So true Lunula!!

My mom tells me yesterday: "You snack too much" (she's SG)

I had just measured out and eaten 3 bagel chips and some hummus. It and a half a turkey sandwich were lunch. She was picking on the hummus!!!

I have been bloated lately, and I am not sure why. Perhaps too much salt or not enough water?! It's not TOM, any other ideas?

Thanks!

Sandi

Yes, I always keep my eye out for this sort of thing. Next time you are at the buffet... look around you and count the fat people versus the skinny people. And always the parking lot and stair issue. Or I see myself and family members always asking others who are already up to get something... e.g. I'm sitting on the couch and dh goes into the kitchen and I ask him to bring me a glass of water. This always happens... and I see my overweight mom and sister doing it all of the time. However, my dad and husband and other sister, who are all thin, rarely ask for these kinds of favors. Even little things like waiting to do everything in one trip upstairs versus taking multiple trips. Skinny people don't... ummm.... conserve energy quite like fat folks! I would also bet that hours of tv watching is directly proportionate to weight... the more you watch, the fatter you are! And most people at the gym are skinny... funny how that works.

I notice that the fat people at the gym are always doing
cardio, you almost never see them on the weights. Skinny
people, you see on the weights AND on the cardio.

S.

MmmmMMmmmmMMM... hummus!! I love it!!

And about the bloating... I have pretty darn stupid allergies, including food allergies/intolerances - nothing life-threatening, however, when I do eat something (and I never know what it might be, lol) that I have reactions to, I tend to get bloated & gain a few pounds. You might very well just be intolerant to certain foods/preservatives/food dyes. It's pretty common - pretty annoying, but pretty common, lol. Most people have intolerances (not true food allergies) to foods and aren't even aware of it & it's normally not a big deal, just kind of irksome.

And BTW, eating high sodium always does the same for me. Annoying also cause I'm a total salt-freak.

Have you noticed that skinny people eat whatever they want? They don't diet. They don't drink diet coke. They don't feel guilty about eating dessert or Doritos. They don't obsess all day long about what they ate or didn't eat that day. They don't plan their lives around food.

Sojo, that is so true! My DH (136 lbs, 5'9" - darn thing, only 1 lb more than he was at age 22!!) has all kinds of treats IF they are around or he wants one - ONE! not 7 or 8 - he can eat 2 cookies then put the tin away! And he is not thinking about food all day long. And if he gains he says oh I am up a few pounds, and forgets it (and of course loses it in a few days). It is just not a big deal to him! This is amazing to me. I grew up thinking about, worrying about, figuring out the calories of food. And have had weight problems all along!

Unlike me, he does not ever think stuff like, oh goody, the kids are in bed, what can I eat now?

Lidian

Okay... this is one of my major goals in life - not to just go through the motions, I want to truly "forget" about food. I hear this all the time, that healthy-weight people typically don't "diet" or obsess over food - they follow that 90/10 rule of eating well 90% of the time so that other 10% doesn't really affect them. Me, however... well, I'm trying to reach that point - but I find myself obsessing over it, nonetheless.

Has anyone here gotten past this food-obsession (not just the eating, but the thinking about it all the time)? Is it truly just "fake-it-until-you-make-it"? One of my most trusted friends (who is, in fact, a practicing psychologist) told me this was the way to break the addictions/obsessions - to fake it until it becomes habit. What do you all think?

Over the last several months of losing weight, I am finally reaching a point where I don't obsess about food all day long. However, I attribute much of this to the fact that my blood sugar levels are under control for the first time due to medication. But I have spent many years trying to develop healthy habits:

1) only eating when I'm hungry... identifying what I really need if I want to eat when I'm NOT hungry
2) stop eating when I am comfortable (not full)
3) eating healtier foods but not eliminating any food from my diet... if I am hungry I eat what I like (sometimes junk food and sweets) in moderation thus no cravings
4) some professional counseling
5) taking an anti-depressant
6) giving over my food and weight obsessions to God (or higher power if you prefer)
7) still trying to incorporate more activity and exercise into my life

Hi!

Lunula, you said "fake it until you make it". I think that was the point of me making this thread. I think we need to think like "skinny girls" to help change our habits. Diets are all about changing our habits and our lifestyles. You have to really change your way of thinking to become successful.

I think most skinny girls aren't big eaters. Yes, there is the rare person who seems to eat everything and stay thin, but I think most skinny people don't think much about food, I don't think they eat much either. Some go through cycles: eat lots of something bad but then have days of not thinking about food. Most, just eat cause you have to: family needs food, go to in-laws for Sunday dinner, it's 5:00 PM....stuff like that.

Yes, most of the people at the gym seem thin, but lately I have noticed a lot who need to loose and so it is wonderful that they are there and making their bodies healthy.

Last SG tip for today: celery

Sandi

"all glory comes from daring to begin"

I have a really bad habit... even while I'm eating, I'm thinking, "What can I eat when I've finished THIS?!"
NOT good!

I am not sure if this is a good thing or not, but lately I will not eat anything if it isn't what I want. I just didn't eat breakfast or lunch a few days this week because there was nothing I really WANTED to eat. And I didn't eat, just because it was lunch. But if there is something I really want, I will eat it, no matter what it is.

Monday at cards we had dessert. I said give me half of a small piece of cake. I was chatting and not thinking about food as I ate the cake. I looked up and out of the 7 I was the only one still eating!!!!!!!!!!! Even the SG friend had eaten her cake!!!! I wasn't even trying to go slowly. THEN, I threw away my last two bites because I was full and the cake tasted kind of greasy.

WOW!

Sandi

Maybe a little something to make you feel better....
My best friend is a skinny girl, she's finally (at age 32) gotten to a size four. She doesn't watch what she eats and still stays absurdly thin. The good news (for us) is I can out cardio her anyday of the week...Me, at 227! Just because a person is skinny doesn't mean they are healthy. Her cholestral(or however you spell it, I just woke UP!) is really high..over 200. Mine is only 137!! And she can't do 30 mins of aerobics without her immune system breaking down. I think at this point, although I am unhappy about being a size 20, I would take that anyday over being a size six and unable to do anything because being unfit.

I love hummus too....hmm..I'm sure people in the Middle East eat it for breakfast...It should be O.K. for me too then right?
blesssings,
blackbird

You're right, blackbird...
My best friend is a skinny girl, too. In college we both weighed the same, but she's 5 inches taller than me, and so had that "model look" while I just looked sturdy and muscular. She was completely inactive, and I was running almost every day and was in GREAT shape!
Anyhow, she wanted to start an aerobics class, and I went with her the first time for moral support. She threw up half-way throught the class from over-exertion (sp?). And yet she STILL insisted that she had to be in better shape than me because she was skinnier!!

Now she's had her first baby at the age of 40, and can't get rid of the little stomach she gained. No pity from THIS girl!

Absolutely a breakfast food. I do love hummus...

I had just e-mailed a thin friend of mine and she was amazed I could run 5 K. She said it makes her feel nauseous. I'm not surprised, she's not in good shape. She's thin and stays that way because when she's nervous she doesn't eat, and she used to be nervous a lot!

Sandi