{"id":13550,"date":"2025-03-08T01:31:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T18:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13550"},"modified":"2025-03-08T01:31:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T18:31:15","slug":"set-point-theory-does-your-body-have-a-default-weight-setting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13550","title":{"rendered":"Set Point Theory: Does Your Body Have a Default Weight Setting?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p>On one hand, the science behind weight loss couldn\u2019t be simpler: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/what-is-cico\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">calories in, calories out<\/a> \u2014 eat less and move more. On the other hand, it\u2019s as complex as the human body itself. Weight gain, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-lose-weight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what happens to your body when you lose weight<\/a>, is affected by a constellation of factors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Diet<\/li>\n<li>Genetics<\/li>\n<li>Energy expenditure<\/li>\n<li>Hormones<\/li>\n<li>Environment<\/li>\n<li>Stress<\/li>\n<li>Your body\u2019s natural defenses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One of those defenses is known as the \u201cset point,\u201d a theorized baseline that\u2019s understood to affect weight loss and maintenance. Learn more about set point theory, how much faith to invest in it, and what \u2014 if anything \u2014 you can do about it.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is Set Point Theory?<\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-171844\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/30094057\/set-point-theory-600-tracker.jpeg\" alt=\"Woman Checks Fitness Tracker While on Run | Set Point Theory\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSet point theory asserts that there is a weight at which our body is most comfortable, determined in part by genetics, body size, and metabolism,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/ph.ucla.edu\/about\/faculty-staff-directory\/dana-hunnes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dana Hunnes<\/a>, Ph.D., MPH, RD, a senior dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. \u201cThis set point will differ from person to person, just as genetics differ from person to person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While body weight \u2014 and who has more, and where, and how much, and why \u2014 is still largely a study of unknowns, set point theory argues that it may be heavily affected by the body\u2019s tendency toward the familiar. Furthermore, according to set point theory, your body will \u201cfight\u201d to stay at the weight at which it is most comfortable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis means that if you go on vacation, eat a lot more than you normally would, and gain five pounds, once you return to your normal routine, your appetite will decrease to adjust, and you\u2019ll likely return to your previous weight,\u201d says Hunnes. \u201cSimilarly, if you diet and eat a lot less for several weeks, eventually your body will fight back, increasing appetite to make you eat more, and you\u2019ll likely return to your prior weight.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Is Set Point Theory Legit?<\/h2>\n<p>Set point theory is certainly nothing new \u2014 researchers have been investigating it for decades. And the consensus is that there\u2019s something to it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/21117971\">A review of studies published<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0<em>Journal of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders<\/em> found that body weight is generally maintained at a stable range, despite variability in energy intake and expenditure, showing that obesity is likely a result of a complex relationship between genetics and environment.<\/p>\n<p>Hunnes says: \u201cIt makes a lot of sense. Our bone structure, genes, and metabolism all tend to like homeostasis, or relative stability. Our bodies work best when things are stable. So yes, I believe we all have a set point.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>It\u2019s not as rigid as you think<\/h3>\n<p>Set point theory is not, however, a reason to feel powerless or that you\u2019re genetically predestined to stay at a weight you\u2019re not happy with.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudies suggest that a set point in humans is \u2018loose\u2019 (e.g., involving upper and lower limits) rather than tightly controlled,\u201d says a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2990627\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">review of studies published<\/a>\u00a0in the journal\u00a0<em>F1000 Reports<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Set point theory is based on evidence from time-tested, expert weight-loss advice: gradual and stable is best. Make it part of a long-term lifestyle change based on regular diet and exercise.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t try to lose weight with workout binges or starvation and fad diets \u2014 people who do that tend to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/why-you-regain-weight-and-how-to-fight-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gain the weight back<\/a>, often adding even more; their body\u2019s set point might be part of the reason why.<\/p>\n<h2>Can You Change Your Body\u2019s Set Point?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-171843\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/30094050\/set-point-theory-600-run.jpeg\" alt=\"Woman Recovers While on Run | Set Point Theory\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Yes, but the change should be gradual.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it is possible to ever so\u00a0slightly\u00a0change your set point,\u201d says Hunnes. \u201cIf you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/crash-diets-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">crash diet<\/a>, you will\u00a0<em>not<\/em> change your body\u2019s set point and may run the risk of increasing your weight in the long run. If instead you\u2019re slow and steady over time, you may create a new set point for your body.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hunnes uses herself as an example. In high school, her body\u2019s set point hovered around 125 to 128 pounds. \u201cNo matter what I did, [my body weight stayed in that range],\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Years later, she has a Ph.D. in public health and pursues a career as a dietitian, and \u201cnot necessarily intentionally,\u201d her body homes toward 118 to 120 pounds. Hunnes says that could be because she started eating a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/what-is-a-plant-based-diet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">plant-based diet<\/a> as an adult, or because parenthood has made her more active.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo matter how much or little I eat, or how much or little I exercise, I tend to remain in that range,\u201d she says. \u201cLittle changes or adjustments over time may be able to slightly change the set point. But if you are big-boned, you cannot expect to be a small and thin person. It just won\u2019t work that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Set Point Theory for Weight Loss<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe best way to lose weight effectively will be with very small, incremental changes that perhaps fool the body into thinking it\u2019s still in maintenance mode,\u201d says Hunnes. \u201cIf you cut out 100 calories from your \u2018typical\u2019 food intake for several months \u2014 meaning that instead of eating 2,100 calories a day to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/calories-to-maintain-weight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">maintain your weight<\/a>, you eat 2,000 and perhaps burn a bit more energy every day \u2014 your body won\u2019t really \u2018notice\u2019 the change, and you should theoretically slowly and gradually lose weight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By creating a slightly larger <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/calorie-deficit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">calorie deficit<\/a> and incorporating regular exercise, you can avoid weight gain and achieve more weight loss. But experts say it should be gradual, aiming for one to two pounds a week, to keep your metabolic rate stable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSlow and steady wins the race,\u201d concludes Hunnes. \u201cSlow and steady can keep your homeostasis in place.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/set-point-theory\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On one hand, the science behind weight loss couldn\u2019t be simpler: calories in, calories out \u2014 eat less and move more. On the other hand, it\u2019s as complex as the human body itself. Weight gain, and what happens to your body when you lose weight, is affected by a constellation of factors: Diet Genetics Energy &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13550\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}