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7 secrets of naturally thin people
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Here's what people who are skinny without dieting know that you don't. - photo by Melinda Fox
You know those people who never diet or spend time obsessing over exercise but still manage to keep their weight in check? Maybe it's just good genes, but maybe it's also that they have these 7 habits that keep everything in control. They have a healthy mindset and a healthy body.

They focus on their food

People who are naturally thin don't eat breakfast while scrolling through Facebook or sit down to dinner while streaming Netflix. Eating is the main event. This means they get enjoyment out of every bite and are aware of how their body responds to the food. Don't let yourself be distracted when you eat because eating in and of itself is an experience.

They leave food on their plates

If the chicken got overcooked on one side, they don't eat that part. If the cookie has a weird flavor, they don't finish it. Somehow, naturally thin people have overcome the mindset that if they don't finish the food on their plate, they will be causing a child in Africa to starve. If you don't want cake at the party, don't eat it. If you ate half of your mashed potatoes and feel satisfied, don't finish them.

They modify their order

If they're at a restaurant and the food isn't what they want, they modify their order so it is what they want. Naturally thin people eat exactly what they want. What's more, no foods are off limits. If you tell yourself you can't eat a piece of carrot cake, it can stick in your mind, causing you to eat tons of other stuff to fill that craving. But if you just eat it, the craving's gone. Eat exactly what you want.

They don't eat their feelings

You know how when something fantastic happens you want to celebrate with an ice cream sundae that pulls out all the stops? Or when something not-so-great happens and you want to wallow with a pint of Ben and Jerry's? Well, people who stay thin don't turn their feelings into pounds. They use other ways to celebrate or to cope. For example, to celebrate your big promotion, splurge on those shoes you've had your eyes on. If you just messed up a big project, call a friend and talk about TV shows you watched when you were little. Find other solutions because the food doesn't actually solve it.

They sleep the right amount

Studies show that sleeping more than 9 hours or less than 5 is correlated to weight gain. In fact, you can gain as much as 11 pounds from sleeping too little or too much. Sleep affects your hunger hormones making you feel hungrier than you actually are and crave more high-calorie foods.

They don't believe in all-or-nothings

You ate one cookie, so you might as well eat them all, right? Wrong. Naturally thin people don't believe that indulging in French fries means the rest of their week has gone to pot. They move on. They also don't limit what they are allowed to eat. But just because they tell themselves they can eat cupcakes every day, it doesn't mean they do. They listen to what they actually want and make eating choices accordingly.

They move more

Most people overestimate how much they actually move. But naturally thin people choose stairs over elevators, get up and walk around more often and choose active activities over sedentary ones.

Incorporate these habits into your life, and you won't have to feel like food is a battle anymore.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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