I’m not really sure what to put. I do go to the gym a fair amount and I only eat when I’m hungry–intuitive eating, or whatnot. But even when I never went to the gym, I was skinny just due to metabolism.
I’m a week away from reaching Lifetime status in Weight Watchers, which means I’ve maintained my goal weight (a loss of almost 75 pounds) for 6 weeks.
I still feel like I put a lot of work into maintaining, though the habits are much more second nature now. I’m always tracking my food mentally if not on paper or online, and always thinking about what I already ate today or this week and what I’m going to eat later. I try to keep fruits and veggies cut up and/or cooked in the fridge, ready to go. On each WW weigh-in day, I think about my upcoming week and what “food events” I’ll have, so I can plan around them. And now I walk/run at least 5K on most days. I’m signed up for a 10K and a half marathon in September (though I plan to walk part of the latter).
I used to just eat my way through each day – and I don’t mean binging on junk food constantly, just not planning what I was eating, not making healthier substitutions that I could live with, etc.
Size 10 beats size 24 any day. I plan to keep it up.
Glory (you rockin’ chick, you), may I quote you on this in next week’s WW meeting? As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ll be hitting Lifetime, and I’m sure I’ll be asked to say something, and this expresses very well what it’s like (and why it’s a great idea) to keep in the weight-control mindset once we reach goal, instead of going back to old habits.
I’m slightly overweight and improving. Although eating healthfully and exercising are more second nature to me than before, it’s still a daily struggle and always at the back of my mind. I had an eating disorder in high school, recovered, ran a few marathons, but then I had children and it was all over from there. I’m slowly, slowly clawing my way back to healthy, but it took a hard kick in the pants in the form of dangerously high cholesterol to force me to get my act together.
Losing weight is hard and I really wish I hadn’t let myself balloon in the first place. Still, having an eating disorder does not exactly give you a whole lot of knowledge about how to eat healthfully. But it sure does screw you over later.
I’m skinny and pay no attention to my caloric intake or anything else. I pretty much eat whatever, though from what I can tell, my skinniness comes from the fact that I just don’t have a big appetite. I eat whatever I want, but get full very quickly so I don’t eat much. I’ve had friends get blown away by the fact that I’ll stop eating with half a plate of fries left because I’m full.
I also have a pretty small appetite. When I’m full, I’m full, and I won’t keep eating just because the food is there.
I voted for the third option, because although I don’t make any special effort to control my diet, I am pretty active. I commute to work by bike, 9 miles each way every day, and usually go for a bike ride at least one day at the weekend too. My doctor tells me I should be eating at least 3000 calories a day. I’ve never tried counting them, but I think some days I fall well short of that, as I tend to forget to eat if I’m busy. I’ll happily skip lunch if I’m busy at work without even really noticing.
I’m 5’10" and 11st 5lb (159lb) last time I weighed myself. I think that’s on the low end of ideal, according to this chart Ideal weight Chart for Men - Weight Loss Resources
“Healthy weight- I take health into account when planning meals and/or make an effort to be active.”
Female, six feet tall, late 20s, and probably somewhere around 165. Healthy range for my height based on BMI is about 140-183, so I’m comfortably in the middle of that.
I generally keep an eye on what I eat, and I’ll cut way back on fattening things if I notice I’m starting to get some tummy pudge or back fat. I almost never drink soda anymore. If I’m snacking, it’s generally something like baby carrots or a small bag of pretzel nuggets. I don’t eat dessert often. I try to limit my portions so I don’t overeat when I’m cooking at home, and I’ve learned to stop eating when I go out if I’ve gotten full, versus eating everything on the plate. (Though I sometimes have a hard time if the meal is especially delicious.) I started a C25K running program a month or two ago; I had to take a couple weeks off after screwing up my ankle, but I’m getting back into the swing again, running three times a week. I sometimes also walk to or from work, depending on the weather and my schedule.
Ditto for me, though I started going to the gym this year as well. (5’7", 118 lbs last I checked.) I just don’t eat that much.
I don’t count calories religiously, but I do try to keep a vague running tally over the day (“figure breakfast was about 800 calories, so go easy on lunch and dinner”). I did a good deal of research a couple years ago, so I have a fairly good sense on what to cut back on and what’s not worth cutting back on (it’s better to get a small fry and a hefty burger than a small burger and a bunch of fries).
I don’t exercise too much, though I don’t have a particular aversion to it. I really dislike the area I live in right now, and being Arizona, it’s foolish to be outside for any length of time during the day. I intend on getting a treadmill, but it’s low on the priority list.
As a result, I’m moderately overweight, but despite the lack of exercise and generally eating whatever I feel like eating, I haven’t gained any weight in the two years since I stopped going to the gym, and in fact I’ve had to tighten my belt two notches so far this year.
It’s cancer. Can I have your stuff?
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too. I’m a size eight but according to my BMI of 26.something I’m slightly overweight for my height (though I’d like to tell myself it’s because I’m muscular, my nicely muscled thighs and butt are fairly well padded too) so I picked “overweight: I take health into account when planning meals and/or make an effort to be active.” But I put a lot more effort into the latter than the former because I exercise daily but have a wicked sweet tooth. With the amount of sweets I eat, I’d easily be 200 pounds if I didn’t exercise… and if I didn’t force myself not to eat all the sweets I’d like to, I’d be much heavier than that.
Well, at least it’s not diabetes. That’s really my primary goal. I’d like to look trim and buff and sexy, but for the most part I do just enough that I’m not at any more risk than I already am.
And no, you can’t. I’m going to let a goldseller have my account.
I’m somewhere between the first and second option. Occasionally I’ll think to myself that I should start watching what I eat or exercising, but I’m easily distracted and it’s more for my overall health than weight. I’m sure there’s something in my subconscious or biology that has me eat less junk or more fresh foods when I need them, so I’m pretty much relying on that until I wake up one morning 25 lbs heavier.
Oh but I do think about food in terms of what I’d like to cook, bake and eat. And i’m not trying to be an obnoxious ‘Ooh I eat whatever I want and can’t gain weight, wah wah wah!’ type. I think good genes, incidental walking and not dieting is helping me stay fit.
Formerly borderline obese, now hovering between healthy weight and overweight, with an ultimate goal of being a healthy weight, period. I have done a LOT of work to get here and will continue to put in effort once I reach my goal.
Most of the effort is psychological, and most of it is focused on diet. You have to change the way you think about food: its function in your life, how you eat it, what you choose to eat. You have to find a motivation that is truly motivating. You have to outsmart your rationalizations and be cognizant of when your thoughts and actions could lead to sliding back into bad habits. You have to think of ways to make the process enjoyable and rewarding, and you have to tailor your plan to your habits and tastes.
The irony is although I eat far less than before, I think about food more than ever. I count every calorie. I keep a food log and can tell you what and how much I’ve eaten every day since December 20. If I want something “bad”, I weigh whether it’s worth the calorie cost. I cook every meal at home and constantly am on the lookout for new tasty low-cal foods. And because part of my approach is to stick with foods I enjoy, I am surrounded by foods I like to eat. It all sounds like a sadistic test of willpower, but it hasn’t been.
As far as exercise, I walk about six miles a week. It’s built into my daily routine, so I don’t even notice it. And because I like my time alone, I really enjoy the exercise time, because often, that’s the only undisturbed time I have.
I picked Healthy weight-I take large measures but I could probably stay slim on I take health into account. I’m usually picky about how I look (aesthetically I like having my bodyfat low enough for ab definition), and want to stay in peak physical condition, and that requires me to put a fair amount of effort into what I eat and how I train.
I monitor my calories and my macronutrient breakdown. I eat lots of lean protein, restrict my carbs (except after training and cheat meals), and eat 5-7 serves of vegetables a day. My husband and I don’t like eating the same stuff over and over, so I spend a lot of time researching new, healthy meals. I exercise twice a day, five times a week on average (a mix of weight lifting, brazilian jiu jitsu, boxing and judo), and usually walk 30-60 minutes to get to training.
It’s a fair bit of work, especially because it goes against my natural inclinations towards sedentariness and salty, fatty food, but for me it’s worth it.
I’m somewhat overweight, walk a few miles a day, miss going to the gym (can’t afford it again yet), but eat too much sugar still. I do make an effort to eat healthy. I’m quite strong and pretty fit, but need to lose weight.
I’m 5’ 6". I was well over 200 lbs. all through college (1986 - 1992). I ate anything I wanted. I had no discipline. I ate like an eight year old kid.
I weighed over 220 lbs. when I graduated from college in 1992. I told myself, “I don’t want to be this way anymore.” I was already short and balding, and I didn’t want to end up being the stereotypical “short bald fat guy.” 
I knew I couldn’t do anything about being short and bald, but I could do something about my weight.
So in 1993 I radically changed my diet. Since 1993 I have hovered between 150 and 165. Right now I’m around 157.
What’s the diet? I never eat fast food. I don’t eat any fried foods. I don’t eat anything high in fat. I don’t eat anything that is greasy. I don’t eat anything that contains butter, lard, mayo, cheese, or oil. I don’t eat cheese, butter, cookies, bread, French fries, hamburgers, subs, pizza, cake, mayo, gravy, fried chicken, pancakes, hash browns, potato chips, sausage, ice cream, bacon, onion rings, mashed potatoes, milk shakes, soda, peanut butter, or whole milk. This is not a complete list by any means, but I think you get the drift. (On special occasions I’ll sometimes cheat, e.g. during a party I might have a few slices of pizza.)
The good news is that I’ve been able to keep the weight off. But it’s a daily struggle. I still love the taste of bad food, but I have to force myself to eat good stuff.
So you’ve removed every ounce of fun out of eating?
Personally I don’t really like food, but that kind of extreme seems to be missing one of the key parts of what makes life worth living.
That befuzzled me too. I’d hate for someone trying to lose weight to come in here and think that’s what it takes.
I’ve lost about 10 pounds more than Crafter_Man since April 2009, and along the way I’ve had some of everything on that list. In moderation. In small portions. Now and then. In lighter versions. A slice or two of thin-crust, whole-grain pizza topped with veggies and a little cheese can be an awesome meal and still good for you.
Couple things:
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I now enjoy eating healthy foods… fresh fish, lean poultry (not fried), fruits, grains, and vegetables. There are a lot of healthy foods out there if you look.
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I have a difficult time eating in moderation. If I eat one potato chip, I’ll want another… and another… and another. It’s actually much easier for me to eat *no *potato chips than eat “just a few.”