Set Point Theory - Perhaps Why You Are Not Losing.

Iceprincessk25

We were talking about this in my advanced strength and conditioning class last night and it reminded me of a lot of people on here who are frustrated that they have been doing everything they think is supposedly right and no changes are showing up on the scale.

The Set Point for everyone is usually hard to budge but it has been shown that with consistent diet and exercise you will over come it. You just need to keep at it! Don't give up because it WILL happen. Maybe not over night....and maybe not in a month....but it will happen.


Set-Point Theory

• According to the set-point theory, there is a control system built into every person dictating how
much fat he or she should carry – a kind of thermostat for body fat. Some individuals have a
high setting, others have a low one. According to this theory, body fat percentage and body
weight are matters of internal controls that are set differently in different people.

• The set-point theory was originally developed in 1982 by Bennett and Gurin to explain why
repeated dieting is unsuccessful in producing long-term change in body weight or shape. Going
on a weight-loss diet is an attempt to overpower the set point, and the set point is a seemingly
tireless opponent to the dieter.

• The ideal approach to weight control would be a safe method that lowers or raises the set point
rather than simply resisting it. So far no one knows for sure how to change the set point, but
some theories exist. Of these, regular exercise is the most promising: a sustained increase in
physical activity seems to lower the setting (Wilmore et al. 1999).

• According to the set-point theory, the set point itself keeps weight fairly constant, presumably
because it has more accurate information about the body’s fat stores than the conscious mind can
obtain. At the same time, this system pressures the conscious mind to change behavior,
producing feelings of hunger or satiety. Studies show that a person’s weight at the set point is
optimal for efficient activity and a stable, optimistic mood. When the set point is driven too low,
depression and lethargy may set in as a way of slowing the person down and reducing the
number of calories expended.

• The set point, it would appear, is very good at supervising fat storage, but it cannot tell the
difference between dieting and starvation. The dieter who begins a diet with a high set point
experiences constant hunger, presumably as part of her body’s attempt to restore the status quo.
Even dedicated dieters often find that they cannot lose as much weight as they would like. After
an initial, relatively quick loss, dieters often become stuck at a plateau and then lose weight at a
much slower rate, although they remain as hungry as ever.

• Dieting research demonstrates that the body has more than one way to defend its fat stores.
Long-term caloric deprivation, in a way that is not clear, acts as a signal for the body to turn
down its metabolic rate. Calories are burned more slowly, so that even a meager diet almost
suffices to maintain weight. The body reacts to stringent dieting as thought famine has set in.
Within a day or two after semi-starvation begins, the metabolic machinery shifts to a cautious
regimen designed to conserve the calories it already has on board. Because of this innate
biological response, dieting becomes progressively less effective, and (as generations of dieters
have observed) a plateau is reached at which further weight loss seems all but impossible.

cdavis1126

That theory backs up my food plans philosophy of eat more to weigh less. this is why it's so important to consistently eat every 2 to 3 hours to keep your metabolism burning, your body fueled while eating more healthy smaller portions. I've lost 69 lbs since October following this plan, and am rarely hungry except towards the time to eat. Though I have been stuck at the same weight for about a week, I'm planning on incorporating some boosting every 4 days which is a way to trick the body. At one meal, every 4 days, I will double the protein or fast carb. Hopefully this plus increased cardio will get the scale moving again.

MTGirl

I've briefly heard of the set point theory before, but appreciate the way you laid it out! Thanks Iceprincess

robin52077

Very interesting, thanks for posting!

lessertess

I thought the Set-Point theory was disproved somewhere around 2003?

Iceprincessk25

I thought the Set-Point theory was disproved somewhere around 2003?

Not sure. I don't think so though. They're still teaching it at school so.........

lessertess

I thought the Set-Point theory was disproved somewhere around 2003?

Not sure. I don't think so though. They're still teaching it at school so.........

I'm pretty sure I've read through article on the research that disproved the theory......but, I guess it doesn't really matter. Just interested to see it come up again. I hadn't heard the term in quite a few years. It's an interesting theory if it does nothing more than reinforce what we all know---slow/steady and stay the course

lilmissy2

The set point theory has definitely been questioned but it has to date, neither been proven or disproved (it's a very difficult thing to research!). It doesn't really imply that those who are overweight will not be able to lose weight easily or quickly but rather that once they do lose the weight, it will be incredibly difficult to keep it off as the body will fight to get back to the 'set point'. I think it has a lot of evidence for and against it, I definitely agree that for people who have lost weight, it is harder to not regain the weight than it is for people who have never been heavier to not gain wait in the first place - I don't necessarily think this is to do with a set point though. It's great food for thought, if nothing else