Myth Buster. Is this true?

SarahAFerguson

I would appreciete some informed opinons regarding the following information.

So, I've been told that at a certain point in your early 20s, when you are finishing off or finished growing, your body will settle in and get comfortable. According to this theory your weigth and body composition at that time will become a benchmark that you will naturally return to unless you put in a really big effort to loose weight, and keeping it off will be much more difficult and require more calorie restriction and exercise than if you were thinner at a younger age. The person who relayed this info claimed that the benchmark could not be reset by diet alone and maybe not at all, which is why some people cannot seem to get below a certain weight even though they work really hard at it.

I take this to mean that if you were an overweight teen/young adult it is going to be a bigger struggle to lose weight as a middle aged or older person, requiring sustained discipline or you will gain back to get back to your set point. A losing battle so to speak.

Thoughts?

ETA - I don't necessarily believe this is true, but want to see if anyone has heard about this line of thinking.

psuLemon

Body recomposition can occur at any point in your life. There really is no benchmark.


For example, when I started college I was 175 lbs. Now if I tried to get to that weight, i would have to cut over 10 lbs of muscle. When you gain weight, you also gain muscle to support. Also, i know plenty of men and women in their 40's and 50's who have worked to gain muscle.