What do you think of people who are naturally slim?
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Yes, anecdotes surely are better evidence than actual science and clinical studies.
You won't convince that nobody struggles to keep weight on because I know better.
Disagree. There are lots of male bodybuilders today under 5'6".
If they aren't getting buff, it's because they aren't consuming the calories needed to do it. And while many may have a higher metabolic rate, math still applies. Eat more than your TDEE consistently and you'll gain weight.Depends. People who struggle to keep weight on have a struggle, too. Different, but not easy. It's especially hard for small men who have trouble getting buff when that's what they really want.
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Or it's because they're short guys who are small-boned and will just never be tall or very muscular.
Dependent on calorie intake. It's basic math. The whole "naturally lean" thing is a myth (unless there's some underlying health issue). Eat more than one's TDEE consistently and they will gain weight.Believe it or not, it is difficult for some people to keep their weight up. Maybe you studied that when studying nutrition? It's usually included.
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Not trying to convince you, just debating against your opinions.
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It's not opinion, it's fact. I'm surprised that when you studied nutrition it wasn't covered. I'm not debating it because it's ridiculous.
Yes, anecdotes surely are better evidence than actual science and clinical studies.
You won't convince that nobody struggles to keep weight on because I know better.
Disagree. There are lots of male bodybuilders today under 5'6".
If they aren't getting buff, it's because they aren't consuming the calories needed to do it. And while many may have a higher metabolic rate, math still applies. Eat more than your TDEE consistently and you'll gain weight.Depends. People who struggle to keep weight on have a struggle, too. Different, but not easy. It's especially hard for small men who have trouble getting buff when that's what they really want.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Or it's because they're short guys who are small-boned and will just never be tall or very muscular.
Dependent on calorie intake. It's basic math. The whole "naturally lean" thing is a myth (unless there's some underlying health issue). Eat more than one's TDEE consistently and they will gain weight.Believe it or not, it is difficult for some people to keep their weight up. Maybe you studied that when studying nutrition? It's usually included.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition Not trying to convince you, just debating against your opinions.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I have a friend who is what I suppose you'd call naturally thin. What I know is she is just as unhappy to be hovering in the underweight bmi category as I am hovering in overweight. She eats like a sparrow and struggles to eat more (hence underweight) and what she eats a lot of is 'crap'.
Do I envy her, no, she is in the same boat as me not happy with her weight, gets hurled abuse at her (she's been called anorexic and all sorts) which at least I've never had even when morbidly obese and.....I'd rather have that excess fat than be that thin but that is just my personal preference.
Have I wished I was just normal weight and it would be easy to maintain, sure, who hasn't, but that just isn't how life works I'm afraid so I just worry about my lot and let others worry about theirs. No envy involved because everyone has their own struggles you may not be able to see on the surface.7 -
GirlonBliss wrote: »I used to think they were just genetically blessed whereas I would have to work at it for the rest of my life. What about you?
During the years when I was slim, people told me how lucky I am that I'm naturally slim.
What they didn't see was the fact that I was extremely active and that I didn't eat huge amounts of food. In fact, I had trouble eating more than about 3000 calories even on days when I needed to eat more than 3000 calories to fuel my activity.
Then, of course, my activity level decreased for a few years for various reasons, and I gained weight. Happily I've lost the weight again, but it certainly does take work. It doesn't just happen naturally.7 -
MichelleLei1 wrote: »chrisssiex23x wrote: »
If they aren't getting buff, it's because they aren't consuming the calories needed to do it. And while many may have a higher metabolic rate, math still applies. Eat more than your TDEE consistently and you'll gain weight.Depends. People who struggle to keep weight on have a struggle, too. Different, but not easy. It's especially hard for small men who have trouble getting buff when that's what they really want.
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You have no idea how much my boyfriend eats and still cant gain weight... he has see his gp aswell and they have told him also he will find it it hard. He has high medolism and works 7.30am until 6pm mon to firday and always on his feet. And he's over 6 ft aswell...
If i could id show you a picture of his breakfast
He's over 6 ft, works long shifts, and is always on his feet of course he has a high TDEE. I know guys that easily maintain on 3000-4000 calories, which (imo) is a massive amount of food.
Exactly. I have a friend who is 6'3" and he's been lanky all his life. He decided to lift heavy weights and change his physique. His starting weight was 145 pounds and now he's 195 and his body has changed completely.
His TDEE before doing any of this was around 2800+ with all the social activity he has daily and he'd always do work for his mom around the house. Now that it's been a few years and he lives on his own, has a desk job, and has to drive everywhere, even with the lifting in order to bulk he has had to eat 3500+ calories. He had no idea and just ate until he saw weight go on consistently, but he said he felt like he has to eat a lot just to bulk. When I told him to run the numbers and track his food for a few days, he was amazed at the calorie intake. This guy goes through a jar of peanut butter every two days to bulk. He just had no idea it would take as many calories as it did and to him it felt like he was eating a lot since he was used to eating so much less. Thyroid and other medical issues aside, hardgainers actually don't eat enough as it's been stated in this thread. There are not people who can magically eat thousands of calories beyond their TDEE and lose weight or maintain.10 -
"Naturally slim people" is a mystery that is not a mystery. They have the same genetics as fat people, they live side by side with fat people, do the things fat people do. Some are happy, some are depressed. Some have a big family, some live alone. Some don't care about food, others love food. But they have different attitudes and preferences and slightly different habits. Over time, they eat a little less, move a little more.
I have been fat, and I regard myself "naturally slim" now. I am the same person as before. I eat the same foods as I always did. I enjoy food more. But I don't want to eat all the time anymore, and I realized I hate feeling stuffed, so I am more conscious about what and how much I eat, and how it affects me. I like to move because I don't feel that I "have to". I have habits that lead to maintaining a normal weight. But if I start living the way I did when I was fat, I will regain.
I don't think it's more difficult to be slim/normal weight than to be fat. Both takes effort and sacrifices, both cause stress. But the net stress, effort and sacrifice I had as fat, was much, much bigger, and I don't want to go back to that.7 -
Yup natural slim here
If I don't workout I'm skinny if I work out I'm ripped
Blessing indeed lol6 -
Anecdotal but here goes... my brother is about 5' 8 and super slim. He has muscle mass and even a 6 pack. He's tall and lean. Works on his feet all day and clearly eats sufficiently to build strong muscles and his workouts are lifting kegs and bodyweight.
My sister is about 5' 6 and super slim. Does cardio such as Zumba once a week but because she enjoys it. Her job us 100% sedentary. As far as I can gather she lives on crisps, chocolate, occasional wine and takeaways.
I'm 5' 4 I'm grossly overweight. I am on metabolically altering drugs. I was overweight before this though. I eat at a deficit and my weight comes down but to get as slender as my sister in 2010 I developed an eating disorder. However if I eat a deficit guess what. I lose weight.
We are all from the same seed. There's no genetic 'blessing' I'm with @ninerbuff on this. It's math. My siblings clearly cosume less that they burn. In radically different ways and jobs. My brother is a powerhouse of energy burning and constantly challenges his muscles. My sister eats CICO without even thinking. I by my nature have to think about it and work at it.11 -
When I hear the phrase 'naturally slim' I don't think of people who can eat whatever they like in the quantities they like and not put on weight. I understand CICO and that those slim people are generally eating at maintenance.
Rather I think of those who don't have the same urge to comfort eat like I do. People who, when they are full, don't feel like eating any more and put down their fork.
I wish I was more like that 'naturally'.32 -
My husband and his family are naturally slim. But there's a "catch" they don't eat as much, only eat when they are actually hungry and are pretty active just day to day. I don't know about his siblings but my husband works out to a 400-600 calorie burn pretty much daily.
But he and his 1 brother, 3 sisters all are built very slim and look great. I don't think I could healthily get 110 pounds and still look good.4 -
I used to think they were just lucky but after observing my thin friends diets for sometime, I realize thats not really true. For instance, my best friend although eats crappy foods at times, only eats one big meal once a day because she works alot and snacks throughout the day if she has time on pickles and popcorn two very low cal snacks. So she probably only gets 1200-1500 a day if that.
Key to being a normal weight is observing how thin or average weight looking people eat and take note.
I've learned that staying busy is also key. If you have alot going on (which alot of my thin friends do), you are less likely to think about food and hunger does diminish over time.
Last thing I learned is don't assume that they can eat crap all day and not gain weight. You are only seeing that person for one part of the day and have no idea how they eat the rest of the day if they even eat.
My little sister is also thin and only eats one big meal a day because she goes out with her friends during the day and comes back late hungry. Sometimes if she is on punishment she will snack on chips and popcorn throughout the day but she eats it very slow and takes one chip or one popcorn at a time. So by chip 13, shes kinda full.
Eating slow is also key but its also one thing I struggle with.
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It's not opinion, it's fact. I'm surprised that when you studied nutrition it wasn't covered. I'm not debating it because it's ridiculous.
Yes, anecdotes surely are better evidence than actual science and clinical studies.
You won't convince that nobody struggles to keep weight on because I know better.
Disagree. There are lots of male bodybuilders today under 5'6".
If they aren't getting buff, it's because they aren't consuming the calories needed to do it. And while many may have a higher metabolic rate, math still applies. Eat more than your TDEE consistently and you'll gain weight.Depends. People who struggle to keep weight on have a struggle, too. Different, but not easy. It's especially hard for small men who have trouble getting buff when that's what they really want.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Or it's because they're short guys who are small-boned and will just never be tall or very muscular.
Dependent on calorie intake. It's basic math. The whole "naturally lean" thing is a myth (unless there's some underlying health issue). Eat more than one's TDEE consistently and they will gain weight.Believe it or not, it is difficult for some people to keep their weight up. Maybe you studied that when studying nutrition? It's usually included.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition Not trying to convince you, just debating against your opinions.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
That is as much as a "fact" that people struggle to lose weight. Only people who struggle are though who do it rashly. It is a simple math equation. Person A weighs 110 lbs and maintains that weight at about 1400 calories, let's say. If they eat 1500 calories they will gain weight. Are you saying its hard to eat a 100 calorie snack every day? Or, drink one glass of juice or soda everyday?
We're not saying the weight gain will be fast, but it certainly isn't difficult.5 -
Disagree. There are lots of male bodybuilders today under 5'6".
If they aren't getting buff, it's because they aren't consuming the calories needed to do it. And while many may have a higher metabolic rate, math still applies. Eat more than your TDEE consistently and you'll gain weight.Depends. People who struggle to keep weight on have a struggle, too. Different, but not easy. It's especially hard for small men who have trouble getting buff when that's what they really want.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Or it's because they're short guys who are small-boned and will just never be tall or very muscular.
Dependent on calorie intake. It's basic math. The whole "naturally lean" thing is a myth (unless there's some underlying health issue). Eat more than one's TDEE consistently and they will gain weight.Believe it or not, it is difficult for some people to keep their weight up. Maybe you studied that when studying nutrition? It's usually included.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I agree with ninerbuff.
We're throwing around a lot of anecdotal evidence so I'll chime in with mine! For the short guys, it is quite possible to gain weight. If you think about it, a 5'4 guy is going to burn significantly less calories than at 6'5 guy (assuming they are both at healthy weights for their respective heights). So in the instance of a small guy not being able to get bigger, one would think if they ate higher calorie foods and a good portion of them, they'd be able to put on weight quite easily.
There's a trainer at my gym with an amazing body who is likely around 5'3. He's shorter than me and I'm 5'4.5, so I'm thinking that's a good rough estimate. He has very little body fat and a great muscular physique. Akin to ninerbuffs body. According to the theory short guys can't get "big", this guy can't exist.
I did think that some people were naturally slim for a while also though. Until I moved in with my (ex) boyfriend a while ago. He's 6'5 and was about 173 lb soaking wet. Very skinny guy. When I would see him eat, it would be tons of pizza, burgers, chips, Mountain Dew, etc. Living with him, I saw he ate once or maybe twice a day. He also was on his feet for 12+ hours a day as a restaurant manager. So that would just be a very high TDEE due to simply moving a lot more. Combined with eating once or twice a day, he never got large.
On the flip side, my current boyfriend I live with is 6'3 and also a restaurant manager. He's about 200 lbs. He has no trouble putting on weight. Why? He really does eat a ton. I'm talking 1 lb ribeye steaks, loaded baked potatoes, creamy sauces, massive amounts of cheese and crackers, etc. He is that guy who will also go for a 4th large meal often. He simply eats more and matches his TDEE or exceeds it.
I think it all comes down to individual appetite regulations.6 -
MichelleLei1 wrote: »As a 'naturally' thin person, I'll tell you that there really isn't anything special about our genetics. Before counting calories I used to think I was genetically blessed. In high school, I could eat entire bags of chips, quarts (yes quarts) of ice cream, and family size trays of lasagna and still be underweight. But now as I'm older, I realize that even though I ate like garbage, my metabolism wasn't any different than anyone elses'. I was a gymnast and would have practice 10-14hrs a week. In addition I also had the tendency to skip breakfast and dinner. So even though people would see me eating massive amounts of food, that could very well be the only thing I ate all day. Unless you live with someone 24/7, you don't know a person's eating habits. And even if you did know a person's eating habits, it's none of your business.
This is pretty much me too. I always thought I was "naturally" thin person until I started using mfp and the TDEE method and realized my TDEE was right on track with estimates. I grew up on junk food and lots of it but was skinny because I played sports and practiced several hours a day. I also have always been attune to a change in my weight. When I went off to college and started gaining because I stopped playing sports, I noticed the weight gain within 5-10 lbs and added some exercise and didn't eat quite so much. I have stayed within a 10-15 lb range my entire life (besides pregnancies) because I always notice when I am going up and do something about it, either structured diet or just not gorging myself and exercising more. After each kid I worked hard to get back to the number I was at before. So it is not that I have never had to work for it, but I only thought about my weight when it was going up and otherwise ate what I wanted.0 -
Idk. My cousin has an ectomorph build. According to her, she tries to gain weight but has not been successful so far even after 4 children she still doesn't have any curves. Genetically blessed? If you like that shape I guess. BTW her Mom was that way too, now in her 50's she's fat. Not even curvy fat, just shapeless fat.
People think I'm genetically thin just because I've never been overweight. (I used to weigh 118 before my twins in my 20's) What they don't know, is I've always been active and for most of my life and I've never just eaten whatever I want. Although last winter was an exception. I tried that for the first time and gained nearly 14lbs in a month. The good thing is, with dedication, I lost that weight. I don't mind eating right and exercising. I feel better and look better. So I think I pulled the long straw!
Bottom line is, I don't envy anyone! You don't know what they deal with behind closed doors.4 -
There is no such thing as naturally thin people.8
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Most stores have offers on ice cream.
Anyone who think's they're 'naturally slim' or 'have the genetics' can easily disprove that to themselves by sinking a few tubs of Ben and Jerry's a day.
If you aren't gaining weight, you aren't eating enough.4 -
I used to not understand how thin people were thin and I was fat, until I started logging calories and realizing that even though I thought my skinny friends were eating a lot, I wasn't with them ALL day. In fact they ate a lot lighter than me and probably didn't binge as hard.
Now I kind of wish that I was raised like some of my slim friends, that I could be happy eating the amount to maintain my weight. But I'm not. I want to eat more.
On the other hand, my slim friends don't have great body compositions. I'd much rather have mine.7 -
arditarose wrote: »I used to not understand how thin people were thin and I was fat, until I started logging calories and realizing that even though I thought my skinny friends were eating a lot, I wasn't with them ALL day. In fact they ate a lot lighter than me and probably didn't binge as hard.
Now I kind of wish that I was raised like some of my slim friends, that I could be happy eating the amount to maintain my weight. But I'm not. I want to eat more.
On the other hand, my slim friends don't have great body compositions. I'd much rather have mine.
You look great! Werk it!!0 -
arditarose wrote: »I used to not understand how thin people were thin and I was fat, until I started logging calories and realizing that even though I thought my skinny friends were eating a lot, I wasn't with them ALL day. In fact they ate a lot lighter than me and probably didn't binge as hard.
Now I kind of wish that I was raised like some of my slim friends, that I could be happy eating the amount to maintain my weight. But I'm not. I want to eat more.
On the other hand, my slim friends don't have great body compositions. I'd much rather have mine.
You look great! Werk it!!
Thanks. I'm heavy AF though
Weighed in at 142 this am. Blah. 2
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