I've been reading The Best Life Diet by Bob Greene, just for some other ideas on what else is out there. He makes a lot of sense, and actually just today I was reading about the physiological reasons for us to feel hungry, which is something I've been wondering about (and I think posted about?).
But another thing I was reading is that he says that each person has a "set point" where your body is kind of comfortable, with regards to body fat percentage and weight. One of the reasons you can feel hungry is that you've lost weight beyond that "set point" and your body wants to gain back to its comfort zone. I've had this theory for years, a very uneducated and uninformed theory but it was "my" idea nonetheless! There have been many, many times where I've lost a couple pounds and then all of a sudden I get ravenously hungry, munchie-wise, and seem to just eat my way back to where I started from. So frustrating. But now I know that it's something my body is doing and it's related to the hormones that make you feel full and hungry. Somehow knowing that it's not just in my head helps!
But what was even more interesting is that Greene says that exercise can help LOWER your "set point"!
Tonight I got those set-point-munchies. I did have a sugar-free chocolate pudding, but then I realized what was happening and now I'm all excited because if my body is trying to return to its set point that must mean that I'm doing a good job with my eating and exercising! So instead of being frustrated at having the munchies, I'm going to be excited because this means I'm getting somewhere.
My dad and I were just talking about this a few weeks ago. My parents and I have been doing WW for awhile now, and DH just started about a month ago. Dad was talking about wanting to get down to 185 (6'0") like he was when he and Mom met. But then he also talked about how your body has a "set point" like your book said. His doctor told him that, and it explains why a lot of people get stuck rather close to their goal weight but just can't quite get there. Dr. Steward also said that exercising can help lower it.
My dad turns 61 today and it's so exciting for me that he's lost 30 lbs already and wants to lose 20 more. Once he's down to that weight, he wants to start running again. Isn't that wild? I'm so proud of him.
I'm also very thankful that I haven't found my set point yet. I was 125 in January (before Key West vacation and then traveling weekly for work) and the only reason I didn't get below that, to my knowledge, is because I was gaining due to the food I was eating on the road.
I do feel, however, that if your body is cool with being 127, maybe you should just be 127. I mean, if exercising helps you lose some then that's cool too, but I don't think we should deny our bodies food when they are clearly "set" at a healthy weight, just to be able to say a certain # or look a certain way. Does that make sense? If your body is hungry, you need to feed it, I think. That's just me though.
Oh, Lisa, you're so right. My "hunger", though, isn't starving-myself-hunger. It's hmmm-I'm-standing-in-front-of-the-open-cabinet-and-honey-roasted-peanuts-sound-good-hunger. I actually just changed my goal weight because I've been feeling like my body *shape* is getting close to what I'm after and that it won't take to 115 pounds to get where I want to get. Maybe I'm chasing a dream...I don't know...I just don't want to look bulgy anymore and I don't want to be blaming it on "baby weight" when my babies are twenty-three years old! I figure the older I get the harder it's going to be to lose the weight, so I might as well try for it now.
My real goals are no more poochy belly and no more bouncy rear. And I hate hate hate the bulges over my hips. But if these are the badges I wear for having three kids, then so be it. I wouldn't trade them for anything!
Kara, that clears a lot of things up for me.
I was just talking to someone yesterday about the body's natural thermostat and how we have that setpoint. When we gain weight, we reset the thermostat and our body requires food to stay at the weight we've gotten to. When we lose weight our body's thermostat is reset. I've lost 47 lbs. I had even gotten to 48.4 where I only needed to lose 1.6 lb. to reach the 50 lb. mark. I just got hungrier and hungrier and it seemed so hard to get to, even with added exercise. I'll see with my next weigh-in.
Thanks for sharing your information.
Ohhhhhh ok, your hunger is my TOM (sorry Tom) hunger:
I want something but I don't know what it is. Grilled cheese? No, that wasn't it. Chocolate? Nope, not it either. Nuts? Nope, but they were tasty. French Fries? Also good, but still want to eat. Crackers with peanut butter? Again, good, but not it.
Etc, etc, etc.
Glad your body is turning into what you want it to! I don't have any kids and I have saddle bag/cottage cheese thighs and butt, and lower tummy pooch from two straight years of drinking beer excessively on a nightly basis and gaining weight so rapidly over those two years. I would be ok with the thighs, just want the tummy to go away.
And thanks for the happy birthday to my dad! Isn't it about your bedtime?
10 years ago after having my second child, well actually 3 years after having her , I lost all of my weight following Bob Greene book- I actually look at my weight loss like this-- I will do real good losing weight and then I stall and plateau for a few weeks- This is what I call setpoints that I learned from his book- You body has decided that it likes that weight and sits there- in order to lose weight from there you have to adjust your eating and yes increase your workouts or activity to shake things up-- I kept the weight off for years by following guidelines but then I decided to have baby number 3 and gained a ton of weight with pregnancy. I have a real hard time losing weight, but baby number three just turned 4 so it was time to lose the weight and I wanted to do it eating very healthy which is why I picked SB.
Thanks for the recommendation, Pearl! I'm facing a big life change here and I'm thinking that a little tweak to my program will keep me on track. Next Monday the kids and I are flying back to New Jersey for my sister's wedding and we'll be staying with my in-laws, so I don't know how much calorie counting I'll be able to do, and I know there will be many meals at different family members' houses that I will have to pick and choose (without insulting the host) what to eat that is the most on plan option. I figured having a new little twist to the plan might help, and so I was looking into The Best Life Diet as a new little thing. I like that he says for the first month to concentrate on increasing your exercise and not to worry about changing your foods too much. That fits with where I'll be because if I can concentrate on running one extra day each week, not only will it help me stay motivated to continue doing what I've been doing (which I can totally see myself slacking on) but with a little more exercise I won't have to be freaking out about my grandmother putting a little butter on her green beans and stuff like that. So, I think that's the plan. I need a plan or else the work I've done on South Beach will fly out the window in five days or less.
Set point, BE GONE!
and it's so exciting for me that he's lost 30 lbs already and wants to lose 20 more. Once he's down to that weight, he wants to start running again. Isn't that wild? I'm so proud of him. 
