Losing weight without trying?!!!

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katiehepp1
katiehepp1 Posts: 138 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay so this may sound strange but has anyone ever lost weight or known someone to when they haven't even tried and don't even realise they are? I have a friend who I know for sure doesn't eat a lot because he's always working - once he was so busy he only had a sausage at work and then dinner when he got home, today we went out for instance and he just had a subway a apple and a cheese burger. He isn't trying to lose weight but is because he's either too busy to eat or eats and gets full quite quickly!! Although some days he will eat loads!! How do people do this without trying when we try so hard
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  • katiehepp1
    katiehepp1 Posts: 138 Member
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    I must also add his shift patterns he works 8-10 in the morning then 1-10 until the evening so barely even gets the chance to eat
  • Neanbean13
    Neanbean13 Posts: 211 Member
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    Above yes
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    The only person I knew who lost weight without trying had stomach cancer. That was his only symptom too. It's actually one of the questions your doctor asks you at physicals because unexpected/unplanned weight loss can be a big red flag for some very bad things. Sounds like your friend just doesn't prioritize eating though and not so much a medical issue :)
  • andrea4736
    andrea4736 Posts: 211 Member
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    I definitely don't have that problem. I can gain weight super easy without trying though ;)
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
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    I have known people who stayed skinny as a rail no matter how much they packed it in. These were just naturally skinny people. Then I knew people who were skinny thanks to drug habits of varying kinds. If there is no logical reason behind the loss then this is a person who should be seen by a Dr. If they are truly eating less than they burn then that can easily be determined and the diet put in check. Aside from cancer as was mentioned already a hyper thyroid can cause serious weight loss but also other symptoms. Whatever the reason the weight loss should be addressed.
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Yeah, I've experienced this a few times when my activity level went way up and I must not have increased my calories enough to compensate.

    The first time was when I was a teenager. During summer vacation, I started working full-time at a very busy McDonald's. Going to moving around on my feet 8.5 hours a day, 5 days a week increased my TDEE. At the start of the summer, I weighed around my normal 115. By the end of it, I was down to around 103. I kept eating as I always had, except with the addition of a double cheeseburger value meal for lunch.

    Similar scenarios since. That's also how I've gained weight a few times though! Dropping to sedentary and not reducing my calories in proportion. Dramatic TDEE shifts triggering weight loss/gain is a strong pattern for me. Now that I've fully recognized how strong the pattern is, I know I need to keep on top of that.
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Sure, some people have that problem. I've known people who struggled to keep weight on. Like obesity, I think it's an appetite problem - either the appetite doesn't work correctly, or the person has cultivated the bad habit of overriding it, just as many obese people do. If it can happen one way, it can happen the other way too.

    Well said.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Well, point him out to us and see if he lives through the day :)
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Most of the people I've known who lose weight without trying did so because of stress. Some people overeat when they are stressed, some under eat.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I had a friend who got worryingly thin because she was working herself into the ground and barely ate. There was concern she had an eating disorder, but it truly wasn't - she was just so completely overworked and stressed and eating was not on her list of priorities.

    My husband recently lost 40lbs without trying, but he was ill.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Most of the people I've known who lose weight without trying did so because of stress. Some people overeat when they are stressed, some under eat.

    I've discovered recently, after going through a very stressful situation, that stress is an appetite suppressant for me. It was crazy-I think there was a couple of days in the midst of things where I didn't eat at all/only a few hundred calories. No appetite at all and its like I forgot about food :* It was a surreal experience, and though I dropped a couple pounds, I don't ever want to go through that again ugh, lol.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
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    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Most of the people I've known who lose weight without trying did so because of stress. Some people overeat when they are stressed, some under eat.

    I've discovered recently, after going through a very stressful situation, that stress is an appetite suppressant for me. It was crazy-I think there was a couple of days in the midst of things where I didn't eat at all/only a few hundred calories. No appetite at all and its like I forgot about food :* It was a surreal experience, and though I dropped a couple pounds, I don't ever want to go through that again ugh, lol.

    Me too. When stressed or anxious I tend to lose my appetite.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    About 9 years ago I had a job where I was always on the go, no time for breaks or lunch to eat (and I couldn't eat while working), I was so stressed and busy.. eventually my hunger cues gave up on me and I unintentionally lost like 10lbs (I was not overweight) and looked terrible. Obviously I didn't last very long at that job.

    I usually lose weight pretty easily without trying after having a baby because of breastfeeding.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    My brother in law doesn't seem to focus on his weight and he has never gained weight. My sister (his wife) swears that he eats a ton but just has a high metabolism, meaning he burns through everything fast. That got me intrigued and started to pay attention. It turns out he's not interested in eating at all, far below average people's desire. In all the times we got together and eat, he's always the last to come to the table. Never bother to get food for himself. He would just eat whatever his wife or anyone puts on the plate for him and eat extremely slow. He never cooks or go around looking for foods.

    Naturally he's also much weaker than I expect. We did some furniture moving together and he quit halfway to go to bed.

    So, to your question "How do people do this without trying when we try so hard" the answer is control (kill) your appetite!!! On certain days I sort of "program" myself to have no/less appetite. Kinda like we all have programmed ourselves not to wake up at 1 am to eat a steak!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,081 Member
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    Has he asked for advice about this? I was super thin in my early twenties, I just didn't eat. I was also super thin when being treated for a serious illness. There could be a lot of reasons, but unless he's worried about it I'd say leave it alone.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,485 Member
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    All my adult life my basic weight had been 105 lbs, however it had gone as low as 95 and as high as 110 (estimates as I weighed infrequently). This was just living life with no thought to weight at all, and never concerned me as I have a healthy appitite and varied diet.

    I put on about 30 lbs during a lazy 5 years - that is why I started counting calories. That weight has been gone for 7+ years now and although I maintain between 100-105 all it takes is a little unnoticed extra activity and I will start to slowly lose.

    I think I have good hunger signals though I prefer a neutral feeling over hungry or full and eat to that.

    I don't think it is unusual for a person to drop a few lbs or add a few lbs every now and again if food isn't their main focus.

    When I first started lifting I dropped 5 lbs in a month even though I thought adding an extra 200 cals a day would cover it. That really surprised me as I kept reading lifting doesn't burn many calories.

    Cheers, h.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    Sure, I've lost weight without trying several times:

    1. When I was in Costa Rica surrounded by yummy fruit and other low calorie foods, and much less higher calorie foods
    2. When I took phen/fen - not only was my appetite artificially suppressed but because Phentermine is amphetamine-like I was fidgety and increased my activity
    2. When I was in boot camp and the food was terrible and only available three times per day, and my activity level increased
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,687 Member
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    Some people just don't care about food. They don't think about it and don't care about it. I have had friends who could eat the same thing every day for a week and not care. For them it's just fuel, and anything will do. I'm not like that. I think about food a lot. I plan my meals and look forward to a varied diet.

    My husband is not as food focused as I am. He will forget to eat, or not notice that he hasn't eaten. If I didn't prepare lunch and dinner for him, he would be very thin. Unfortunately, when he does eat and I'm not around, he has no concept or concern for healthy eating.

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