Does your body have a weight it "likes?"

MindyBlack

One of our resident egg-heads can explain the science in detail, but yes.
It's called many things like our "weight thermostat" that changes the chemical structure of the brain.

With fat people the thermostat is screwed up, making us crave food which leads to eating like a pig which leads to weight gain.

And when we lose weight, our "weight thermostat" freaks out and drives us insane until we cave to the cravings.
BUT...
The longer you maintain a healthy weight, the easier it becomes, because your "weight thermostat" resets over time.

This is why we need to work hard to maintain once we reach our goal weight. We think the war is won, but that's just the end of the beginning. THE FIGHT CONTINUES!

Well said! While I am no egg head I have learned a few things about this body after living in it for 46 years. I have long believed that our bodies "like" to be at a certain weight. Unfortunately mine seems to be rising with age.
I also have come to believe that we can retrain the body, reset that thermostat. Persistence, maintnance, proper nourishment, cardio and building muscle mass are the things that will help us do that.
Again I am not an egg head. I'm not a nutrtionist, physiologist or bilogist nor do I play one on TV, so take my advice for what it's worth.

HeidiMightyRawr

I'm 5'8 with quite a small frame. My body likes being less than 140 definitely. (10 stone)
My goal is around 135lbs as that's roughly where I feel it'll be best - although I'll have to see when I get there.

chriscoates7025

Not a crazy question. I have the same situation. I dropped 42 pounds in 7 months, and then weighed 198. For the last 6 months I have gained and lost a few here and there, but keep returning to 198. Would love to drop another 15, but 198 seems to be what my body wants.

MaximalLife

Not a crazy question. I have the same situation. I dropped 42 pounds in 7 months, and then weighed 198. For the last 6 months I have gained and lost a few here and there, but keep returning to 198. Would love to drop another 15, but 198 seems to be what my body wants.

I have taken weight loss in bursts, hitting walls that I know represented a set weight.
The first wall down from 265 was 230ish.
I could not get too much past that, then it was 211. I must have hit 211 5 times, then back up to 220, then down to 211, 211, 211....I thought I'd never break that.

But I did only to hit 200 with similar issues. Now I am at 193 and slowly, steadily creeping down a half a pound each week.
No more walls!

Jane3276

I know exactly what you mean. I am 5'9 as well and weigh 140.6. I was down to 138 for a minute! Then right back up to 140. My first goal was to be 135 but I think I would rather get to 130 if possible then have a little room to gain and lose. Try to stay in that range. I'm beginning to think that my goal is impossible, but willing to keep trying. Yes, I love this fitness pal. It was quite an eye opener as to how much I really do eat. I like that I can keep track of everything. Including the sodium. I can't believe how much of it is in everything we eat. It can be quite a balancing act, eh?

jacksonpt

Yea... 2lbs more than whatever I am on any given day.

rachelalbritton

my body seems to like 200 but im trying to get it to like other weights too...like 145

bea10989

22 years old
5'3 and
stuck at 138-140... for 4 years
frustration has set in long ago..

debilyn574

I think it does have a weight it likes as I was the same weight for many, many years. But then I got a personal trainer and switched up my diet and workout routine and that's when I lost 20 lbs! Now I've been this weight for about 6 weeks and I can't seem to go any lower, but I'm working on building muscle and decreasing bf. We'll see how it goes...

NatalieBrooke88

I'm 5'5" and my body LOVED 130-132 pound-18-19%bf . Right now I am around 140/22% bf. I hope I can get back to that point. However, I must say, when my body was that small, I was not eating much. Now, I LOVE food.


Happy Valentines Day!

sarafil

thanks for all the responses....I'm glad to know it just isn't in my head.

Usbornegal

Maybe that's what is behind these mini plateaus - my body is asking 'Are we done yet? Ya happy now? Can we just sit here for a bit?' I keep saying NO!

faarooqfadlullah

No, our bodies don't "like" being at a certain weights. We like eating certain amounts of calories. If one tends to be at a certain weight, it's fairly easy to find out what calorie intake is maintaining that. Whether that's a healthy number or not is the question. Ever see those 600 pound life shows? The doctors say for those people to be maintaining those weights, they are ingesting 6000-7000 calories a day. I guess they could argue their bodies "like" that weight, but I would say that's untrue, their mouths do. It's hard to get used to a lower calorie intake, but it can and should be done.

Meerataila

My body has weights it prefers. I have no clue what it's so called set point weight is, the weight where I would naturally eat at maintenance for an extended period of time. One reason I haven't given up on losing and maintaining despite the struggle is because I fear my natural weight might put me far north of bedbound.

I do notice my weight gains and losses stall for a little awhile at around 150, 170, 210, and 240. I find all of these weights too high to be acceptable.

Mr_Knight

I know this is probably ridiculous to ask, but is it possible that your body has a certain weight range it "likes" to be at?

Not ridiculous at all - this is an active area of medical research. The evidence suggests that - yes - the body does tend to slide into a range. It's not fixed for all time, and it can be moved by (for example) increasing/decreasing physical activity, but the principle is sound.

ShibaEars

I don't know if there is actually a "set weight" each body likes to be at, but it sure seemed like it for me for a while! I could get my weight down to 140, but it would stay there. If I dropped a couple pounds below, it would creep back up over the next couple weeks to 140 again. Getting past that number took a long time - although I'll be the first to admit I'm not always the most dedicated.

However I did eventually get past that number. And now it seems like my body likes my current weight as I've plateaued again at around 130.

caracrawford1

I know this is probably ridiculous to ask, but is it possible that your body has a certain weight range it "likes" to be at? I am 5'9" , 140lbs, and 21% BF. I know I do not need to really lose more weight, but I wouldn't be opposed to another 5 lbs (I am small framed). Right now my settings are set to .5lb loss per week, and I exercise regularly. My motto is everything in moderation, so I certainly don't deprieve myself of "naughty" foods every now and again, and sometimes I do go over my calorie limit, but most days I am under. My weight seems to stay right at 140lbs, no matter what I am doing (and obviously I am not going to starve myself to get rid of those five pounds). Is it possible this is just kind of the weight my body is at, and that's it? My BF never seems to change, either. Any thoughts? Probably just need to work harder for those five pounds than I did when I had 60 to lose?

Unfortunately yes, and it isn't a weight I like.