So I'm sure that most of us here have found ourselves at weights that our bodies seem to naturally be "happy" at... Now, whether or not we're happy with that weight is a whole different matter... and why I was hoping to hear about other people's experience with their "set point" and what worked towards lowering it...
Also if you have any info or perhaps links to research about this it would be really helpful as well, and I'm sure gratefully appreciated...
Last edited by TripSwitch; 11-28-2012 at 10:22 AM.
I've heard anecdotally that spending enough time at a new weight can re-establish it as your set point, but honestly, that wasn't my experience. My set point was about 10 lbs above where I wanted to be, and if I went even the slightest bit off track, I jumped right back up to it.
My set point is higher then I orginally thought but I am honestly happy at 180. Besides being easy to maintain(I average between 2600-2800 because of how active I am), any lower causes my upper body, my face especially to become to thin, and hallow looking. And quite honestly, I'd rather have a few extra pounds then a sickly face...haha
I can't really help with your orginal question because my goal weight was lower then what I settled at, so I have no experience in pushing through to a new point...but only wanted to say that sometimes our "Happy weight" is best stayed at, while working on fitness and toning...
I'm kind of in the midst of this right now. I've never been below 142, and was only between 142 and 148 for about a 6 month period before I regained. So getting below that point and staying there has yet to be seen! I feel like I have momentum, so I'm hoping to get there very soon.
Thanks Ladies... So after posting this I started to do a little "research" (nothing too serious, just googling "set point" etc...) and the first thing I came across was basically about reducing your body weight by 10% and that by staying there for six months... you could then try and go down by another 10%... and so on... Definitely not the way I've ever lost weight
For me, set points have been conquered by time spent at that weight and actual hormone shifts upon getting there. Pregnancy, among other things, is very helpful. HCG mediates leptin and if I control myself during pregnancy I often find it difficult to bounce back up above my postpartum weight, unless I'm really not being careful.
Also simple things like nutrient control and working out. When I eat to maintain a weight, I do. When I change things up, I generally can drop and then maintain. It takes lots of time but has worked well for me over the past few years
Since I've been at my adult height, I at first always stayed in the 100-something range at what I guess was my "set point," never doing anything specifically for weight control. During college and after picking up a binge eating habit I gained up to around 170, and since then working on coming back down, several times I've hit 150, 140, 130, etc. and started wondering, is this my new set point?? But every time, eventually, usually after a small relapse, I've naturally started losing again to where I'm now practically back to where I was in the beginning.
I used to think that too but the more I've learned about human physiology the more I've learned about the role hormones play a role in weight regulation.
As someone who practices intermittent fasting I know what actual hunger feels like because I fast daily for 16-18 hours and do several 24 hour fasts a month. I tell you this because whenever I try to get down to my goal of having a six pack I seem to be hungry all the time. Not fake hunger, real hunger. Why would this be? Hormones. My body just doesn't want to be that lean, aparently. Yes I can fight it but it's a lot easier to just have a little belly flab.
To address lowering set point - no one is sure how to lower it. The two theories are that staying at a certain weight for a long period can change it but in my opinion I wonder if this is more like the chicken and the egg theory. The second is that a PSMF can affect it.
I thought mine was 260 but now it appears to be 240.
This is a very interesting topic and one of the things we simply don't know at this point.
I used to think that too but the more I've learned about human physiology the more I've learned about the role hormones play a role in weight regulation.
As someone who practices intermittent fasting I know what actual hunger feels like because I fast daily for 16-18 hours and do several 24 hour fasts a month. I tell you this because whenever I try to get down to my goal of having a six pack I seem to be hungry all the time. Not fake hunger, real hunger. Why would this be? Hormones. My body just doesn't want to be that lean, aparently. Yes I can fight it but it's a lot easier to just have a little belly flab.
To address lowering set point - no one is sure how to lower it. The two theories are that staying at a certain weight for a long period can change it but in my opinion I wonder if this is more like the chicken and the egg theory. The second is that a PSMF can affect it.
I thought mine was 260 but now it appears to be 240.
This is a very interesting topic and one of the things we simply don't know at this point.
Thanks JohnP for your input... I really appreciate it... I didn't have much luck today trying to find research on it... Just a little bit about what you mention in that first theory about staying at a certain weight for a long period... I wasn't able to find anything about how a PSMF could affect it... Do you know of any research that you could point me towards that deals with those theories that you mention? Although, I'll admit I'm really intrigued by the idea that a PSMF could possibly reset it...
My favorite researcher on obesity and set points is a highly accredited obesity scientist names Amanda Sainsbury-Salis. Google her, the books are excellent and the site is, too.
Mine has definitely reset to a lower point. It was around 70 kgs when I was in my teens, around 63-64 kgs when in my 20s, and now it seems to have gone down to 55-56. But I have absolutely no idea how it happened. It may be a mix of spending time at new, lower weights + exercising a little more on a daily basis (walking, biking...) + having better eating habits.
My favorite researcher on obesity and set points is a highly accredited obesity scientist names Amanda Sainsbury-Salis. Google her, the books are excellent and the site is, too.
Thanks Arctic Mama for this... I"ll definitely check her out...
Last edited by TripSwitch; 11-29-2012 at 01:35 PM.
Mine has definitely reset to a lower point. It was around 70 kgs when I was in my teens, around 63-64 kgs when in my 20s, and now it seems to have gone down to 55-56. But I have absolutely no idea how it happened. It may be a mix of spending time at new, lower weights + exercising a little more on a daily basis (walking, biking...) + having better eating habits.
This is good to hear... Gives me some hope, since mine unfortunately, seems to have gone in the opposite direction
Resetting Your "Set Point"?
