Set Point Theory

Tracy430

Do you believe in the Set Point Theory. Has anyone fought their set point by losing a substantial amount of weight and maintained that loss for a substantial amount of time? I weigh the same amount I did 25 years ago in high school which is 25lbs. too much according to the charts. I do look thinner than I did in high school because I am a couple of inches taller. After high school and through college I gained 10lbs, lost 45lbs due to exercise obsession and extreme dieting, and gained 3olbs to put me 5 lbs less than I weigh this moment on my wedding day at age 24. After marriage I gained 30lbs within 3 years (before kids). I lost 10 bs and became pregnant and gained 30lbs. I breastfed and lost the complete 30 lbs within 4 months after birth. I then became pregnant 3 years later, gained 35lbs, lost all of it again very quickly. I then became obsessed with running. I lost 10 lbs which put me at exactly 5 lbs less than I weigh at this moment although I was more muscle and a couple of sizes smaller. I ran a lot for 3 or 4 years (averaging 25 miles per week) and stopped for whatever reasons. That was 3 years ago. I have since yo-yoed within the same 5 or 10 lbs which like I said it seems the scale is always at this number even though I haven't been exercising at all!!! I have several nutritional goals going into 2018. I plan to eat plant based 6 days out of the week, I have recently started drinking apple cider vinegar every morning, and I would like to start running again. I hope the combination of these 3 things will help me fight my set point!

malibu927

The only thing you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit (and definitely not the ACV). Log everything on here as accurately as possible and you'll get past the "set point".

NextRightThing714

Probably no set point. It's more likely that you feel (and everyone else feels) most comfortable at a certain calorie level/lifestyle. Over time you tend back toward that lifestyle and the weight that comes with it.

Tracy430

You are probably right. It I'd disappointing because I just feel it is so difficult to maintain a weight loss but it is comforting because I don't really gain much either. I really need to lose 25. I'd like to weigh what the chart says I should weigh.

nutmegoreo

It shouldn't be disheartening though. It means it is all within your control. That should be empowering!

kimny72

nutmegoreo wrote: »

It shouldn't be disheartening though. It means it is all within your control. That should be empowering!

This

I believe set point is a psychological/lifestyle thing. You get into a group of habits around your eating, activity, and lifestyle and habits are hard to break.

Set your goal on MFP to lose 1 lb per week and start logging. You can even go to 0.5 lbs per week if you want, though that might test your patience too much. Make small changes, one at a time. Sometimes we try to completely rearrange our lives and get frustrated and quit when we struggle. Make it as easy as possible, one baby step at a time. Going plant based will not necessarily make you lose weight, calories are the key for that, but if you want to move toward plant based for other reasons, that's great just don't think you have to do it all at once!

And ditch the ACV, it does nothing for weight loss.

Hang in there and good luck :drinker:

Orphia

You haven't got a set point, you've just lost and gained many times while trying to be a healthy weight you like yourself at.

"Set point" is just a couple of words with no scientific substance behind them.

If you assume you have a set point you are negating the good efforts you've put in at regulating your eating. You did this - be proud of yourself!

You don't need ACV to lose weight - it's not magic. You don't need to punish yourself with things you don't like or starve yourself to lose weight. Enjoy eating the foods you most like as you stick to your calorie limit. Best wishes.

Evamutt

just want to say that acv is good for your stomach & balances out stomach acid

pamfgil

Set point is a result of unconscious behaviour and habits around food and movement, it is easily over written by conscious accurate tracking of food and exercise, and you don't want to slavishly follow bmi, figure out where you feel comfortable at. Considering you don't have a large amount to lose, have a look at the thread " relatively light people trying to get leaner" for useful advice

Orphia

Evamutt wrote: »

just want to say that acv is good for your stomach & balances out stomach acid

DebLaBounty

I thought I had a set point too. I started MFP and lost weight by consistently logging my food as accurately as possible. Voila! No set point!!

blambo61

moosmum1972 wrote: »

Evamutt wrote: »

just want to say that acv is good for your stomach & balances out stomach acid

How does an acid balance.out an acid???

It is an acid but when metabolizes it has an alkalizing effect.

blambo61

When I was young, I would force feed myself trying to gain weight. I could not gain. Seemed like I had one then. If I have one now, it is infinity I think. I have to watch it or I will gain.

frankiesgirlie

Lyle McDonald seems to think there is a body fat set point, and recommends diet breaks to break through it.

lucerorojo

No, I don't believe in set point theory (anymore). It doesn't make sense. If that were the case then no one could ever starve to death and many people do around the world. Also, what about overeating? If we have a set point, why would anybody be overweight? The body would just bounce back to its "set point".

I have met some people, men, in particular, like blambo61, who can eat and eat and eat and never gain weight. None of these I've met is over 35 though. Maybe they just have really fast metabolisms?

LAWoman72

frankiesgirlie wrote: »

Lyle McDonald seems to think there is a body fat set point, and recommends diet breaks to break through it.

How can it be a set point if it apparently changes all the time?

That's an actual question, I'm not trying to be an idiot.

I mean you rarely hear about a person who, for example, gained to 140 at, say, 5''2", as an adult; then couldn't lose from there but never gained again from there either because of Set Point. Instead she went up to 145. THAT must be her set point. A few years later she was 155 and couldn't seem to lose. Because Set Point. Then her mother died, she was stressed, her job was hard so now she was 175. Couldn't lose....that must be her Set Point...no wait. Lyle McDonald told her how to trick....one of those Set Points. Or something. So now...it has changed yet again...

How can it be a "set" point if a. it constantly changes and b. it never seems to stop weight GAIN from that point?

LAWoman72

Also, if the body naturally has a set point why would that be an unhealthy percentage of fat? Wouldn't it be a healthy one? It would make zero sense biologically for the body to automatically fight to maintain a state of ill health. We'd all have died off long before this if our bodies constantly fought against food intake and exercise in order to maintain a state destined to give us diabetes, heart disease, PCOS, impotence, shortness of breath on exertion and bad knees and backs from weight strain.

So let us assume then that this set point is a healthy fat percentage. If it is a healthy fat percentage then why "break through" it?

LAWoman72

blambo61 wrote: »

When I was young, I would force feed myself trying to gain weight. I could not gain. Seemed like I had one then. If I have one now, it is infinity I think. I have to watch it or I will gain.

I doubt it. You were growing and were consuming, overall, approximately maintenance calories to exist, be active, and grow, even if you felt like you were "force feeding" yourself. Also, I am assuming you DID gain weight. You didn't weigh, say, 55 lbs. at age 6, age 10, and age 14. Right?

Unless by "young" you mean full grown but in your 20s or whatever...in which case, again, you were simply consuming about the same calories you expended, at that thin weight. Which just means without the "force feedings" you just would have been even thinner. Overall, over time you were eating at maintenance for the weight you were...a then-thin weight.

ugofatcat

I didn't read all the responses but recently read "The Hungry Brain" by Stephan J. Guyenet. He had an interesting chapter about set point theory, but it was in mice, not people. The researchers noticed when they fed the mice people food, like sugary cereal, pizza, cookies, etc the mice gained a lot of weight and maintained this weight. When they fed the mice mouse food, they lost weight and maintained a healthy mouse weight.

I think set point has more to do with our environment then people may realize. I think people can "manipulate" their set point by eating a diet high in fruits, veggies, lean protein, whole grains, healthy fats, low fat dairy and drink only water, black coffee, tea (not sweet tea, like brewed tea), maybe milk occasionally. These are foods that you eat for nutrition and stop when you are full. Many other foods on the market taste really good, so you keep eating them long after you body as adequate nutrition, leading to weight gain.