Are you a "thin eater"? .....I'm trying to decide on a DIET/lifestyle and I need advice

[AnnaBeth]

Are you a thin eater (a person who only thinks about food when they're physiologically hungry --- stomach growing/etc.)?    

If you're a thin eater......how does this work?   I hear "thin eaters" don't even think about food and even forget to eat!!!   And they don't like getting stuff. They eat just enough and that's all.     What makes you think about eating (stomach growling, etc.)?   If you're a thin eater, please describe this "phenomenon" to me!

 

I'm trying to choose a "DIET PATH" and I can't decide if my goal should be to try to learn how to be a thin eater or if I should do the calorie counting or point counting.  The latter just seems so daunting/like being enslaved.   If you're not a "thin eater", what's worked for you?

[KungFuPanda]

I think I've always been that way, but honestly now that I've inched past forty I might have to resort to ::gulp:: making an effort.

 

I do think about food, but I like to cook and eat. I actually like MOST foods, so I have no issues with pickiness. I think it makes it easier to make 'wise' choices when you're just picking something else you really like. I do wait until I'm hungry to eat/cook. Food tastes better when you're hungry. I'm also a VERY slow eater and it's not unusual for us to sit at the dinner table for an hour or more. Also, I like to eat until the hunger goes away, but not until I'm stuffed. I hate that feeling. However, when I'm forced to eat to fast (15 minute lunch) the full feeling doesn't hit until all of the food is gone! It's hard/impossible to regulate by feel if you eat really fast. If I'm busy, I will forget to eat, but that's not good because the trip from hungry to woozy can be fairly quick and will ruin my appetite.

 

I've never done the regimented "I eat x meals every day." I feed the kids 3 meals, but some days I'm not hungry until lunchtime, so my tea IS breakfast. On those days I tend to have a larger lunch which results in wanting a smaller/lighter dinner later. If I time it right, a Chipotle burrito bowl can keep me happy all day. Other days, I eat ALL of the meals plus snacks. My appetite seems to adjust quickly to my activity level which isn't insistent from dat-to-day.

 

Still, I need to step up my game for the first time in my life. I already get a lot of exercise with multiple dance classes in the evenings, but I'm considering adding a morning walk to my day. I don't care for morning activity :-/

[Catwoman]

I don't know that you can change from being a person who thinks a lot about food, to someone who often forgets to eat.

 

I'm one of those people who forgets to eat and doesn't think about food unless I'm trying to figure out what to have for dinner, but I didn't do anything to become that way, so I would assume that the reverse would be true as well.

 

I guess you might be able to change your thought patterns over time, but I would assume that it would take years to re-train your mind not to think about food if your nature is to be hungry a lot.

 

If you're looking for steady weight loss, I'm afraid you're going to have to pay attention to eating a clean diet, cutting some calories, and adding more physical activity and exercise to your day. There is no easy fix when it comes to weight loss, and changing your way of thinking simply isn't going to happen any time soon.

 

I wish I had more encouraging news for you. :grouphug:

[SailorMom]

I'm hypoglycemic, and my blood sugar usually dictates when I eat :) 

As for being a thin eater - I've never even heard of that! 

As for staying thin, I think the best advice I could give would be to never eat until you're full.  Only eat until you aren't hungry anymore.  I'll frequently eat very small amounts when I think I've been eating too much for too long to shrink my stomach down to a better size.  Once your stomach is smaller, it is far easier not to overeat!  Also, I am doing paleo/primal now, and even though I wasn't trying to, I lost 10 lbs (I was already at the lower end of the BMI charts before that - so really not trying to).  Lastly - eat a lot of veggies and less carbs.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I'm not sure if I'm a thin eater.  I try to eat clean (i.e, no processed foods, sugar, breads, limited dairy and meat) and generally listen to my stomach.  I like to eat a substantial breakfast and then I graze on fruits and veggies through lunch and eat a light dinner.  I'm fine with going to bed a little hungry.  When I feel hungry, I drink more liquids.  

 

I have found that when I count calories that I obsess over food.  When my aim is to eat clean, it's a lot easier to maintain a normal weight.  My weight was a lot more of a problem when I dieted.    When I adopted a clean eating life style, my weight stabilized.

 

 

[Halcyon]

I am a thin eater (didn't know there was even a name for it!!!) I often forget to eat, don't think much about food at all.......I prefer light foods--salad with nuts, greens, smoothies, fruit. I do have a weakness for chips, but we don't have them around the house much. I recently gave up processed foods (didn't eat much, but cereal sometimes) and refined sugar, and the problem now is that I have lost 9 lbs but didn't need to. I need to eat more nuts and avocados and beans (I am vegetarian).

 

I just don't think about food much. I don't know why. I like cooking and baking for my family, but find eating to be more of a chore, in general. (Unless it's my favorite raw food restaurant nearby--that place, I love. Luckily, it's expensive and far away, or my budget would be hurting!)

 

[kitten18]

My MIL is a thin eater.  She really doesn't care about food much at all.  She is also very active.

 

It doesn't make her have a thin body.

 

It's not enough to counteract age and hormonal changes.

[Nestof3]

I just wanted to chime in. Being a thin eater doesn't equate to being thin. Of course, there is probably more overheating going on that does contribute to being overweight.

 

Stable blood sugar can be crucial to weight loss. I like to think of the phrase "Eat to live, not live to eat." Food has a purpose, and we should purpose to eat food that nourishes us. And, I think we have to consider our activity level. By not eating regularly, you are depriving your body of nutrients if you actually eat nutrient-dense food. I think it's best to rethink food as stuff you eat to nourish yourself and fill your belly -- not just stuff you eat because you crave it or because it tastes good. (Toug good food can taste good).

 

That said, I do find I eat less now that I am gluten-free and nearly grain-free. (Also nearly sugar-free with no artificial substitutes). I think it has something to do with cravings and blood sugar/insulin spikes.

[mommymilkies]

I had the opposite reaction going gluten free. I was absolutely starving all of the time. I could eat a steak or half rack of ribs and my stomach would still be painfully hungry. I went through that for about two years. I'm back on gluten now and finally I'm not constantly starving. I sometimes forget to eat lunch, or I'll feed the kids and just snack through the day. I'm diagnosed hypoglycemic, so I have to eat often and avoid sugary foods that make me crash. Idk how to encourage you, though. I don't think one way of eating is ideal for everybody.

[Geo]

Nestof3...I completely agree about blood sugar, this has always been the case for me. I lost 55lbs just by removing processed foods. I also drink fresh vegetable juices for boundless energy and keeping unhealthy cravings at bay. Being truly nourished-FIRST, THAT is THE key to eliminating unhealthy cravings and poor eating habits.

[Geo]

hiccup :)

[Nestof3]

I agree that bodies are different and we need to find what works best. My mom is GF but not grain-free, so she eats corn, potatoes, GF flours, rice, GF bread, etc. It sounds like you went grain-free, not just GF. I'd starve too if I didn't eat tons of veggies, nuts, avocado, coconut oil, and fruit with my meat/fish.

 

I've learned a lot from my friend with type 1 diabetes about blood sugar control. I had no idea type 1 was so complicated. I imagine hypoglycemia is also complicated.

 

I had the opposite reaction going gluten free. I was absolutely starving all of the time. I could eat a steak or half rack of ribs and my stomach would still be painfully hungry. I went through that for about two years. I'm back on gluten now and finally I'm not constantly starving. I sometimes forget to eat lunch, or I'll feed the kids and just snack through the day. I'm diagnosed hypoglycemic, so I have to eat often and avoid sugary foods that make me crash. Idk how to encourage you, though. I don't think one way of eating is ideal for everybody.

[mommymilkies]

I only went grain free during Whole 30. I ate plenty of millet, corn, rice, nuts, coconut oil, coconut milk, everything. In some ways it helped, but in the end, it wasn't worth feeling like I was starving to death all of the time. Before I would eat a smoothie (avocado, coconut, fruit, banana, nuts, gelatin, flax) and potatoes or eggs. That would have me waking up to a growling stomach to eat. Now, I eat a small slice of bread and I'm good til breakfast. Everyone is different. Dh is Type 1 Diabetic and I am hypoglycemic, so eating gets funny here. ;)

[MissKNG]

I don't think you can just become a thin eater by saying "Starting right now, I'm going to be a thin eater!"

 

It's all about choices and portion control when you start to feel hungry and knowing when to stop before you are stuffed full.

 

I don't eat much. When I do eat stuff, it's *usually* not heavy or greasy because I just don't like that heavy/full feeling. I eat smaller bites and take my time with stuff. I am also a very plain eater, I don't like lots of dressing/sauces slopping up my food.

 

If you want a lifestyle change, you need to first look at which choices you make when hungry and the portions you consume.

[Soror]

I'm not familiar w/ the term thin eater as you've defined it. I am a person who is thin. But I wouldn't say I never think about food. I actually think that not thinking about food or hardly eating is not the best strategy for losing or maintaining. I have a friend who is as you describe but struggles with her weight. The problem is that she doesn't eat all day and then ends up eating too much of the wrong food in the evening as she is starving by then. She also frequently ends up w/ blood sugar crashes from her erratic eating.

 

I agree w/ a lot of the points made by previous posters. Habits that I think help me to maintain a healthy weight/lose pp weight:

1) Eat REAL foods-95-99% of the time, eating good is a lifestyle not a diet, find a way of eating that makes you feel good and is something you can maintain

2) Eat until just full but not stuffed

3)Research about healthy lifestyles/eating BUT you must listen to your own body. There are healthy eaters out there who are paleo, vegetarian, Mediterranean, etc.

 

After last pregnancy I went low carb and that worked well. I lost my weight pretty quickly and felt great. Now after this pregnancy I've done some low carb but I've found that I don't feel the best when I'm super low carb. I'm eating grain free/gluten/dairy/soy/sugar free but am getting a good amount of carbs from fruit and sweet potatoes.

[Danestress]

I have mostly been thin/normal as an adult. I wouldn't say that I don't think about food. I do think about it. But I have always had a hard time relating to women who are really 'ruled' by it. I am not someone who would care overly about cupcakes or brownies. I don't understand why women seem so obsessed with chocolate. I don't think my mother or sisters (all thin) would be fascinated by those things either. I don't have much of an emotional "relationship" with food. I do find it hard to stop eating nuts once I start, which is ironic because they give me canker sores, and I still can't stop eating them once I start, lol.

 

I do think some of it is genetic. I don't have blood sugar problems. If I don't eat, I will be hungry, but that is it - for half a day maybe.

 

I do like food, but I try to eat enough at meals so that I won't be hungry for 5 or 6 hours. I don't want to have to plan snacks. I eat high calorie food - always have. I definitely eat until I am quite full. It seems to me that if you always eat lightly, you just increase the number of times a day you will think about and mess with food.

[Deb in NZ]

I've never heard the term "thin eater," but what you describe is what I've become after changing my WoE (way of eating.)  After seeing family pictures from dd's 21st b-day party, I was disgusted at how big I'd let myself get.  I decided to make a huge change to my relationship with food.  I now follow the 5:2 diet, but it is more of a lifestyle choice than a diet.  Since 29th April I have lost 22.5 lbs & many inches off my waist / hips / etc.  Today I put on a pair of jeans that I haven't fit in for over 8 years & they fit perfectly  :hurray:

The biggest change has been that I don't seem to "lose the plot" when I get hungry.  I used to get very grumpy, anxious, light-headed, headaches, etc. when it was time to eat.  Now I recognize hunger for what is it & being hungry doesn't faze me.  I like that I can have the foods I enjoy regularly, but still keep to this "diet."  I have pretty much given up soda painlesssly, something that I have never before been able to do.  

 

For more info , google 5:2.  There is a 5:2 group on FB that is great support.  The best thing is that you can fit 5:2 to your lifestyle, there is no special foods, etc. to buy, & no weekly meetings that cost heaps.  

 

JMHO,

[Rosie_0801]

I'm only like that when I'm unwell.

[Catwoman]

I think the OP has left us after her first post. Maybe she'll come back tomorrow.

[Hikin' Mama]

I'm not overweight (I don't like the term thin, because my goal is to be fit) and I like to eat, so I'll throw out my experience. First off, I think my metabolism is genetic, and that's a factor you can't change. I do, however, work out to keep it revved up and to maintain fitness. The muscle tone I have is not genetic, so I have to be diligent with my strength training.

 

As far as eating goes, I try to eat a relatively clean diet. If I'm going to have a treat, I make it count. For me that means I won't eat any old ice cream, I will only eat Hagen Daaz or Breyer's coffee. It's my favorite, so if I'm going to consume a fatty sugar-laden treat, I'm going to only eat the best (what I consider the best). Also, sometimes I will skip dinner and consume a pint of Hagen Daaz. I do that very rarely, and I'm not suggesting it as a weight loss method. :) I don't like to feel stuffed, and I can't have dinner and a bunch of ice cream, too, so I skip dinner. Also, I eat when I'm hungry and try to stop before I feel full. This means sometimes I eat 6 times a day and sometimes I only eat 3 times. I really try to listen to my gut. Another thing I do when I know there is going to be lots of food is to decide before I go what I will eat. For example, it's Thanksgiving and I'm only going to consume three of the foods offered. Then I let that digest and have dessert in a couple hours. I have adopted these practices not out of a desire to control weight, but because I've had lots of digestive issues in my life. But I do think they also help with weight loss.

 

Another thing I've found is that I have much more self control at the grocery store (as long as I'm not hungry, ha ha!) than I do at home. So I don't bring junk home that I will be tempted to eat.

 

As others have said, every body is different and is going to react differently to different approaches to eating.

[AnnaBeth]

I'm still here....just taking it all in :-)

 

 

thanks for the responses

[Hwin]

I track my calories. If you meal plan, then it doesn't have to get obsessive; you plan out meals, you input the meals, you eat smaller portions than you used to. I've lost 40 lbs "eating fat." I literally eat a lot of fat in my diet, but I haven't cut out anything I enjoy. Of course, I try to fill up most of my day with nutritious choices.