Does your family eat a lot?

[getforfree]

When I was growing up my aunt was always complaining that her teenage boys eat too much. She said "you are lucky" to my mom who had 4 girls and one boy "girls don't eat much, that's why you spend less on food"
Now I have boy 3yrs old, and girl 1yrs old. The dd eats much more than my son and she is very skinny. My son is not that skinny, but not fat at all, doesn't like to eat much, he would grab a piece here and there, drink lots of water. But they are little, so they don't eat as much as me or dh. Like 4 times less maybe.
I am slim, but I eat a lot. And i like any kind of food, especially deserts. My dad was joking that I am "wasting" food. I can't help it, I am always hungry. My dh tries to eat less, so he could lose some weight, but i see no changes in his waistline so far.
Do you have any tips how to cut my appetite. I don't necessary want to lose weight, but don't want to waste any food either. Maybe its just looks like to me that I eat a lot, because I always look for ways to cut my food bill and still make my family happy.
Maybe Ishould cut down on fisical activity. Me and kids run or play the ball in the backyard a lot, plus I work, and its mostly walking and working with hands.

[zakity]

YES!! My kids eat a ton and they haven't hit puberty yet!! I do have boys and they are 10, 8, and 8. I figure that if they are burning off the calories, then they need to eat that much. My kids are skinny and always have been. They burn off everything they eat.

I also eat alot. I need to lose weight (like 50+ lbs), but I used to eat alot when I was skinny. If the amount that you eat bothers you, try filling up on something cheap like rice or something or drinking a big glass of water every time you feel like you need to eat something (well, when it isn't a meal time). If you are thin and you are active and you eat alot, then, to me, it sounds like you need those calories.

[PrincessPerky]

We all eat alot, none of us 'needs' to lose weight. (in fact my midwife would yell at me if she knew I was trying)

But if you want some curb appetite tips, fill up on real food, not sugar...and sugar hides in everything, like white bread, chips. white pasta.

A mix of the food groups fills up too (think of a mix of blocks,m you can fit the same type tighter together, but a mix of shapes takes up room)

Conversly if you are filling up on that mix and hungry very shortly after, then you didn't get enough useful calories. (like filling your car up with half gas, half filler, you need some gas to drive-I think an official meal total is 3 or 4 hundred calories for anormal adult)

The water trick Zakity mentioned is good too, try drinking a glass (8 oz) every time you are hungry, first, then if you are still hungry (don't gulp it!) eat.

Easiest save money and curb appetite tip, drop the junk, nothing eats up a food budget like chips or cakes (every so cheap at only 99cents a bag, but so many bags..)and nothing makes a kid hungry like lousy food! (except for the poor kids who don't get hungry and only eat junk)

I wouldn't cut out the physical stuff, lack of activity leads to its own problems (and may not do a thing for the appetite)

[boefixepa]

It's funny how different people are and at different ages!! When I was between 8-13 I could out eat my entire family. We would go to a buffet and my parents would have to drag me out of there!! I felt like I was never full. Unfortunetly it caught up with me in my later teen years. I was always carring around and extra 30-50 lbs and it wasn't until I hit 25 that I decided to educate myself on what I needed for my health and well being. I cut out the processed food and brought down my calorie intake. Learned to eat for health reasons, not emotional reasons and found out that the charts they say you should weigh, really are true. At my "ideal weight" (140-150 lbs) (and no I am not always there, but within 5-10 lbs) is a size 4....and I am 5' 8"!! AND I still have over 20% body fat!!! If you had told my teenage self that I would have said my bones won't fit in a size four! Honestly.

I had to swallow some hard bills about myself, why I ate, why I kept that weight on. Self-esteem, and self-image had alot to do with it. As did how I was raised and the eating habits I learned growing up. Also, I had to admit...I wasn't as active as I should be.

It sounds from what you are saying, that you have a metabolism most would envy. First, be grateful for it. I'd much rather deal with having to find ways to keep weight on then tell myself I can't eat something because it's too much calories and I already splugered this week.

Second, find ways to work within the limits you have been give. Go on line and find the food items that get the biggest bang for your calorie buck. Your body needs calories to burn, what are the most inexpensive food that have the highest calories, but are still healthy. This is simply and education issue, knowledge IS power.

Third, kids are growing. If they are thin and don't have weight issues, they probably inherited your metablism. Be ready to shell out the food as they grow!! Keep them thin, keep them healthy, but yes they do eat, and eat, and eat.

Have fun!

[Ima saver]

I assume you are young. I could eat anything I wanted when i was younger. When I hit my mid thirties, I gained weight without noticing. Now I am dieting all the time. I eat low carb and drink lots of water, that helps.