting. It always feels like we just finished eating a large meal (sometimes I haven't even finished cleaning up from preparing that meal) when she says, "I'm hungry! What do we eat?"
Does she sit down a lot? when u come home where is she? give me an example of a large portion...say 16oz steak large potato with everything vegetables roll drink and dessert?0 -
I disagree. I was a thin person until I was about 40. I ATE A LOT. More than most people I knew, no matter what their size, male or female. And I was always interested in thinking about where my next meal was coming from.
so typical large meal? did you finish it? what was your activity level?0 -
I love to watch people eat. It's what I do everyday. Here's my observations of how naturally thin people eat.
1. They actually do eat less than you think. They may say oh I eat all the time. I'm always eating this and this or you may watch them eat a ton, but thats pretty much it for the day. I can bet they will not eat a full meal the rest of the day they will graze.
2. They arent food motivated. Put a piece of candy ontheir desk and it will sit there.
3. They move more. Watch your coworkers notice who sits,stands and walks. Thin people move more always
4. Their portions are small. I've never seen a thin person finish off a 12 inch subsandwhich, chips, cookie and soda. I've never seen a thin person eat more than 2 slices of pizza and maybe a small salad. There will always be leftovers on the plate.
5. They stop when they are full. Move on actually have to remind themselves to eat sometimes.
I know I'll never be naturally thin my brains not wired that way.
Agreed!! I wish this whole metabolism myth would die a horrible death. There are people out there who can eat +3500 calories a day and maintain, but they are not the majority of thin people. Just like the majority of overweight people aren't overweight because of genetics or a medical problem.
Just because thin people eat whatever they want, does not mean they eat whatever YOU want. Sure they might eat Taco Bell and KFC or whatever but they're not eating the whole menu. My thin friends also eat slower, something I'm trying to work on. My overweight friends eat more and more often than me, from what I've observed. I've been out to dinner with people who have ordered nearly twice what I have and finished it off, in addition to drinks and dessert.
My whole family is thin, and so was I until college, and now I'm almost back where I was. My mother eats healthy and in moderation, and works out 5 days a week. My dad eats whatever he wants (oh man was there a lot of junk food when I lived with him!) but he doesn't gorge himself on crazy amounts of food, he's very in tune with his hunger signals. My little brother is the only person I know who eats tons of food (like 6 FULL meals a day at 700-1000 calories a pop) and can't gain weight. He has an autoimmune disease.
I wish people would quit denying the law of thermodynamics. It is a scientific LAW. Come on, people!0 -
Really good observations...
I think a lot of it has to do with emotional attachment and the way we think about food. If food is a comfort,it's only natural that you will eat more of it when you're angry or upset. Perhaps there are lot of people out there who cope with problems in different ways, or simply haven't HAD to turn to food for comfort.0 -
I think it is true that people are either from the "eat to live" or "live to eat" camp. Personally I was raised in an "eat to live" environment and I come from an extended family of this thinking. We are all (aunts uncles cousins etc.) of "normal" weight. Meals were simple, there were 3 per day and an after school snack. I didn't realize how different other people ate until I was in middle school and spent time at my friends homes. I THANK God that my mom raised me that way, as I'm sure it has saved me. If I had been raised by a foodie in an environment that revolved around great meals and lots of snacks, I've no doubt I would have had a weight problem much sooner than mid life. I also know how much easier it is for me to lose weight because my brain doesn't tend to think about the next meal, nor do I have a problem eating the same things over and over. I have a dear friend who is a wonderful cook and thinks about food constantly, looks for new meal ideas, tries them out is a fantastic baker, just an all around wonderful cook. However losing weight is a struggle now that mid life has hit and she has gained weight. She is always telling me how much easier this is for me and I have to agree with her. I totally agree with the observation that people who seem to stay thin or are naturally thin are probably less food oriented. OF course there are always exceptions, like my husband who is 6'4" and remains slim and can eat whatever he likes with no real thought to ever gaining weight. He is blessed with very good metabolism. He of course doesn't eat crap all day everyday with no thought to his health, but he is able to indulge without gaining. If only we were all so lucky. I count calories because it keeps me honest with myself and MFP has made it so easy to do so it is hardly a bother to me. You just have to find what works for you. I think it truly matters what we tell our kids about food consciously and unconsciously through what we serve them when they are young, as are setting their future relationship with food and nutrition.0
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great post! I have often watched my friends eat and wish that what they ate filled me up! I have read a few pieces of literature on research into message from brain to stomach and vice versa. I am starting to wonder if it is true that larger people have interrupted messages suggesting they are NOT full or thirst and hunger get confused.... I'm going to go find the research and post it.0
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As a naturally thin person(in fact I originally joined to gain weight but have since decided to lose a couple of kilos before trying to gain muscle), I agree with many of these points.
After counting calories for the last few days I've found I struggle to eat enough to reach the weight loss target(I'm consistently under) and when I put down the gain a 1lb a week option, well, I couldn't even comprehend eating that much in 1 day. So, yeah, I think a big part of is it is the fact naturally skinny people just don't feel hunger for certain foods and have only 1 portion and things.0 -
OOOO this reminds me of that one bbc show. I loved that show what was it super size vs super skinny?0 -
OOOO this reminds me of that one bbc show. I loved that show what was it super size vs super skinny?
Great show if you all get a chance to watch it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lJO20K54rg 0 -
Ah yes! I watched one with a guy that ate about 3 times as much I do did when I was piling on the pounds. Actually made me feel sick! Schadenfreuder! Watching programmes about people bigger than me, actually ups my self-esteem!0
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As a naturally thin person(in fact I originally joined to gain weight but have since decided to lose a couple of kilos before trying to gain muscle), I agree with many of these points.
After counting calories for the last few days I've found I struggle to eat enough to reach the weight loss target(I'm consistently under) and when I put down the gain a 1lb a week option, well, I couldn't even comprehend eating that much in 1 day. So, yeah, I think a big part of is it is the fact naturally skinny people just don't feel hunger for certain foods and have only 1 portion and things.
Before you were watching your intake did you feel like you were eating a ton? Did other people comment that they couldnt believe that you could stay skinny with the way you ate?0 -
Your conclusion is true--the thing is, if it were only that simple. Until it becomes that simple, then keeping track of your food intake and physical exercise is a great start to getting things under control. Don't over think it. Some people can do it easily, others can't. For those who can't, we just have to work harder. It is what it is. Everyone can't carry a tune or draw masterpieces.0
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Ah yes! I watched one with a guy that ate about 3 times as much I do did when I was piling on the pounds. Actually made me feel sick! Schadenfreuder! Watching programmes about people bigger than me, actually ups my self-esteem!
Me too gives me motivation to move0 -
I think you've made some good, valid, observations. Naturally thin people have learned (or never lost in the first place) the ability to eat instinctively and eat when they're hungry, stop eating when they're full, and just enjoy food for its own sake without attaching any morals to it ("good" food, "bad" food, etc) and so don't suffer from guilt, don't use food to soothe emotions etc....
this can be relearned though, I've been successfully maintaining my weight without tracking my food intake for a while now. I track my intake if I'm cutting or bulking, because if I don't track, I eat at around TDEE (I must be, if my weight is stable) and it takes effort to eat either less or more than TDEE. I don't attach moral values to food, although I do focus on nourishing my body well, i.e. eating good quality healthy foods for the most part, but I don't deny myself anything. If it's not that nutritious or not that healthy I'll just eat it in smaller quantities and less often. I don't have forbidden foods or forbidden food groups.
I think the best way to relearn this, is to track your nutrition, either for fat loss or maintenance, and after a while you just instinctively know how much food you need to feel satisfied but not over-full, and that there will always be more food later, or the next morning. So if while tracking food, I'd eaten my calories for the day, I'd think about what I'd have for breakfast the next day.
One of my biggest NSVs was one time I went into the corner shop, and they had mars ice cream bars, and I fancied one, but without even making an effort thought to myself "not today, I can have one any other day" - I realised I'd spent most of my life in a mindset of "must eat this forbidden food now, I'll never get another chance", due to being conditioned previously into thinking that those foods are rare treats that only come around once in a while. They're not. They always have them in the corner shop, I can buy one any time I like. So I don't *have to* eat one now. And it's the same with leftover food in restaurants. If the restaurant food comes in huge portions, I'll eat about half and take the rest of it home. While I'm doing that, I'm thinking how nice it'll be to eat the same food for lunch the next day, and how I'm getting 2 meals for the price of one. In the past I would have been thinking about how I'm "not allowed to" eat the rest of the food now, which would have made me want to eat all of it. How you think about food, and the availability of food, changes how you behave around food. I suppose it's a survival instinct... if you think you're not going to have a chance to eat a particularly desired food again for a long time (or not be allowed to), you'll want to eat all of what you have right now.0 -
#3 is the only one that applies to the only skinny girl I know. She eats everything. She eats double me easy. She once ate the entire menu of Taco Bell in front of me, didn't gain a pound.
I am so jealous of these kinds of people. I gain 2 pounds just by looking at chocolate, 3 if I actually eat it.
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Actually, yeah people did say that. The thing is it was mainly other skinny people, they'd also comment that I was a fast eater.Before you were watching your intake did you feel like you were eating a ton? Did other people comment that they couldnt believe that you could stay skinny with the way you ate?
But I never really thought I ate a ton, I'd eat 1 or 2 meals a day(3 if I was particularly active) but I'd eat moderate/big meals if I was to eat. I was always more concerned with the quality of the food I was/am eating honestly, too few vegetables, too much fast food.0 -
I think you've made some good, valid, observations. Naturally thin people have learned (or never lost in the first place) the ability to eat instinctively and eat when they're hungry, stop eating when they're full, and just enjoy food for its own sake without attaching any morals to it ("good" food, "bad" food, etc) and so don't suffer from guilt, don't use food to soothe emotions etc....
this can be relearned though, I've been successfully maintaining my weight without tracking my food intake for a while now. I track my intake if I'm cutting or bulking, because if I don't track, I eat at around TDEE (I must be, if my weight is stable) and it takes effort to eat either less or more than TDEE. I don't attach moral values to food, although I do focus on nourishing my body well, i.e. eating good quality healthy foods for the most part, but I don't deny myself anything. If it's not that nutritious or not that healthy I'll just eat it in smaller quantities and less often. I don't have forbidden foods or forbidden food groups.
I think the best way to relearn this, is to track your nutrition, either for fat loss or maintenance, and after a while you just instinctively know how much food you need to feel satisfied but not over-full, and that there will always be more food later, or the next morning. So if while tracking food, I'd eaten my calories for the day, I'd think about what I'd have for breakfast the next day.
One of my biggest NSVs was one time I went into the corner shop, and they had mars ice cream bars, and I fancied one, but without even making an effort thought to myself "not today, I can have one any other day" - I realised I'd spent most of my life in a mindset of "must eat this forbidden food now, I'll never get another chance", due to being conditioned previously into thinking that those foods are rare treats that only come around once in a while. They're not. They always have them in the corner shop, I can buy one any time I like. So I don't *have to* eat one now. And it's the same with leftover food in restaurants. If the restaurant food comes in huge portions, I'll eat about half and take the rest of it home. While I'm doing that, I'm thinking how nice it'll be to eat the same food for lunch the next day, and how I'm getting 2 meals for the price of one. In the past I would have been thinking about how I'm "not allowed to" eat the rest of the food now, which would have made me want to eat all of it. How you think about food, and the availability of food, changes how you behave around food. I suppose it's a survival instinct... if you think you're not going to have a chance to eat a particularly desired food again for a long time (or not be allowed to), you'll want to eat all of what you have right now.
God thats the best feeling when you feel like a "normal person" I had that today over a plate of brownies. Didnt want it gave it away end of story. I can have a brownie anytime.0 -
Actually, yeah people did say that. The thing is it was mainly other skinny people, they'd also comment that I was a fast eater.Before you were watching your intake did you feel like you were eating a ton? Did other people comment that they couldnt believe that you could stay skinny with the way you ate?
But I never really thought I ate a ton, I'd eat 1 or 2 meals a day(3 if I was particularly active) but I'd eat moderate/big meals if I was to eat. I was always more concerned with the quality of the food I was/am eating honestly, too few vegetables, too much fast food.
Always curious about how a thin person thinks when it comes to food. Define what would be a moderate/big meal today. I'll give you my definition of a large spaghetti meal at olive garden restaraunt l as an example. I no longer eat like this, but this was very typical for me 3 cups pasta, 3 cups of sauce, grated parmesan cheese, 5 medium egg size meatballs, two large salad servings, 4 breadsticks, alfredo dipping sauce, fried appetizer lasagna rolls, dessert, 4 refills on a berry drink. Would your meals be comprable to this? Sorry for all the questions but I have theories about why people are fat vs skinny.0 -
Nowhere near that amount, I don't think I could eat that much in a day. By large I just think like a (500g)pizza brought from a supermarket.
Actually, yeah people did say that. The thing is it was mainly other skinny people, they'd also comment that I was a fast eater.Before you were watching your intake did you feel like you were eating a ton? Did other people comment that they couldnt believe that you could stay skinny with the way you ate?
But I never really thought I ate a ton, I'd eat 1 or 2 meals a day(3 if I was particularly active) but I'd eat moderate/big meals if I was to eat. I was always more concerned with the quality of the food I was/am eating honestly, too few vegetables, too much fast food.
Always curious about how a thin person thinks when it comes to food. Define what would be a moderate/big meal today. I'll give you my definition of a large spaghetti meal at olive garden restaraunt l as an example. I no longer eat like this, but this was very typical for me 3 cups pasta, 3 cups of sauce, grated parmesan cheese, 5 medium egg size meatballs, two large salad servings, 4 breadsticks, alfredo dipping sauce, fried appetizer lasagna rolls, dessert, 4 refills on a berry drink. Would your meals be comprable to this? Sorry for all the questions but I have theories about why people are fat vs skinny.0 -
Always curious about how a thin person thinks when it comes to food. Define what would be a moderate/big meal today. I'll give you my definition of a large spaghetti meal at olive garden restaraunt l as an example. I no longer eat like this, but this was very typical for me 3 cups pasta, 3 cups of sauce, grated parmesan cheese, 5 medium egg size meatballs, two large salad servings, 4 breadsticks, alfredo dipping sauce, fried appetizer lasagna rolls, dessert, 4 refills on a berry drink. Would your meals be comprable to this? Sorry for all the questions but I have theories about why people are fat vs skinny.
As a thin person, yes, I would have eaten all that. And then an hour later had ice cream when I got home.0 -
Yeahh a lot of your points make sense!
But I swear.. some of the naturally thin people I know would eat at tdee or above, from my observation!!
Theres a girl at my office who on the face of it eats loads and should be huge. But from observing her (in a non-creepy way) I've realised that actually she picks at food. She'll order the highest calorie foods or get out a bag of crisps/chocolate, but she will never finish it. And that's how she stays at a nice healthy weight.0 -
Interesting post. My girlfriend is super lean and in great shape. She workouts daily and lifts weights. She's only 106 lbs. mostly muscle. She never counts calories and she pretty much fits what you are describing.
I am somewhat the same way too. I count calories because I just can't eat enough just by going with "I'm hungry.." I can easily eat 1500 calories a day and not notice it. That's why counting it's important to me. Lifting weight and eating less than 3k calories leads me to a DRASTIC weight loss. Go figure.0 -
I have finally stopped logging all my food since I'm at my ideal weight (for me.) That said, I still do little counts in my head! Great observations though... eventually eating smaller portions and sticking to sensible meals happens.0
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I think you've made some good, valid, observations. Naturally thin people have learned (or never lost in the first place) the ability to eat instinctively and eat when they're hungry, stop eating when they're full, and just enjoy food for its own sake without attaching any morals to it ("good" food, "bad" food, etc) and so don't suffer from guilt, don't use food to soothe emotions etc....
this can be relearned though, I've been successfully maintaining my weight without tracking my food intake for a while now. I track my intake if I'm cutting or bulking, because if I don't track, I eat at around TDEE (I must be, if my weight is stable) and it takes effort to eat either less or more than TDEE. I don't attach moral values to food, although I do focus on nourishing my body well, i.e. eating good quality healthy foods for the most part, but I don't deny myself anything. If it's not that nutritious or not that healthy I'll just eat it in smaller quantities and less often. I don't have forbidden foods or forbidden food groups.
I think the best way to relearn this, is to track your nutrition, either for fat loss or maintenance, and after a while you just instinctively know how much food you need to feel satisfied but not over-full, and that there will always be more food later, or the next morning. So if while tracking food, I'd eaten my calories for the day, I'd think about what I'd have for breakfast the next day.
One of my biggest NSVs was one time I went into the corner shop, and they had mars ice cream bars, and I fancied one, but without even making an effort thought to myself "not today, I can have one any other day" - I realised I'd spent most of my life in a mindset of "must eat this forbidden food now, I'll never get another chance", due to being conditioned previously into thinking that those foods are rare treats that only come around once in a while. They're not. They always have them in the corner shop, I can buy one any time I like. So I don't *have to* eat one now. And it's the same with leftover food in restaurants. If the restaurant food comes in huge portions, I'll eat about half and take the rest of it home. While I'm doing that, I'm thinking how nice it'll be to eat the same food for lunch the next day, and how I'm getting 2 meals for the price of one. In the past I would have been thinking about how I'm "not allowed to" eat the rest of the food now, which would have made me want to eat all of it. How you think about food, and the availability of food, changes how you behave around food. I suppose it's a survival instinct... if you think you're not going to have a chance to eat a particularly desired food again for a long time (or not be allowed to), you'll want to eat all of what you have right now.
I agree completely with everything you said, especially the last part. Three days ago, in an attempt to practice being like a normal person & stop binge eating sweets every time i bought them (because cookies/chocolate are undoubtedly my Achilles heel) I bought two packages of bite sized cookies, poured both into a small tupperware container & put them in a drawer. I told myself that I could eat a few every day if I wanted them, but that I should try to make them last. The first day I had about 3. The second day, one. And yesterday, the third day, I didn't even have any. I still have exactly half of the amount I originally purchased remaining, which is revolutionary because I've been known to finish off two packages of those types of cookies within 30 minutes of buying them.
I think what made the difference this time is that I didn't look at them as "naughty" or "cheats". I came to terms with the fact that yes, cookies are yummy, and yes, I love them & will forever love them, but they can & should be enjoyed in small portions. I can always have some now & save some for later. There's no hurry, and that also means I can enjoy the same treat multiple times instead of wolfing them down at once. This mindset really changed everything. I have not, for as long as I can remember, been able to have cookies of any kind in my presence for more than a day without eating all of them. I too, had that mentality of "must eat them all now" & I too, believe that this is something that can be learned & unlearned.
I went on a Valentine's date Wednesday night and did the same thing you did. Ate about 1/3 and took the rest to go. When I got back to my dorm I portioned the rest into two servings using my tupperware containers. yesterday i had one of the containers for lunch, and i was surprised at how satisfied i was after eating just 1/3 of a restaurant sized meal. it made me realize how truly oversized their portions really are, but it also made me happy because from now on I can really make restaurant meals last for days & like you said, get the most out of my money!0
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