body weight set point?!

Posted on March 2, 2017

I have had an interesting journey the last few months as I moved through a medically monitored weight loss program connected to the hospital bariatric center. I went from eating way to much of the wrong foods to being on nothing but shakes and water and broth for 12 weeks to a transition period as we moved back to eating "real" food. Through all of this we were working on weight loss, health and our relationship with food.

Now as we are getting to the end of our weekly group sessions (6 months of that) we are starting to talk more and being open about things that set us off during our sessions. The last month one thing that has come up is body weight set point and how the program is really more about our health and not about weight loss. I do find it kind of interesting that our social worker and dietitian have this mindset when the nurse practitioner seems to be more focused on the weight loss. And of course we have a kinesiologist that is working with us and she seems to be "pushing" hard exercise or working out hard.

Now I get that moving more, so working out is a benefical for my health but I feel like I am getting mixed messages now that needs to be sorted out. I understand that science has proven that your body will develop a set point for weight. I also understand that science seems to have proven or comfirmed or developed the idea that your body will always want to be at this weight, the comfortable weight if you want to use that term. What I am having an issue with is that I can't do anything to change this point!! no matter what I do I will not ever get my body to be happy at a lower weight, it will always what to be heavy. Now at this point I need to say that I also have a rebel type personality. I refuse to believe this last piece of information, I refuse to let my body decide that I will forever be heavy.

Ok so that being said, I did ask while I was in my group session and the answer was that no this could not be changed. Ok so I get that but do I accept that?! Uuummmm no!! I believe in the science that says a body in motion will stay in motion and a body at rest will stay at rest!! I believe that if I continue to fuel my body with good, healthy food and continue to move it there will be a happy point where I am lighter than my heaviest weight and I will be healthy at this weight. I have always been healthier than my weight would lead people to believe. I didnt have high blood pressure, I didnt have heart issues, I didnt have high cholesterol numbers, I was mobile. Yes I am diabetic on medication but I am not considered a "brittle" diabetic meaning that my sugar was out of control. I was close to normal numbers in that sense, just heavier than my body should have been.

So the rebel in me has kicked in and I will "fight" my body and the set point for weight because I dont believe that it cant be changed. I just have decided that I wont be driving myself crazy on a daily basis. IF i want to have ice cream I will have it, i just need to allow for it. If I want to enjoy some cheesecake on a special occasion I will just make sure that there are more veggies on my plate before hand and less carbs. My life will be about balance and not about fighting nature, genetics or science, it will be about bending it to what fits my life!!

The information seeker in me understands the science and the concept, the rebel in me refuses to believe it and the all or nothing attitude will get me to where there is balance because some things I can live with out and others I can't. I am not my body, I am not the science, I am the action I take to be happy!!

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BCbabe

03/02/2017 4:43PM

Thanks ladies, I know the information seemed a little off. I was thinking that maybe they were trying to take the focus off the weight loss and put it on the health side of the journey, which I get. I just really didn't like the fact that it was like a black and white answer. I have had a conversation with my nurse practitioner about the program and she did say that people will gain back the weight in about 10 years but in my mind I believe that the reason is there was no mind set change. If you don't change the way you think then you can't change your eating habits. I know I have made some great changes. I also know I still have some work to do and that I will not be prefect but as I have seen in the last little while it isn't about perfection, it is about progress.

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Sarah

03/02/2017 3:02PM

I thought there was controversy over the concept of a set point and whether you can reset it by keeping a low weight for 6 months??? When I was at my lowest adult weight, a friend told me all about set points, which landed on my ears as frenemy-ish given that I was celebrating a loss. I believe I will gain if I keep overeating, but my mind rebels at the idea of a set point!!

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Reiner Jo

03/02/2017 1:17PM

THAT IS CRAZY..!!!! I could see it this way maybe.. say you have lost 40 pounds and you want the food it takes to maintain your weight at 40 more pounds sure... that makes sense... but to say its all predetermined NO WAY...!!! I feel once I have lost in the 20 's of pounds that my body adjusts a little... but then it better get used to being 20 pounds lighter cuz it aint going back my friend... you prove them wrong... cuz they ARE!!! and if you want ice cream try Halo TOP... the strawberry rocks!

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Biking Syl

03/02/2017 1:13PM

I read Eat to Live by Fuhrman and found an interesting statement in there. Can't remember it exactly but he says that your body's set point will actually change, if you stick to a diet predominantly based on leafy greens and veggies. It's the crazy processed frankenfoods that mess with the set point. Now that's a good reason for me to stick to basic foods and create my own meals, instead of buying pre-made stuff.

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Biking Syl

If you are looking for super clean no meat/no dairy recipes deliciouslyella.com is always a good option. Warning: she has to eat super clean all the time becaue of food sensitivities. This means that some of the recipes are higher in calories. However, just getting off the sugar roller coaster can do wonders to cut cravings. The beauty of Ella's recipes is that she had to come up with a solution for all occasions because she just can't have flour/sugar/dairy. In a pinch, you could simplify the search for ingredients, if you just used real dairy where she makes her substitutes.

BCbabe

Cool, I am making notes in a notebook so I don't lose any of this LOL some times it gets lost in the shuffle on here!!

Shalkan

03/02/2017 12:56PM

Great post. I completely disagree too. There's a difference between losing motivation and falling off your path to fitness and your body telling you what's going to happen.

Joyce W., BCbabe and Biking Syl like this comment.

Ivy

Valerie I admire you so much for your weight loss journey. Your strength and courage says a lot about you. You can do this. Flip science the bird and prove them wrong. You've got this!!!! I'm rooting for you all the way.