I agree, that's why I don't agree with the scale one. Muscles weights more than fat!

I do 75% and agree with all except the scales. Of course I have no desire to be skinny, I want to be curvy and toned.

Anecdotally, 1-5, 7-10, 12-13, and 16-20, generally ring true.

As for 6, 11, 14, and 15, I'm agnostic.

The article never said to do these things if you want to be skinny.

I just realized that keeping a food journal is nowhere on that list. It should be number 1! It is a fact that people who keep accurate food journals lose weight and keep it off.

This is so true look at all the success we have had on MFP, all those tickers showing pounds lost!

I used to be the skinny chick my friends would think of if the topic of skinny chicks came up.

When I was my skinniest, I had no use for the scale. When I started being unhappy with my body is when I started looking at the scale, to figure out what was going on.

I probably did have a boring diet. This might have been true for me. Never even considered a food a reward. I didn't bother with diet and exercise tips until my body started making me unhappy. About snacks, alacarte, whole grains: Again, I never put so much emphasis on what I did with my food. And my stomach is far too sensitive for too spicy food.

Frankly, me personally.... food was a non-issue. I didn't think about it, focus on my body shape. I ran, but it was because I liked running, not because I was focused on my body.

My relationship with food and exercise was pleasant, not strained or seriously thought through or dissected.

I HAVE ALWAYS liked my sleep though.


One thing I did do.... was when I was hungry, I ate. When I was not, I didn't. And that used to PISS PEOPLE OFF and worry them. That I wasn't eating enough. That I wasn't finishing my plate. This goes back to me being a kid. Refused to eat when I was not hungry. And sometimes, even if I was hungry... meh, it could wait awhile.

In fact, once a family member made me eat something when I was full. I literally got sick. Never happened again.

Wow...I just posted some great tips that i read that I think are helpful. Hopefully this information is taken in that light. With anything, take out the meat and throw away the bones if you don't agree. This article was a helpful reminder for me and I thought I'd share it with others who might find these tips helpful. I really didn't post this to start a debate or discussion on what's right and what's wrong.

Cheers and i wish each and every one of you the best in your weight loss/maintenance journey.

I think that not one size fits all... Wile some of these things are helpful to some, they may not work for others. I for one must have "breakfast" when I get up. Not necessarily for weight loss, but because my body is used to being fueled when I get up. I eat the same boring breakfast, coffee and lunch 90% of the time... Dinner, which I don't usually eat until after 9 pm, typically varies. And I consumerist of my calories in my evening snacks, up to and including right before I get into bed at which time I consume something with a good bit of protein in it. I have lost over 40 pounds and gained a decent amount of muscle... So....

I do many of those things, yet I'm bulking rather nicely.

It may sound like a sales pitch from a health magazine - but it does make sense to me. If you're reading weight loss tips, then healthier eating is in the forefront of your mind, and I would think you'd tend to eat better just because you're thinking and not just mindlessly grabbing food.

While I totally agree that correlation does not equal causation, there are some tips that might help some people. For example, for me, eating breakfast is definitely wrong. If I eat breakfast, I eat more all day long and find it harder to stay within my calorie and macro targets. For others, it might be a big help.

I also can't help but note that there are many countries where the general population tends to be slender who typically eat their dinners quite late like at 8-9pm. For example, that's the French way and the French tend to be much thinner than Americans.

20. Skinny Habit #1: Eat an early dinner:

-false. What time you eat is irrelevant. WHAT you eat is what counts.

19. Skinny Habit #2: Weigh yourself daily:

-This can be helpful or a hinderence. Many here believe measurements are better, as the scale does not account for recomposition.

18. Skinny Habit #3: Eat a boring diet:

-Variety is the spice of life. I find more success varying my foods and fitting 'unhealthy' foods into my macros.

17. Skinny Habit #4: Reward yourself:

- Sure I guess...

16. Skinny Habit #5: Read diet and exercise tips:

-Or hop on the MFP forums. Lots of awesome people here, some with some knowledge. And it's free.

15. Skinny Habit #6: Eat breakfast:

-Big myth. See what I wrote for #1.

14. Skinny Habit #7: Take snack breaks:

-Sure, if it fits your macros. Not everyone needs to snack. I do, but I wouldn't push it on people.

13. Skinny Habit #8: Drink water:

-Good advice.

12. Skinny Habit #9: Order a la carte:

-Makes sense. But it doesn't fit into the 'boring diet' described above.

11. Skinny Habit #10: Choose whole grains:

-If it fits your marcos. I have found that whole grains are more filling than bleached/enriched stuff. So this is a decent takeaway I guess.

10. Skinny Habit #11: Eat spicy food:

-I can't speak to this. Could be true, could be malarky. I think we can use our willpower and minds to make smart choices without having to use spices to trick ourselves.

9. Skinny Habit #12: Sleep for 6 to 8 hours each night :

-Sleep = good

8. Skinny Habit #13: Manage stress:

-Sure why not.

7. Skinny Habit #14: Take the stairs:

-This is a sneaky way to creat a calorie deficit. If you are tracking well and understand your TDEE, additional 'sneaky' exercise is not necessary.

6. Skinny Habit #15: Chew thoroughly:

-Meh, still a self-control issue IMO

5. Skinny Habit #16: Walk after meals:

-See #7

4. Skinny Habit #17: Keep healthy food on hand:

-Duh.

3. Skinny Habit #18: Learn to take a joke:

-This is incredibly misleading. Laughing is still part of your TDEE. I don't think it will have an effect on your weight. Positive outlooks are great though, and I highly encourage them.

2. Skinny Habit #19: Eat protein:

-The first REAL source of food advice so far. And worthwhile.

1. Skinny Habit #20: Avoid dinner distractions:

-Still a matter of IIFYM and self-control. Just because I eat dinner while playing with my 8 month old and dog doesn't mean I overeat.


This article gets a 2/10 - but thanks for posting.

This is freaking hysterical! I would love to post that here at work, but the people I work with wouldn't get it!!

GREAT ADVICE!! THANKS FOR POSTING!!

Yes. Thank you.

Hmmm, i don't see the need to criticize the OP's info, at all. A lot of the things you reply "duh" to, are NOT BEING DONE by some ppl, and this advice can help inspire them. You seem to feel as if self-control is just a given, no inspiration needed. This doesn't seem to be true for everyone on MFP, Peuglow.
See, there are ppl who are struggling to learn new tips, new ideas to help them develop better health habits that they can live with forever, not just to lose weight as a fad diet, but trying to make an overall healthy lifestyle change permanently.
The fact that *you* personally can play with a dog while eating, and not overeat might not be true of everyone, but, sometimes it is hard to imagine that one person is different than your own self, or faces different challenges, different goals, than you yourself are working on. but whatever.

The OP here is buff as heck, and can do squats while holding 100lb weights, and anything SHE says, i listen!! This post can help some ppl. None of her ideas, (many are even backed by research) are unhealthy.
If this doesn't work for whatever you are trying to do with your body, fine, but why mock someone who is trying to help others? Wha, does that make you feel smart or something?

but sure, you are free to mock someone trying to help others or sharing what works for her, if that makes you feel smart(?) to mock ppl trying to help others or sharing health tips that HAVE worked for them....

yeah, i so agree

Sorry, I did not mean to come off as mocking. I was merely talking about the article, and not the poster at all.

There's just a lot of disinformation out there. Relax, I'm not trying to flame this post, just offering my opinion/advice.

yeah, it IS all nonharmful, healthy tips to consider.

yeah, me too, some new ones for me to consider, as i struggle to return to a healthier lifestyle.

The not eating late thing always makes me laugh. To me, it seems logical that people who eat late have waited longer to eat after their most recent meal (lunch, for example). They are likely to be experiencing greater hunger, and therefore eat more, than a person who has waited less time between meals. Their calorie intake is higher because their hunger is greater ergo they are more likely to consume an excess. Nothing to do with the time you eat at, just the time between meals!

yeah, lots of healthy ideas that might inspire someone. One good healthy move, can lead to yet another...and another........one step at a time, back to health.

struck me as pretty sensible stuff, too!

yeah, some of these i have heard before, but have never tried them yet. I am willing to consider all healthy ideas to keep me on track!!

this is good to know, that these ideas can help a person.