Set point weight theory

AnnPT77

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

ahoy_m8 wrote: »

It's been said a bunch so this isn't an original comment: If I go back to old habits I'll go back to my old weight. Nothing to do with my brain somehow orchestrating a coordinated effort to maintain a specific BF%, and certainly not about storing fat without a caloric surplus.

Have hope! I'm not minimizing how much effort it takes to change habits, but it is totally possible. It just takes patience & persistence.

Honestly, "set point theory" has been around several decades, which is more than enough time to find evidence to support it if there were any. It's past time to let this one go. More productive to invest energy on "atomic habits" or something similar.

While you're absolutely right that you will only gain weight in a caloric surplus, you're brain does actually have a variety of very real mechanisms to maintain a certain body fat percentage- for example, it will cause you to fidget less, be more still, sleep more, increase grehlin so you get hungrier, lower body temperature and slow heart rate. It can also do the opposite when it wants to.

Set point basically is your body trying to maintain homeostasis- your body doesn't like change.

My body is incredibly grateful I lost 80 pounds.

My brain has a liar living within. I've learned to (mostly) not listen to it.

I'm sure your body is healthier now that you've lost 80 pounds, absolutely. I'm not saying people shouldn't or can't lose weight. That your brain will fight against it, however, is just the mechanics of it.

Dunno about others, but my body and my brain aren't two separate things. If there's a hormonal effect, there's cause and effect in various parts of the physical system, possibly including some of my symbionts (e.g. gut microbes). Body/brain dualism isn't that helpful a frame, IMO.

Sure, homeostasis is thing, but it works in both directions. Now that I'm thin, my body does things that avoid gaining, too. The seemingly most common concept of "set point theory" is one-sided, i.e., somehow it limits reducing weight, but doesn't limit increasing it.

sollyn23l2

AnnPT77 wrote: »

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

ahoy_m8 wrote: »

It's been said a bunch so this isn't an original comment: If I go back to old habits I'll go back to my old weight. Nothing to do with my brain somehow orchestrating a coordinated effort to maintain a specific BF%, and certainly not about storing fat without a caloric surplus.

Have hope! I'm not minimizing how much effort it takes to change habits, but it is totally possible. It just takes patience & persistence.

Honestly, "set point theory" has been around several decades, which is more than enough time to find evidence to support it if there were any. It's past time to let this one go. More productive to invest energy on "atomic habits" or something similar.

While you're absolutely right that you will only gain weight in a caloric surplus, you're brain does actually have a variety of very real mechanisms to maintain a certain body fat percentage- for example, it will cause you to fidget less, be more still, sleep more, increase grehlin so you get hungrier, lower body temperature and slow heart rate. It can also do the opposite when it wants to.

Set point basically is your body trying to maintain homeostasis- your body doesn't like change.

My body is incredibly grateful I lost 80 pounds.

My brain has a liar living within. I've learned to (mostly) not listen to it.

I'm sure your body is healthier now that you've lost 80 pounds, absolutely. I'm not saying people shouldn't or can't lose weight. That your brain will fight against it, however, is just the mechanics of it.

Dunno about others, but my body and my brain aren't two separate things. If there's a hormonal effect, there's cause and effect in various parts of the physical system, possibly including some of my symbionts (e.g. gut microbes). Body/brain dualism isn't that helpful a frame, IMO.

Sure, homeostasis is thing, but it works in both directions. Now that I'm thin, my body does things that avoid gaining, too. The seemingly most common concept of "set point theory" is one-sided, i.e., somehow it limits reducing weight, but doesn't limit increasing it.

Absolutely. I agree

Sinisterbarbie1

Another thing set point theory doesn’t explain is how one can lose weight in the first place if the theory has merit. If set point theory means your body/brain will drive you “back” to the original set point once you have lost the weight, why would it let you lose it to begin with?