Normal weight people?
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crzycatlady1 wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »I have no clue, but I do have a story.
I have two granddogs - one is a pom-chi mix and the other a pug. The pom-chi is a delicate eater, takes his time, savours each bite, definitely has food preferences (he spits out peas) and has maintained his weight over the 10 years we have been blessed with him. The pug will eat anything that is not nailed down. He chugs his food, barely drawing a breath until its gone. He will not refuse anything edible (and even some stuff that isnt). He has had a weight problem that we have had to address by restricting his eating, and he has successfully regained his puppyish figure.
We have two cats-one's got to be in the obese category (his gut touches the floor!) and the other is really thin. I couldn't figure out why there was such a difference since they seem to have similar activity levels/lfestyles (lol). Then I watched them eat one time and realized the fat one is really aggressive with food and was eating his alotted amount and then he'd run over to the other cat's bowl and bully his way into eating all of the other cat's food as well. We now seperate them and the thin cat is still thin-I think he's been conditioned to only eat a little bit and then walk away. And the other cat acts like he's dying at feeding time because he only gets one bowl now- I've also caught him going to through trash and dirty dishes scrounging for food
I would get him checked for diabetes. The food agression, the eating other cat's food, the eating human food from the pantry or trash, these are not normal. They are what my diabetic cat did because he felt that he was literally starving.2 -
I was a "normal weight person" for 35 years of my life (I'm 43 now). I was always very active and I literally ate as much as I wanted of anything and everything I wanted. I'd even tried to gain weight in the past and was not successful. That said, I only ate until I was full and I usually always had food left on my plate after every meal. I knew nothing of calorie counting back then but in retrospect, I think my ability to regulate how much I ate in one sitting (portion control), combined with the high amount of physical activity I was engaged in at the time, is what kept me slim for all of those years.2
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serindipte wrote: »I've often wondered how people of normal, healthy weight maintain that? Not those who've lost weight and keep track of calories or what have you in order to stay lean, but the ones who've never struggled with weight.
Do their hunger cues simply work better? What about days they are more active? Are they then more hungry?
It makes me wonder what I may be lacking that they have.
I was always a normal weight until I was 30 and took a desk job. Personally, I never gave my weight or food or any of that much thought. I always ate reasonably well (my mom made sure of that) and I was always pretty active. I never have had any hangups with food or binge eating disorders or emotional eating, etc. I've never been one to over stuff myself...I'm full, I'm done.
I put on about 40-50 Lbs from age 30 - 38 namely because I took a desk job that had me working 10-12 hour days and traveling 25 weeks out of the year. I hadn't really ever done much deliberate exercise in my life save for training for various sports I was in...in college I was just pretty active in my free time. I didn't realize that I would need to start doing deliberate exercise to offset my new sedentary lifestyle. My diet also turned for the worse during this time as well since I was always crunched for time and reaching for convenience foods that I never really ate before...I also became a big soda drinker, I think namely for the caffeine to keep me going long hours.
Basically, I've reverted back to my old self...I do have to make sure I'm deliberately more active, so I do have to think about that...but for the most part my diet is pretty good and I dumped a lot of bad habits and all is well and I don't give it too much thought anymore.1 -
On the pet stories, I had 2 dogs at one time. Both from the SPCA, but one was a stray who learned to fend for herself and the other was just a skinny thing.
So we'd put food down for both of them. First would scarf her food down as fast as possible while the second nibbled. First would go to the window and bark. Second would go to see what the barking was. First would go back and clean up the seconds bowl.
First was way too smart for her own good. Could open cupboard doors and get at her snack.
Second was dumb as a post.
Both are gone now.4 -
rainbowbow wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »I have no clue, but I do have a story.
I have two granddogs - one is a pom-chi mix and the other a pug. The pom-chi is a delicate eater, takes his time, savours each bite, definitely has food preferences (he spits out peas) and has maintained his weight over the 10 years we have been blessed with him. The pug will eat anything that is not nailed down. He chugs his food, barely drawing a breath until its gone. He will not refuse anything edible (and even some stuff that isnt). He has had a weight problem that we have had to address by restricting his eating, and he has successfully regained his puppyish figure.
We have two cats-one's got to be in the obese category (his gut touches the floor!) and the other is really thin. I couldn't figure out why there was such a difference since they seem to have similar activity levels/lfestyles (lol). Then I watched them eat one time and realized the fat one is really aggressive with food and was eating his alotted amount and then he'd run over to the other cat's bowl and bully his way into eating all of the other cat's food as well. We now seperate them and the thin cat is still thin-I think he's been conditioned to only eat a little bit and then walk away. And the other cat acts like he's dying at feeding time because he only gets one bowl now- I've also caught him going to through trash and dirty dishes scrounging for food
I would get him checked for diabetes. The food agression, the eating other cat's food, the eating human food from the pantry or trash, these are not normal. They are what my diabetic cat did because he felt that he was literally starving.
And I thought he was just being a butt head lol. Thanks for the info, might bring him in just to make sure everything is ok
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I've been at the low end of my normal BMI range all my life. I'm on here now because thyroid problems, menopause and anti-depressants combined all of a sudden to push my weight into the low end of the "overweight" range. I'm back to "normal" now, but still 25lbs over what I used to be when my body was comfortable and easy to live in. I've noticed that people who struggle with being overweight or obese often comment that they "don't feel full" or that the amount of food they get on their diet doesn't "fill them up." Like it's a good thing to feel full. Okay so maybe I don't get out enough, but I have never met anyone who is "normal" weight or slender who likes that feeling. It's a sensation I try to avoid no matter what the occasion. I eat enough to take the hunger pang away, and that is usually not very much, in terms of total food volume on my plate. I also eat only for my current hunger. I don't bank food in my belly (so to speak) in anticipation of hunger that might arise between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner, for instance. Neither do my slender friends. (Which is not to say I don't have my own calorie-control problems. Obviously I do, or I wouldn't be here. But that's another pop-analysis for another post.)
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I'm skipping the comments before posting but I am still technically "normal weight". (24.8 BMI). I didn't stay above my high school weight (BMI 21.8) until I was 24 and went on Depo Provera. Then it pretty much all settled on in a 3 month period and hasn't come off.
I can't really say how I managed to do that. I even had a baby and dropped just under a BMI of 21 before he started solid food and I cut back on nursing. If I had to assume one factor was in play, it was that I probably responded to more "genuine" hunger cues because I was always too distracted. When I did eat more than I needed, I ended up skipping the next meal because I just wasn't hungry enough to bother with it. Reading just the comment above, I rarely ate until I was full. The last bites don't taste as good as the first.
TLDR; It was pretty mindless. Hungry = eat until not hungry.1 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »I have no clue, but I do have a story.
I have two granddogs - one is a pom-chi mix and the other a pug. The pom-chi is a delicate eater, takes his time, savours each bite, definitely has food preferences (he spits out peas) and has maintained his weight over the 10 years we have been blessed with him. The pug will eat anything that is not nailed down. He chugs his food, barely drawing a breath until its gone. He will not refuse anything edible (and even some stuff that isnt). He has had a weight problem that we have had to address by restricting his eating, and he has successfully regained his puppyish figure.
We have two cats-one's got to be in the obese category (his gut touches the floor!) and the other is really thin. I couldn't figure out why there was such a difference since they seem to have similar activity levels/lfestyles (lol). Then I watched them eat one time and realized the fat one is really aggressive with food and was eating his alotted amount and then he'd run over to the other cat's bowl and bully his way into eating all of the other cat's food as well. We now seperate them and the thin cat is still thin-I think he's been conditioned to only eat a little bit and then walk away. And the other cat acts like he's dying at feeding time because he only gets one bowl now- I've also caught him going to through trash and dirty dishes scrounging for food
I would get him checked for diabetes. The food agression, the eating other cat's food, the eating human food from the pantry or trash, these are not normal. They are what my diabetic cat did because he felt that he was literally starving.
And I thought he was just being a butt head lol. Thanks for the info, might bring him in just to make sure everything is ok
He may just be a butt head. I've had healthy, but overweight, cats who did what yours does too, but it won't hurt to have him looked at.2 -
I have been slender most of my life.
My mother was a nurse and tried to feed us fairly well ... not a lot of food, but something close to the Canada Food Guide. As a family we were also very active.
As an adult, I've remained slender by continuing to eat similar amounts of food as I ate when I was growing up, although what I eat has changed a bit. And I've remained very active.
I have gained weight on a few occasions, so I'm definitely not "naturally slim" ... but looking back, what seems to trigger a weight gain for me is medical issues and moving house ... and especially if there's a combination of the two things going on quite close together. In both cases, my activity level drops quite a bit ... and my usual eating habits tend to go out the window.
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at my heaviest weight of 136 it is still considered healthy for my BMI even thought my entire life i would fluctuate between 15-116. The difference was my body fat percentage. at 135 you probably would have bet i was like 160. For me it was when i stopped working and got lazy. Even eating fast food like everday.. snacking.. drinking i never really got above that weight. I think it was just i always hovered around the same calories.1
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My little brother has been thin his entire life. Sometimes he gets in exercise by walking or biking somewhere, and when school is out, he'll go weeks playing video games all day. He eats candy, chips, etc. ALL the time and serves himself large helpings of food, and I used to wonder how he stayed so thin.
Then really I paid attention. He goes by hunger when it comes to food, and his attention to hunger happens to keep him at a healthy weight. He skips breakfast often, and may or may not have small snacks throughout the day, so that by dinnertime, he needs to eat that large serving of food. Even if he has a ton of candy, he may eat just some of it, and if he does eat all of it, it doesn't happen often enough to make him fat. His high and low days balance out naturally. He does not care about or pay attention to calories and portion sizes. Idk how people like my little brother find that flow that keeps them at a normal weight without having to pay attention.2 -
I've been at the low end of my normal BMI range all my life. I'm on here now because thyroid problems, menopause and anti-depressants combined all of a sudden to push my weight into the low end of the "overweight" range. I'm back to "normal" now, but still 25lbs over what I used to be when my body was comfortable and easy to live in. I've noticed that people who struggle with being overweight or obese often comment that they "don't feel full" or that the amount of food they get on their diet doesn't "fill them up." Like it's a good thing to feel full. Okay so maybe I don't get out enough, but I have never met anyone who is "normal" weight or slender who likes that feeling. It's a sensation I try to avoid no matter what the occasion. I eat enough to take the hunger pang away, and that is usually not very much, in terms of total food volume on my plate. I also eat only for my current hunger. I don't bank food in my belly (so to speak) in anticipation of hunger that might arise between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner, for instance. Neither do my slender friends. (Which is not to say I don't have my own calorie-control problems. Obviously I do, or I wouldn't be here. But that's another pop-analysis for another post.)
This is an idea that has never, ever occurred to me. It's .. baffling and I wonder why I've never even heard of it before, but it makes sense. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!2 -
I was normal weight most of my life (until my 40s when the scale started creeping up). According to my mother, I have also had an "adult-sized" appetite since I was about 8 years old. I can't explain it. I was usually underweight and I ate a LOT. In fact, I used to eat a whole pint of ice cream about 3 times a week when I was in high school. I'm sure back then I had something wrong with me!! No one bothered to check. Nowadays, I still want to eat everything is sight but my metabolism isn't quite the same, so here I am. Believe me, growing up my normal weight was NOT due to having proper food cues. Nor was I active. It's a mystery.1
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serindipte wrote: »I've often wondered how people of normal, healthy weight maintain that? Not those who've lost weight and keep track of calories or what have you in order to stay lean, but the ones who've never struggled with weight.
Do their hunger cues simply work better? What about days they are more active? Are they then more hungry?
It makes me wonder what I may be lacking that they have.
The ones I know just don't eat much during the day, and are pretty active. They'll also eat small portions of high calorie foods and will eat less the next meal to make up for it.
For most of them, desserts/junk foods are treats though - an every couple months thing maybe (unless they are very active and on their feet all day). That's definitely not me - I grew up eating croissants and pastries every day and will always struggle with that.
So yeah... smaller portions, less junk food, more activity.0 -
I've always been a healthy weight, within the medically acceptable range, even at my highest. I honestly think it's genetic. Some people get great hair, some get a more robust metabolism! Personally, I've always wanted better hair!2
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I've always been a healthy weight, within the medically acceptable range, even at my highest. I honestly think it's genetic. Some people get great hair, some get a more robust metabolism! Personally, I've always wanted better hair!
I honestly wonder if the whole hunger control and ability to resist cravings isn't genetic too.0 -
This is a really interesting question. Nutrition researchers are starting to look at why some people remain thin despite the fact many people are getting fat. Here are some things they have learned:
1. Obese and lean people do not eat the same amounts of food. At a restaurant, obese people will clean their plate. Lean people will not.
2. Lean people "compensate" when they eat a lot, weather or not they realize it. For example, if they have a large meal, they may not eat the rest of the day or they may not eat much the next day. Obese people do not do this.
3. Obese people will get the medium or large, lean people get the small.
4. Lean people move around more, get up more throughout the day. Obese people do not.
5. Obese people will eat food if you put it in front of them. Lean people will not.
If you have any lean friends, start watching how much they eat. Do they clean their plates? Do they eat in between meals? What do they drink? How fast do they eat?7 -
This has become my conclusion as well. I have been obese myself, and these are observations I have made from myself and others: Normal weight people have a normal weight attitude. A fatty attitude/behavior is - for instance - to eat whatever, whenever. Constant eating, then over-restricting to (try to) compensate. If they eat more than planned, then the whole diet is screwed, so might as well continue eating. Fatty mentality involves words like "unfair", "reward", "entitled", "guilt". Normal weight attitude is more focused on "enjoyment", "appropriate", "need".This is a really interesting question. Nutrition researchers are starting to look at why some people remain thin despite the fact many people are getting fat. Here are some things they have learned:
1. Obese and lean people do not eat the same amounts of food. At a restaurant, obese people will clean their plate. Lean people will not.
2. Lean people "compensate" when they eat a lot, weather or not they realize it. For example, if they have a large meal, they may not eat the rest of the day or they may not eat much the next day. Obese people do not do this.
3. Obese people will get the medium or large, lean people get the small.
4. Lean people move around more, get up more throughout the day. Obese people do not.
5. Obese people will eat food if you put it in front of them. Lean people will not.
If you have any lean friends, start watching how much they eat. Do they clean their plates? Do they eat in between meals? What do they drink? How fast do they eat?2 -
This is a really interesting question. Nutrition researchers are starting to look at why some people remain thin despite the fact many people are getting fat. Here are some things they have learned:
1. Obese and lean people do not eat the same amounts of food. At a restaurant, obese people will clean their plate. Lean people will not.
2. Lean people "compensate" when they eat a lot, weather or not they realize it. For example, if they have a large meal, they may not eat the rest of the day or they may not eat much the next day. Obese people do not do this.
3. Obese people will get the medium or large, lean people get the small.
4. Lean people move around more, get up more throughout the day. Obese people do not.
5. Obese people will eat food if you put it in front of them. Lean people will not.
If you have any lean friends, start watching how much they eat. Do they clean their plates? Do they eat in between meals? What do they drink? How fast do they eat?
It also comes down to selection and the company "morning tea" potluck situation is a good place to watch selection.
Until I joined MFP and had lost a bit of weight, I never noticed anyone's selection ... didn't care. But after I had lost a bit of weight, a small handful of my coworkers started making comments how they hardly ate anything and yet they couldn't lose weight so how on earth did I do it.
That made me curious ... if they really did hardly eat anything, why weren't they losing weight? So I started watching people's selections at the morning teas. Turns out, that's very revealing!
2 -
This is a really interesting question. Nutrition researchers are starting to look at why some people remain thin despite the fact many people are getting fat. Here are some things they have learned:
1. Obese and lean people do not eat the same amounts of food. At a restaurant, obese people will clean their plate. Lean people will not.
2. Lean people "compensate" when they eat a lot, weather or not they realize it. For example, if they have a large meal, they may not eat the rest of the day or they may not eat much the next day. Obese people do not do this.
3. Obese people will get the medium or large, lean people get the small.
4. Lean people move around more, get up more throughout the day. Obese people do not.
5. Obese people will eat food if you put it in front of them. Lean people will not.
If you have any lean friends, start watching how much they eat. Do they clean their plates? Do they eat in between meals? What do they drink? How fast do they eat?
It also comes down to selection and the company "morning tea" potluck situation is a good place to watch selection.
Until I joined MFP and had lost a bit of weight, I never noticed anyone's selection ... didn't care. But after I had lost a bit of weight, a small handful of my coworkers started making comments how they hardly ate anything and yet they couldn't lose weight so how on earth did I do it.
That made me curious ... if they really did hardly eat anything, why weren't they losing weight? So I started watching people's selections at the morning teas. Turns out, that's very revealing!
This is true. My bff has always been overweight, I never have. When I lived with her I realized that while she never put a lot of food on her plate, she would go back to the dish and spoon it directly into her mouth. I don't think she even realized she did that. She also told people I watch my weight (which I don't) because I would leave food on my plate or stop eating when I was full. It was just because I wasn't hungry anymore. But to her it was me deliberately leaving food.
I guess I was brought up to not fetishize food? I was allowed to eat pretty much whatever I liked but I was never forced to clean my plate and I was never offered food as a reward (i.e. If you eat your greens you get ice cream). It was just a part of life that you would eat when you were hungry and not think about food most of the time. Even now I don't think about food that much. I do think if you obsess about anything it tends to take over everything.3
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