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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

7 Secrets of Naturally Thin People

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By eDiets Staff

You hate them.

You know the type... The ones who never bat an eyelash when it comes time to order lunch or dinner. Ask them how much they weigh, and they probably can't even tell you -- they don't know. Question them about calorie count and you're likely to be answered with a blank stare.

They are the men and women who don't give weight-watching a second thought. And that's the very reason they're at a happy, healthy weight. They are naturally thin people -- the enemy to anyone who's ever battled extra pounds.

But please don't hate them. You too can be one of them, says Dr. Dorie McCubbrey, author of How Much Does Your Soul Weigh?: Diet-Free Solutions to Your Food, Weight and Body Worries. The weight issues specialist and licensed professional counselor has spent the last 15 years helping people explore their weight woes. McCubbrey, the "Don't Diet" doctor, has made it her mission to take the focus off the scale and put it on what she calls intuitive self-care. It's that kind of treatment that the Colorado counselor encourages. She tries to steer her clients away from regimented and overly restrictive diets.

The idea, according to McCubbrey, is to emulate the way a naturally thin person thinks. For starters, the world doesn't revolve around the number on the scale.

"Sometimes we think, 'When I'm thin enough, I'll be happy,'" McCubbrey says, who describes herself as someone who was the wrong kind of dieter for 15 years. "A naturally thin person knows how to be happy first, beyond weight success. It's freedom to enjoy your life. It's about healthier relationships and being able to achieve the goals you want for yourself professionally. It's finding the time to enjoy some pleasures in life, like the vacations you always wanted to take or the personal goals you always wanted to achieve. It's having the energy and desire and ability to follow through on these things. It's a fuller, richer life."

What it isn't is obsessing over every pound shed, minute spent exercising, calorie eaten, etc. Somewhere there has to be a happy medium between the apathy and the obsession. That's where the seven secrets of naturally thin people come in. According to McCubbrey, we're all born naturally thin. However, it's the way we think that takes away this mentality. It all begins when we go on our first diet, she says.

McCubbrey is quick to point out there's a big difference between being thin and being a naturally thin person. There are those who struggle with anorexia or rely on starvation to avoid weight gain. These people are engaging in unhealthy physical and mental behaviors. When it comes to weight loss, one size does not fit all, she says.

"There's no one diet or meal plan or exercise plan that's right for everybody. That's what is great about eDiets -- it customizes thin. My approach supports that. You have to find a customized approach unique to your own needs."

Before you can even get started on a healthy approach to dealing with your weight, it's important to get in the right state of mind. McCubbrey has the seven healthy secrets of naturally thin people that can help you get one step closer.

Secret #1: Practice Intuitive Weight Maintenance
Naturally thin people have a stable weight and don't worry what it is. Naturally thin people don't weigh, measure or otherwise keep track of their bodies' dimensions. You won't even find a bathroom scale at the naturally thin person's house. They don't need to weigh themselves, because they trust their bodies to regulate their own weight. Sure, it is easy for people not to worry about their weight when it never changes. But does their weight not change because they don't worry about it? What if constant worries make your weight fluctuate? What if you tried to think like naturally thin people instead, with an inner knowledge that your weight would stay stable?

Secret #2: Apply an Intuitive Attitude
Naturally thin people have a positive view of themselves and their lives. People who have never had a weight problem know that the key to happiness is in how they perceive themselves and their lives. They have a wonderful self-image, because they have not allowed society's pressure to influence them. Besides appearance, some people criticize themselves for their thoughts, feelings, behaviors -- everything. How they see their bodies is a reflection of how they tend to see their entire lives. Have you been putting thinness before happiness? What kind of criticism have you been carrying with you in your "bag of manure?" What positive thought can you carry with you instead?

Secret #3: Know Intuitively Why to Eat
Naturally thin people eat when they are hungry, but for other reasons as well. They eat because their bodies need fuel, but they also eat sometimes even if they are nut hungry. People eat to fulfill physical need (75 to 100 percent of the time), physical desire (0 to 25 percent of the time) and emotional desire (0 to 10 percent of the time). The key is proportion -- to be attuned to the body's signals of what it needs, but also to eat once in a while out of desire.

Secret #4: Know Intuitively What to Eat
Naturally thin people eat exactly what they are hungry for. They seem to have an inherent sense of what they really need. They'll go out of their way to get what they are hungry for, even if it means making a shopping trip. If that's not feasible, then they substitute another similar food.

Secret #5: Know Intuitively How Much to Eat
Naturally thin people stop eating before they get too full. They often leave food on their plates when dining out, because the typical restaurant portion is more than a body needs. When dining at home, they often finished what is on their plates if they served themselves, because they are in tune with how much food their bodies will need and only put that much on their plates. Eat slowly, pay attention to how you feel as you get full and learn hot to recognize fullness cues.

Secret #6: Exercise With Intuition
Naturally thin people enjoy a variety of fitness activities in reasonable amounts. They exercise on a regular basis without going overboard. There is consistency without compulsivity. They use exercise guidelines, but in a way that honors their bodies' needs. Some exercise for longer durations than others, and some work out at more advanced levels than others.

Secret #7: Live an Intuitive Life
Naturally thin people have truly fulfilling lives (and it's not because they are thin). Thinness is part of their experience, but it is not the source of their fulfillment. They have meaningful relationships with others. They enjoy significant experiences in both their professional and personal lives. They focus far beyond the number on the scale. Their focus is on enjoying life, exactly as it is, and making the best of things, exactly as they are. With this attitude of gratitude, they seem to attract more good into their lives automatically, without having to chase after it.

Read the 121 Comments - Click Here

Comment: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:38:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

The gist of this crap is that naturally thin people are happy and positive. They have magical lives where everything is meaningful and perfect. They prance around with leprechauns, unicorns, and occasionally, a care bear or two. It wasn't until I read this article that I realized how sad fat people must be. I mean, according to Dr. McChub, us thin folks know how to be happy first, have meaningful relationships, know intuitively how much to eat (for me it's until I feel it coming out my butt), exercise on a regular basis, and focus on ourselves professionally. This doesn't say a lot for the fatties. I guess that's why all successful people are one under worked muscle group away from becoming Greek Gods. I mean, I'm not... I'm perfect. I don't work out at all and eat everything I want to. I'm obviously super-naturally thin. I think I have magical powers too! Anyway, this article has really shed some light on how awesome my life is because I've never worried about maintaining my perfect 120 lbs (5'4 of all womanly hotness). I just eat all the cake and cookies I want - full fat of course - and live my naturally successful, happy, and meaningful life. You would think that the suicide rate among the fatties to be higher. I mean, it's tough to compete with us. I love Dr. McChub... thank you so much for these valuable secrets - I never knew how fortunate I am and how much it sucks to be fat. Let's face it, perfect naturally thin people are born that way not made.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:58:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Yeah, ummmm...because a person is thin doesnt mean they are better than people who arent. Apparently it also doesn't insure a decent personality, as illistrated by the author of the previous comment. I've known women that can eat whatever they want and do absolutely no excercise and stay thin. However, that first child or 40th birthday rolls around and out come the thunder thighs. Enjoy your body while youre young, sweetheart, because that seems to be the only thing you have going for you.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:15:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Well, I think the first author was being sarcastic and the second one didn't get that - but I could be wrong.

I think the article is not accurate - especially the last paragraph. It makes it sound as if naturally think people have these perfect lives and everything naturally falls into place and comes easy for them, which I think is not the case.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:28:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Perhaps the 7 secrets of naturally fat people should be included here. Born, made, or otherwise it is really pretentious to suggest that we can think our way into better bodies or that people who work hard to lose weight are wasting their time and unhappy. Suggestions such as "eat when you are hungry" are dangerous and misleading and can actually lead to weight gain. Knowing what you want to eat all the time must be some sort of jedi mind trick because some of the thinnest people I know take hours to read the menu at a restaurant. Again, I read the article to try and shed some light on my weight gain in recent years and I found only darkness here.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:32:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I have to say your list of secrets was a bit narrow minded. I know many people who are not naturally thin who live happy fullfilled lives. It is not the "thinness" that makes you happy. Happiness, fullfillment,peace, joy, love, all come from within not from the size of your jeans.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:44:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

This article is truly the biggest pile of bull#$#% that I have ever heard.
I have excersised every day of my life and have watched what I eat always, I do not drink, smoke or eat any sweets, and I could easily loose 25 pounds and still not be thin. So what is wrong with me????


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:46:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

You must be a fat ass. Old and with kids...


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:50:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

It was not right to say thin people have it together more then heavier. There are a lot of thin people with eating disorders. Self image is important no matter what size you are. I also know a lot of people who work extremely hard to stay thinit does not come naturl for them either. The hate keeping to a diet. Some yo yo and get off track. Vainity usually brings them back in line more the health. Lets face staying healthy and in shape is a task for most.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:51:00 PM - Blogger disgruntled said...  

i get the impression that the first person commenting is being sarcastic and not boasting about being thin. i agree, this article is complete bull and i'd like to see what the author looks like. probably the only thing going for her is that she is thin!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:52:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

My sincere thanks to the first commenter for those delightfully sarcastic remarks. Whatever merit there may be in McCubbrey's method is lost for me in her idolization of the "naturally thin" people, who do indeed sound a lot like skinny CareBears, whose magical tummy powers allow them to blithely avoid every possible problem that the rest of us deal with here in Reality.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:53:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I MY GOSH - that is the funniest thing I have ever read!!! LOVE the comment section. Can I second that???
hehehehehe


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:07:00 PM - Anonymous debchev said...  

A lot of factors enter in to it concerning weight,genes are a deciding factor,age,physical condition,illness,diseases,but we all should listen to our bodies,proper rest,proper diet,proper activity,not eating when we really are not hungry,these are all things we already know.But none of us need to crash diet,we need to find what works for each of us.If you are more sedentary you will have to decrease calories,and increase activity,if you are active ,then you may be able to control your weight better,what ever,balance is necessary.It is common sense.Everyone out there has got some new diet or gimmick to make you lose weight.It all has to start with you,it is your willpower,and your desire to lose,or be healthier,what ever you want to call it,Unless you are ready to do something about it,it will not happen ,no matter how much money you spend.Good luck everyone.Remember Rome was not built in a day.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:10:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

As the mother of 2 children, both adopted at birth, one whose birth mother is slender, one whose entire birthfamily is obese, I will say that the biggest secret about being thin is GENETICS. I have one daughter who is extremely slender, one who is extremely overweight. They both live and eat in the same house. Guess which one is which?

If you want to be "naturally thin," try to have thin biological parents.

shheeesshhh.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:10:00 PM - Blogger Stacy said...  

I'm thin and I'm happy, I've been heavy and happy, I've been skinny and depressed. Happiness is a state of mind, there is no true weight relationship to your emotions unless you are an obsessive or depressed person, in which case you'll never be happy with your body and seldom with yourself (or anyone else for that matter).


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:11:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I cannot beleive that eDiets would support or showcase such an idiotic load of Care Bear pooh!!!!!! Does this suthor seriously believe that all people are born thin? Has she ever left her house? Turned on the news? Read anything aside from fairy tales or fiction nooks!?! There are so many holes in her theory that I can only hope her book has been manufactured onto thin slices of swiss chesse!!!! What about those of us who were literally born into obesity? My pictures from when I was a 3-month-old baby show a super chubby, albeit beautiful (yes, sorry, I had to go there!) girl...was I not focusing my Vulcan mind powers intuitively enough on being a happy thin person? Was I falling behind as a 6-month old because I was even chubbier and spent the rest of my young years growing and growing, so much so that now, as a young woman, I have to work out 2 HOURS A DAY AND EAT BARLEY GRASS FOR SNACKS just to stay ahead of the game!!!!!! Please spread your particularly amusing brand of crap to some brainwashed bimbos who can ego trip on their superior thinness....the rest of us will be in the gym getting our workout on and living real lives in the real land. Hope you never have to come out of fairy tale land - I don't think you could survive it!!!!!!!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:14:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

And who really thinks that Paris Hilton Ms. Skin & bones is full of love & sucess????
Queens Latifah big bold & beautiful, did i mention highly successful.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:16:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I agree that this article is a bunch of bunk. But then so is much of what has been said in the comments. Not all women over 40 who have had children suddenly become fat. I worked hard to lose 80lbs in a year and am now blessed with a metabolism that allows me to eat whatever I want, and not exercise. I would, if able, but a severe car accident will not allow it. And as for the vanity comment, I lost the weight because I was told that if I did not change how I ate, I would die...that will motivate someone REALLY FAST! I went from wearing a size 22, to now wearing between a 0 and 4, depending on the cut of the clothes. Is my life perfect? Heck no!! The things I have to deal with after the accident are far worse than anything I dealt with when I was fat. I completely agree with the poster who said that we choose to make our own happiness. It comes from within, not from the size of the jeans in our closets. As for the person who said they eat right and exercise, and could lose 25 lbs and still not be thin, you must not be eating the correct amount of calories for your daily expenditure. If you are, then have a work up with your doctor because they were, are and always will be right, exercise and eating right WILL take the weight off. There are no quick fixes, miracle pills, or magic to it ladies and gentlemen. Move and burn more calories than we take in, supply and demand. As for your happiness, love yourself NOW, as you are, and your quest to become healthier will be for the right person and reason ♥


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:19:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I think its pretty hard to read this article without getting the message that thin people lead perfect lives. What about the thin people who smoke, or drink or take drugs or gamble or shop too much? Being overweight is not the only problem a person can have!

There are some "lessons" that we can learn from "naturally thin people," but the author lost me by assuming that "naturally thin people" have "a wonderful self-image" and "truly fulfilling lives." Give me a break!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:29:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Thank you Jesus!!!

I read the article felt like complete crap and then felt ten times better when I read the comments.

I hate to say it, but this article completely misses the point and helps to perpetuate the myth that has kept so many people FAT for the longest time -- that is, that something is wrong with the way they are thinking, living, eating -- that something is WRONG with them.

What "fat" people need to do is love and accept themselves the way they are, and when they have that true love for themselves, they will start to live healthy, fulfilling lives and bingo, presto the fat will melt off but sometimes not into a 'thin' body -- sometimes it melts off into the size that the person is SUPPOSED to be, which might NOT be super thin.

Our obessession with being thin is a product of a mass media campaign of impossible standards -- it's all in the genetics and not everyone was meant to be every size.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:31:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

For the second writer, you are a very vain and smug individual.

I myself grew up very thin, and did not excersice and ate whatever I wanted, and the when your late 40's and 50's roll around, boy do things.

You may be one of the very fortunate one girfriend, so I wound not be so smug if I were you.

You may get lucky like most of the beautiful women I know, and gain a few pounds.

Oh by the way, I do excersice and eat healthy, but the weight come off very slow. I am 53 years young, and weight 160.00


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:32:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

eating intuitively, yes, I agree with. But it took me YEARS to get this way. My craving were out of control, untill I started being more intuitive (which is a process). Today I'm down 15lbs.

But one point I STRONGLY disagree with, is that thin people are happy. They have issues with thier bodies JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. Don't believe me? ask a few.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:33:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Like many who commented, I didn't agree with a lot of this either and it sure wasn't helpful for me...someone who lost 30 pounds, got in great shape for my age, am pround of all that I learned to to it and am now learning to maintain. Of the hundred or so articles I've read from e-diets this was the least helpful.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:34:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I'm new to this site and am very disappointed. I cannot believe that such an article as the one I just read was even allowed to be printed. Exactly what was the purpose of the article? Is this site meant to encourage?


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:39:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I totally agree with the article and here's why: I've never had a weight problem and my favorite foods are donuts and pasta. I was once told that when I turned 40 all them donuts would show up on my hips, and soon I will be 50 and so far only a few have shown up. I've never been concerned about what people think about my clothes, my hair nor my weight. I only care about what I think about me. I spend every day trying to make other people happy and I that gives me great satisfaction. It's true too that I will go out of my way to eat something I am craving whether it's crab legs or a Spam sandwich. Last week I made a run to 7-11 just to pick up bologna! It seems I can eat alot at times. The only really concious thing is that I listen to my body. It says eat more vegetables sometimes and then I crave a salad. It's sometimes says I need some cookies and milk and I enjoy those too. It really depends because I really listen to my body. Sometimes it says walk around the block, get on your bike, do some heavy cleaning....but it really does tell me what I need to do. I love pasta, so it also tells me you're full...enough lasagna....I don't drink soda and not because it may make me fat, but because I got cavities! I'm a very busy person and always working on some project or another. Not necessarily physically, but mentally and emotionally. Too much bad stress causes me to eat less as I lose my appetite. Good stress can cause me to eat more, especially goodies. Here's the catch though, I am a heart patient with a stent. The reasoning...one day I actually relaxed and my body found time to get sick! I'll be 50 soon, and yes I'm an optimist! Only recently since having a hysterectomy have I begun to put on weight and be more aware of it. I hurt my knee and boy that changed some patterns. Anyway so much for all that....bottom line...your body does speak to you! SO LISTEN TO IT!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:40:00 PM - Anonymous Martha said...  

Obviously we are missing the point here people...this article is keeping a positive mind.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:40:00 PM - Blogger Lovely said...  

When are we going to stop judging people's character on the basis of their body size? I thought eDiets was focused on fostering healthy attitudes. Mentally and physically healthy people come in all shapes and sizes. To correlate a person's mental health to a person's weight is absurd. Shame on you, eDiets for perpetuating these unhealthy attitudes!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:41:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I get the gist of the article.... however, I think it was taken a little too far. I think constantly thinking about your weight makes you depressed and miserable. I have to say,... one of the secrets I am in on! I threw away my scale about 2 years ago. I am much more content with my body. I'm not heavy, I work out, I have 2 legs that work, a mind that thinks, 2 arms to get hugs from the kids and I stopped obsessing about my weight. Yes, genetics can only get you so thin, then BE HAPPY with who you are!

I work out with alot of women that excercise, but don't really break a sweat, they get on the treadmill and walk, and walk, and talk, and talk... not enough ladies! You need to sweat! And they do the same thing over and over. Just keep mixing it up. Lay off the crap food and things will fall into place.

By the way, I also prayed for peace with myself image. It worked, imagine that!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:44:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Obviously thin doesn't make you happy and fat doesn't make you sad. Calories in and calories out is what usually works. However, I have to say that age and harmones along with genes really does have something to do with it all. I was a size 0-4 all my life. Gained 55 pounds with my pregancy and lost it all with very little difficulty. Could pretty much eat what I wanted. When I hit 40 I realized I had to start exercising to maintain that size and then dieting too. Now that I am in my 50's and fully menapausal, I know that harmones have something to do with it. I run 4 miles, 4 days a week and work out with weights and streching for 30 minutes 4 days a week. If I count my calories and stay within 1100-1225 calories a day I can stop gaining but I do not lose. I have pretty much given up trying to be a size 6 again. I don't think I can lose the 35 pounds that I have put on between the ages of 25 and 54 - most of them between 45 and 54.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:49:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I don't typically enter comments, but this article and the comments are a hoot! For a moment, I thought I was in a comedy zone!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:50:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Yea - I was naturally thin ~ in HS... give me a break... I've been to both ends of that world and back. The older you get - the more children you have - there is no such thing as "naturally thin"! No scale ~ give me a break ~ have you ever been into those homes of "naturally skinny" people? Whatever!!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:50:00 PM - Blogger shannon said...  

I am naturally thin and I think this whole article is bull


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:55:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I've never been thin a day in my life but I learned over time its not about fat or thin its about health. If I concentrate on having good health, I'll be beautiful and have a rich life at any weight.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:56:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Who the hell wrote this? What an idiot. They should be fired


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:56:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

First let me state that I am a thin person so I must assume it comes naturally despite several of my siblings having weight problems & I consider this article to be of an inflammatory tone from the very beginning "You hate them." In the past I've enjoyed & applied many of your articles but this one should be have been filed in the "round" filing cabinet...

Whether Dr McCubbery blogged this crap or your staff isn't really clear but your staff needs to review what goes out before hitting send. I also take exception to placing the title of doctor on someone who is a weight issues specialist & licensed counselor... I could just as easily make such claims & get the licensure but you could rest assured if an article came from me it would certainly not be dribble like this...

Patty


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:57:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I can't believe ediets actually posted an article like this...it is crap!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:58:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Being a naturally thin person does not make you happy. Being happy is not dependent on the size of your body but on the state of your mind (which of course can be influence by the way you look ... if you let it).
I've always been thin or skinny and if I lose a couple pounds due to illness or such it takes forever (I mean years sometimes) to regain those lost pounds. When you don't have excess padding you feel everything when you sit or lie on a hard surface.
Once your healthy and not uncomfortable in your own skin then you should be happy. If your not STOP complaining and start acting by doing something about it.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:02:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

what a crock, Dr. Mcchubby is a real quacko... Iam naturally chubby and just fine with it and seem to be doing ok...


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:05:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

the article is saying only thin thinking folks will be happy. i know several naturally thin people, who are sad and depressed and do harmful things to themselves, like smoke and drink heavily. and they are naturally thin. myself, i was 20lbs overweight and now am at my "correct" weight-according to doctors and whatnot, and i am not any happier-yeah clothes fit better, but if i am having a "fat day" it ruins my freakin day. so as hard as i try to be "intuitive" regarding all aspects of health, i am going to have many unhappy depressed days-whether im heavier or lighter. hopefully all of us using this ediets, can see beyond close mindedness such as this and keep on keeping on....


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:05:00 PM - Anonymous jazzercizer said...  

Wow - this article elicited quite a response! I have always had to work at keeping a healthy weight. Sometimes were harder than others. I had two close friends who were always thin. I used to be fascinated by their lack of concern with weight and we had many conversations about this. One friend was a nervous type and always stressed. This caused her to lose her appetite. The other friend actually didn't enjoy eating. He said he ate only when he had to for fuel. Does either of these people sound self-actualized?


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:10:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I am fascinated by both the article and the vituperative comments, wow !

Its taken me 51 years to discover, and I have faced three life-altering health issues, but I finally figured it out:

1. You are going to be precisely as happy in this life as you decide to be.
2. Life is 90 percent circumstance (over which you have no control) and 10 percent attitude(which no one nor thing can take away from you)
3.Each of us has a health that is unique to us, such that one thing you enjoy might kill the person sitting across from you.
4.The good die young, but pricks live forever (thank you, Lewis Black)
5)You are going to be as happy in this life as you decide to be.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:11:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I agree with all of the most of the others that this article was crap. I, too, cannot believe that ediets would print this. I have recently lost a few pounds due to my new golden retriever puppy. Walking her has enabled me for the first time in my life, even after joining gyms and exercising obsessively and dieting strenuously, to eat whatever I want and not gain weight. The difference is that I seldom have time to sit down. Maybe my puppy and I should write an article for ediets.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:15:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

To the poster who is approaching 50, has never had a weight problem, and who's favourite food is donuts and pasta, I say "give it time, baby, give it time!" I too never had a weight problem - was around 100 lbs from age 14 to 40-something. Ate what I wanted, when I wanted. Never exercised if I could help it. I always thought the "secret" (apart from thin genes) was that I never ate when I wasn't hungry. After a hysterectomy in mid-forties, I put on a few pounds, but still nothing to worry about. At 50 I was still slim, albeit somewhat more rounded. I have never changed the way I eat - yet now, at age 58 I find myself with about 18 extra pounds that came out of nowhere and need to be dealt with. I thought the article was hogwash.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:16:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

THIS ONE STRUCK A NERVE! I couldn't get through all of the comments. What I did notice is how many of you failed to get the big picture...

Don't worry about the numbers as much as how you're feeling. BE HAPPY AND HEALTHLY in life! The "size 0-4 depending on the cut"; sounds like bragging to me. Queen Latifa is beautiful. I'm not sure why that one even came up. We should find balance and moderation in all things, happiness (rather than disappointment) will help us exercise some will-power over the things that make us unhappy. That's my take. Hope you find it useful. xoxo


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:17:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

This article is just plain HORRIBLE! ediets should write a HUGE apology article explaining WHY they are wrong and what they are going to do to change their views.
wow! The credibility of ediets just got lower... I thought that would be impossible!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:18:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

This article is real crap like everyone else said. I don't obsess about dieting at all, nor do I obsess about my weight - do I like that I'm obese?? Nope.. but no matter what I do nothing changes.. so.. maybe thin people are born with something in their make up that those of us with weight issues were not.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:18:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Thur. Jan. 24 10pm comment summed it up..
Happiness is a state of mind. Thin folks are not the happiest nor are the fattest the most depressed. I've been thin and no one treated me any different than carrying my heaviest weight. I'm secure with myself and happy with myself thick or thin.
I could not believe what i was reading..LMAO!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:21:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I've trained a lot of people that were naturally thin until they had a baby, or hit 40. Things change in your life and body as we get older. Our habits need to change if we want to stay thin. The "naturally" thin people that I train, that have kids and are in their 30's, 40's and 50's, have these three things going for them:
1) They are positive about their own self image and know they are in good shape.
2) They work their ass off in the gym or on the road (biking, running or walking).
3) They eat healthy: Lean protein, fruits and vegetables with little process foods.

In my opinion you don't need 7 secrets, you only need 3.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:25:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

What is this list about? Like "Naturally Thin" people are all the same Barbie-type doll? I dislike the overuse of the word intuitive too, give me a break. Like they are just intrinsically blessed with the ability to be thin? For real? And the comment at the beginning about hating naturally thin people. I am not thin, never have been. As if their lives are somehow more important or valid than mine? I wouldn't trade my stretchmarks for the experience of giving birth to my daughter for all the money or "thinness" in the world. Maybe I am not the one who needs to be told to think intuitively, maybe they need to stop focusing on outward appearance. Self esteem should not be ruled by your appearance, we are all different and that is great!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:26:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I was thinking about using eDiets to lose some weight, but after reading the text, I'm disturbed and offended. What narrow-minded, self-aggrandizing crap. Seriously, defensive much, writer? Hurrah for you that you're so marvelously happy -- and that in itself is so extremely rare, regardless of your size -- but please accept my own experience. I've met lots of chubby happy people, I've many naturally slender happy people, but I have never encountered a more miserable, self-loathing herd of biyatches than unnaturally skinny people. Like I told the anorexic 7th grader at the school where I work: there are worse things than being fat; for example, you could be an A-hole.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:27:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I have recently lost 35 pounds and it was just excercise and eating smaller portions. I do not believe being fat is all geneticsbecause I come from a rather large family on both sides. Growing up, we rarely ate out and never had fast food. My child hood was spent skinny. I moved away and started eating out because it was easier than cooking and gained about 50 pounds in a hurry. After I noticed I stopped the fast food and cold drinks and went back to healthy eating and portion control. "SURPRISE" I lost weight!!! All of you who say they dont eat sweets, it is not all about that, I eat what ever I want I just dont eat like a pig. I wanted to lose it I didnt just say it. You have to burn more than you consume in a day to get it off. Get active and push away from the table more often.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:28:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Naturally thin people don't have to worry about their weight because they are naturally thin! AND they are lucky to be the shape that this society worships! If I ate like a naturally thin person, I would gain weight because I am naturally fat and have been so all my life. In order to lose weight I have to suffer. Get real!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:29:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Miracle diet / guide to a healthier life :

Eat natural (unprocessed) foods.

Eat smaller portions.

Eat mostly plants.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:30:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I usually don't post comments on articles, but this one got to me, as did most everyone else who read it. As I read through the article, I couldn't help but think that good metabolism is what helps most "naturally" thin people stay that way. Anyone can be happy and have good self-esteem, no matter what their body type. I maintained my weight by exercising and watching what I ate, but over the past few years, I have gained about 15 pounds and like myself just as much, if not even more, because everyone around me accepts me for who I am and doesn't pressure me to get back to a size 10. Kudos to those who have been amazed by this supposed professional article, no matter what your size!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:32:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I never respond to articles...but this one is such crap that I had to put my two cents in. Its crap.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:33:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I read the 7 secret of a naturally thin person. I found it to be really insulting. I think with a article like this; this is why there are a lot of people with eating disorders. Trying to be thin so they can have a life of false happiness like the entertainers that they see on TV. But how happy can they be if they committing suicide and self destructing their lives. Have you did any observation about your statement? Have you talk with a naturally thin person and a person that is overweight to determining their life happiness, their everyday life habits. But, before you can write such a asinine article, first you need to due thorough research and first realize how this my affect readers.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:42:00 PM - Blogger Amanda said...  

While I do agree that is is VERY important to be "intuative" with your body. It's not going to make you become a "naturally" skinny person and happy. This article is bullshit. I have been skinny and happy and I've been heavy and happy. Intuative with my body on both degrees - Like right now. I'm more intuative and in a better place in my life than I have been before...even eating BETTER than when I was skinny....but I'm not losing weight very fast at all - if ANY at all.

I think this article is misleading people and is making heavier people think there is something wrong themselves. This article is NO help to anyone, skinny or heavy. This author seems like a flake to me. What's next....psychic connections???


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:53:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Although this article does maybe put too much of a pretty bow around thin people, I have to say that I agree with the gist of what the author is saying (and I'm not a naturally thin person, either). She's basically saying that you need to not think so much about food. Our society has become extremely food crazed - a heck of a lot more so than other countries. That said, we are constantly focused on the scale. Instead we need to just eat when we are hungry (not when we have an appetite but when we are physically hungry). That's tough to do, but there is a very small percentage of people who I think can do that. They also do listen to their bodies and what their bodies need. I have always struggled with my weight, but during the times that I am thinner, I become good at listening to my body. I have learned to recognize that craving a certain food means that you are craving the nutrients in that food - whether it is more protein or fat, or certain vitamins that are found in foods. I totally agree that emotions and genetics also play a role in eating. It makes things that much tougher to make "listening to your body" harder. Anyways, just my two cents.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:53:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

if they're naturally then, that is their secret! they have nothing to do with it; it's innate.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:56:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Naturally thin people are thin because...they're naturally thin. And guess what? Anorexics are thin...how happy do you think they are??


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:57:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Although this article does maybe put too much of a pretty bow around thin people, I have to say that I agree with the gist of what the author is saying (and I'm not a naturally thin person, either). She's basically saying that you need to not think so much about food. Our society has become extremely food crazed - a heck of a lot more so than other countries. That said, we are constantly focused on the scale. Instead we need to just eat when we are hungry (not when we have an appetite but when we are physically hungry). That's tough to do, but there is a very small percentage of people who I think can do that. They also do listen to their bodies and what their bodies need. I have always struggled with my weight, but during the times that I am thinner, I become good at listening to my body. I have learned to recognize that craving a certain food means that you are craving the nutrients in that food - whether it is more protein or fat, or certain vitamins that are found in foods. I totally agree that emotions and genetics also play a role in eating. It makes things that much tougher to make "listening to your body" harder. Anyways, just my two cents.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:59:00 PM - Anonymous Art from LA said...  

I just finished reading your article on "thinness through intuitive living". I must say, I understood and agreed with all of it. I am such a person.

Unfortunately, I doubt that too many others will agree with what's written here.

It takes things to a different level, a level that's not easy to understand let alone accept for the average person - I don't mean that as a putdown. Can the average person understand quantum physics?

Just watch I get ripped and ridiculed for that comparison.

I think the point is that more slender people generally lead healthier lives (emotionally, mentally and physically) and more obese people generally do not - on average. And I'll allow a few extra pounds here and there for age and motherhood - that's not obese.

So, I'd say that on average this article is basically correct. But from what I can see from these comments, it's pissed a lot of people off.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:00:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

hehehehehe


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:01:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

what i believe is that continously stressing over anything whether weight or anything about life gets you nowhere but makes a situation worse. This is not limited to weight, your outlook does have a major impact as it is said you are what you think. However alot of this is still crap about naturally thin people. It has to do with the individual on a whole not whether you are naturally thin.Many naturally thing peopole wish they could gain weight and suffer the reverse.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:03:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Looking at these comments I feel bad for the ones writing it and for the writer for attempting to bring about something positive...that went wrong. What he was attempting to get across is that if you love and respect yourself...you can honestly think yourself thin. Worrying about it and weighing yourself everyday will lead to depression and weight gain...and give yourself permission to give up.

If you've never read the book "The Secret", that would be a good step to your own success. They talk about the law of attraction. If you think of yourself as a "fatty" you are a fatty. If you think of yourself as a wonderful person with many qualities in yourself and life...you will be that!

You are what you think you are. Spend some time today thinking of what is so awesome about yourself rather than what's wrong with everyone else!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:08:00 PM - Blogger Sherry said...  

I am surprised that ediets would tout this kind of misleading information. People drive themselves nuts trying to follow the "guidance" of each new weight loss guru that comes down the pike-making lotsa bucks off the books they sell. It is not intuition or intuitive eating that makes naturally thin people thin; it's their thin genes that keep them in their thin jeans. Most of us have to work VERY hard to get thin, and even harder to stay that way. That advice is baaaaaad.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:09:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I did not get "heavy" until my mid 40`s & i quit smoking. I could eat anything i wanted, NEVER exercised..just wait your day will come no matter how thin you "THINK."


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:10:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I'm just annoyed at the amount of spelling errors in all these comments. How about learn how to type?


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:10:00 PM - Blogger Michelle said...  

I think what this article so clumsily attempts to say is that people who are naturally thin (read..at a individually ideal weight) have a non-neurotic approach to food and eating that involves portion control, healthy food choices, etc. Of course, the reason that such practices, which should be intuitive, are not, is that the mentality of over-consumption, marketing and unbound capitalism have perverted food and the act of eating. There is not a genetic or biological reason for the obesity epidemic in the US...only a behavioral/cultural one. We also need to move away from the idea of "thiness" to one of healthy weight.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:13:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

OMG who worte this crap. Genetics are why naturally thin people are thin. You aren't thin because you're happy and positive. All fat people are sad and all skinny people are happy? Jeez what's Oprah's problem? If I made 8 milliom a year I'd be so happy and thin that a slight breeze would blow me a way.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:14:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Actually I agree with a lot of what the author said. When I think of "naturally thin" people I think of people like my sister. I think she is described in the 7 steps. She is very active and works on a farm. She loves being busy and her house is immaculate. Yes, I've hated her for most of my life - ha. She will eat ONE burrito from Taco Bell. I will buy 7. She will eat one Hersey's kiss. I'll munch on the rest of the bag. She is a very confident person even though her life is not perfect. I think she tends to be the nervous type but not about food and that's where she and I differ. I use foot as a comforter, she does not. Will she eat Christmas cookies? Yes, at Christmas and maybe 3 but she'll spread them out during the day. I think she values her ability to get around and be very physical. I truly think she is the type the author is talking about and, since I was about 14 years old, I have been the opposite and in various forms of "fat mode." I really think it's because we each have a different attitude about food and what we each want from food.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:15:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I'm naturally thin.. and this IS a bunch of CRAP!!!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:16:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

WOW I know thin people who are miserable and fat people who are very happy. Did the author research anything they wrote?? Or was it all made up. God made us all different. Many factors affect weight and just because your thin does not mean you are happy or perfect and no not all "FATTIES" are sad!! Get a grip and give us an article we can actually use!!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:16:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

The biggest secret of naturally thin people is they have "thin" DNA. It's their nature to be thin.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:18:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

This article is completely retarded! McCubbrey is obviously not as intelligent as she thinks she is...otherwise she wouldn't have put her name on this crap! lol You want some real advice? Ok, here it is... This is what I did to manage my weight and be thin. I went on The Master Cleanser for 10 days, and then I slowly started eating again...like vegetable soup for the first day or two.. Now I'm pretty much on a raw food diet. I eat organic fruits and vegetables, sometimes I eat steamed vegetables and I use my George Foreman grill for lean chicken and fish. I eat 5-6 small portions a day, I do 30 min of yoga in the morning, and I kickbox twice a week. Am I happier? Yes, I am...but I firmly believe that being thin has nothing to do with it...eating healthy and exercising however has everything to do with it. So my advice.. Detox your body and get rid of all this crap you have in your system, and then start a healthy diet. At first it isn't easy, but if you make sure you always have healthy snacks at hand, like grapes, baby carrots, almonds, little tomatoes etc, then it's easier to control because you can just eat that whenever you feel hungry. It's hard at first, but you will get used to it and then it will be easy and you won't crave all these crappy foods anymore. Good luck everybody!


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:20:00 PM - Anonymous haley said...  

I think that for most women this article was kind of depressing. If you were not satisfied with your weight, and you never have been, reading this article just made the fantasy of thin people having perfect lives seem real. Yes there are many thin women who love their bodies and have good lives, but i promise you they have their part in problems and trials too. I hate the fact that the media today has put it out to women that they have to look a certain way to be beautiful! Believe me, as a teen, (yea im only 15), it totally sucks! I cant imagine what the standards are for the "older" women! (i mean older than me) I think that the women of this generation need to stand up for who they are! and announce to the world, "I am beautiful for who I am! And NOBODY can change that!" If the pressure of being beautiful 24/7 is lifted off the shoulders of the women of the world, it would make life a whole lot easier. I think we all just need to put on our sweat pants and t-shirts, put our hair in a ponytail and just make the best of our lives now! Not worry about the weight we want to lose. Dont get me wrong ladies, i know its hard just to not care about your outside appearance anymore, but lets try to do it in a more logical and realistic way.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:20:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

You're kidding, right? As someone who has lost over 100 pounds, and who was happy with her appearance, before, during and after the weight loss, also happy with my life and had more stamina than most people I know, let me tell you: the secret to keeping your weight down when you tend to pack it on big time is to count calories, count exercise, weigh and measure yourself, and read the labels. Sometimes I am actually hungry. But I am now healthy and I'm still not at what CDC considers the ideal weight, but it's ok. I am no longer obese. And none of it was "natural." It was hard work, attention, planning, and self denial. Period.


Comment: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:20:00 PM -