Question about skinny people

[BB07]

I do think weight and body type has a lot to do with genetics especially when you are young unless you are stuffing your face constantly with high calorie foods. I'm 5'4" and 117lbs right now and I'm 49 and I have very small bones. When I was in my early 20's I weighed 110 lbs soaking wet and I got called skinny a lot. I had two children in my late 20's and during my 30's I usually stayed in the weight range of 130 to 135, a few times getting up to 145 or so. I wasn't obsessive about watching what I ate but I did try to back off when I got above 135. I've never ate a lot of junk food but used to eat more than I should have at meals and age factored in. I didn't really like being 135, had rather have been under 130 and ever since I had my kids I've hated my tummy, but obviously I didn't hate it bad enough to do a great deal about it. I'll admit I've never been much of a fitness person and I'm just slack. In the last year I've went from around 135 to my present weight of 117 because I'm not working outside of my home now so a lot less of eating out and I'm slack about cooking. So......I think in some ways I've been lucky with my genetic background and that I've never obsessed too much about food, one way or the other and I don't snack a lot. I try to eat when I'm hungry and it takes less to fill me up than it used to.

[elysium23]

I am a size 0 naturally without trying. I have tried to gain weight numerous times (because i have no curves to speak of) but nothing seems to work.

 

I have tried to gain muscle mass with lots of protein bars & shakes, a high calorie diet, and weight lifting for my legs. That didn't work.

 

Then I just tried to gorge myself on unhealthy fatty foods, which failed, then I tried to eat a very high calorie healthy diet (nuts, fruit juices, lean protein, etc.) which also failed :-/

 

So for me it's not a matter of choice at all. I would love to be 20 lbs. heavier.

[Rorschach]

R,

I get what you are saying about junk food. Thing is that basic carbs get most people - the foods below - many people way overeat them because they taste so good:

- baked potatoes with butter/sour cream

- fried rice

- bread with some high fat topping

 

Have you figured out your key "problem foods" and eliminated them? Are you starting to steadily lose weight?

 

Oh yeah, like I said I'm not really concerned about it anymore because I'm doing so well. I've lost about (3 pounds to go!) 50 pounnds in 16 weeks, so its about 3 pounds a week weight loss. So I'm not really concerned with my own ability to diet/exercise right now.

[Els]

Some skinny people are genetically skinny, I think. My bf puts in easily 4 plates of rice + other protein and carb sources a day, but weighs about 125 lbs. Doesn't purposely work out either, just the brisk walk to work and back. He actually dropped to a worrying 110 lbs during the stress of his final exams. He did use to participate in sports and martial arts, but that was ages ago. Still, it might have contributed to building up his metabolism during his teens, I suppose.

[sally4sara]

I have a higher level of calcium in my blood compared to the norm. Doc says this is why I burn fat easily with minimal exercise.

 

This might be part of why I am the shortest adult mother in my family and still the thinnest out of both sides of my family.

[monkeywithagun]

Im a female...5'10 and weight 114....i still fit into my 3rd grade cheerleading uniform and havent really worked out a day in my life ( I used to cheer and a little bit of dancing but that was years ago)... I also have horrible eating habits,. I am borderline diabetic,. so im going to say it really is mostly about the genes and just my natural super fast metabolism. I hate it though,,. men dont usually like women with small frames,. they like the boobs and butts and all things I have very little of.

[pandagirl]

I'm 5'3" and weigh somewhere between 115-120 depending on the day. However, in high school, I weighed 145. When I got to college, I surprisingly HATED dorm food, and lost a lot of weight fast. Then, I went through an obsessive calorie-counting phase, where I didn't eat above 1200.

 

The funny thing is though, in the 14 years since I was 18, I haven't been on a diet, counted calories or obsessed about my weight. However, I still weigh the same. I think I just learned how to eat correctly. I still absolutely indulge often (I just ate a huge almond croissant for breakfast), but I know for lunch, I'll eat a salad, some Fage yogurt for a snack, and for dinner vegetables with a small portion of pasta.

 

Also, I wish people would stop focusing on weight and go more by measurements! My measurements are 34-24-34, but I weigh 120! People think I'm 105. Sure, for my height, it'd be ok to lost another 10 or even 15 lbs, but I'm more into being fit and toned.

[benB]

yeah i have the same problem, no matter what I eat, how much I lift weights, I cant seem to gain weight easily as others, its a gift but sometimes a curse

[Nikki Sahagin]

I am one of those 'naturally' skinny people. I have a very small bone structure so basically no matter how much I eat, I don't put on weight. I am 5'4 (I think) and 8 stone so I am a healthy weight for my height. I always get abuse from people because i'm skinny but have big boobs and a normal bum so a lot of people assume i've had a boob job or that I don't eat. Its incredibly insulting and makes me angrier than almost anything. My parents are both slim and so is my brother. No-one in my family is large. I don't always eat healthily but it doesn't make a difference. I've always been happy with my size but other peoples jealousy or assumptions does put me down a bit but i've learnt that that is all it is and I am happy how I am. Its 100% true that being skinny doesn't mean you're healthy. I am VERY unfit.

[Ross PK]

I was actually 'skinny' skinny. I never looked after myself, it's just my genes/fast metobolisim.

 

Even when I used to smoke weed regulary which made me eat loads of unhealthy stuff nearly every night, I still never put on any weight at all.

 

Now because I'm on medication, the medication has actually made me put on weight which I'm very thankful for. I look so much better and healthier now.

[BubbleFreak]

I was borderline overweight/obese all throughout childhood and my first year of uni. Then I started taking control of MY life.

 

I stopped eating homecooked greasy food (which I didn't like eating that much anyway) and I started cooking healthy meals for myself. Cooking was enjoyable and made me appreciate my food a lot more. I bought my own groceries (I just simply craved blueberries istead of lollies), I ate lentils from the hippy food shop at uni instead of potato wedges at the fast food shop on campus, I walked a lot. Then I met my bf about half way through my weight loss and, I must say, sex really burns a lot of calories, and I was so busy and happy with life I stopped eating when I wasn't hungry. I used to eat when I was bored.

 

I lost weight fast and lots of people noticed. One woman called me a "skinny bitch" and said I should get a medical checkup in case something was wrong with me, like worms or something. I do have regular health checkups now that confirm I am on the right path and the only thing I have to do is force myself to eat more red meat to boost iron levels. I am a normal weight and proud of it.

[Frontliner]

Good for you BubbleFreak. Your story is an inspiration.

[Star Gazer]

I don't know many thin people who don't exercise, so even for those who are thin, it's hard to say whether it's natural/genetics or because of their active choices to live a healthy lifestyle. They'd have to become unhealthy to find out, and who'd want to do that?

[Heatemyheart89]

I am 'skinny' because I eat healthily I dont actively diet. But I rarely eat junk food or drink. I dont exercise. I think I could easily get fat if I ate more junk.

[FitChick]

I used to be a lot thinner in my twenties than I am now -- and I'm still considered thin by many -- because I walked a lot. I lived in a walking friendly city. I didn't eat very much because I was busy and on the go. I'd eat half a tuna sandwich for lunch and bring the other half home for dinner. I'd have a Milky Way everyday at 3 with a cup of tea. I ate eggs for breakfast most days. For dinner I'd have spaghetti and a salad. I realize now that I didn't eat too many calories but burned off quite a few. I was also rather weak in my upper body.

 

I am stronger and in better shape now, decades later, than I was when I was in my twenties. My body shape is sexier because all my muscles are toned. I am more sedentary due to work so have to set aside time to work out with weights at home and I also log all my food into an online program. If I gain five pounds, I immediately take action to lose it. Partly out of vanity but mostly it's just practical. I can't afford to buy a new wardrobe.

 

I dated someone who was "naturally skinny" but he didn't eat that much food and was very active.

 

Most overweight people have no idea how much they are eating until they weigh and measure every morsel. Quite eye opening!

[brokenblade]

I'm skinny (average), not very muscular. While genetics can play a big role in your weight and size and metabolism, I do believe that a lot of your composition in the body depends on your diet as well as exercise. (for me anyway)

 

I've began eating more complex carbs and raw foods and I've found that my body metabolism went through the roof and within 4 hours of eating, I felt extremely empty in the stomach. (My body was much slower in metabolism and digestion due to eating processed foods and simple sugars.)

 

I don't try to cut down on food, I try to go more for the good nutrients. (I've realized that I would have to eat more and more often with this diet)

[marsle85]

I think people underestimate the influence of genetics on obesity. Firstly, there are direct substantial links correlating genetics to obesity and increased weight gain. Moreover, a baby who is borne to an overweight mother will have more fat cells than one borne to a fit mother. Fat cells NEVER disappear, they just shrink. With increased eating, does not come more fat cells...they only increase in size. Larger fat cells increases hunger, and perpetuity for obesity. It's highly possible that those people who eat healthy and workout but still appear overweight simply have more fat cells. Their fat cells may be smaller in size but because they have more than the average person they still appear overweight. Furthermore, should a person theoretically grow up in a family that shares those characteristics, they are surrounding themselves in an unhealthy environment and are literally "taught" how to overeat.

 

No, it's not an excuse- but those factors (genetic, environmental and anatomically) make having a fit lifestyle more difficult for an overweight baby, person and individual.

[Toki]

I'm physically adapted to the Frigid North, during the winter months I gain at least 25 pounds, but it's probably due to increased meat consumption and carbohydrates. I'm not in that bad of shape, I can kick most people's arses when it comes to hiking up a mountain in -20 F weather, and during the summer I generally lose most of it, and it's probably because my Fruit and Vegetable intake takes a giant leap ahead of meat and carbs. I try to diet myself according to ancestral needs, and so far my metabolism works like a clock. The funny thing is I gain most of my weight on my stomach, and go up like two waist sizes in the winter, so I have several pairs of pants for summer use, and several pairs for winter use.

[norajane]

I'm skinny (average), not very muscular. While genetics can play a big role in your weight and size and metabolism, I do believe that a lot of your composition in the body depends on your diet as well as exercise. (for me anyway)

 

I think genetics plays a really big role, and that's why calorie restriction doesn't have the same effect on people, just like exercise doesn't have the same effect. While the prevailing advice (calories in/calories out + exercise) does apply to everyone, it's not "one size fits all" in results.

 

Men, for example, have a much easier time losing weight because women's bodies are genetically predisposed to store fat. There is no way around this genetic fact. It doesn't mean women can't lose weight, but it will take a lot more effort and a lot more time.

 

Some people people gain weight primarily around the middle and have slimmer thighs and legs (apples), and some gain mostly around their hips and thighs but are smaller on top (pears). This is a genetic trait and there is no way for one type to suddenly become another type. The extra fat goes where it goes - you can't direct it and you can't spot reduce.

 

Breasts are primarily composed of fatty tissue. Some women store more fat there, and some less. That is genetics, and there is no way to change that except surgically.

 

Some people are ectomorphs and have trouble gaining weight and muscle. Others are endomorphs and have trouble losing weight. To try and change your body means you are working against genetics - that's why two guys can spend an equal amount of effort lifting weights and drinking protein shakes but have very different results. And why one woman can diet and exercise her whole life and still struggle with her weight, while another can always appear slim while never paying attention to either diet or exercise.

 

This isn't to say food and exercise don't make a difference. They do. But it can and should modify people's expectations of themselves and others, and how they approach their own particular situation.

[melodymatters]

I was a size zero most of my life and ate whatever I wanted ( though I always preferred fish and fruits and veggies naturally) and then I turned 42 and it was like a switch went off ! I gained ten lbs before I realized I would have to modify my diet or keep ballooning upwards !

 

BUT, I also went from an A cup to a C cup and people are seriously thinking I got a boob job. My best guy friend who LOVES skinny woman is like " Dude, it's all ok, you are still thin and you got THOSE in return" !

 

So, I'm ok with it, but yeah, don't want to buy new clothes, I still have classic pieces from my teens, so no more.

 

Even shirts that were modest are now "Boob shirts":laugh: