What do you think about the body's natural weight?

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Replies

  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Every body operates the same way, physiologically. Bodies are made up of bone, lean muscle, and fat. When a person eats at a calorie excess, he will gain weight. When a person eats at a calorie deficit, he will lose weight. Every person, everywhere. There are no exceptions. To say that one person's body is 'special' and wants to be at a certain weight is pretty illogical. Do the work and your body will change. Do no work, and it will stay the same. If your body is doing things like stopping menstruation, that's a pretty good sign that your weight is too low. This doesn't mean that your body is special and wants to be at a certain weight; it means that it is operating the same way every other woman's body will at a low body fat percentage. Your body fat percentage was too low, that's why that happened. Listen to your body. Gain some weight. If you want to look a certain way, don't keep trying to lose weight by cutting calories, try to do body recomp by adding heavy lifting.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    mccindy72 wrote: »
    Every body operates the same way, physiologically. Bodies are made up of bone, lean muscle, and fat. When a person eats at a calorie excess, he will gain weight. When a person eats at a calorie deficit, he will lose weight. Every person, everywhere. There are no exceptions. To say that one person's body is 'special' and wants to be at a certain weight is pretty illogical. Do the work and your body will change. Do no work, and it will stay the same. If your body is doing things like stopping menstruation, that's a pretty good sign that your weight is too low. This doesn't mean that your body is special and wants to be at a certain weight; it means that it is operating the same way every other woman's body will at a low body fat percentage. Your body fat percentage was too low, that's why that happened. Listen to your body. Gain some weight. If you want to look a certain way, don't keep trying to lose weight by cutting calories, try to do body recomp by adding heavy lifting.

    The nail on the head.

    The bottom line is that only thing that determines weight is whether we eat too much, too little, or just the right amount. Anything else is either preference or superflous.
  • sarahlifts
    sarahlifts Posts: 610 Member
    If you are underweight at19-20% bf and still do not have the look you desire, you don't have enough muscle to support the look your desire.

    to gain muscle you must eat more. perhaps rest a but more too. Get with a structured lifting program to gain muscle.

    All of that aside, your body is sending your messages it is deficient in nutrients. Tired, cold, loss of your menses. Please eat more and rest more. Rethink your body image. Get a new trainer. Visit a Doctor for a check up.

    Take care of yourself.

  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited August 2015
    Your body settles at a certain weight, given its inputs and outputs. Eg my body

    - settled at 198 ( briefly, thankfully), with very limited activity and (estimating) 2300 in
    - settled at 178 with a diet of lots of restaurant food and alcohol (estimating 3000+ in!), but lots of walking
    - settled at 124 with lots of exercise, and about 2200 in
    - settled at 145ish with no exercise, and about 2200 in
    - settled now at 135, with some exercise, and about 2200 in
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited August 2015
    As far as individual differences, yes I think there are some, wrt fat distribution, probably the # of fat cells you have (whether bc of genetics or set by early eating patterns, some research on this), probably some marginal effect of individual metabolism (my TDEE is higher than any calculator predicts)
  • quackers82
    quackers82 Posts: 55 Member
    I don't believe the body has a set weight. I believe its all in our behaviour around food. Those who are 'naturally thin' are very in control around food i've found. They have no issue leaving food on a plate, and have no issue walking past a tasty food item like a cake and ignoring it because they are not hungry. I on the other hand will go for the cake even if I'm stuffed and struggled to leave food on my plate.

    I was conditioned to stop when the plate was empty, not when my body screamed stopped. I've also noticed my friends who are thin if they do eat a lot of high calorie foods in 1 day , what to me looks like a binge day , they will hardly eat the next day or the day after, so their calories over the week will average out. Me? I would binge, say the diet starts tomorrow have the binge calories in me, and then a full days allocation of calories for loss the next day, again eating on average more than the 'naturally thin' person.

    Its all in the mind.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    This is what OP is talking about:
    I'm just realizing that when I start to drop in body fat %, my body rebels, I become so sensitive to blood sugar drops, I'm tired and cold all the time and I stop getting my period.

    It's NOT all in the mind. It's also not the usual set point thing.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    This is what OP is talking about:
    I'm just realizing that when I start to drop in body fat %, my body rebels, I become so sensitive to blood sugar drops, I'm tired and cold all the time and I stop getting my period.

    It's NOT all in the mind. It's also not the usual set point thing.

    IT is the result of ...
    LadyTalulah wrote: »
    I think I just feel like I'm striving to get that "perfect figure" and my body just won't adapt no matter how slowly I lose the fat or what nutritional plan I'm on!

    Failure to properly nourish herself while striving for a "perfect figure" (something that doesn't exist).
  • mleonards
    mleonards Posts: 52 Member
    sarahlifts wrote: »
    If you are underweight at19-20% bf and still do not have the look you desire, you don't have enough muscle to support the look your desire.

    to gain muscle you must eat more. perhaps rest a but more too. Get with a structured lifting program to gain muscle.

    All of that aside, your body is sending your messages it is deficient in nutrients. Tired, cold, loss of your menses. Please eat more and rest more. Rethink your body image. Get a new trainer. Visit a Doctor for a check up.

    Take care of yourself.

    This.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    This is what OP is talking about:
    I'm just realizing that when I start to drop in body fat %, my body rebels, I become so sensitive to blood sugar drops, I'm tired and cold all the time and I stop getting my period.

    It's NOT all in the mind. It's also not the usual set point thing.

    IT is the result of ...
    LadyTalulah wrote: »
    I think I just feel like I'm striving to get that "perfect figure" and my body just won't adapt no matter how slowly I lose the fat or what nutritional plan I'm on!

    Failure to properly nourish herself while striving for a "perfect figure" (something that doesn't exist).

    Right, I agree with that. I just don't care for the comments that ignore the physical symptoms, assume that set point is meant, and suggest that she only needs to change her lifestyle/eat less and move more.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited August 2015
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    This is what OP is talking about:
    I'm just realizing that when I start to drop in body fat %, my body rebels, I become so sensitive to blood sugar drops, I'm tired and cold all the time and I stop getting my period.

    It's NOT all in the mind. It's also not the usual set point thing.

    G-D, can't believe I missed that (wow) - thank you.

    Yeah, OP, if you lose your period, that is a sign your body has gone past its "natural set point" for healthy functioning. Please get help from a doctor.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    I think that as creatures of habit, we become accustomed to eating a certain way, whether over or under, and our weight eventually catches up with it. Of course when you're accustomed to something, it's a struggle to get un-accustomed.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    I think that as creatures of habit, we become accustomed to eating a certain way, whether over or under, and our weight eventually catches up with it. Of course when you're accustomed to something, it's a struggle to get un-accustomed.

    I think you are right about that. Our weight is supported by how much we eat, and behavior is always something change.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited August 2015
    If I got down to a very low weight and couldn't lose any more, then it could be called "set point". When in reality I just wouldn't be able to eat any less or exercise any more.

    You could defy this set point by consuming even less, but you would soon burn out and be unable to keep the extreme restriction up, therefore going back to your "set point" weight.

    Being underweight and trying to be very underweight is not an easy feat, and I believe your body will fight you every step of the way. It could be loss of periods, dizziness and lethargy etc etc But there will be warning signs in some form or another. Ignore these symptoms at your own peril...
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    If I got down to a very low weight and couldn't lose any more, then it could be called "set point". When in reality I just wouldn't be able to eat any less or exercise any more.

    You could defy this set point by consuming even less, but you would soon burn out and be unable to keep the extreme restriction up, therefore going back to your "set point" weight.

    Being underweight and trying to be very underweight is not an easy feat, and I believe your body will fight you every step of the way. It could be loss of periods, dizziness and lethargy etc etc But there will be warning signs in some form or another. Ignore these symptoms at your own peril...

    Of course you can always lose more. There is no set point - just ask the anorexics of the world.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    mccindy72 wrote: »
    christinev297 wrote: »
    If I got down to a very low weight and couldn't lose any more, then it could be called "set point". When in reality I just wouldn't be able to eat any less or exercise any more.

    You could defy this set point by consuming even less, but you would soon burn out and be unable to keep the extreme restriction up, therefore going back to your "set point" weight.

    Being underweight and trying to be very underweight is not an easy feat, and I believe your body will fight you every step of the way. It could be loss of periods, dizziness and lethargy etc etc But there will be warning signs in some form or another. Ignore these symptoms at your own peril...

    Of course you can always lose more. There is no set point - just ask the anorexics of the world.

    And I agree with you. What I'm saying is some people just can't /won't eat less or exercise more, or both to lose more weight, and then assume they are at their set point weight.

    Anorexics obviously ignore the warning signs and are able to pretty much starve themselves and/or exercise their days away. Whereas the average person just can't sustain lower calories and higher exercise levels.

  • tashywashywoo
    tashywashywoo Posts: 3 Member
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    Bodies do not have a "natural weight" but they do react negatively when one fails to provide them proper nutrition when starving for a "perfect figure" ... whatever that is.

    This.

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