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My body seems to hate going below a certain weight

pianoplaya94
pianoplaya94 Posts: 185 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
My goal weight is 115. However, I have noticed that when I go below 120, I will binge several times per week until I am back up at 120. Once I am there, my ability to resist snacking and my ability to stick to my daily calories significantly increases. I have been at my goal several times over the past year, however, each time I regain weight till I hit 120. Has anyone ever experienced this? Is this a physical problem in such that my body feels like it is not getting enough nutrients at 115 or a mental issue in that my mind knows I will better be able to maintain 120? How do I overcome this barrier?

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Maybe your ideal weight is 120 :smiley:
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    I've experienced this before. There is some research to suggest your body has a "set point" that it likes to maintain. However, I don't know much about it (you can probly Google).

    Are you happy at 115? Do you look and feel much different than at 120? Just asking because it might not be worth the "fight" to stay at 115 unless there's a real difference or reason you want to be there.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Maybe your ideal weight is 120 :smiley:

    Cosigned.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,055 Member
    Is it your body or your head? Twice I've hit a particular number and bounced back up. However, this was a much higher weight than 120 pounds. How tall are you?
  • pianoplaya94
    pianoplaya94 Posts: 185 Member
    I don't know... I just feel the "fittest" at 115. I think that is when I look my best
  • pianoplaya94
    pianoplaya94 Posts: 185 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Is it your body or your head? Twice I've hit a particular number and bounced back up. However, this was a much higher weight than 120 pounds. How tall are you?

    5'6.5
  • Patttience
    Patttience Posts: 975 Member
    Looking your best is not quite the same as being at your ideal weight. Your body has its own ideas and it looks like 120 is the best for you. I am sure that other people think you look wonderful at 120 and its just that you ideal is somewhat perfectionistic.

    There's a book that goes into this topic of our bodies ideal weight called The Don't Go Hungry Diet. I found the argument pretty convincing. What you have described is exactly what she talks about.

    Try to learn to be happy at 120.
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    At 5 ft 6 inches, you have a 19.4 BMI @120 pounds
    My suggestion is to start weight lifting and eat more protein so you can build muscle.
    maybe 115 pounds is not attainable for you, it means a BMI of 18.6, the bottom of normal BMI range
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    Maybe just start to recomp at this point; it isn't always about the number on the scale.
  • ohmscheeks
    ohmscheeks Posts: 840 Member
    Your body needs less food to function when you are a smaller weight. I don't think it is "making" you eat more. Do you stop counting calories/watching what you eat when you reach "goal"? Victory dinners, lol?
  • pianoplaya94
    pianoplaya94 Posts: 185 Member
    I stop counting calories sometimes, on the days when I binge. And I binge because I find it impossible to resist at my goal weight.
  • Nachise
    Nachise Posts: 395 Member
    edited July 2015
    Mmmmm...are you bingeing because you feel like you're starving, or are you bingeing because you can't reach/retain this goal?
  • pianoplaya94
    pianoplaya94 Posts: 185 Member
    Nachise wrote: »
    Mmmmm...are you bingeing because you feel like you're starving, or are you bingeing because you can't reach/retain this goal?

    I actually think it may be a combination of both. When I do reach my goal (or am very close) I "relax" ALOT and end up bingeing. I reward myself for reaching a goal, but instead of having one delicious reward, I end up eating my whole kitchen.
  • frankwbrown
    frankwbrown Posts: 13,510 Member
    edited July 2015
    As already mentioned, there is evidence that your body has a "set point" (see "The Setpoint Diet" by Gilbert Leveille for more info). Bottom line is, in order to lower your setpoint, you need to increase your level of activity, while not depriving yourself entirely of fat. If your body senses that it is getting adequate fat in your diet, and sees an increase in activity, it will decide it's more efficient to reduce the amount of stored energy (i.e. fat) than to carry it around. That is of course a simple explanation of a complex subject. So maybe 115 lbs represents a weight you can only attain by running 2-3 miles a day, or whatever. I'm facing a "plateau" myself, and am contemplating getting this book to help me: Break Through Your Set Point: How to Finally Lose the Weight You Want and Keep It Off. Sounds like you don't really have a "weight problem" anymore. Maybe you could invest in a water immersion body fat test, so you know truly what your body fat % is (BMI is not anywhere near as accurate a metric).
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    You drop to 110, then when you go up again, it'll be at 115.

    It's very common to bounce back up by around 5lbs once you reach goal weight, so you need to drop an extra 5 to allow for this
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    pianoplaya94 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Is it your body or your head? Twice I've hit a particular number and bounced back up. However, this was a much higher weight than 120 pounds. How tall are you?

    5'6.5

    I'm exactly that height and fwiw 115 looked skeletal on me. My body settled at 124 (+/- 2 lbs) for four years, with healthy activity and eating for fullness, not feeling deprived at all.

    I think if you're binging, 115 is not for you.
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