"How Do you Stay so Thin?"

Someone at work asked me that today (I'm 5 lbs from my goal)... It was awesome.

I thought... if you only knew... I wanted to say: a nutritionist (last year), a trainer, yoga, kickboxing, calorie-count.com, the gym, weighing myself every morning, no refined sugar, no FAKE sugar, hot water w lemon in the morning when I wake up, no hydrogenated oils, blueberries in my kashi, SELF, Women's Health, hungry-girl.com emails, taking the dog for a walk after dinner (even when my stomach's full), packing sneakers/sportsbra on business trips, hummus and carrots, egg whites, fruit salad instead of birthday cake, whole grain bread, SALAD, olive oil....

My actual reply, "I try to watch what I eat, and I work out." (I thought it sounded more sane!)

How do YOU stay so thin?

I think we should all actually start admitting out loud to anyone who asks what exactly we do to stay/be/get in shape.  I would like that.  Because otherwise I assume it's easy for everyone else, but hard for me, lol.

I run or elliptical a minimum of 4 miles every day (5 or 6 on non weight lifting days), on an incline or at high resistance, plus 3-4 days a week with weight lifting (about 45 minutes).  I also eat oatmeal EVERY DAY for breakfast, with berries, ground flaxseed, and almonds in it.  Lots of fruits and veggies, eggs, chicken, salmon, occasional red meat.  Seldom eat fried food, cut way back on high fat cheeses etc..  It's hard work.  But I feel great. 

I LOVE dls337's response. Well, for one, I drink a hell of a lot of water to not feel hungry, go out of my way to take walks, religously visit calorie-count and wonder if I had nine baby carrots today - or ten, refuse that cookie my coworker keeps offering, don't do refined or fake sugar, having drank a coke, diet coke, WHATEVER it is in more than a year, and still haven't gotten a "how do you stay so thin..." comment (up until this post of course ;) )

I love hearing what everyone else's secrets are!

Also, that's an interesting theory about telling the truth (about how much work it really is to get to or stay at a healthy weight). But it kind of depends what kind of crowd you're in. 

 I kind of feel like I'm shunned at my office sometimes for making healthy choices - because it then makes others feel bad about their daily mcmuffin / cookies every day / candy at their desk.  So, I try not to really go into it...  I already get the "Are you on a diet? Why don't you have a slice of cake?  Oh DANA won't eat that she's too HEALTHY..."  Haha.  Or - "yes, I'm eating edamame at 10:30 a.m. Stop staring at me." hahaha.

 hot water w lemon in the morning when I wake up

 What exactly does this do for you???

~H~

Original Post by dls337:

I love hearing what everyone else's secrets are!

Also, that's an interesting theory about telling the truth (about how much work it really is to get to or stay at a healthy weight). But it kind of depends what kind of crowd you're in. 

 I kind of feel like I'm shunned at my office sometimes for making healthy choices - because it then makes others feel bad about their daily mcmuffin / cookies every day / candy at their desk.  So, I try not to really go into it...  I already get the "Are you on a diet? Why don't you have a slice of cake?  Oh DANA won't eat that she's too HEALTHY..."  Haha.  Or - "yes, I'm eating edamame at 10:30 a.m. Stop staring at me." hahaha.

 I WANT TO BE THAT GIRL! What? Because I have an extra 30 lbs on me I can be your "she'll eat bad with me" buddy? No! I don't want to be that girl anymore! So now I say I pack my lunch and I have even said that YES I am trying to get back into shape. It's true--what's wrong with admitting that I care about making healthy choices?

We should stop worrying about what those other women say. ESPECIALLY the ones who are 5'8", 120lbs, and eating the cake. I'm not like them... that cake would go to my... everything. I'll pass, thanks.

I do the hot water and lemon in the am too. It got me off my tea + half & half routine. I wanted to quit caffeine. It took a wholw month to go through withdrawls. I read tht the hot leon juice is very cleansing, and helps with digestion. Also good for the liver. 

I drink hot water in the morning too, actually all day because it's so freezing in the office :) I put lemon on my apples with cinnamon. Cinnamon is an appetite suppressant and lemon helps burn fat. Water helps clean out your system and gets everything running properly.

Here's what I do to stay thin: I plan every meal, I weigh every ounce of food, I write down my calories. I make smart choices. Every morning I weigh myself, and every so often I take measurements. Most of all, I am accountable for what I eat, and when I fall off the wagon, I get right back on it!

I hunt down recipes for 'better for me' foods. My most recent is pancakes. I make amazing whole wheat, oat protein packed pancakes.

People really don't want to know why you are thinner than them :) They will think it's too hard.

"People really don't want to know why you are thinner than them :) They will think it's too hard."

That's so true.  All my friends started dieting when I did.  They weighed, I don't know, maybe 10 pounds more than I did at the time.  They all took pills, bought special meals, did whatever crazy... I mean, there's a girl that is "not allowed" to eat onions.  um, onions? OK....

Anyway, I'm now, seriously, 80-100 pounds lighter than they are (depending on which friend).  They ask how I did it.  I tell them "you watched me do it.  I ate less and exercised more."

That so totally wasn't what they wanted to hear.  Especially since their "special food" is NOT working.  calories in, calories out, people...

sigh.

I haven't gotten the "oh you look so skinny!" saying yet from anyone but it's because I've only lost 5 lbs. I don't have much weight to loose so I doubt it'll be that noticeable with clothes on anyhow.

I have this process of slowly cutting back on different stuff that I did that I knew was really unhealthy but just couldn't stop doing so before. At the beginning of the whole dieting, I worked out a lot so I could see the pounds melting away--I got a bit more motivated from this. Once that happened, I started dropping little unhealthy habits one at a time...

- no more ketchup!! (I'm obsessed with it! The salmonella outbreak also helped with this :S)

- I started to actually pay attention to serving sizes.

- stopped eating fast food (mcdonalds, burger king, wendy's). I still eat out occasionally at restaurants but not nearly as much as I used to.

- stopped getting 2nds! (ughhh so hard to do! But after the start of counting my calories, I realized this was where I was hurt the most)

- My latest one was to once again stop drinking coca-colas. I stopped for a year or so but recently started back up with them. At restaurants I made it a habit to say coke or pepsi when the waitress asked what I wanted to drink. I try to just order a glass of water now. (I mostly do this so that my skin stays clearer too)

 

But isn't it so ironic that the ONE year that I don't make my new year's resolution "To loose weight!" I actually start to loose weight! haha

Can you give us your pancake recipe?? I love pancakes and waffles. I use Bisquick reduced fat. Make them with water and egg white instead of egg and milk and use sugar free Mrs. Butterworths syrup and Smuckers sugar free strawberry topping. YUM.

 

Original Post by x17star17x:

I drink hot water in the morning too, actually all day because it's so freezing in the office :) I put lemon on my apples with cinnamon. Cinnamon is an appetite suppressant and lemon helps burn fat. Water helps clean out your system and gets everything running properly.

Here's what I do to stay thin: I plan every meal, I weigh every ounce of food, I write down my calories. I make smart choices. Every morning I weigh myself, and every so often I take measurements. Most of all, I am accountable for what I eat, and when I fall off the wagon, I get right back on it!

I hunt down recipes for 'better for me' foods. My most recent is pancakes. I make amazing whole wheat, oat protein packed pancakes.

People really don't want to know why you are thinner than them :) They will think it's too hard.

 

hehe. i do sometimes get comments like "oh you eat so healthily" and people are sometimes a bit nosey regarding my foods, btu they do not get overboard. it does not make me feel especially good ("oh you are eating THIS!") but, it is a small price to pay for having healthier lunches:)

If people see me checking the calories on a label or saying no to something fattening they'll say 'but you're so thin - you don't have to watch your weight'. NO. I am so thin BECAUSE I watch my weight you idiot!!!!!!!!! Sorry, had to get that off my chest. People make you feel bad about doing something good for yourself and your body and it gets on my nerves. Although it is always nice for someone to say you're thin. haha. double edged sword.

"If people see me checking the calories on a label or saying no to something fattening they'll say 'but you're so thin - you don't have to watch your weight'. NO. I am so thin BECAUSE I watch my weight you idiot!!!!!!!!! Sorry, had to get that off my chest. People make you feel bad about doing something good for yourself and your body and it gets on my nerves. Although it is always nice for "someone to say you're thin. haha. double edged sword."

..AGREED... I also don't like to get into the "I lost x amount of lbs" success story BS either - bc then you're THAT person who lost weight and whatever... Maybe we can just make up flyers... "How do you stay so thin?" - oh, here.. read these bullet points.  It would certainly save some time / explanation :)

Original Post by dls337:


 I kind of feel like I'm shunned at my office sometimes for making healthy choices - because it then makes others feel bad about their daily mcmuffin / cookies every day / candy at their desk.  So, I try not to really go into it...  I already get the "Are you on a diet? Why don't you have a slice of cake?  Oh DANA won't eat that she's too HEALTHY..."  Haha.  Or - "yes, I'm eating edamame at 10:30 a.m. Stop staring at me." hahaha.

im always getting that crap at the office. i dont eat crap during the day because i dont want to. that doesn't mean that i dont treat myself, but i treat myself when, where & with what i want. its night time that i need the treats after dealing with the people i work with!!!

well i can't really say i have secrets for staying thin, i think i won't be able to say i've stayed thin until next jan (but im planning to, no if &'s or buts about it!!!). 

A little off topic, but this thread reminded me of a conversation with a colleague last week.

I was eating my salad in the lunch room and he stood next to me and asked, "Is that just vegetables?"

"Yes."

"No meat?"

"None."

"Do you ever bring meat?"

"Not at lunch time."  (fish, hard-boiled eggs, tofu, beans...)

"If you only eat vegetables for two weeks you'll go unconscious."

lol - this is from a PhD scientist! I had a can of tuna, some yogurt, and fruit salad. I guess tuna and yogurt aren't "real" protein. Isn't it amazing how the people around us are all nutrition experts?

ser25 - OMG Hilarious!

Well I've lost 37.6 pounds since January, and I've gotten a few compliments, and not yet any criticisms.

1.  From my dad:  "You skinny ****" (believe me, that's a compliment)

2.  From my boyfriend:  "You're gonna be so hot.  You look hotter everyday".

But... how did I get this way?  It was a series of different techniques starting with the simplest, and working to more complicated.

In January:  Eat until you're full.  Eat only those foods that you've heard "are healthy".  I would start with a salad at lunch time, and if I was still hungry, I'd eat chicken breast with two vegetables.  Rarely would I eat starches of any kind.  Exercised 4 days a week.  LOST 9.0 LB

In February:  Start eating whole grains, and limit your intake to 1300 - 1500 Calories.  Keep eating those foods that you've heard "are healthy".  Exercised 3 - 5 days a week.  LOST 9.6 LB

In March:  30 - 45 grams of fat limit, and start increasing my protein to above 70 grams everyday.  Didn't really count Calories  Exercised 3 days a week but also worked on my feet 2 - 3 times a week (for five hours or more).  LOST 2.4 LB

In April:  Increased fiber intake to consistently 25 or more (still struggling with this - had 21 today).  Didn't really count Calories. Didn't exercise but worked on my feet 2 - 3 days a week (for 5 hours or more).  LOST 4.2 LB

In May:  Start lowering my carbohydrate intake below 200 grams, keep between 175 and 200.  Carbs aren't bad for you, but they comprise wayyy too much of your food intake.  Exercised about twice a week and worked on my feet 2 - 3 days a week (for 5 hr or more).  LOST 3.4 LB

In June:  Keep doing everything above, but counting calories..  Exercised about once a week and worked on my feet 3 - 5 days a week (for 5 hours or more).  Refocused and LOST 9.0 LB.

That's what I did to get thin.  To stay thin, I'll increase to maintenance Calories and try to eat healthy.

More and more, people are starting to ask me the same question...my answer changes depending on who I am talking to. Sometimes, I'm funny about it: "I haven't eaten anything fun since February 15..." Sometimes, I just say "old-fashioned calorie counting."

A lot of people seem genuinely disappointed when I don't tell them it's a certain kind of pill or patch or book. "Education, people! It's all about education"--I yell this from the rooftops, but I don't think folks are ready... :)

I'm close to my goal too and people have started to ask me the same thing! Your post made me laugh! It's so true.... here's what my answer would be:

I work out 6 days a week even if I'm tired or "don't feel like it", compulsively check the nutrition information on EVERYTHING, only eat half the goods on my plate when I'm out to dinner, vodka/soda/splash of cran has officially replaced that daiquiri when I'm out on the town, if I know I have a big social event involving eating I make certain I had a good workout that day, log all my food into calorie count.com at every available moment, offer support to my friends in their journals, pack my lunches to work, pack my workout clothes with me WHEREVER I GO, keep my running shoes in the car, always have 24 almonds in a ziploc bag with me in case hunger strikes, take a walk every evening after dinner, nonfat cottage cheese and laughing cow light NOT brie and provolone, weigh myself at least once a week, when I'm down a pants size I donate all the larger sized ones to Goodwill, and I always look for new and fun ways to exercise and mix up the routine often including humiliating myself by attempting to learn soccer at age 30.

I actually did say something like that once to my overweight neighbor! She laughed and said, "whew, no thanks, I think I'd rather keep the pounds!" Oh well, to each their own I do suppose.

I love the emergency almonds idea! And I am right there with you on the running shoes in the trunk at all times.  With preparation comes power (and a cute bod!)!

Let's see...I do cardio 3-4 times per week on the Step Mill. I work with a trainer once a week, and my resistance workout at least once on my own. I rock climb -- indoors or outdoors (weather permitting) twice a week. During the winter I ice climb (when there's ice). I hike year round (last time I hiked, we did 13.5 miles, 2000 feet elevation gain). And I'm doing all this because of the big honking carrot I have in front of me...next month a friend and I are going to climb Mont Blanc. After that...who knows. Maybe the Matterhorn. Because for me it's not about getting or staying thin, it's about being able to do stuff...like climb.