As anyone who has struggled with their weight knows, there is an intrinsic difference between thin people and heavier people. The truth is, naturally thin people have different habits than those who tend to gain weight without realizing it. If you’d like to join the ranks of the skinny minis, implement the following habits into your daily routine.
1. Drink water
Water is a staple of the thin person’s diet. Water helps flush impurities from their systems and prevents hunger. The next time you’re ready to grab a sweet or salty snack, try downing a bottle of water first and see if you can avoid the munchies. My personal choice is lemon water. I enjoy drinking it all day long without worrying about extra calories. Not only does lemon water help me keep my weight under control, it also boosts my immune system and wards off many diseases.
2. Move more
Naturally thin people are often in motion. Whether they’re playing with the dog, walking to the store or doing housework, you will rarely find a thin person sitting. Find ways to incorporate more movement into your day. If you’re not sure what your current activity level is, buy a pedometer and record the number of steps you take daily. Once you have a baseline, work hard to increase your walking by 500 steps per week until you reach 10,000 steps per day.
3. Eat healthy foods
If you watch a thin person eat, you’ll see that they make healthy choices. Although they might have a pork chop for dinner, they choose a side dish like a green salad instead of loading up with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. Instead of denying yourself completely, choose one main item for your meal and pair it with low-calorie accompaniments.
4. Eat smaller portions
Skinny people also win over their heavier brothers and sisters when it comes to portion control. While the thin person may not deny themselves the food they really want to eat, they are careful to eat it in moderation. Instead of heaping their plates, they take a moderate spoonful of everything and avoid going back for seconds.
More: 10 Foolproof Ways to Practice Portion Control
5. Play sports
In addition to being more active in their daily life, thin people take time to enjoy physical activity. They may belong to a soccer team, take regular runs with a good friend or swim laps each morning. Find a sport you enjoy and throw yourself into it to emulate those who are physically fit.
6. Avoid fattening snacks
The next time you head for that tempting tub of ice cream, ask yourself what type of snack a skinny person might choose. More than likely, the skinny person will opt for a piece of fruit, handful of nuts or a protein bar. All of these choices stave off hunger without adding lots of calories.
7. Eat more often
Sometimes it seems as if thin people are constantly eating. You may have wondered how they stay so thin. While they may eat more often, they typically eat smaller amounts of food at each meal. Instead of sitting down to three large meals per day, they often break those meals down into six smaller ones to avoid becoming ravenous between meals.
8. Get your rest
Since thin people are more active during the day, they often sleep better at night. The amount of exercise they get in a day also helps burn off excess energy that may keep heavier people tossing and turning at night. Lack of quality sleep is often linked with excess weight and poor health.
9. Avoid nighttime eating
Thin people rarely eat after 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. They have their dinner and then stop eating for the day. Not only do they avoid consuming extra calories before bed, they don’t expend excess energy on digestion when they’re trying to get their shuteye. If you are super hungry before bedtime, opt for a piece of fruit to curb your craving.
10. Just say ‘No’
Heavier people are sometimes out of touch with their feelings when it comes to food. Whether they are overeating from habit, boredom or because of emotional issues, they may tend to eat when they’re not actually hungry. Alternatively, thin people eat only when they are hungry. They assess their hunger and say ‘no’ unless they’re physically hungry.
More: 10 Things Your Cravings Say about Your Diet
While it takes time to master the secrets of thin people, doing so increases the odds that you will be able to lose weight and keep it off. The next time you are faced with a decision when it comes to food or exercise, ask yourself, “What would a naturally thin person do?”