How do people stay thin?

[ImperialSunlight]

^^^ That and the fact that they probably skip some meals, as long as you get enough vitamins and minerals then you actually don't need the calories that three meals a day provide.

I hear that skipping meals can cause your body to store more fat, so that it can survive another long period without food.

 

[DRTJR]

I stay thin via Eating copeous anount of Fast food almost every meal, Walking almost everywhere I need to go, and a godlike metabolism.

 

[Fusioncode9]

There's no such thing as a secret for weight-loss. Most people who can eat whatever they want and stay thin are active. Likely, it's not even formal exercise, it's just their normal activities.

I for one am a big fatty who is in the process of slimming down. Here is my "secret":

If you drink pop, stop it. Seriously...when I first started my work-outs, I hurt myself right away (bad luck at Ultimate Frisbee) but continued to not drink pop as part of my workout. I went from 240 pounds to 230 pounds on that alone in a few weeks.

Now I've healed up and have lost another ten pounds in two weeks by including exercise every day. Twenty minutes with my Kinect and UFC Trainer (you don't need this, all the exercises in the game are things you can do on your own). I like the game because it gives me structure and a goal. If you need something like this to help, it's well worth the price.

Just remember, you can exercise without having to do formal exercise. Find a friend and play tennis. Join a soccer league. Walk during your work break (my co-workers and I talk during this nice little walk around our building, it's business casual for us in Minnesota so no complaining that you can't do it)

Good job with the weight loss, but how does 20 minutes of exercise help you lose weight If I'm not mistaken, the first 20 minutes of an exercise is only burning carbs. And that doesn't help lose weight. It's only after the first 20 minutes that you start burning calories and losing weight.

I'm not trying to insult you or anything, I'm actually curious since I'm also trying to lose weight as well.

 

[Viral_Lola]

I cut out sodas and I also measure out my portions. Just eat right and exercise. There?s really no thing that works for everybody except for that. Every person?s body is different and you have to work with that. As for food cravings, I still have that one day of a week where I have one meal where I binge on my favorite delights.

 

[tippy2k2]

There's no such thing as a secret for weight-loss. Most people who can eat whatever they want and stay thin are active. Likely, it's not even formal exercise, it's just their normal activities.

I for one am a big fatty who is in the process of slimming down. Here is my "secret":

If you drink pop, stop it. Seriously...when I first started my work-outs, I hurt myself right away (bad luck at Ultimate Frisbee) but continued to not drink pop as part of my workout. I went from 240 pounds to 230 pounds on that alone in a few weeks.

Now I've healed up and have lost another ten pounds in two weeks by including exercise every day. Twenty minutes with my Kinect and UFC Trainer (you don't need this, all the exercises in the game are things you can do on your own). I like the game because it gives me structure and a goal. If you need something like this to help, it's well worth the price.

Just remember, you can exercise without having to do formal exercise. Find a friend and play tennis. Join a soccer league. Walk during your work break (my co-workers and I talk during this nice little walk around our building, it's business casual for us in Minnesota so no complaining that you can't do it)

Good job with the weight loss, but how does 20 minutes of exercise help you lose weight If I'm not mistaken, the first 20 minutes of an exercise is only burning carbs. And that doesn't help lose weight. It's only after the first 20 minutes that you start burning calories and losing weight.

I'm not trying to insult you or anything, I'm actually curious since I'm also trying to lose weight as well.

I don't know the science behind it and the twenty minute theory (though I've heard it before). Twenty minutes is also the low end, 20-30 is the norm. I also subscribe to Men's Health and a lot of their exercises are shorter periods daily of intense workout so I presume that twenty minutes is solid.

So anyway, I've heard that twenty minute thing but most things I see are about that long so I don't know how much I believe in the "twenty minute" thing. Not to mention that I can see my program working myself...

EDIT: Googled it, a few things that I found that might be helpful to answer that question. I always thought the twenty minute thing didn't make sense...

http://health.ninemsn.com.au/whatsgoodforyou/theshow/694570/how-much-exercise-do-you-need-before-you-start-burning-fat

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/busting-the-great-myths-of-fat-burning.html

http://femalemuscle.com/q_a/question16.htm

 

[chadachada123]

I've wanted to lose weight for a while now, and I have tried nearly everything (except diet pills and starving, I have my standards). The weird thing is that quite a few people I know tend to stay thin despite regularly eating burger king and such. I know some of them do work out, but some (like my girlfriend) somehow can stay thin without working out and despite apparently eating a lot (hell, I'm in much worse shape than my girlfriend, yet I have an easier time walking, thank you Mini-Boot Camp). I gotta ask, when it comes to those people, what's their secret?

OP, if I knew, I would tell you.

I, on the other hand, can not be fat, or even chubby, no matter what I eat or how little I work out. My body only ranges from "damn-fit" to "fit." I don't even become particularly skinny, except when a medical crisis occurs (I once became malnourished from sickness and got rather skinny). Otherwise, I'm just a regular, in shape, average-looking college boy.

I guess being an ex-swimmer certainly helped, but otherwise I'd say I have my metabolism to thank. I have no idea what it's like to have to control one's eating or training habits to stay in shape.

*Edit* Might as well include that 80% of my liquid-intake is in the form of Mountain Dew, and my food intake is crap as well, yet I'm still healthy as hell. I imagine my heart is probably going to explode within a few years, but otherwise, my body is basically perfect.

 

[SilentCom]

People stay thin by not getting fat. Nuff said.

 

[Ovoon]

I weigh 150 pounds and I eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I should be fat but, whatevs, guess not. xD

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Metabolisms my boy, metabolisms.

Oh god. Not this bro-science shit again.

http://boards.4chan.org/fit/

I know the escapist thinks they're high and mighty, but suck it up. Read the sticky. Achieve greatness.

You just linked to a thread that someone asks why their lower back is sore after weight training and the first response is 'You have AIDS'. Somehow I don't trust these guys.

The simple, all knowing equation is this:

If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight.
If you burn more calories than you eat, you lose weight.

You need to eat less calories and do more exercise.

 

[Mad World]

Metabolism plays a big part, but so does diet and exercise.

People with a higher metabolism have an easier time staying thinner - even if they eat a lot of things like fast food.

So eat right and hit the gym. Also, cardio is really good for losing weight. You could do just cardio, but weightlifting helps, too. If you want to look your best, I'd say go for both.

 

[kurupt87]

Being slim =! being fit

I am very slim but incredibly unfit. Five minutes of exertion and I'm pretty fucked. I just look healthy, I am far from it though.

This is something that media has to apologise for, slim does not mean healthy.

Seriously, being fit is far more important than being slim.

Just running or swimming twice a week will make you fit. Easy mode is joining a sports club, easy if you're at Uni. Trickier if you're at work, involves growing a pair and going out and finding a club.

 

[duchaked]

be born with a fast metabolism...

or just stay relatively physically active. cardio activity helps :}

 

[tippy2k2]

The last thing I want to contribute too is that in my situation, I'm going to be the one with the advantage later. As I stated earlier, I've been fighting in order to not be a tubby and it's taken work.

My former college roommate on the other hand can eat whatever he wants and doesn't gain a pound. The problem though is it is going to bite him sooner or later (We're 25). Eventually, if your magic bullet is metabolism, it's going to be shooting blanks eventually. I'm working now to stay fit so I will be able to keep a pace like that since I'm used to having an exercise block and avoiding Big Macs every meal. He's not...

Being slim =! being fit

I am very slim but incredibly unfit. Five minutes of exertion and I'm pretty fucked. I just look healthy, I am far from it though.

This is something that media has to apologise for, slim does not mean healthy.

Seriously, being fit is far more important than being slim.

Just running or swimming twice a week will make you fit. Easy mode is joining a sports club, easy if you're at Uni. Trickier if you're at work, involves growing a pair and going out and finding a club.

That is also an excellent point. Being skinny and being fit are two VERY different things.

 

[thehorror2]

I stay fit by dancing! (Also weight training every day I don't dance. Pilates helps, too.)

 

[Xanadu84]

Genetics. Diet and exercise can have a huge effect. Genetics has it beats. Without going to extremes that are unhealthy, genetics plays a bigger role in your looks then any other factor.

Of course having the biggest effect doesn't mean it changes how good you look the most. Genetics will decide if you are Fat or Thin, the biggest effect. But diet and exercise will have a bigger effect on if you are healthy, husky and spry or a big fat slob, or lean and healthy or spindley and weak looking.

Genetics have nothing to do with weight it is pure broscience. Tell me if genetics does indeed affect weight then how come we have this obesity epedemic only recently? How come in the past 4000 years of recorded history the only people who were fat are the rich and wealthy who can afford bountiful feast? Clearly it must be genetics....

We have an obesity epidemic because people prone to being average get love handles and some flab with no muscles, people prone to being fat are REALLY fat, and people prone to being thin are soft and unhealthy. And through history, well, I specifically said outside of extremes. If your not eating anything whatsoever because of abject poverty and working 18 hours a day, thats an extreme. Also, you don't have pictures of people from a thousand years ago. There's no reason to expect that the common image of body types from the past are any more accurate then in a thousand years people saying, "Based on the movies and television of the time, I have concluded that 99% of women in the year 2011 were either ideal or under weight."

 

[Rnr1224]

fortunately for me i have an extraordinarily high metabolism. i eat so much but yet i am still skinny.

 

[idarkphoenixi]

There are several small changes you can do which make a massive difference in the long haul:

- Cut out sodas. Period, or any drinks with high sugar levels. Stick to water whenever possible! I was amazed how much sugar is in a regular softdrink can (call me slow). Cutting out soda WILL cause weight loss, it's guaranteed. Water tastes great and it has amazing qualities. There's no reason not to drink it at all times.

- Small and regular snacks instead of large meals. It increases your metabolism because your body is consuming more regularly. Even if its just cutting your large meals into smaller pieces to have over the day. Again, assuming you eat the right things this alone will GUARANTEE weight loss. Not by much but its another small and easy step that requires little work.

^ On the above note I want to make it clear to everyone - starving yourself DOES NOT work. Ever. If anything you are likely to gain weight because your metabolism is down to a crawl and cannot work properly when you finally fall off the wagon and eat a bucket of chicken. Crash diets too, cutting out calories etc. It wont work. Whatever your body is used to consuming right now, try not to go too far under it. Whatever weight you may lose from these drastic measure will so easily be gained from something as simple as a bag of chips its just not worth doing.

- Most obvious of all: Excersise. Theres no need to collapse at the gym every day. Even if its just a brisk walk down the street, it all counts and gets your body working. Stop whenever your not comfortable and slowly try to beat whatever record you have going. After a while you'll realise that you can go longer and faster than before.

It's no doubt what you've all heard a thousand times before but there's a good reason. It works. NEVER starve yourself and never go on a crash diet of carrot juice or something. Just make small adjustments and move your way up.

 

[Charli]

In my case it's just being too poor to budget for decent snack food, really takes off the pounds. (probably not the healthiest of ways)

 

[FaceFaceFace]

I'm slightly underweight, and I could easily create the mirror version of this topic, "How do people get fat?" I cannot gain weight for anything. I don't exercise or eat especially well, but I have a ridiculous metabolism and a very weak stomach that prevents me from eating much at breakfast or lunch. I'm like a scarecrow.

 

[Xanadu84]

Genetics. Diet and exercise can have a huge effect. Genetics has it beats. Without going to extremes that are unhealthy, genetics plays a bigger role in your looks then any other factor.

Link. Provide one link from any study that would suggest that your genetics has anything to do with your body mass.

http://www.twin-research.ac.uk/Publicatons/1997/Arden.JBMR.pdf

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199508103330605

http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v15/n3/abs/ng0397-273.html

http://www.springerlink.com/content/nq274521q17r6354/

Seriously, that took NO effort whatsoever.

I'm not even presently researching this like I once was, I just did a cursory google search, and all the articles on human weight seem to be saying that well over half a persons weight is genetic.