7 Secrets Of Naturally Thin People

You know the type... the ones who never bat an eyelash when it comes time to order lunch or dinner. Ask them their weight and they probably can’t even tell you -- they don’t know it. 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 theyre at a happy, healthy weight. They are naturally thin people -- the enemy to anyone whos ever battled extra poundage.

But please don't dislike 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 (HarperCollins). The weight issues specialist and licensed professional counselor has spent the last 15 years helping people explore their weight woes. Dr. Dorie, the Dont Diet doctor, has made it her mission to take the focus off the scale and put it on what she calls intuitive self-care. Its 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 Dr. Dorie, is to emulate the way a naturally thin person thinks. For starters, the world doesnt revolve around the number on the scale.

“Sometimes we think, ‘when I’m thin enough, I’ll be happy,’” says Dr. Dorie, 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 Dr. Dorie, 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.

Dr. Dorie 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. Dr. Dorie has the 7 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 dont worry what it is. Naturally thin people dont weigh, measure or otherwise keep track of their bodies dimensions. You wont even find a bathroom scale at the naturally thin persons house. They dont 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 dont 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 societys 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 bodys signals of what it needs, but also to eat once in a while out of desire. This involves using the bodys inner wisdom. Its fine to eat something because you want to, or occasionally because youre having a bad day. Enjoy that piece of cheesecake from the dessert tray, simply because it looks so good and you want to taste it. Have a custard-doughnut, because its your favorite comfort food and youre feeling really stressed. Just be aware of what you are doing. Pay attention to why you are eating and make your choices in a conscious, proportioned way.

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. Theyll go out of their way to get what they are hungry for, even if it means making a shopping trip. If thats not feasible, then they substitute another similar food. While eating, they are in tune with whether or not the food is satisfying their need, and they make adjustments in their intake accordingly. What happens when you make your food choices based on what you think you should eat? What are some of your forbidden foods, and what would it be like to let this label go? How do you feel after eating your current food choices? What foods would you like to try adding to your intake?

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. A naturally thin person can even take a spoon and eat right from the container -- then put the container away when theyve had enough. 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. Their bodies just seem to know how much exercise is right for them. Regardless of their level of conditioning, they all have some level of commitment to making fitness a part of their lives. They focus on what they really enjoy: running, biking, swimming or aerobics.

Secret #7: Live An Intuitive Life
Naturally thin people have truly fulfilling lives (and its 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.