Do you think everyone has a natural body weight?

zeezeemum

I was thinking whether we all have a natural body weight and usually when we get to that point, it is more difficult to shift the last excess weight or even maintain at a lower weight that might not necessary be your natural body weight.

The reason I ask is, I have always comfortably been a UK size 14 or US size 10 and whenever I put on weight, the weight comes off very easily till I get to what I would consider now to be my natural weight. I have been trying to lose the last 20 Lbs for over a month now and my weight has stayed the same and fluctuated by 1 Lb despite increasing my excercise, calories , trying different things etc which got me thinking that maybe I have to accept that I will never be the size I ultimately strive for. i.e
UK size 12 or US size 8.
BTW: I have been this size before but that was for my wedding 11 years ago so maybe as we get older it becomes harder?

Height: 5ft 6.5

SW: 204 (highest ever!)
CW: 167
GW: 147

Just wanted to know if anyone else out there has problems losing or maintaining what might be their natural or realistic body weight??

55in13

I do not believe there is a physiological reason for most (and by most, I mean over 95%) people to have more than 20% BF. I am not discounting psychology; just saying that the difficulty is likely not due to some physical wall. It is harder to lose the remaining fat when you get closer to goal.

Jamie_Lauren

I don't think that there is a "natural" body weight for people however, being overweight for the past 22 years, I do believe that the longer that weight has been there the harder it is to shift. It's almost like your body gets used to its normal state of being and then becomes resistant. I don't know....also it's apparently common for women to see slower progress than men.

SweetestLibby

I think that based upon "diet" and exercise that the body has a "set point." My food and workout routine supports a certain weight that my body is able to maitain. To lose or gain weight I have to change that routine. Do I think that there is a certain "natural" weight that your body prefers so it's harder to get away from it? Nope, I think it has everything to do with eating and exercise behaviors and the effort you put in.

I've managed to lose nearly a 100 pounds and I have been through a series of set points where my routine at that moment wasn't enough to lose but was enough to maintain. My new set point is 121 and about 17.5% body fat. It used to be about 124 and 20% body fat.

Mrsshellers

Do you mind me asking how old you are?

I am nearly mid 30's and I find it really hard to get past the weight I am now compared to 5-6 years ago when I was at my lightest (UK 8 or US 4) - since my wedding just over 7 months ago I have put on nearly 14lbs and I am finding it really hard to lose, yet maintaining this weight isnt an issue (I am now a UK 12 or US 8)

I was around the same weight before my wedding so I lost 14lbs but it took nearly a year!

I think my body seems to be happy at this weight though I am not, I have no idea why I cant shift the weight I try to be careful what I eat most days but I dont follow anything religiously - though for the next 4 weeks I am going to give the 5:2 diet a go and see if that helps, if it does all well and good then I'll try and get to my goal and hopefully maintain it from there.

zeezeemum

Do you mind me asking how old you are?

I am nearly mid 30's and I find it really hard to get past the weight I am now compared to 5-6 years ago when I was at my lightest (UK 8 or US 4) - since my wedding just over 7 months ago I have put on nearly 14lbs and I am finding it really hard to lose, yet maintaining this weight isnt an issue (I am now a UK 12 or US 8)

I was around the same weight before my wedding so I lost 14lbs but it took nearly a year!

I think my body seems to be happy at this weight though I am not, I have no idea why I cant shift the weight I try to be careful what I eat most days but I dont follow anything religiously - though for the next 4 weeks I am going to give the 5:2 diet a go and see if that helps, if it does all well and good then I'll try and get to my goal and hopefully maintain it from there.

I'm 40 years old and like you it seems my body is very happy at this weight!

Mrsshellers

I say keep at it, it might just be a plateau and things might start moving again, personally I am not 100% unhappy with how I am at the moment I would just like to be more toned - so maybe thats the way to go?

Chuck out the scales and bring in the measuring tape

Darryl4126

My body I think has a setpoint at 230 I can go below that and one screw up hoop there I am

Phrick

No, I don't buy into that theory.

Joehenny

Yes and no. Not a specific weight but an average level of body fat. It's a proven fat that certain individuals have certain levels of body fat that they easily remain in. I forgot the causes though. I mean just look at those hard core hard gainer types who can eat anything, lucky genetic freaks.

neanderthin

My body I think has a setpoint at 230 I can go below that and one screw up hoop there I am

I hear what your saying. My high weight was 245-50 when I decided to do something and that was in my late 30's and reduced my weight to around where you are now and was like that for a few years, then decided to get more serious. Now I'm just under 200 bulking from a low weight of 180 approx. If you build it, your body will have to react.....lol.

cmeiron

I used to think this - it's the mindset that gave me permission to stay overweight. I used to believe my "natural" weight was around 155. Yeah, not so much I have since learned that 155 (+) is my weight when I'm eating too much and not moving enough. I also used to think I had a "large frame" (Oh look! Another excuse!) Again, not so much.

missdibs1

I think that based upon "diet" and exercise that the body has a "set point." My food and workout routine supports a certain weight that my body is able to maitain. To lose or gain weight I have to change that routine. Do I think that there is a certain "natural" weight that your body prefers so it's harder to get away from it? Nope, I think it has everything to do with eating and exercise behaviors and the effort you put in.

I've managed to lose nearly a 100 pounds and I have been through a series of set points where my routine at that moment wasn't enough to lose but was enough to maintain. My new set point is 121 and about 17.5% body fat. It used to be about 124 and 20% body fat.

what did you do to change things up?

Darryl4126

My body I think has a setpoint at 230 I can go below that and one screw up hoop there I am

I hear what your saying. My high weight was 245-50 when I decided to do something and that was in my late 30's and reduced my weight to around where you are now and was like that for a few years, then decided to get more serious. Now I'm just under 200 bulking from a low weight of 180 approx. If you build it, your body will have to react.....lol.

At 230 I am 16% BF when I get below 215 I just lose all my muscle mass and get skinny fat at least I am down from 245 about 12 weeks ago

LivingtheLeanDream

I used to think this - it's the mindset that gave me permission to stay overweight. I used to believe my "natural" weight was around 155. Yeah, not so much I have since learned that 155 (+) is my weight when I'm eating too much and not moving enough. I also used to think I had a "large frame" (Oh look! Another excuse!) Again, not so much.

Love this ^^ and thats how I would have thought too

Deipneus

I don't think that there is a "natural" body weight for people however, being overweight for the past 22 years, I do believe that the longer that weight has been there the harder it is to shift. It's almost like your body gets used to its normal state of being and then becomes resistant. I don't know....also it's apparently common for women to see slower progress than men.

This is my hypothesis as well. I've been on maintenance for over a year and I have been thinking that at some point, my body might quit fighting me so hard. I think it's starting to happen.

freemystery

I think there's a "comfort" body weight but natural is something else.

I mean there's so little that's natural about our lives these days, cars and access to high calorie, nutrient sparse foods in high volumes at low cost. We don't move around, we don't run and chase and hunt or gather (most of us don't anyway!) so it's more a body weight that reflects our habits. Our eating habits and activity habits.

I think it's completely possible to change those habits and routines and see your comfort/ baseline body weight change as a result. At least I hope so as that's what I'm aiming for!

Basically I figured if my weight gain can be put down to more sedentary habits and poor discipline around food, then surely the opposite was possible. Eat less, do more, lose weight.

mamasmaltz3

http://www.academia.edu/497061/The_Concept_of_a_Body_Fat_SetPoint

Good article that explains how our bodies do tend to have a setpoint but we can manipulate it with exercise and activity.

bcattoes

I do not believe there is a physiological reason for most (and by most, I mean over 95%) people to have more than 20% BF. I am not discounting psychology; just saying that the difficulty is likely not due to some physical wall. It is harder to lose the remaining fat when you get closer to goal.

?? A physiological reason to have more than 20% BF would be consuming enough calories to maintain a BF > 20%.

If you mean there is no physiological reaon most people can't drop their BF below 20%, I suppose that's true. All one needs do is consume less net calories. But that doesn't make it ideal for everyone..

elisa123gal

From my reading and understanding.. your body plateaus at "set points"... the advice is to maintain there for a while..then diet again and bust down through to a new "set point". I read a great article on this years ago but all the details are now fuzzy. I think the researcher said.. most people hit a set point after losing 10 percent of their body weight. That the strategy would be to maintain for a few months..(Yikes..i know!) and then start dieting again to resume weight loss.

SweetestLibby

I think that based upon "diet" and exercise that the body has a "set point." My food and workout routine supports a certain weight that my body is able to maitain. To lose or gain weight I have to change that routine. Do I think that there is a certain "natural" weight that your body prefers so it's harder to get away from it? Nope, I think it has everything to do with eating and exercise behaviors and the effort you put in.

I've managed to lose nearly a 100 pounds and I have been through a series of set points where my routine at that moment wasn't enough to lose but was enough to maintain. My new set point is 121 and about 17.5% body fat. It used to be about 124 and 20% body fat.

what did you do to change things up?

paid more attention to what/how much I was eating, worked harder in the gym, and moved more outside of the gym. I'm guilty of loosing up on my tracking and falling into a comfortable pattern. To counter this I'm always looking for new workout routines, or classess, or ways to be more active outside now that it's spring and summer.

neanderthin

My body I think has a setpoint at 230 I can go below that and one screw up hoop there I am

I hear what your saying. My high weight was 245-50 when I decided to do something and that was in my late 30's and reduced my weight to around where you are now and was like that for a few years, then decided to get more serious. Now I'm just under 200 bulking from a low weight of 180 approx. If you build it, your body will have to react.....lol.

At 230 I am 16% BF when I get below 215 I just lose all my muscle mass and get skinny fat at least I am down from 245 about 12 weeks ago

Gotcha. You don't have much choice other than lose muscle mass to get much lower in overall weight and if your happy looking the way you do, then your good. At 180 I was around 11 or 12% and now I'm probably closer to 15 to 18% and when I get to 110 I'm going to try and cut back to were I was with hopefully 10 more lbs of muscle, and my final goal.......for now.

neandermagnon

There is a healthy body fat percentage range, which for women is 18-28% and for men is somewhat lower but I can't remember the exact figures.

If you have a healthy lifestyle, healthy diet and good portion control, there is no reason for most people to not be in this range. and how much someone weighs when they're at a healthy body fat percentage will depend on a whole lot of different factors, including height, frame size, body proportions, how muscular they are, etc. So in that sense everyone does have at least a healthy weight range that's specific to them which will not necessarily be the same as for someone else who's the same height as them.

I would caution against anyone whose body fat percentage is high to assume that they're just built that way; even if they exercise and eat a really healthy diet, it's likely that their portion control isn't so good. I think there are some people who are more inclined to overeating, and those who are more inclined to undereating, and this can make things more difficult but it doesn't mean you are at an ideal level of body fat for your body. It could just be you're one of those people who finds it more difficult to not overeat. I've seen on other forums young men who are very skinny who have a really hard time eating enough to make muscle gains, that's the opposite problem, and it doesn't mean they're genetically predisposed to never gain muscle, only that they are predisposed to undereat. When they manage to eat enough they make good gains in muscle and strength, and when people who are predisposed to overeating get a good handle on portion control, they lose fat. MFP is the ultimate tool for portion control if you have a decent kitchen scale. Medical issues like PCOS and thyroid throw additional spanners into the works and make fat loss difficult, but again you don't have to accept that as your destiny, you can get medical treatment for thyroid and there are approaches to fat loss that work for women with PCOS, even if you have to do things a little differently.

55in13

I would caution against anyone whose body fat percentage is high to assume that they're just built that way; even if they exercise and eat a really healthy diet, it's likely that their portion control isn't so good.

^^this

Even slight acknowledgement of a predisposition can put you on the slippery slope to justification.

55in13

I do not believe there is a physiological reason for most (and by most, I mean over 95%) people to have more than 20% BF. I am not discounting psychology; just saying that the difficulty is likely not due to some physical wall. It is harder to lose the remaining fat when you get closer to goal.

?? A physiological reason to have more than 20% BF would be consuming enough calories to maintain a BF > 20%.

If you mean there is no physiological reaon most people can't drop their BF below 20%, I suppose that's true. All one needs do is consume less net calories. But that doesn't make it ideal for everyone..

Yes, that is what I meant.

barbaratrollman

I think there's a "comfort" body weight but natural is something else.

I mean there's so little that's natural about our lives these days, cars and access to high calorie, nutrient sparse foods in high volumes at low cost. We don't move around, we don't run and chase and hunt or gather (most of us don't anyway!) so it's more a body weight that reflects our habits. Our eating habits and activity habits.

I think it's completely possible to change those habits and routines and see your comfort/ baseline body weight change as a result. At least I hope so as that's what I'm aiming for!

Basically I figured if my weight gain can be put down to more sedentary habits and poor discipline around food, then surely the opposite was possible. Eat less, do more, lose weight.

I agree with this. My weight and fitness issues always happen when I've no real balance in my life...mostly, when I'm too overworked, in my job, to give attention to my own personal needs for exercise, the outdoor recreational activities I love, and preparation of the healthy foods I prefer.

Once I heed my own requirements for good health, I don't usually have problems losing weight. More than weight loss or specific fitness goals, I strive for overall balance in my life. I hope I can stay on the path toward that goal this time.

Joannesmith2818

I have lost weight twice in the past and i always seem to settle at 9 1/2 stone. But Maybe that was more me being happy with that weight and not pushing for more weight loss.

helyg

I know I go stuck at size 14/ 12st for a while, but I think it was sort of psychological as that was the size and weight I had hoped to get down to when I started. I just don't think I believed I could go lower. I maintained at that weight for a couple of months, then stepped things back up again and have now lost another 23lbs since then and got down to a size 10/12 (UK).

If you'd asked me 6 months ago what my natural weight and size was I'd have said 12st and size 14. But now I know differently, and am aiming for 10st and a comfortable (UK) size 10.

Mrsshellers

I have lost weight twice in the past and i always seem to settle at 9 1/2 stone. But Maybe that was more me being happy with that weight and not pushing for more weight loss.

I think this is the most likely answer.

Just for the record, I am not overweight and my BF% is normal.

alisonlynn1976

Maybe, within the relatively narrow range of healthy weight. I don't think people are "naturally" underweight or overweight, I think that's behavioral (or in some cases due to a medical problem, but I also think a lot of people claim their weight is due to a medical problem when it isn't).

bumblebums

I do not believe there is a physiological reason for most (and by most, I mean over 95%) people to have more than 20% BF. I am not discounting psychology; just saying that the difficulty is likely not due to some physical wall. It is harder to lose the remaining fat when you get closer to goal.

Wha? Do you include women in your "people"? Because 20% body fat is pretty low for a woman.