Have you been the same weight or is it slowly creeping up and you just don’t understand why?
Have you heard that your body has a ‘set point’ where weight is concerned so no matter what you do?
Well, this is called ‘set point theory’ and it suggests that our bodyweight is ‘pre-determined’ or ‘preferred range’.
Most research backs up this theory, which explains why no matter how hard you try to lose weight, you’ll hit a certain plateau & stop losing weight.
That doesn’t sound good does it? Well, hang on a minute, let’s dig deeper. I’ll explain the theory & provide a solution…
Body weight is determined by:
- Genes
- Environment (including nutrition/exercise)
- Epigenetic effects (hormones)
Now, genetic factors play into your stature/weight but genetics do NOT determine destiny.
So, even if you have ‘horrible genes’ you can offset them with healthy lifestyle habits – this is great news!
Obviously, exercise (or lack of it) is a huge factor in determining bodyweight.
To a certain extent, the first law of thermodynamics states that no energy can be created or destroyed. Theoretically, your weight is determined by energy in/energy out – but we all know that this is not so black & white because many other factors are at play.
Generally speaking though, over time, if you eat more calories (energy) & expend less energy, weight gain results. So is the opposite, if you eat less energy & expend more energy, weight loss will results.
The best method of fat loss & change your set point is to change body composition. More good news: adding strength training to increase lean muscle tone can do this.
However, even if you do lose weight, body weight management is asymmetrical for most. It’s much easier to gain weight & keep it on than lose weight & keep it off.
People who lose weight aren’t necessarily predisposed to regaining it.
Research shows that weight gain is usually the result of returning to unhealthy habits over time or not making wise choices to obtain or sustain weight loss in the first place.
The National Weight Control Registry tracks over 10,000 people whose members have lost an average of 66 lbs & kept it off for 5.5 years. To maintain their weight loss, members have 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
Healthy hormones play into healthy weight maintenance.
For example, higher testosterone helps maintain lean body mass and higher cortisol (stress hormone) is associated with belly fat accumulation.
So, what can we do to boost hormone health?
- Get enough sleep & reduce stress to control cortisol
- Working out regularly can increase testosterone
- Eat a fiber & protein rich diet
Your weight is NOT ‘set in stone’, research supports that you can make long term changes by building healthy habits.
Setting body composition goals instead of weight loss goals is a measurable way to see progress.
Guess what? This is exactly what we do in Food Camp.
Food Camp is my group nutrition coaching program:
- We meet weekly to educate & support your journey towards your goals.
- I create a personalized nutrition plan for you.
- I teach you how to track your food to create awareness of intake.
- The focus is on education so that you’re never actually on a diet.
- You’ll learn how to fuel your body so that weight loss is achieved & maintained over time.
And when you attend locally, the BEST news is that I’ve acquired a new piece of technology that ACCURATELY measures your body composition because what gets tracked and measured improves.
At Food Camp, you’ll now how access to monthly body composition scans.
If you’re interested in learning more, just reach out to me here: shawnak.help@gmail.com
It’s great to know that while your body tends to have a ‘set point’, there is plenty you can do to offset what Mother Nature has in mind for your body weight.