Until very recently, I was one of those skinny girls/women who could eat whatever I wanted, as much as I wanted, and never gain a pound. A few years ago, in my mid-thirties, I tried the Type O Bood Type Diet, to help cure my heartburn problem and because I thought it would be healthy. I believe now it put me out of balance, because after that I gained 20 pounds over a period of six months, and I haven't been able to lose it. Also, I now have to watch myself, because it is too easy to gain weight which I can't get rid of.

But the other day I suddenly remembered that back in college, during my skinny days, I did have little tricks which I never really thought about but just did. They are basically the same tricks the French use, as described in the books The Fat Fallacy and The French Don't Diet Plan. These are ancient ways people have used who have learned to rely on their instincts, and they work. I'm going to start applying them again and start trusting my own instincts again over whatever anyone says in a diet book.

1. If you need to lose a few pounds, shrink your stomach. Do you know that our stomachs can expand or shrink, based on our portion sizes? When I was skinny, I would occasionally overeat, at holidays or on vacation. Then I would notice that I would start to feel hungrier more of the time, as my stomach had expanded and wanted more to feel full. So I would adjust, by eating less at each meal. If you wait a while after a meal, even though at first you still feel hungry, often you will feel satisfied after several minutes pass. (There may be some times at first when your hunger stays with you, so just drink more water and give it a day or two.) As you get used to eating less, your stomach shrinks, and it takes less to make you feel full. Those extra pounds you gained from vacation drop off again.
2. Only eat when you are hungry. This seems obvious, but there are diet books out there that stipulate that you must eat food first thing in the morning to jumpstart your metabolism. There certainly is truth to this, but when I was skinny, I only ate when I was hungry, and I didn't eat when I wasn't. Most mornings I am hungry for breakfast, but it may not be until I've been up for an hour or two. If I've eaten a feast the night before, I'm often still full the next morning, and may just have a late morning brunch.
3. Be active. In college I had an active lifestyle. After marriage, making babies was an active lifestyle, as well, even though I took lots of naps. I nursed, and was able to lose all of my pregnancy weight with no problems. Now I've become more sedentary, so I have to find ways to become more active. Take a dance or martial arts class, walk as much as you can (stop using that car so much, and help make the earth greener!), garden, develop a passion, start a business, join clubs or volunteer, etc. The French generally don't exercise, but they walk, walk, walk, everywhere!
4. Drink lots of water. If there is one habit you should regain, it is to have water be your main beverage. Not only is it healthy for you, it helps you feel full so you eat less, it gives you a glowing complexion, and more energy. I mostly drink lots of water and hot tea, with the occasional cup of coffee or glass of wine with a meal.
5. Trust your instincts. This works once you are in balance. If you are used to eating junk food all the time, this probably won't work, as you'll just be craving more junk food, all the time. But if you get yourself purged of that, and get used to eating whole grains, natural foods, lots of fruits and veggies, lots of water, etc., you'll begin to know when you can start trusting yourself. The other day I made a delicious loaf of bread, with mostly natural white flour. I enjoyed it thoroughly for lunch, dipped in olive oil. At supper I brought out the second loaf, but my body told me that it was too rich, and I had had enough for one day. So I think I maybe ate one bite of bread that evening at suppertime. If I eat too much that is rich, my body tells me when to stop and eat something lighter. It might let me know when I need more veggies or fruit, or more whole grains, etc. Once in balance, your body knows what you need, and it will let you know, and you can trust yourself.