Set-Point, is it really a thing?

According to the article “Understanding Set-Point Weight,” in the March 2018 Fitness Journal for ACE Certified Professionals, Author Natalie Digate Muth explains, “Once a person reaches a set-point weight - also called ‘customary’ or ‘defended’ weight - the body tweaks its metabolic rate to maintain that weight despite dietary fluctuations.”  

UGH, really? 

The term "set-point" also refers to the weight that your body is happy staying at.  I know you can relate…you work really hard, lose 10-15 pounds and after you’re done with your program, you slack off a little on the working out, don’t watch your portions as much, and you find your weight going right back to where you started.  If you do this cycle multiple times, you may even end up increasing your weight since your metabolism now isn’t sure if it should go higher or lower, so it just stays lower.

In the absence of an ongoing weight maintenance program, half of the people who lose 10% or more of body weight gain it all back within 5 years or so (Montesi et al. 2016).

So, what does science say about keeping it off?

Unfortunately, traditional dieting and extreme exercise approaches will not work. What does work, is creating a new lifestyle that incorporates the slow and steady changes you made while doing your nutrition/workout plan into everyday behaviors for the rest of your life.

So, get that – extreme dieting won’t lead to long term success.  The road to success is slow and steady.

There are several key factors that affect our set point:

• 30% is our genes (DNA)
• 30% is our environment (hormones)
• 40% is based on the choices we make every day.

So while we might want to blame our genes, they make up less than 1/3 what really happens to our weight.  

Consistency over months and years, not days or weeks, will make a difference.  The key to success – incorporate foods you love and will continue to eat (nothing is off-limits – everything has a healthier option), do weight training 3-4 days a week, and add in regular cardiovascular exercise. 

These 5 nutrition steps will make a big difference:

• eliminate the sugar
• eliminate the alcohol
• add more vegetables
• add lean protein
• choose good carbohydrates with 3g of more fiber

Want more science?  The National Weight Control Registry tracked over 10,000 people whose members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years.

To maintain their weight loss, members engage in the following habits:

• 78% eat breakfast every day
• 75% weigh themselves at least once a week
• 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week
• 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day

Your set point is also affected by your hormones.  This is one of the reason's why we focus so much on hormones with our clients.  Time and time again we hear clients say - I am doing everything I've done before and it isn't working.  This weight just won't budge.  Hello "set point" weight and stubborn hormones.  It might be time to try something totally different to shake up the body and get results again.

Feeling stuck...we would love to have a conversation with you...a free call to discuss your goals and areas that might need a little tweak to break that stuck, set point!