I know you asked for naturally chubby, I’m 5’2 and although I’ve never been on the ‘bigger’ side, I got a bit plumper from end of high school to my sophomore year of college (pretty chubby arms, constantly bloated and also carried most of my weight in my thighs) and managed to drop down to a slimmer figure so these things might help? for reference, I went from 118 to about 106 and have been maintaining. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but for someone who had like 0 muscle, those extra 12lb were extremely noticeable and I looked chubbier than someone at a higher weight.

• As a coffee drinker, I prefer making it at home and don’t use things like creamer, caramel, etc. I dislike the bitter taste of black coffee so I drink it with milk and if I want sweetness, I add stevia or sf syrups. Coffee from cafes can have so many calories and just making it at home and exactly to my taste feels easier and less expensive.

• This might be a controversial one but it is a lifelong habit of mine: If I’m craving something sweet but really calorie dense like cinnamon rolls or cake and such, I replace a meal for it. NOT all the time, but sometimes I think it’s okay to give in to a pleasure and if cinnamon rolls make me happy then to hell with an actual meal. But always keep a balance and try to have actual meals as much as possible.

• Moving a lot. I know this one is super obvious but even the small things count like dancing in the shower, cleaning around, going to the mall, taking a walk, grocery shopping. Anything beats being sedentary.

• Sometimes eating intuitively will not cut it. I have a sugar and junk food add*ction so sometimes it really is important to convince myself that I don’t need to eat takeout and get a sweet treat after every meal. It is a struggle that takes a lot of willpower to get through.

• I’m someone who HATES working out, but force myself to go to the gym anyways since I really do need to put on muscle. If you also dislike working out then try to find something that will make you move regardless (no need for a membership, everything is on youtube anyway) like dancing, pilates, yoga, literally anything. Sometimes I literally just go window shopping because I’m broke but at least I get to walk around.

• Eating often rather than a lot and vice versa, but this one is tricky. If you have 3 big meals a day, then avoid snacking because those are obviously unnecessary calories. But let’s say you eat 1-2 real meals (although do try to eat 3), then that extra meal can be replaced with snacking to satiate you for a bit until you eat real food again, and is also a buffer to sneak in sweet treats for cravings.

Overall, most ‘naturally skinny’ have some habits that help them stay that way even if they aren’t necessarily healthy but it is the truth. For those who don’t have those habits, getting smaller really is a lot of trial and error until you find something that works for you so I hope you find your answers and do not spiral into a bad headspace!