SF Gate Article - How Skinny People Stay Skinny

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I'm always saying that The Healing Farm | Retreats and eventually The Healing Farm focusses and will focus on practical wellness solutions to build into your everyday life. Even though (according to this article) I'm about 20 pounds overweight right now, my focus in working with Chris Kresser and everything I've done in the past few years for myself has been about reducing inflammation in my body to reduce my chronic pain and health conditions - and doing so through practical means (like an elimination diet) that have (so far) worked in alleviating some (if not most) of my symptoms.

That doesn't mean I don't want to lose that 20 pounds, darn it! But given my age (almost 50) and my history with fluctuating weight, it's just not my focus right now since overall, I feel good and mostly chronic condition free. However, whenever I've talked to my husband and my close friends who have NEVER struggled with their weight, I'm always fascinated by the fact that they have never had to think about it. My husband and my very good friend have slightly different experiences in that my husband doesn't even think about food. He simply eats for sustenance. He eats when he's hungry. My good friend on the other hand has very sensitive taste buds and is a great cook. She loves food and wine, but has never struggled with her weight. She's always said she simply eats until she's full and then puts it aside. She'll even choose not to eat dessert if it isn't completely worth it taste-wise! I've NEVER had that kind of willpower.

Even though I'm convinced by newish studies about  weight being influenced by a whole host of things like your exposure to toxins, what your mother's body chemistry and biology were when she was pregnant with you, etc, I do think there's something to be said about willpower and the very simple things this article suggests. Given The Healing Farm wants to cultivate practical wellness, I feel it's important to reiterate those simple things this article mentions. Weight IS a huge issue for many in this country and IS a contributing factor to many chronic conditions, so maybe it's time to revisit what this article suggests!:

Routines of participants of the Global Healthy Weight Registry

1 - Eat breakfast: 96 percent

2 - Exercise:

  • Exercise 5+ days per week: 42 percent
  • Exercise 3 to 4 days per week: 27 percent
  • Exercise 0 to 2 days per week: 32 percent
  • Don't exercise: 10 percent

3 - Scale

  • Weigh themselves weekly: 50 percent
  • Weigh themselves infrequently: 27 percent

4 - Diet

  • Never or rarely diet: 74 percent
  • Have at least one non-restrictive strategy: 44 percent
  • "Non-restrictive strategies" include listening to inner hunger cues, eating high-quality (and non-processed foods), as well as cooking at home.

5 - Food Choices

  • Chicken is their favorite meat: 61 percent
  • Vegetarians: 7 percent
  • Don't drink alcohol: 33 percent
  • Eat salad for lunch every day: 35 percent
  • Eat vegetables at dinner every day: 65 percent

6 - Breakfast

  • Daily breakfast includes fruits and vegetables: 51 percent
  • Daily breakfast includes eggs: 31 percent

7 - Snack

  • Favorite snack is nuts: 21 percent
  • Favorite snack is fruit: 44 percent

8 - Beverage

  • Soft drink of choice is a diet soda: 33 percent
  • Favorite soft drink is regular: 25 percent
  • Don't drink soda: 37 percent