Ever wondered how a skinny person thinks? If you are someone whose goal is to lose weight and keep it off, then in addition to diet or lifestyle changes you are going to need to develop the mentality of someone who is already slim. Once you start understanding and implementing these strategies, you will naturally start to see your figure change.
During my weightloss journey I came across limiting beliefs such as ‘being overweight is linked to your genetics,’ and ‘some people just have a fast metabolism’. This is all bullsh*t. Anyone can lose weight if they want to and there is a method to it. Skinny people are slim for a reason and there is a pattern to the way we think, eat and move that impacts the way we look. These are some of the tips that helped me achieve my dream body:
1. EAT SLOWLY and make it a game
I used to be someone who would get extremely excited before a meal and then consume my food as if I was inhaling it. When I reflected on this behaviour I thought to myself:
- ‘Okay, so I enjoy my food.’
- ‘What difference does it make if I eat it really slowly compared to inhaling it?’
- ‘If I eat it slowly, doesn’t that mean I can prolong the pleasure of eating while feeling full with less food consumed?’
- ‘It’s not like my food is going anywhere, so it doesn’t make sense to eat as if someone is about to steal it from me.’
- ‘There is the same amount of food whether I eat it quickly or slowly, but if I eat it slowly then I will feel full faster while consuming less calories and I can save the rest for later. Also, this will prevent me from going for seconds.’
So I concluded that eating as slow as possible will help me lose weight by reducing my caloric intake. Here are some *practical* tips on how to eat slowly:
- Use chopsticks to make it harder to grab stuff or use a tiny spoon when eating dessert
- Chew your food completely until it has the consistency of apple sauce (this is a good one)
- Thoroughly enjoy every single bite and savour the flavour of your meal
- If you are having a meal with company, prioritise a conversation with the person next to you rather than the food in front of you
- Make it a game of how long you can take to eat your food before you start to feel full
2. Reduce your portion size by giving yourself no other choice
Obviously reducing your portion size = eating less food. But here are the nuances to it:
- Use a small bowl or plate
- Use a dark coloured bowl or plate –
Studies show that having contrast between your food and the plate tricks your brain into thinking there is more food there - In a share plate or buffet situation, pick the one main thing from each dish you want to try and add it to your bowl –
This way, you get to try a variety of dishes without suddenly realising you are super full and feel regret as you start to unbutton your pants for relief (based on personal experience).
3. FORCE yourself to eat when you aren’t desperate
If you’ve gone down the dieting rabbithole looking for all sorts of ways to lose weight then I’m sure you’re familiar with the binge-eating cycle. Something I learned the hard way is that you need to eat before your body becomes so deprived that your rational thinking capabilities switch off and your survival instincts force you to down anything that merely resembles edible food. Yes, dieting culture promotes and glorifies starvation to achieve weightloss but think about it – we know it isn’t possible nor realistic to reach long term goals by not eating at all. My advice is to eat at set times each day depending on your schedule so you are in control of the food you eat. It is better to prepare and eat nutritious, high protein meals and feel good about it during the day than to convince yourself you need to starve and binge-eat 3000+ calories at night-time when you are no longer in control.
Yes, the reality is you need to eat in order to lose weight. Isn’t that refreshing?
4. The secret is moving in a way that feels good – and lift heavy things
To be honest, 80% of the outcome of my sustained weightloss is from diet changes. So in my opinon, exercise is optional. *However*, if you get rid of the word ‘exercise’ from your vocabulary and think about ways to move that make you feel happy then being active won’t seem so awful – for example:
- Walking around a shopping mall and looking at nice clothes
- Walking along the beach or river
- Walking the dog around your neighbourhood
- Hiking up a pretty mountain trail
- A relaxing cycle around the city
- Playing with your kids or family
- Gardening
By realising that exercise can be something as simple as moving your body in a way that is fun, you can convince yourself that physical activity isn’t horrible but rather something quite enjoyable that will help keep your body looking nice. Now, I have to mention lifting weights because this is such a life hack. Imagine that if you use a specific body part to lift something moderately heavy 6-8 times for 3 rounds just a few times a week, you can change your body composition from fat to helpful lean muscle that, in turn, contributes to you being able to eat more yummy food while looking more lean than you were before.
If lifting something heavy a few times a week = convert fat to muscle = burn more calories doing nothing
+ Feel good
+ Become more confident
+ Can eat more food…
Then it’s almost stupid not to try. If you think about resistance training too much it can feel overwhelming so just start with some easy weights or look at some free online videos of basic exercises you can do at home. The point is to know the option is there and once you dip your toes in, you’ll figure out a way that works for you.
5. Losing weight is fun, optional, and you like yourself
See, you don’t even necessarily need to lose weight to look skinnier… Reason being that muscle weighs more than fat so if you can change your body composition, then the person in the mirror will transform regardless of the number on the scale. Keep this in mind. But anyways, weightloss or fitness is a journey that is unique to each individual. You do not have to do it the same way as anyone else. Furthermore, you don’t even have to do it at all. The only reason you should be pursuing weightloss is because you like yourself and you want to improve yourself. You cannot hate yourself into becoming skinny, it just doesn’t work like that (believe me, I’ve tried). In fact, self hate is detrimental to the journey because more likely than not you are going to try unsustainable, short term ways to shed kilos that will pretty much always have a rebound effect. So, you can congratulate yourself for walking that one extra step today or for paying attention to chewing your food more thoroughly. Any change, however seemingly insignificant, means you are already on the way to your goal.
6. Eat whatever the f*k you want
If you tell yourself that cake or chocolate is off limits, it’s going to suck and you’re going to really want to eat it even more. So don’t tell yourself that. In fact, no food is off limits. Notice how some foods make you feel sluggish or heavy or even guilty afterwards and reduce them for your own sake. It’s your life, you can eat whatever you want and your overall weight and appearance is a result of the average of what you consume and how much you move. If you make tiny improvements each time then this will accumulate and after doing it for a while you will see changes – it’s only logical. I suggest taking advice that makes sense to you and doing what makes you truly feel good. Once you figure out what keeps you satisfied and makes you feel good (it is usually a happy medium between starving and reaching for junk food every time), this will become the formula that propels you towards sustainable change and an improved quality of life.
7. If you are not hungry and reaching for food, there is something you have to do first
Whether you are anxious, depressed, avoidant of pending tasks, bored or afraid of confronting something, if you find that you are not hungry but still craving food and not feeling so good about it – then you need to dig deeper. I am not your therapist so I can’t do that for you but I will tell you a bit about my story in case it helps anyone who can relate.
I used to be overweight and miserable, and at the same time feel helpless about the fact that I wasn’t able to control my binge eating disorder or look how I wanted. Every time I overate or craved sugar it was because I was anxious and something was stressing me out. More specifically, it was the fact that I was studying a degree I wasn’t sure I wanted to work in because I didn’t want to let my parents down. After that, it was the fact that my job stressed me out and made me feel out of place. Furthermore, I was in a long term relationship I wasn’t completely happy with and did not comprehend that leaving was an option because I lived with my ex-partner and had no place of my own.
Since then I have quit my job, broke up with my ex and moved out to live with family. There is nothing stressing me out anymore and I am pursuing things I am passionate about. The hardest part about changing your situation is first escaping the mental prison that you have constructed from living the same way for so long. But if you are ever unhappy or struggling with eating disorder or any form of addiction then you need to first address the underlying cause. I wish you the best because I know you can do it.
The Takeaway
- Eat as slow as you possibly can. Take very small bites, chew slowly until your food becomes applesauce. Savour it.
- Use a small, dark coloured bowl (apparently the colour contrast tricks your brain into thinking there is more food) and small cutlery to help you feel fuller faster
- Eat to lose weight. That is the reality. You cannot starve forever without dying so it makes sense to prepare and eat your meals when you aren’t feeling too ravenous to make concious rational decisions about food.
- Do something physical that you like, it can be anything. And start small. If you are going to pick a form of exercise to do consistently, I cannot deny that lifting weights will give you the most bang for buck in terms of effort to benefit ratio.
- You don’t have to change your diet or exercise and there are no bad foods. This journey is fun and challenging but not so challenging that you can’t do it. Enjoy the process and know that it is optional for you.
- No, you are not lazy and pathetic for not having succeeded in losing weight yet. We are all different so don’t bother beating yourself up about it. Reflect on what is stopping you, what you are afraid of and overcome this first.
Disclaimer:
The content provided in this blog post, titled “7 Pieces of Advice that Helped me Stay Skinny if Losing Weight is your Goal,” is for informational purposes only. The author shares personal opinions and experiences related to weight loss. The information presented should not be considered as professional advice in areas such as health, fitness, or mental well-being.
Readers are encouraged to use their discretion and consult with relevant professionals for personalized guidance. The author is not an expert in any field and does not claim to provide universal solutions. Individual experiences may vary, and readers should critically evaluate the content’s applicability to their unique circumstances.
Furthermore, the author is not responsible for any actions taken by readers based on the information provided. The content is meant to offer insights and perspectives, but any decisions made are the sole responsibility of the reader.
By continuing to read this blog post, readers acknowledge and accept that the author is not liable for any outcomes or consequences resulting from the interpretation or application of the information contained herein.
