The Science of Set Point

suejoker
suejoker Posts: 317 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, All!

I've been a bit obsessed with working on my health & fitness, since the beginning of the year. I have vastly improved the way I eat and my exercise has gone from 60 min/week to 460+ min/week. My inclination is to just keep doing what I've been doing, since it's working. However, I just read some articles about the concept of Set Point and watched some Ted Talks about it and am wondering if I should stop soon and maintain for 6 months, as they suggest. I'm very close to having lost 10% of my body weight, since the beginning of this year. What do you think?

http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/BIDMCInteractive/BreakThroughYourSetPoint/WeekOneTheScienceofSetPoint.aspx

Thanks in advance for your input!

Sue :happy:

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I have been doing this for almost 16 months with no issues.

    I have lost more than 10% of my bodyweight...actually I have almost lost 25% of my bodyweight...50lbs (started at 205)

    I personally would continue with what you are doing if it's working...taking a break at 10% of BW loss seems counter intuitive to me esp if what you are doing is working.
  • suejoker
    suejoker Posts: 317 Member
    Thanks, SezxyStef! Congrats on your weight loss! It is true that this would be counter intuitive. That is what is making me hesitate. However, if the science is correct, and the body needs time to reset its set point it could still be a good idea. Most of my success in life has been due to my being willing to do things that were counter intuitive.

    What I wonder is, in your case, if you maintain your goal weight for 6 months, will your body be able to reset its set point at such a drastically lower weight?

    My intention is to make this my last weight loss journey. If It needs to take longer, in order to get sustainable results, I'm ok with that. I'm just questioning the science and hope some people here have had some experience with it that they can share.
  • GodMomKim
    GodMomKim Posts: 3,703 Member
    I read that article and it sounds good too, but I am not sure if I am willing to do 6 months off; I wonder if it would be the same at 5 months....or less.... I am hoping to lose over 60 lbs total; and have been loosing at 1lb a week or less; on purpose to learn good losing/ maintenance techniques. I expect that I will be taking a week off here and there over the summer for just maintaining not loosing... I know I am finding already that smaller helpings are all I want/need - but I need the accountability of logging everything. One side benny of 6 months off would be that buying a new wardrobe could be done in smaller steps..

    I love the thought process of doing this right one time; not repeating this over and over again.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I read the article and I am not going to agree with it...mainly based on what I have seen here and personally.

    I have been overweight and yo yo'd for 20 years...but not because of a "set point" it was because I ate too much and didn't lose the weight correctly...too fast, not counting, extreme diets, WW, etc.

    When I started MFP my TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) was 2000...which means I could eat 2000 calories a day and maintain my weight...I was exercising 5x a week.

    After 6 months it is now 2136...that means even tho I weigh less I can eat more (as long as I continue my lifting 3x a week)

    I also know that it is hard for me to "eat more" now...I am not saying my stomach shrunk I just am more intuned now..and I recognize that full feeling...

    For me to not repeat the yo yo means doing what I am doing now...logging accurately and staying within my calorie goals...and regardless if my body has a "setpoint" this will prevent it from kicking in...

    ETA: I don't believe a body has a "set point"...I would have to see some hard evidence of that before I would.
  • contrarymary7504
    contrarymary7504 Posts: 30 Member
    If you think it will help you then you should try it.

    For me, I'm really happy with my progress thus far (38 down since December, more than 18%) and I see no reason to change my diet and exercise program. Its working, I feel good and I'm eating nutritious foods.

    There are tons of opinions out there, many of them conflicting. Do what makes sense for you.
  • debilang
    debilang Posts: 874 Member
    I have been overweight and yo yo'd for 20 years...but not because of a "set point" it was because I ate too much and didn't lose the weight correctly...too fast, not counting, extreme diets, WW, etc.

    When I started MFP my TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) was 2000...which means I could eat 2000 calories a day and maintain my weight...I was exercising 5x a week.

    After 6 months it is now 2136...that means even tho I weigh less I can eat more (as long as I continue my lifting 3x a week)

    Stef, because muscle weighs more than fat, and it helps with metabolizing the calories *and* I see you weight lift...you are a great example of why you were able to increase your calorie intake. WTG!! I am starting a weight lifting program specifically to get rid of my bodyfat, and I am excited because I've heard that weightlifting will do this for me (I have been active ALL my life, doing LOTS of cardio, but my BF did not change much. I spent the last 40 years eating a LOT of refined sugar...sooo now, I've cut that all out, and for only two months of being on my LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) Lifestyle, I am a happy camper!

    Grrreat question, Sue...I read the article, and to maintain for 6 months before losing more weight (not even body fat?) seems a bit much for me, though, I've maintained my weight for the last 3 weeks, while going DOWN on my Body Fat. If you have that kind of benefit, more of an NSV of Body Fat loss (especially) if you considered weight lifting...you COULD remain steady in your weight while looking more trim. Just my "two cents". I enjoyed this thread of conversation :):) THANKS!
  • SusanL222
    SusanL222 Posts: 585 Member
    Very interesting topic! Didn't read the article, but in for the wisdom! I must say that the thought of going into maintenance before reaching goal is a bit scary.....which does point out that maybe I am still having trouble seeing this as a lifestyle change!
  • suejoker
    suejoker Posts: 317 Member
    Thanks everyone for weighing in on this subject. I really don't know and probably the scientists don't either, what is the "right" thing to do. I do know that I'd like to continue the momentum I have going. I wonder if, because building strength effects one's metabolism, if it also confuses one's brain enough to make a set point a non-issue. I'm going to continue to research this phenomenon (glad I kept my graduate school library online research access) and look at the primary materials. Until I see the actual studies behind this science, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.
  • Linda8989
    Linda8989 Posts: 39 Member
    My vote would be to keep going. A year or so ago, HBO ran a series "The Weight of the Nation" that went on for several weeks. One of the most eye-opening things they said was experts agree (and I'm condensing it here a whole lot), if you've ever been overweight, you can go even 10 years down the line at your goal weight, and your body will still think it's starving all the time: slowing your metabolism to keep from "starvation", heightening your senses to increase your desire for food, etc. They advised that we acclimate to it, learn to figure out when we're really hungry. So I'm thinking that 6 months of staying level probably wouldn't make a whole lot of difference.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    I lost 24% of my body weight in a year and have kept it off for another year and a half. Perhaps everyone is different, but this is working for me. I continue to log and experiment with calorie levels and exercise amounts.

    The "Weight of the Nation" series was excellent. Though it was disheartening to think that I might have to eat less forever than if I had never gained and then lost that 33 or so pounds.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I think that the set point theory is simply because people have a comfort zone of habits that cause weight gain and a comfort zone of a weight they will allow themselves to go to and feel familiar with. If you change your habits, lifestyle, comfort zone then you will find a new familiar and be successful. My comfort zone with weight gain is very low, that's why I have always taken steps to stop weight gain in the first 5 to 10 pounds of gain.
  • suejoker
    suejoker Posts: 317 Member
    My vote would be to keep going. A year or so ago, HBO ran a series "The Weight of the Nation" that went on for several weeks. One of the most eye-opening things they said was experts agree (and I'm condensing it here a whole lot), if you've ever been overweight, you can go even 10 years down the line at your goal weight, and your body will still think it's starving all the time: slowing your metabolism to keep from "starvation", heightening your senses to increase your desire for food, etc. They advised that we acclimate to it, learn to figure out when we're really hungry. So I'm thinking that 6 months of staying level probably wouldn't make a whole lot of difference.

    YIKES! It could be 10 years or more for my body to recover?! I'll have to search for that series and watch it. Thanks so much for sharing that. It was very helpful, although terrifying. I figured I'd have to stay vigilant for years to come, though. I've even been thinking about going 20 pounds below my goal weight, just to make sure I have a good margin for error.
  • suejoker
    suejoker Posts: 317 Member
    For anyone else interested, "The Weight of the Nation" is on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pEkCbqN4uo
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I think that believing in the set point theory is setting oneself up for generating stress and an expectation of failure and misery. I would need to see what scientific testing they do to come to this conclusion, to show it is not just correlation being presented as causation. To be successful you need to change your mindset, habits, comforts. This set point idea is successful at propagating it's projected results in people that accept it as a fact. So many people on mfp have been successful and maintained. Maybe check out the success stories.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    But, I understand the interest in it. It is worth exploring. Maybe more people will add to the discussion.
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  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Please don't take the following as harshness or an insult but seriously consider. Is it possible that after such hard effort, monitoring your diet so closely and working out as intensely as you have been doing, that you are tired of doing it and your mind is looking for excuses to stop? That in that search it found "set point" as a possible excuse/reason to stop your program?

    I'm not sure about set point theory and I think it is most likely that if you continue doing what you are doing you will continue to make progress. That said, if you are on some level burning out mentally from all the effort you have put into this perhaps for THAT reason it would be a good idea to not take a full break but ease up a bit. Best way to do that though is to schedule a period of time in which you ease up, a start point AND an end point where you go back to your full routine. This "break" could be halving the amount you exercise or allowing yourself a cheat meal. That would be better than just burning out completely and giving up.

    Could be reading into it though and maybe you are happy with your current routine in which case yeah probably just keep going, seems to be working for you.
  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
    It's all in your head.

    I promise you.

    As much as I do enjoy a god TED show, that bit about "set point" is wrong.
    You need to motivate yourself another way and continue.
  • Emi1974
    Emi1974 Posts: 522 Member
    It took me years to get into the "zone" . I tried to lose weight and started so man diets but was unable to stick with it for longer periods of time.

    I was so willing but it didn't click and never reached the "zone" where it just happens ans it doesn't feel like a dreadful chore.

    I am not willing to stop. What if I never find this effortlessness ever again?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    My vote would be to keep going. A year or so ago, HBO ran a series "The Weight of the Nation" that went on for several weeks. One of the most eye-opening things they said was experts agree (and I'm condensing it here a whole lot), if you've ever been overweight, you can go even 10 years down the line at your goal weight, and your body will still think it's starving all the time: slowing your metabolism to keep from "starvation", heightening your senses to increase your desire for food, etc. They advised that we acclimate to it, learn to figure out when we're really hungry. So I'm thinking that 6 months of staying level probably wouldn't make a whole lot of difference.

    I watched about 15mins of one those...shut it off when they said they fed them 800 calories a day and their metabolism slowed down and that it meant they would always have to eat less...

    Of course they slowed their metabolism they ate 800 calories a day for a long time...it was stupid imho.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    in to read later and find out a bit more information on the subject.
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  • Kita328
    Kita328 Posts: 370 Member
    IMHO Keep doing what is working currently.

    Trust me when you plateau- you will be searching for a way to switch it up. I doubt you will be thinking hey, maybe if I can maintain for 6 mo I will be better off...

    NONONO you will say what can I do to kick this weight loss back into gear!

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