SET-POINT WEIGHT—WHY LOST POUNDS KEEP RETURNING
Lately, I’ve begun seeing magazine and online articles on something called “set-point weight.” So, what’s that? Simply, it’s a theory that the body maintains its weight with internal regulatory controls. Some folks have a high setting, which means they tend to have a naturally higher weight as a set-point, while others have a low set-point and a naturally lower body weight.
Evidence for this is realized when folks go on a diet that is popular at the time and voluntarily eat less food, most are able to lose some weight. But as attention to maintaining the lost weight decreases, body weight slowly increases to about the same point as before the diet. This depressing outcome can occur several times over the years as persons keep trying out the “newest” diets without otherwise significantly changing their lifestyle.
Here’s more info from an October 2017 Harvard Medical School article, The Science of Set Point:
“Your body weight set point is the number on the scale your weight normally hovers around, give or take a few pounds.
What determines your set point?
Your heredity and your environment—starting back at the moment of your conception— determine your set-point. Over the long term, excess food and insufficient exercise will override your body’s natural tendency to stay at its set-point and lead to a higher, less healthy set-point.
A slow, gradual weight gain, (say a 20-pound weight gain over several decades in seniors) will fool your body into thinking that your set-point should be higher—and in fact, that does reset your set-point. Then, when you try to lose weight, your body defends that higher weight, making weight loss more difficult.” [The body tweaks its metabolic rate to maintain that weight despite dietary fluctuations. When we restrict calorie intake, the quest for set-point weight makes hunger rise and resting energy expenditure fall.]
“But just as it’s possible to reset your set-point to a higher point, it’s also possible to lower it. The secret is to work with, not against, your body’s natural tendencies and lose weight slowly, one silhouette at a time.
Internal Controls vs. Environmental Factors
There are internal controls that govern this complex process. These controls include a tiny structure deep within the brain, nerves that run between the brain and stomach, and a host of hormones, but ultimately, your behavior—how you respond to the environment—trumps your physiology, or your body’s inner workings.
- Oversized portions of high-calorie (and often inexpensive) foods are readily available, day and night.
- Modern conveniences—everything from electric toothbrushes to leaf-blowers to cars—mean we don’t have as many opportunities to exercise.
The 10% Solution
Scientific evidence supports losing no more than 10% of your body weight at a time. It turns out that the body’s set-point and its many regulatory hormones dictate the effectiveness of the 10% loss. That’s the amount of weight you can lose before your body starts to fight back. Many clinical studies have confirmed this phenomenon. Of course, some people can lose more than 10% at a time, but precious few can then maintain that loss.
After you maintain your new, lower weight for 6 months, you can repeat the cycle and reset your set-point again by losing another 10%. Through gradual changes in your daily habits, you’ll be able to stay at that new, lower weight for the rest of your life. This prescription is vital to outsmarting the body’s natural tendencies to regain weight.”
The National Weight Control Registry tells us that people who have succeeded in this battle tend to share similar habits:
- Diet. Their daily lifestyle includes a portion-controlled, low-calorie, low-fat diet (including breakfast).
- Activity. They exercise for at least 1 hour per day, weigh themselves at least weekly and spend less than 10 hours per week watching TV.
Over the years I slowly gained weight until in 2000 (at the age of 57) I weighed 205 pounds. I knew I should lose some of this excess but really didn’t work at it and my weight stayed at that level. But within a year I began running, biking and swimming regularly so I could try doing a sprint triathlon. I didn’t actually run the triathlon until 2005 but did lose more that 20 pounds with the regular 7 hours plus of exercise I was doing per week. And over another 6 years my weight fell to 160 pounds where it has stayed since.
On the other hand, you could instead shift your focus away from weight loss and toward healthier living and weight maintenance over time. Many studies have shows that with lifestyle changes, including better nutrition and more physical activity, health improves significantly, even with just small amounts of weight loss or just weight maintenance.