Everyone has that one friend who never seems to diet, never complains of feeling fat and never finishes her plate and still has room for dessert. As much as we would like to hate this hypothetical friend, the truth is that thin people seem to naturally have a different relationship with food than the rest of us. Most overweight people tend to think about food all day long. How much to eat, when to eat it, what is bad to eat and what is good, with this preoccupation on food no wonder we are always heading for the refrigerator. It turns out the naturally thin have a different way of viewing food, namely they don’t worry about it. This doesn’t mean that they eat whatever, whenever they want but they don’t spend their time worrying about what their next meal will be. The good news is that even if this attitude doesn’t come naturally to most of us it can be adopted and no better time than the present. Fake it until you make it (or lose it as the case may be) by following these skinny girl basics.
I’ve Had Enough Thank you
My mother always told me that a lady is never stuffed and the same can be true for your eternally thin friend. The naturally thin tend to stop eating much sooner than their heavier friends. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the fullest, thin people tend to stop around a 6 instead of an 8 or 10 like their heavier counterparts. Why the difference, some of us have been trained to clean our plates and others just feel deprived if they stop before they’re very full. Next time you sit down to a meal try eating slowly savoring each bite. Half way through your plate try to feel how satiated you are, remember it can take up to a half hour after eating to really feel full so the slower you eat the more likely your stomach will have time to get the message to your brain to put that fork down.
Hunger 911
This may come as a surprise, ready? Being hungry is not an emergency. Many people who struggle with their weight, especially when starting a new diet are afraid of being hungry. At those first pangs of hunger most of us run for the kitchen or worse we over eat at meals and snack time for fear of being hungry later on. The truth is, considering that the human body can survive for weeks without food, there is no reason we can’t go several hours without eating. Hunger pangs tend to come and go and produce only mild discomfort. Keeping busy and training your brain not to panic at the first signs of hunger brings you one step closer to thinking thin.
Variety May be The Spice of Life but it’s Ruining Your Diet
A healthy habit practiced by many thin people is to stick to a consistent diet. Studies have uncovered that too much variety in a diet can cause you to overeat so it’s better to stick to a regular food regiment. This isn’t to say that you have to eat exactly the same thing every day but stick to the same basic foods, sandwich at lunch, oatmeal for breakfast etc. Humans are creatures of habit, getting used to the same portions and foods everyday will keep you on track to a healthier weight.
Step Away From That Candy Bar
Perhaps the biggest difference between those constantly on a diet and those who keep a consistent weight is where they turn when the going gets tough. The naturally thin tend to turn to things other than food when angry or sad. Breaking the bond between emotions and food is one of the most liberating ways to embrace thinking yourself thin. Not only do we turn to food in times of stress but in times of celebration as well. How often do we give our diets a weekend pass because it’s a holiday or we have a party to go to. News flash: you might actually enjoy the holidays more if you don’t go to bed as stuffed as that turkey you had for dinner. Slow down, really taste your food and then turn your attention to the real reason for celebrating; the family and friends you are spending the meal with. If you are engaged in the festivities around you, you might find yourself less focused on the apple pie in front of you.
Change is never easy, neither is losing weight but every morning we wake up with the opportunity to reinvent ourselves. You don’t have to wait until you’ve achieved your ideal weight to start thinking and acting thin. Once your brain gets skinny it’s just a matter of time until your body follows.
In honor of today being National Peanut Butter Day we thought we would remind you of all the reasons why peanut butter is such an excellent addition to your diet. Aside from the fact that it compliments chocolate perfectly and makes a convenient sandwich that you can take anywhere, peanut butter also packs a serious nutritional punch. Remember to purchase peanut butter that has not been overly processed or contains added sugar or partially hydrogenated oils. Here are just a few of the things that make peanut butter worthy of its very own holiday.
