So im sure this has alrdy been posted b4 but i havent been able to find it. How are some ppl able to eat watever they want, wenever they want, however much they want but still stay skinny? Without ANY exercise watsoever, like theyre sitting at their computers all day and only see daylight wen they have class. Certain genetics? or maybe clicking ur mouse burns more calories than my morning LISS sessions? =P.

Just really curious how some ppl get away with it, are they naturally fat burning machines? LoL.

Pretty much genetics. There are some ideas that the genes associated with electron transport in mitochondria can make your fat better or worse at storing energy.

But I eat what I want anyway. I work off what I eat. I'm not getting that lean (not really trying to get very lean - that can trigger a bunch of issues with your genes) but I'm not gettting fat, and I'm getting very, very fit.

They may be eating whatever they want, but overall it's not in a quantity sufficient to outpace what they're expending.

Whenever you hear stories about or observe ectomorphic types who can just pack away obscene amounts of calories, you are not hearing the whole story. The thing is that no observer can be there to continuously watch their eating habits. They may eat a lot in one meal, day, week, etc. but then hardly any in the next. This is why there are always stories about how they devoured a couple full racks of ribs in one sitting, ate the most hot wings at the barbecue, etc. and then the impression that they always eat like this, which is just not the case.

The real trick is not that their metabolisms are particularly different from your own, but that, for some reason, their eating habits (in terms of calories in and out) are overall geared towards too little or just enough, instead of too much. Any person will gain weight if they eat a sufficient quantity of food. In your average case, the reason people get fat is not because their metabolism is slow, but rather that they're consuming too many calories for their metabolism. Likewise, the reason people stay skinny is that they're consuming barely enough calories for their metabolism. It's the net effect that ultimately counts.

They may be eating whatever they want, but overall it's not in a quantity sufficient to outpace what they're expending.

Whenever you hear stories about or observe ectomorphic types who can just pack away obscene amounts of calories, you are not hearing the whole story. The thing is that no observer can be there to continuously watch their eating habits. They may eat a lot in one meal, day, week, etc. but then hardly any in the next. This is why there are always stories about how they devoured a couple full racks of ribs in one sitting, ate the most hot wings at the barbecue, etc.

The real trick is not that their metabolisms are particularly different from your own, but that, for some reason, their eating habits (in terms of calories in and out) are overall geared towards too little, instead of too much. It's the net effect that ultimately counts.

For the record, I'm one of those people who have been lean all their life and seemingly able to eat whatever I want whenever I want, which is why I can give you this inside scoop.

See i actually understand ppl with lean/muscular physiques eating watever they want, since having that much muscle just means they burn more calories and maintain a higher metabolism (rite?). And im sure they workout on a regular basis to maintain such a physique. I'm wonderin about the skinny ppl who just stay skinny, and ur first story may not apply to this case since ive never really observed this until my current roomate. So i actually do see wat he eats most the day and he rly can just splurge wenever he feels like it but have no change in body composition. I guess its just a naturally high metabolism?

They have a small appetite, and are possibly skinny-fat.

So im sure this has alrdy been posted b4 but i havent been able to find it. How are some ppl able to eat watever they want, wenever they want, however much they want but still stay skinny? Without ANY exercise watsoever, like theyre sitting at their computers all day and only see daylight wen they have class. Certain genetics? or maybe clicking ur mouse burns more calories than my morning LISS sessions? =P.

Just really curious how some ppl get away with it, are they naturally fat burning machines? LoL.

That's me. However, if I don't aggressively eat, I lose weight. 6'4 147lb at 32 wasn't really what I'd call ideal either. BMI around 17 something if I recall.

However, when I really looked at things, my daily calorie count wasn't as high as I'd have thought. I found that I skipped breakfast, sometimes lunch, then ate mega dinners.

What I notice about people I know who put fat on consistently is that they snack a bunch on calorie dense stuff (pop, candy, etc) and also don't miss too many meals ;-)

I was certainly the classic guy people refer to as having a "great metabolism", however, when I trained myself to eat, and added some lifting, I put on some reasonalble LBM and now keep myself around 185/10%, just by making sure I eat my major meals and add a couple protien snakes a day.

P

IMO, it's a combination of factors, one of which may be a genetically higher metabolism than normal. But it's usually not just that from my own experience - it also includes the calories in/calories out equation, as well as the perception of what or how much they eat.

More often than not, you aren't getting the whole picture. One example is my maternal cousin. He was always like his father's side of the family - tall and skinny. Up to our early 20's he ate everything in sight and was 5'11, 140 lbs. He then moved to the US for post-graduate studies and within a few years of no more home cooked meals he went up to 200 lbs, where he has stayed for the past 15 years. He wasn't necessarily eating more, but he did start drinking more soda (non-diet) and eating more pre-packaged, processed foods. It could possibly also be that he stopped growing, at which point the same level of eating caught up to him.

On the other hand, you have his father who has been 6', 170 llbs his entire life (+/- 5 lbs). He also eats like a horse and never gains weight. Yet, over the years I've found out that he's very attuned to his body, so that if he feels or sees on the scale that he's gained 5 lbs, he cuts down on the fatty foods and eats an insane amount of fruits and vegetables for brief period of time until he goes back to his usual 170 lbs.

Then you have my other cousin (the above cousin's sister), she's skinny to the point that people think she's anorexic - 5'8", 110 lbs. She eats the same if not more than I usually do when we get together for lunch, dinner, etc. At one point, she had a huge bowl of ice cream every day in order to maintain her weight. Upon closer inspection of her eating habits, though she eats a lot, she tends to be the type that can hardly eat when she's under stress (I tend to be the type that eats to relieve stress :lol:). She has gone through a lot trying to gain a few pounds, but is never consistent enough to keep it on.

Note that none of the above people are necessarily healthy - they have high cholesterol and do not exercise (they are definitely 'skinny fat').

All this to say that perhaps genetics have something to do with it, but there are many other factors that come into play. It's too easy to say 'their metabolism is faster' and 'they can eat all they want'...it doesn't mean they're healthy and it doesn't mean that you're looking at the whole picture.

I stopped envying the "eat whatever they want" crowd a few years ago. I figured, "how healthy can Mr. Skinny be living on McD's, while here I am at 25% BF living on turkey, fruit and veggies?"

People don't usually think of the fact that there is more to each story than meets the eye. Even if they aren't eating too many calories, the people who eat just enough calories that consist primarily of junk are not doing any favors for their body.

I'd rather overeat clean natural food than undereat processed chemical compounds.

I stopped envying the "eat whatever they want" crowd a few years ago.


Other reasons not to envy them:
- eating that much is more expensive !
- when they grow old, their metabolism might change, but not their eating habits, and they could become very fat, but not have the will to workout and eat clean (I guess you have more motivation when you're 20 than 50 (I do not say that when you're 50 you have no motivation :) )

Matthieu

Oh man, my fiance is EXACTLY one of those people you are talking about. Before she had our son, she could not put on weight for the life of her. She was 5'5, and 100 lbs even. 6 pack of abs. Never worked out and ate like it was going out of style. I mean her favourite meal in the world is pasta with her homemade sauce and would have it all the time. Every meal we had she would eat more then me. And not just a little more, a lot more.

I still don't understand how that worked.

Interesting thread.

Is it a condition I would want? Not really, especially considering that many skinny people do NOT eat healthy foods.

I would rather always have the big body....200 lbs....stay fit by working out, and always having to watch what I eat.

Skinny does not suit me.