Eating habits

I am curious to about the eating habits of naturally slim people (meaning that you do not obsess about food, wieght, etc).I need to lose 15-20 lbs to get that lean look I deisre (I have maintained a 60 pound loss for about 6 years). I have a terrible habit of snacking everytime I see food. I think if I just start eating a 3 meals with an occasional snack (if I'm hungry) it would help. How do you lean people eat? Do you wait until you are hungry, do you snack often, do you always eat three meals. etc...? I also work out intensely several times a week, I know the diet is the key. Thanks.

I'm pretty naturally slim, and while my metabolism helps a lot there are a few habits I have that probably contribute:

I try not to eat too much crappy stuff, junk food, heavy cheese-laden food, etc. When I do, I try not to eat a giant amount. If I get a 1/2lb. burger with cheese and bacon, I eat only that and a drink, I don't get fries or onion rings too and all that.

In general, I don't eat a huge amount of anything at one time, but if I do, it's usually protein, like a big steak. If I get a regular meal at a restaurant (American portion size is gigantic), I'll often eat half or a little more than half and bring the rest home.

I eat much slower than most people, chew completely, and somehow don't eat beyond my full point. Maybe it's because I'm slow but I can tell when eating more would only hurt me and make me feel gross and over-full, and I don't like that feeling. I think for some people, the feeling of getting full is gratifying, but for me, the taste and experience of food is gratifying, and by eating slowly and chewing well, I get to taste it for just as long, if not longer than the people who inhale their food, but I end up eating less.

I keep stuff around to snack on, but it's mostly not sweet, it's mostly salty, because I love salt and I'm not a fan of sweet stuff. If you lay off sweet stuff for a while, you will start to get more sensitive to it and realize how sugar-laden a lot of foods are. I also know that my body's insulin system or whatever does not react well to large amounts of sugar, so I am able to remind myself that using sugar in things or eating sugary things will cause me other problems like becoming totally drowsy/braindead 20 minutes later.

For the above reason I use Splenda in coffee drinks, and drink Cherry Coke Zero when I can instead of regular Coke.

I almost never eat dessert, and I don't consider it part of the course of a meal. If I have it, I wait a half hour or so after a meal to decide, and usually it's a small amount or by then I don't want anything at all.

By snacking regularly but in small amounts, I stave off "big hunger" feelings, which keeps me from thinking I need a "big meal".

Also, I have trained myself (mostly due to laziness/distraction where I don't feel like doing the effort to get food for a while, or when I'm working on something and trying to get it done) to not really mind the pain of hunger and to work through it. I can now function for probably an hour with serious hunger pangs without it effecting me too badly - but in fact it motivates me to work faster/harder on whatever so I can get done and go eat.

I drink a ton of water, but slowly. I refill my glass like 10x per day from a refrigerated pitcher and sip it every couple of minutes. If you guzzle it all at once it will stretch out your stomach and make it feel empty, and you will feel hungry. But if you keep regularly hydrated your body will function better in general, and that includes digestion.

Now that I work mostly from home, I eat when I feel like it, and I don't often make a "balanced meal" but rather one thing at a time like the caveman diet. I'll make a tilapia fillet (Trader Joes) with some TJ's salsa on it, and eat that, and then work a while or do whatever. Then I'll go back later and have an apple or a salad. Then later an english muffin or some chips with salsa or whatever. These are very small meals spaced over the course of the day.

Hope that helps and good luck with your weight loss. Remember to try to ease into better habits rather than making drastic changes, as the latter are much harder to keep up over the long haul.

Avoid packaged foods. Snack when you are hungry, but don't eat more than a fist-size at a time. Read the labels and cut out high fructose corn syrup, sugar and carbs like white rice, flour tortillas, and you will go far.

Don't deprive yourself either, or you'll go nuts. If you have to have a coke, get a small one or pour half the can out and then drink the rest. Works for me anyways.

Thanks for the quick and thoughtful replies.

Originally Posted by j

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I'm pretty naturally slim, and while my metabolism helps a lot there are a few habits I have that probably contribute:

I try not to eat too much crappy stuff, junk food, heavy cheese-laden food, etc. When I do, I try not to eat a giant amount. If I get a 1/2lb. burger with cheese and bacon, I eat only that and a drink, I don't get fries or onion rings too and all that.

In general, I don't eat a huge amount of anything at one time, but if I do, it's usually protein, like a big steak. If I get a regular meal at a restaurant (American portion size is gigantic), I'll often eat half or a little more than half and bring the rest home.

I eat much slower than most people, chew completely, and somehow don't eat beyond my full point. Maybe it's because I'm slow but I can tell when eating more would only hurt me and make me feel gross and over-full, and I don't like that feeling. I think for some people, the feeling of getting full is gratifying, but for me, the taste and experience of food is gratifying, and by eating slowly and chewing well, I get to taste it for just as long, if not longer than the people who inhale their food, but I end up eating less.

I keep stuff around to snack on, but it's mostly not sweet, it's mostly salty, because I love salt and I'm not a fan of sweet stuff. If you lay off sweet stuff for a while, you will start to get more sensitive to it and realize how sugar-laden a lot of foods are. I also know that my body's insulin system or whatever does not react well to large amounts of sugar, so I am able to remind myself that using sugar in things or eating sugary things will cause me other problems like becoming totally drowsy/braindead 20 minutes later.

For the above reason I use Splenda in coffee drinks, and drink Cherry Coke Zero when I can instead of regular Coke.

I almost never eat dessert, and I don't consider it part of the course of a meal. If I have it, I wait a half hour or so after a meal to decide, and usually it's a small amount or by then I don't want anything at all.

By snacking regularly but in small amounts, I stave off "big hunger" feelings, which keeps me from thinking I need a "big meal".

Also, I have trained myself (mostly due to laziness/distraction where I don't feel like doing the effort to get food for a while, or when I'm working on something and trying to get it done) to not really mind the pain of hunger and to work through it. I can now function for probably an hour with serious hunger pangs without it effecting me too badly - but in fact it motivates me to work faster/harder on whatever so I can get done and go eat.

I drink a ton of water, but slowly. I refill my glass like 10x per day from a refrigerated pitcher and sip it every couple of minutes. If you guzzle it all at once it will stretch out your stomach and make it feel empty, and you will feel hungry. But if you keep regularly hydrated your body will function better in general, and that includes digestion.

Now that I work mostly from home, I eat when I feel like it, and I don't often make a "balanced meal" but rather one thing at a time like the caveman diet. I'll make a tilapia fillet (Trader Joes) with some TJ's salsa on it, and eat that, and then work a while or do whatever. Then I'll go back later and have an apple or a salad. Then later an english muffin or some chips with salsa or whatever. These are very small meals spaced over the course of the day.

Hope that helps and good luck with your weight loss. Remember to try to ease into better habits rather than making drastic changes, as the latter are much harder to keep up over the long haul.

Excellent points. Insulin is your enemy when it comes to fat accumulation, so controlling it is crucial. Unfortunately in NorAm culture you are surrounded by sugar at all times, much of it hidden. If you can learn to avoid it in all its various guises you will be making big strides.

Alcohol is problematic as well, since it adds calories without any nutritive value, and if you are like me, self-control is extremely difficult while under the influence of alcohol. Use moderation, maybe restricting yourself to one drink per day or something like that.

You may also want to shun caffeine (also hidden in many products like soft-drinks and chocolate) since it will monkey with your metabolism and your cravings.

By the way, j, is your avatar the infamous BMW opposed-twin? As a K-bike guy, I find it repulsive

I try to eat at the same time everyday. For me, breakfast 08:00am, lunch 13:00, dinner: 19:00 (in between lunch and dinner I will have tea/snack time)

I don`t eat huge portions. There`s an old saying in Japan that translates to something like, "Eat up to 80% of your stomach."

I eat a lot of vegetables. Again, they say you should eat 3 times the amount of vegetables in comparison to the meat or main dish that you eat.

I chew for a very long time before swallowing. It takes me at least an hour to eat dinner. I noticed that fat people take very large bites and practically swallow the food after a chewing only a few times.

Other than that, I eat ***** stuff on occassion, deserts, and drink too. I don`t think there is anything wrong with the bad stuff as long as your regular, daily diet is naturally healthy. I really don`t see why everyone thinks they have to work out all the time to stay slim either.

Add a fish oil supplement to your diet. Don't eat carbs and fat at the same time. Don't eat anything with bleached or enriched flour as an ingredient. In fact, if you eat bread, stop.

#1: Don't eat anything with more than 4 ingredients if the entire piece of food is the same color. I guarantee that when you stop worrying about calories and start worrying about ingredients, you'll lose the weight.

P.S. My guarantee means nothing. Good Luck!

Originally Posted by ken

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Add a fish oil supplement to your diet. Don't eat carbs and fat at the same time. Don't eat anything with bleached or enriched flour as an ingredient. In fact, if you eat bread, stop.

#1: Don't eat anything with more than 4 ingredients if the entire piece of food is the same color. I guarantee that when you stop worrying about calories and start worrying about ingredients, you'll lose the weight.

P.S. My guarantee means nothing. Good Luck!

I am sure it`s all good advice, but your description doesn`t sound like eating habits of NATURALLY SLIM PEOPLE like the OP said. It sounds more like fitness guru, body building talk to me.

I'm not sure anyone should be eating like a naturally slim person unless they actually ARE a naturally slim person. I am a naturally skeletal person; I can eat almost anything and stay downright ghoulish if I don't make a concerted effort to gain weight. My eating habits are going to be next to useless, and probably harmful, to someone who doesn't share my metabolism.

Originally Posted by Dragon

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I am sure it`s all good advice, but your description doesn`t sound like eating habits of NATURALLY SLIM PEOPLE like the OP said. It sounds more like fitness guru, body building talk to me.

You brought up a good point. Eating shouldn't be a habit. It should be a hobby. Lots of people here are constantly thinking about what kinds of pants or ties people are wearing. I do the same thing with food:

"What did I just eat? What do I have to eat next in order to maintain weight? Tonight I'm going to have an olive oil chaser with my shot of Beam." Etc.

I'm naturally skinny, but thanks to being a food fanatic I can usually stay around 10 or 15 lbs. above my "normal" weight. It takes the same dedication to lose weight.

I am a naturally slim person, I used to be a lot slimmer. But trust me, you wouldn't want to adopt my eating habbits, which used to be unbelievable. I have a fairly high metabolism now, it used to be even higher. I used to eat, eat, eat, eat, constantly when I got home from school. I ate massive portions too. I ate bugers, fries, coke, constantly. Burritos, entire large pizzas, 8 or 9 tacos at a time, everything and anything bad for you, I ate it and was still in amazing shape. That was purely the result of my genes and my blazing fast metabolism.

Originally Posted by lance konami

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everything and anything bad for you, I ate it and was still in amazing shape.
You make it sound like it is a good thing. I was like this for years and I hated it, although I had a very difficult time explaining why it is such a pain-in-the-ass to people trying to lose weight (a huge majority).

Think about it people, that means that you *have* to eat all the time if you don't want to end up skeleton-thin. A few years ago I weighed 151 pounds for my 6 feet 4 and there was seamingly nothing I could do to gain a little weight. It took me 5 years of dieting to achieve a more normal weight (about 196 pounds now). And that's awfully hard diet we're talking about. It's always possible to eat less, but if you are already eating huge amounts and trying to eat even more, that's sometimes almost impossible.

Sorry for the rant.

Originally Posted by ken

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"What did I just eat? What do I have to eat next in order to maintain weight? Tonight I'm going to have an olive oil chaser with my shot of Beam." Etc.

Can you explain to me the whole olive oil thing? I feel like some people mentioned drinking straight olive oil for some kind of health benefit. Why? How is this better than using this in my food?

Originally Posted by clarinetplayer

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1. Stop snacking after the evening dinner. It is amazing how much better you will sleep and how much better you will feel in the morning. Eating after dinner is just creating FAT.

Incorrect. http://www.ediets.com/news/article.c..._1741946/cid_1

Certain foods (peanut butter, cottage cheese etc.) are perfect for pre-bedtime consumption. Athletes, bodybuilders... all do it.