Do you think everyone has a natural body weight?

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  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
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    My body I think has a setpoint at 230 I can go below that and one screw up hoop there I am
    I hear what your saying. My high weight was 245-50 when I decided to do something and that was in my late 30's and reduced my weight to around where you are now and was like that for a few years, then decided to get more serious. Now I'm just under 200 bulking from a low weight of 180 approx. If you build it, your body will have to react.....lol.

    At 230 I am 16% BF when I get below 215 I just lose all my muscle mass and get skinny fat at least I am down from 245 about 12 weeks ago
    Gotcha. You don't have much choice other than lose muscle mass to get much lower in overall weight and if your happy looking the way you do, then your good. At 180 I was around 11 or 12% and now I'm probably closer to 15 to 18% and when I get to 110 I'm going to try and cut back to were I was with hopefully 10 more lbs of muscle, and my final goal.......for now.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    There is a healthy body fat percentage range, which for women is 18-28% and for men is somewhat lower but I can't remember the exact figures.

    If you have a healthy lifestyle, healthy diet and good portion control, there is no reason for most people to not be in this range. and how much someone weighs when they're at a healthy body fat percentage will depend on a whole lot of different factors, including height, frame size, body proportions, how muscular they are, etc. So in that sense everyone does have at least a healthy weight range that's specific to them which will not necessarily be the same as for someone else who's the same height as them.

    I would caution against anyone whose body fat percentage is high to assume that they're just built that way; even if they exercise and eat a really healthy diet, it's likely that their portion control isn't so good. I think there are some people who are more inclined to overeating, and those who are more inclined to undereating, and this can make things more difficult but it doesn't mean you are at an ideal level of body fat for your body. It could just be you're one of those people who finds it more difficult to not overeat. I've seen on other forums young men who are very skinny who have a really hard time eating enough to make muscle gains, that's the opposite problem, and it doesn't mean they're genetically predisposed to never gain muscle, only that they are predisposed to undereat. When they manage to eat enough they make good gains in muscle and strength, and when people who are predisposed to overeating get a good handle on portion control, they lose fat. MFP is the ultimate tool for portion control if you have a decent kitchen scale. Medical issues like PCOS and thyroid throw additional spanners into the works and make fat loss difficult, but again you don't have to accept that as your destiny, you can get medical treatment for thyroid and there are approaches to fat loss that work for women with PCOS, even if you have to do things a little differently.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I would caution against anyone whose body fat percentage is high to assume that they're just built that way; even if they exercise and eat a really healthy diet, it's likely that their portion control isn't so good.
    ^^this

    Even slight acknowledgement of a predisposition can put you on the slippery slope to justification.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I do not believe there is a physiological reason for most (and by most, I mean over 95%) people to have more than 20% BF. I am not discounting psychology; just saying that the difficulty is likely not due to some physical wall. It is harder to lose the remaining fat when you get closer to goal.

    ?? A physiological reason to have more than 20% BF would be consuming enough calories to maintain a BF > 20%.

    If you mean there is no physiological reaon most people can't drop their BF below 20%, I suppose that's true. All one needs do is consume less net calories. But that doesn't make it ideal for everyone..
    Yes, that is what I meant.
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
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    I think there's a "comfort" body weight but natural is something else.

    I mean there's so little that's natural about our lives these days, cars and access to high calorie, nutrient sparse foods in high volumes at low cost. We don't move around, we don't run and chase and hunt or gather (most of us don't anyway!) so it's more a body weight that reflects our habits. Our eating habits and activity habits.

    I think it's completely possible to change those habits and routines and see your comfort/ baseline body weight change as a result. At least I hope so as that's what I'm aiming for!

    Basically I figured if my weight gain can be put down to more sedentary habits and poor discipline around food, then surely the opposite was possible. Eat less, do more, lose weight.

    I agree with this. My weight and fitness issues always happen when I've no real balance in my life...mostly, when I'm too overworked, in my job, to give attention to my own personal needs for exercise, the outdoor recreational activities I love, and preparation of the healthy foods I prefer.

    Once I heed my own requirements for good health, I don't usually have problems losing weight. More than weight loss or specific fitness goals, I strive for overall balance in my life. I hope I can stay on the path toward that goal this time. :)
  • Joannesmith2818
    Joannesmith2818 Posts: 438 Member
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    I have lost weight twice in the past and i always seem to settle at 9 1/2 stone. But Maybe that was more me being happy with that weight and not pushing for more weight loss.
  • helyg
    helyg Posts: 675 Member
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    I know I go stuck at size 14/ 12st for a while, but I think it was sort of psychological as that was the size and weight I had hoped to get down to when I started. I just don't think I believed I could go lower. I maintained at that weight for a couple of months, then stepped things back up again and have now lost another 23lbs since then and got down to a size 10/12 (UK).

    If you'd asked me 6 months ago what my natural weight and size was I'd have said 12st and size 14. But now I know differently, and am aiming for 10st and a comfortable (UK) size 10.
  • Mrsshellers
    Mrsshellers Posts: 157 Member
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    I have lost weight twice in the past and i always seem to settle at 9 1/2 stone. But Maybe that was more me being happy with that weight and not pushing for more weight loss.

    I think this is the most likely answer.

    Just for the record, I am not overweight and my BF% is normal.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
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    Maybe, within the relatively narrow range of healthy weight. I don't think people are "naturally" underweight or overweight, I think that's behavioral (or in some cases due to a medical problem, but I also think a lot of people claim their weight is due to a medical problem when it isn't).
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
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    I do not believe there is a physiological reason for most (and by most, I mean over 95%) people to have more than 20% BF. I am not discounting psychology; just saying that the difficulty is likely not due to some physical wall. It is harder to lose the remaining fat when you get closer to goal.

    Wha? Do you include women in your "people"? Because 20% body fat is pretty low for a woman.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    Nope.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I do not believe there is a physiological reason for most (and by most, I mean over 95%) people to have more than 20% BF. I am not discounting psychology; just saying that the difficulty is likely not due to some physical wall. It is harder to lose the remaining fat when you get closer to goal.

    ?? A physiological reason to have more than 20% BF would be consuming enough calories to maintain a BF > 20%.

    If you mean there is no physiological reaon most people can't drop their BF below 20%, I suppose that's true. All one needs do is consume less net calories. But that doesn't make it ideal for everyone..
    Yes, that is what I meant.

    20% may apply to men, but for women, you should amend that to more like 25-31% (average range). Once corrrected, I agree.

    Weight alone isn't a complete measure of health, as many topics on this board have addressed before. You can be 150 pounds of flabby lumpiness and be a size12 or you can be 150 pounds of lovely toned muscles and be a size 8. Therefore, it is better to use additional tools like body fat percentage and body measurements to figure out where you should be and how much further you have to go.

    For instance, I have about 17 more pounds to lose to get to my inital weight goal but depending on what my BF% is then and how I feel my body looks, I may have more work to do. I may need to lose a bit more weight and focus more on better eating to get my body fat down and LBM up.

    Just because you feel comfortable at a certain weight and have a hard time losing those last 20 pounds doesn't mean that's where your body wants to be. It just means you have to make the commitment to work harder and you definitely have to give it more than a month or two to see if it will work. Every change you make takes time to set in. The body doesn't react as quickly as want it to or as quickly as we think it would. You won't lose weight overnight just by quitting soda (not real weight anyway, maybe a bit of water weight) or eating 200 calories less than the day before or hitting the gym for an extra hour. In fact working out more may actually stall your weight loss or make your gain a bit initially as the body's reaction is to retain water and glycogen for muscle healing.

    Bottom line - be patient, take care of your health and stop making excuses. Set small very reasonalbe/achievable goals and don't give up!
  • linnaeus
    linnaeus Posts: 36 Member
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    I am really shocked at the level of misinformation here. Some questions should be saved for educated experts.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all&
  • Louisa1979
    Louisa1979 Posts: 46 Member
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    I used to think I did but now I just think its a plateau to break through. Like you I was a size UK 14 (I'm only 5'3) and got down to about 10 st 3 on weight watchers. Then I changed to doing a low carb, high protein diet (Dukan) and lost a further stone. It seemed that a different approach got my body going and I'm a happy and fit size 12 now! When I put on a few pounds then I go back on Dukan and lose it immediately.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I am really shocked at the level of misinformation here. Some questions should be saved for educated experts.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all&

    Really? One study should not be the basis of absolute fact. How many times have we seen additional studies lead scientist and medical experts to change their minds. Like eggs used to be the devil because of the big fat/cholesterol scare but now they're a great source of protein and healty fat.

    Of course the people in the study regained weight. They were put on a very restrictive diet and not taught how to eat for a long term healthy life. I went through the same thing for many years trying to lose the weight - restricting myself and being miserable and eventually giving up because I was starving and wanted tasty food. Then I figured out that you can eat what you like within reason with healthy portions and healthier ingredients.
  • nwg74
    nwg74 Posts: 360 Member
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    I am 5' 7" and have been 12 stone 4 pounds / 172 pounds since March. I would like it to go down a bit more but for some reason I cant. I have tried lots of ways to change things and I always end up at 12st 4. I
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I think that the closer we get to our ideal size/weight the harder it is to lose, and easier to hit a plateau, so I guess that's when you'd start thinking it's your natural body weight.

    I was 157lbs last time I weighed myself a few weeks ago and I'm losing weight very slowly now. I wear a UK12 mainly, sometimes 10 in dresses, and I'm wearing clothes I've had for about 11 years, from when I weighed 147. So I know my body is capable of being lighter, although since having children, and getting older, I've changed a bit. My belly is my problem area now, whereas it used to be my hips.

    I'm sure I can lose some more, but I know it won't happen overnight. When you get closer to goal it gets harder!
  • doompop
    doompop Posts: 25 Member
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    http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

    Check out the Starvation Mode and Plateau sections.
  • NavyKnightAh13
    NavyKnightAh13 Posts: 1,394 Member
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    bumping
  • Senneth12
    Senneth12 Posts: 72
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    Yes and no.

    I'm 5'9, and I can easily maintain at 150. My body likes this weight. I've maintained it for about five years now, after a weight loss of about 30lbs.

    If I watch calories and exercise more I can get down to 140, but my body really doesn't like it. That puts me at about a U.S. size 2-4. I don't look healthy, and I don't feel healthy.

    My blood lab results are consistently the best when I'm between 145-155. My A1C is good, fasting glucose is perfect, high HDL levels and low LDL levels, no problems with anemia.

    The same isn't true at 140lbs. The highest LDL and lowest HDL cholesterol levels I've ever had have been at 140 lbs, and the only time my triglycerides have been high was at 140. My fasting glucose numbers weren't great, either, and even with iron supplements I stayed borderline anemic.

    So I absolutely believe that there is a higher weight that my body prefers to a lower weight. I can change that weight if I work hard enough, but for me, I don't think it's worth it. (It is worth noting that I'm kinda a "special snowflake." I have a rare genetic collagen defect, so my body is just weird).