“How do you stay so thin?”
is a question I get asked almost as often as, “Do you buy your own clothes?” and “Do you do your own forecasting?” The answer to the second two is an easy, “Yes.” The answer to the first question isn’t quite so simple. As a television meteorologist watched critically by many eyeballs each day, I’m never quite sure how people expect me to answer.
Are they hoping I say, “I’m just lucky!”? Do they want me to say, “I (literally) work my butt off at the gym seven days a week.”? Or do they assume I must have an eating disorder, since I am in my 40s, have given birth to three children, and still only weigh about 100 pounds?
Keep in mind I am short — petite — at only 5’2”. Weighing 100 pounds is not so shocking and definitely not considered underweight. Because I’m on TV every day, I’m under a bit of a microscope.
Most of the time I choose to believe that people are paying me a compliment when they comment on my small size. But there have been times, especially in the age of social media, that the backhanded compliments feel a little more like a slap in the face, or perhaps a contemptuous stab in the heart. I have been told things like, “For God’s sake, Amy, Eat a burger! Your arms are looking scary!” or “Wow, you look like a skeleton! I’m worried about you.” How about, “Do you know that Karen Carpenter died of anorexia?” or my ultimate favorite, “You look like a meth’ed-out crack wh*re.” Yep, those are all actual quotes sent to me on social media.
When someone asks if I diet, my immediate answer is, “no.” Because really, I don’t. However, when I stop and think about the way I live and eat and exercise, I guess I am on a diet of sorts. I’ve just never labelled it as such, because I always correlate “diet” with purposeful hard work and calculated abstinence. The things I do are just part of my normal daily life. I guess you could call it my accidental diet.
Just because I don’t feel like I’m working hard at staying thin doesn’t mean it’s not working. Those of you who love to exercise, maybe yoga or pilates, or even cross-fit, might do it for relaxation or stress-relief. Just because you love it and may not feel like it’s “hard work” to show up at the gym, doesn’t mean you’re not working hard. You’re burning calories. You’re exercising. You’re doing things that help you stay healthy and fit.
Here are 10 things I do that could be considered my accidental diet:
1. Small Meals Because of my early morning work schedule (I wake up at 2AM and go to bed at 7PM), I don’t eat 3 large meals a day. Instead, my first 2 “meals” (breakfast and lunch) consist of small, healthy snacks eaten continuously over 9 hours. From 2am to 11am, I eat things like fruit, nuts, power bars (or granola bars) with low sugar and high protein, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, protein drinks, etc. The actual food varies from day-to-day but the basic concept remains the same: eat small, healthy portions to keep the metabolism high and the energy level even. I can’t have extreme highs and lows by drinking Coke and eating sugary donuts and candy all morning. I don’t have time to crash and I also don’t have time to sit and eat one big breakfast. I take bites in between each time I’m on TV. Therefore, I feel like I’m constantly eating. I never feel hungry and my metabolism is kept level while burning calories. I also make sure I bring food with me to work. This helps me avoid the junk food in the vending machine that starts calling my name when my stomach rumbles. (Yes, even skinny people get hunger pains!)
2. Timing Is Everything My one big meal (you’d call it dinner) is eaten in the afternoon between 3:00-4:00. Then I’m in bed by 7:00. If you do the math, you’ll notice my dinner has 3-4 hours to digest before I lay down to sleep. How often do you eat at 8:00 and then go to bed at 9:00 or 9:30? Eating 3-4 hours before you go to sleep gives your body a chance to work off that big meal rather than letting it all turn to fat in your sleep.
3. Limit Caffeine There’s no way I can give up caffeine altogether. I wake up at 2AM!! I do, however, limit myself to 2 cups of coffee per day. I drink one cup at home while I’m getting ready. I drink another at work. I don’t drink any caffeine past 9AM during the week. That means no coffee and no soda. If I’m craving soda in the afternoon, I stick to non-caffeinated choices.
On the weekends, I drink as much caffeine as I want! (But after drinking so little during the week, any weekend overload gives me the jitters, so it’s a natural deterrent).
4. Limit Soda On occasion (as mentioned in #3 above) I’ll drink soda during the week. But it’s rare. I usually stick to water. Water is always the best choice. Just google “why drink water” if you need a huge list of reasons of why water is always your best choice.
5. Limit Alcohol Some of you love your wine and enjoy having a glass every night with dinner. Some of you drink too much and need to be reading another blog instead! I am not a big drinker anyway, but if I am going to have wine or a cocktail, I save it for the weekends. I rarely drink during the week. One glass of wine has 100 calories. One can of beer has 146 calories. One 2 ounce shot of rum/vodka has 215 calories. Mix it with soda or sugar/syrup, the calorie count goes up.
6. Dress To Impress Because I work on TV, I have to fit into my professional/business/fitted work clothes! I can’t wear my sweats and baggy sweatshirt on TV. If you find yourself wearing your comfy, loose clothes every day, maybe it’s time to pull out the fitted jeans. I’m not saying dress in clothes that are 2 sizes too small (ewwww). I’m saying, wearing clothes that fit well can help inspire you to use portion control when you’re thinking of eating that entire bag of Doritos. It’s a whole lot easier to super size those fries when you’re wearing sweats than when your stomach is sucked in by Spanx, you know?
I had easy inspiration to lose my baby weight in 3 months since I had to fit back into my work clothes upon the end of maternity leave.
(Also, as a side note, I rarely weigh myself on a scale. I tell how I’m doing based on how my clothes fit. Those jeans that used to be really loose that are now snug? Yeah, I’ve put on a few pounds. That tight skirt that’s now a bit loose? I’ve lost a little weight. The only time I step on a scale is at the doctor’s office.. and only because they make me! Try it. Stop looking at the scale. It’s JUST a number! If age is just a number, why can’t weight be just a number, too?)
7. Choose Healthy I try to eat “healthy” at least 70% of the time. Okay, maybe 60%. Sure, I eat McDonalds. But not every day. Sure, I eat chocolate and candy and cookies and cupcakes and Krispy Kreme Donuts. But I eat those as my treat, not as my main source of energy. I try to cut out white, refined sugar and chemicals. I try to eat whole wheat and whole grains rather than bleached, white flour. Do I do it all the time? No! I still like Five Guys and Dunkin Donuts. But as long as I eat healthy “most” of the time, it’s okay that I splurge sometimes.
8. Choose To Cheat! HaHa — Do I have your attention? I thought so. If you constantly deprive yourself of sugar, carbohydrates, alcohol, etc., you will crave them even more. I mean, you know this already, right? You don’t crave a dinner roll EVER until five minutes after you go on a carb-free diet. Am I right? I cheat! I eat what I want but not always WHEN I want, and I practice portion control. If I feel like a cookie, I eat a cookie. ONE cookie. Not the entire bag of cookies, washed down with a sugary soda. One cookie (with water) feeds my sweet craving without adding excess fat and calories to my day. If you constantly tell yourself no, it just makes you want it more.
9. Exercise I’d like to say I regularly go to the gym and spend 3-5 hours per week doing yoga, or training for marathons. The truth is I’m excellent at finding excuses to NOT be at the gym. It’s expensive. I don’t have the time. I’m too tired! This is where you start thinking “Oh, so she IS lucky! She’s thin and never exercises!” Well, yes and no. Although I don’t have a regular work-out routine or have a membership at a gym, that doesn’t mean I don’t get exercise. Even if it’s just something small – a few sit-ups, some arm lifts with dumb bells, calf lifts on the edge of a stair, a bike ride with my kids, a walk around the block – I try to do something every day. Former NFL player Trevor Anderson, who now owns a gym in Orlando, guests on our newscast’s exercise segments. His philosophy is “Better Every Day.” On one show he said something that really hit home for me: “Just doing something every day makes you better than you were yesterday.” Now, I know Trevor would encourage me (and you) to join a gym and embrace a regular workout routine. In fact, his other mottos include, “Good enough is not enough,” and “Out Work Everybody.” At this point in my life, I’m choosing his advice a la carte and sticking with trying to just be “better every day.” Instead of blowing off exercise completely because I don’t have a full hour to devote to it, I give myself permission to spend 10-15 minutes doing SOMEthing. A little is always better than nothing. Some days I do more. Some days I do less. But I try to do something every day.
10. Luck /Genetics This is the paragraph you’ve been waiting for. I know, I know! I have found that people who struggle with their weight desperately want to tell me, “You’re SO LUCKY!!” “You come by it honestly.” “Your mom is little and thin.” You know what? They’re right. Somewhat. I don’t think I’m “lucky” necessarily, but I do think genetics play into my size and weight. If you are 5’10” and big boned, you probably won’t ever weigh 100 pounds. God made some people big and some people small. My sister and I come from the very same parents, yet our body shapes, sizes and styles are both very different! My mom is taller than me and weighs less than me. She used to lie about her weight on her driver’s license… not to shave off 10 pounds like most women do, but to round UP to 100, so she didn’t have to say she weighed 98 pounds. On the other hand, I know women who used to be tiny, but as they’ve aged and dealt with various life circumstances (like childbirth, illness, medication, stress), they have put on significant amounts of weight. Love who you are and the size you are supposed to be!
I am not a doctor. I am not a dietician. This post is not meant to be advice on dieting or exercise, or getting YOU down (or up) to 100 pounds of weight. It’s not meant to call out my online haters with the back-handed compliments (okay, well, maybe just a little – haha). It’s truly just meant to be my response to “How do you stay so thin?” What works for me may not work for you. But now you know how I stay so thin. Sure, I diet… accidentally.
Loved this! It's easy to criticize others (inwardly or outwardly) when one doesn't want to face what one could/should be doing differently. This was beautifully written too. Speaking as a writer who hasn't felt motivated to write in over a year, and who undoubtedly has a good deal more free time than yourself, I probably have no business saying this, but you should write more often. I'll happily read it!
Dan, Thank you! Some day I hope to turn this topic into a book. I'll hunt you down and make you buy it when I do! 🙂
We will miss you on WESH.
But enjoy your family & writing your books. I have been watching you for years.
No force necessary; I'll be waiting in line. But then I'll force one of my own novels on you. 😉
GREAT blog Amy! You are my favorite!
-Mellisa Coates
Thank you for taking time to tell YOUR story. Kudos to you for keeping life real.
Blessings to you and your beautiful family.
Well, now I'm going to google you and find YOUR books!
Thanks so much! The feedback means a lot.
Thank you, Mellisa! Love the cool spelling of your name, too. 🙂
I'd be more than honored! I've written two with others in progress. I'd consider it a privilege to send you one as a "thank you" for being the best TV meteorologist in Orlando.
As a former fatty, I endorse this regimen! Great job Amy! No wonder you're such a beauty! Your secrets are out!! Keep up the great work and stay gorgeous!
-Mitch
Thanks, Mitch! You're the best!
I am a storm chaser/meteorology student from Wichita who had also battled with anorexia for 10 years and I have a 9 month old daughter…. I don’t know why but stumbling across this page made my heart at peace. It was just so honest and positive…and I think you are so amazing for the work you do in weather! Keep it up, you’re a great role model!!!!
Wow, Keely! Thank you. Thanks for your honesty. I’m glad you found help.
Dear Amy
I just retired this year and moved to Fl. and love watching you each morning. I love your style and I’m about your size (petite) and wondered if you could tell me where you shop for your adorable classic cloths. I have such a hard time finding smaller sizes. You do a great job everyday?
Glad I stumbled across your article. Makes total sense. I have watched you spring into shape after childbirth in a NY second. I have the same genetics, and totes relate to you! Thanks for the slice of sunshine!
Hi Amy. I can’t believe you have on line haters. That’s crazy. They must be jealous. You’re funny, beautiful and compassionate. I love your blog. You do the weather so great.
Amy , you look beautiful, the way you are , If I may say, your smile , personality and beauty , shine every morning. Your hot!! Lol just a compliment . No disrespect intended
Amy , don’t worry about the haters , you look beautiful the way you are , You are a welcome sight every Morning , and your warm smile always starts the day off nice , Rain or shine . Sincerely : Renny
Hi Amy I can see you get a lot of people who want to criticize. I hope you don’t take anything to seriously.You are a fantastic meteorologist right most of the time. I have to admire anyone who is a professional and great looking also!
Since you’re “leaving” the weather, I had to sign up on your website and read this one first. I’m with you – something every day is better than nothing. Today was hours of yard work. Tomorrow might be something on my exercise mat.
Stay in touch and glad you’re staying until May!
Amy’s LEAVING?
Amy you are fantastic! I will miss your broadcasts when you have left
WESH. Write another book and I
Will buy it !
Best Wishes,
Rick in Mount Dora
I am sad to read that today will be your last day at WESH. But, I’m so happy for you to actually have a life. I worked in a medical office in Ocala for 23 years and enjoyed almost every day.
I wish you well and hope that your retirement is better than you anticipated.
Sincerely,
Judy Brewer
Amy we will miss you greatly! We are raisung our granddaughter and she has always run to the television when she hears your voice. We have your books. Her dream was to have you come to her classroom.
Best of luck and prayers for your family.
Glad we have you for a short time.
I loved this! I am so similar to you. I am 5’3″, currently weigh 111 lbs. But throughout my years from Middle School on it was a battle to get to 100 lbs. Everyone said you are sooo lucky. Not! I had to work hard to keep my weight up without sugars and the like. I had a terrible time finding clothes that fit. Anyways, I guess becoming a senior citizen and moving to The Villages my body and mind is happy. I bounce between 111 & 115 lbs. I have so much admiration for you. Your weather forecasting was the BEST! I always looked so forward to your forecasting. As well as truly enjoyed your fashion. You have been an inspiration to me in finding my clothes. You are sooo Chic! I miss you sooo much on Wesh 2, make me sad. No one like you. I do totally support you in your decision and wish you all the best. Definitely will be looking forward to your blogs & emails. Thank you for all the good times.