Health
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

How do I Become Thin?

Leanne Lytle
Leanne Lytle

Thousands, if not millions, of people ask themselves this question everyday. Unfortunately, the answer is never an easy one. There are various methods people engage in order to become thin. These methods include maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, taking weight loss vitamins or medications, joining support groups and even undergoing surgical procedures.

The first, and most natural way, to become thin is to maintain a healthy diet. In order to become thin, one must not ingest more energy, or calories, than her body is able to use throughout the course of a day; 3,500 calories is equal to one pound or .45 kilograms. Therefore, if one ingests an unused 500 calories each day, she will gain weight at the rate of approximately one pound (.45 kg) per week. It is very important to pay attention to the things we put into our bodies for this very reason. Maintaining a healthy diet low in sugar and complete with fruits, vegetables, proteins and whole grains is an excellent way to ensure good nutrition and proper calorie intake.

Exercise and a healthy diet are the keys to getting thin.
Exercise and a healthy diet are the keys to getting thin.

A second way to become thin is by exercise. Walking, running, swimming, jumping rope or even fidgeting are great ways to get the body moving and using any stored energy. Not only is exercise essential to weight loss, but strength training is another great way to become thin. The more muscle one has, the faster the body burns calories. If a pound/.45 kg of fat is replaced with a pound/.45 kg of muscle, the body will burn an extra 50 calories per day while at rest. In order to gain muscle, one must engage in resistance training. This type of training utilizes dumbbells, medicine balls, elastic bands, and body weight to put a strain on the existing muscle, consequently building new muscle.

Obese individuals may find exercise to be very difficult, if not impossible.
Obese individuals may find exercise to be very difficult, if not impossible.

Some individuals may find it difficult to make such drastic habitual changes in their lifestyles. For these individuals, finding a support group or enlisting the help of a personal trainer or accountability partner might be beneficial. Other obese individuals may find exercise to be very difficult, if possible at all. For these individuals to become thin, it would be beneficial to first meet with a doctor. Doctors are able to prescribe realistic goals as well as weight-loss medications such as appetite suppressants and fat absorption inhibitors. If medication and altered-lifestyle do not produce sufficient results, the doctor may suggest one of many weightloss surgeries including lap-band or gastric bypass. But even these methods of weight loss are not sustainable without a healthy diet and exercise regimen.

Discussion Comments

amysamp

The question “how do I become thin?”, is like asking, “how do I become younger looking?”

There are some things we can do, but we cannot totally change the cards we were dealt at birth. We cannot change the cards that aging brings us, both slowing down our metabolisms and speeding up our aging processes.

I think we all should work on our inner problems before we work on our outer problems. Usually once we work on our inner selves, the rest of our problems start to work themselves out.

The outer problems are a lot smaller and easier to deal with, when compared to our inner problems. Our inner problems usually have a lot to do with our outer problems, so this makes sense why once we deal with the inner problems, the outer issues fade away also.

I recommend that we focus on our inner problems first. Of course if you need to change your outer person to be able to live, I would work on that at the same time as your outer self.

Also, as Oprah taught me, "everyone wants and needs to be validated", so no matter how thin or how big someone is, we should validate them.

David09

@nony - I agree. One thing I am also not in favor of is diet suppressants. They may work by creating a feeling of “fullness,” but I think that you can get this effect some other way, like eating protein bars or things like that.

I am just very suspicious of any medical approaches to weight loss. In my opinion the only permanent way to lose weight is through diet and lifestyle changes.

nony

Being thin is a worthy goal, but you don’t want to become anorexic thin. I never got that bad but I did lose too much weight years ago when I went on an all salad diet. Basically I ate nothing but salad for lunch, and even for dinner I ate salads, although I may have mixed in some chicken strips or walnuts for protein.

I lost weight like crazy. It got so bad people were encouraging me to eat more food! My pants were beginning to sag. I’d like to say that I felt great, but unfortunately the absence of protein made me feel lightheaded and dizzy most of the time.

I finally went back to eating normally, and weight came back with a vengeance. I think if you’re going to lose weight, you need to do it gradually. Otherwise, you will lose muscle and that’s not good in my opinion.

snickerish

There is no way to become "thin." But there are natural ways to become healthier and possibly gain muscle and lose fat, through eating healthy and exercising regularly.

I actually could lose a few extra pounds, but I would rather live my life to the fullest, than to dedicate every waking moment to a strict diet and workout routine.

I say everything healthy in moderation is good, but anything over-the-top, even eating right and exercising, can be unhealthy.

When you do not take in enough calories your body starts taking energy from your muscles, making your body overall weaker. Also, when you exercise too much, you put yourself up for a lot of health risks, something as small as a pulled muscle and as large as a heart attack.

I would recommend eating healthy five days out of the week, and taking a break on the weekends. Or give yourself a small treat every day to reward yourself for doing so well. And exercising every other day for about an hour should be plenty of exercise.

If you are overweight by more than a few pounds, you should seek professional help to see what they recommend you do.

LisaLou

For my whole adult life I have struggled to be thin. For me, losing weight and being thin involve choices that I make every day.

One of these choices was to become a personal trainer so I could help other people who are also working towards this.

When I first determined that I was going to lose the extra weight, I was so intimidated to set foot in a gym. I went anyway, and met a personal trainer who had been in my shoes.

This really inspired and motivated me to continue on with what I was doing. I was also able to lose the weight and keep it off. I thought if I could do this, that others would be able to do the same thing.

This has been something that is very rewarding for me. If this is something you struggle with, take the first step and know there are many others out there who have been there and are willing to help you reach your goals.

honeybees

While I think it is important to be at your ideal weight, I know it is not healthy to be too thin. If you are wanting to know how to become super thin, you may suffer from health problems that can be as devastating as someone who is overweight.

When I worked as an underwriter for an insurance company, we looked at someone who was underweight just as seriously as someone who was overweight.

The consequences may be different, but there are still health problems that go along with this. Many times, this also means you are malnourished which can lead to host of other problems.

It is possible to be thin and be healthy and this usually comes from eating right and exercising on a regular basis.

jennythelib

You know, the title of the article is a little misleading, because many people will simply never be "thin." There are different body types. Most people can be *thinner.* And certainly if you are overweight and have health issues, you can really get your energy back and cut down on problems like high blood pressure.

But it can't really be about "thin." It has to be about your health. If thinner comes along with a healthy diet and reasonable exercise, great. If not, just appreciate the ability to enjoy your life more.

BrickBack

@Oasis11 -You also have to be realistic about what you feel is a healthy weight for yourself. You should not compare yourself to others because your body is unique. You really have to factor your age and body frame when you consider a healthy weight for yourself.

Otherwise you might get frustrated when your weight does not dip below a certain amount. I try to focus on dress sizes instead of pounds on the scale. I have a target size in mind which is what my definition of thin is for me.

I also focus on fitness goals which helps me get in great shape and continue to lose inches which make my clothes fit looser.

I also read that chia seeds that are sold in most health food stores can really act as an appetite suppressant because if you sprinkle a little of these seeds on your food it has an expanding effect on your stomach and you feel fuller a lot faster and won’t be able to finish your meal. I am definitely going to try this as well.

oasis11

@Comfyshoes- It is so true. You should really try to have a buddy system and try to lose weight with a group of people so that you can stay motivated on your goals.

I also think that when you work with a group you can really see that everyone struggles from time to time and it is okay if you have a bad day. The thing is not to give up. I also think that in a group you can encourage each other to work out and even sign up for a race to represent your whole company.

This way there is some accountability which will allow you to stay on track. I think that the lack of accountability that people experience at home is what causes them to fall off the wagon.

comfyshoes

@Fify -I think that if you want to be thin and are overweight, you really have to examine why you are overweight before you can lose weight.

I think that many people fail to do this and instead go on diets and lose weight only to gain it back which really makes them feel terrible. Many people overeat for a lot of reasons and when those reasons are tied to emotional issues then you really have to get some sort of counseling so that your weight loss will be effective over the long haul.

I was reading a book on this very topic called. “Women, Food and God” by Geneen Roth who runs weight loss retreats for people struggling with emotional overeating. I have to say that the book was an eye opener and really made me realize why I had a weight problem to begin with.

It also empowered me to realize that I could be thin and achieve my weight loss goals, but I had to treat myself better and that was the key. She says that mindless eating is the culprit to a lot weight issues and adds that if you eat with people and avoid reading or watching television when you eat you will realize what you are putting in your mouth.

fify

I've been reading a lot about various steps to become thin. Medication seems to be the easiest and fastest way. I'm especially interested in fat and carbohydrate absorption inhibitors. I heard a lady talking about it on TV and she was saying that she takes an inhibitor right before she eats foods high in fats and carbohydrates and doesn't gain any weight. That sounds really great to me.

But I've also heard a lot about these inhibitors being dangerous for health. Do you think they are dangerous? Is there an easy way to become thin that doesn't affect our health badly?

candyquilt

@anamur-- I agree with you. I've always wanted to get thin too. I admire girls who can eat whatever they want and still remain thin. I've tried becoming thin many times. I think I was successful but it didn't last too long because I couldn't keep up my diet and exercise routine anymore.

I lost close to 30 pounds by dieting and exercising. I did not eat any bread or sweets for almost two years and exercised 5 days a week. This was relatively easy because I was in college than and had access to a dietitian, gym and cafeteria. But when I graduated and started working, I gave up my diet and couldn't exercise so often. For about a year, I maintained my weight thanks to the fact that my metabolism had become much faster.

After one year though, I gained weight relatively fast and I'm almost close to how I started out now. I want to be thin again, but I honestly can't put up with that diet and exercise regime anymore. When I used to diet, I would dream of bread every night. I don't want to go through that again! I'm trying to love myself the way I am.

serenesurface

My weight has shifted up and down since my teenage years. I have become very thin several times in my life, but it was not easy. I had to be on a strict diet for a long time and exercise regularly, basically every day.

I don't think that everyone needs to put in the same amount of effort to be thin. Some of us are naturally born with a faster metabolism and even a half hour walk everyday can make a huge difference. Walking everyday maintains my weight but it doesn't help me lose weight. I have a slow metabolism so I always have to incorporate a diet regime to lose weight which is not easy.

One thing I know for sure is that becoming thin requires a lot of will-power, motivation and patience. And it always has to include both diet and exercise, any other method is just ineffective or is dangerous to health in my view.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Exercise and a healthy diet are the keys to getting thin.
      By: Alexander Zhiltsov
      Exercise and a healthy diet are the keys to getting thin.
    • Obese individuals may find exercise to be very difficult, if not impossible.
      By: Elenathewise
      Obese individuals may find exercise to be very difficult, if not impossible.
    • Jump rope exercises are especially useful for burning fat and improving cardiovascular health.
      By: Igor Mojzes
      Jump rope exercises are especially useful for burning fat and improving cardiovascular health.