What is their secret?
Why is there a difference between skinny people and those who overeat? First of all, skinny people are not “consumed” with thoughts of food and they do not view it the same way.
“Thin people have a relaxed relationship with food,” explains David L. Katz, MD, MPH, director, Prevention Research Center, associate professor adjunct in Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine. “Those who are overweight, however, tend to be preoccupied by it. They focus on how much or how often they eat, or attach labels like good and bad to certain foods. As a result, mealtime is always on the brain.”
There are 8 eating habits of skinny people that are important to note and incorporate in your diet.
1. Be Satisfied, Not Over Stuffed
“On a fullness scale of 1 to 10, skinny women stop eating at a level of 6 or 7,” says Jill Fleming, RD, author of Thin People Don’t Clean Their Plates. To gage your fullness, try putting your fork down halfway through your next meal. On a scale from 1 to 10, gage your fullness and repeat this step before finishing your meal.
2. Hunger Isn’t an Emergency
Overweight people consider hunger to be an emergency and that it needs immediate attention. Because of this, they tend to overeat. Skinny people view hunger as something that fluctuates and they will eat when they can.
3. Food Does Not Cure Emotional Needs
“It’s not that skinny women are immune to emotional eating,” says Kara Gallagher, PhD, a weight loss expert based in Louisville. “But they tend to recognize when they’re doing it and stop. Add the word ‘Halt’ to your vocabulary.”
Halt is an acronym meaning “Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired”. It stands for the four more common triggers of emotional eating. If you are hungry, eat at a handful of nuts. If you are emotional (angry, lonely, sad), find a eating-free solution to meet the need such as exercise, calling a friend, or shopping. If you are tired, sleep.
4. Eat More Fruit
A 206 Journal of the American Dietetic Association reports that slim people eat one more serving of fruit and more fiber per day than overweight people. Take a look at your eating habits. Are there ways to add two or three whole fruits to your meals and snacks?
5. Become a Creature of Habit
A varied diet is good but too much variety can encourage overeating. Thin people typically eat the same type of well-balanced food, adding in a little surprise now and then. To limit overindulging, stick with a loose meal schedule and practice consistency.
