Establishing a New Weight “Set Point”
When aiming to lose weight, many focus solely on reaching a specific number on the scale. However, the concept of a “set point” weight, representing the natural weight range your body gravitates towards, is often overlooked. Establishing a new set point weight is challenging, as it entails both losing weight and sustaining that loss over time. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the factors influencing the time required to establish a new weight set point and offer tips for achieving sustainable weight loss.
Understanding Weight Set Points
The concept of a set point weight is based on the idea that our bodies have a natural tendency to maintain a certain weight range, similar to how our body temperature is regulated to stay within a narrow range. This set point is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, hormones, and environmental factors.
For example, if you’ve been consistently weighing around 150 pounds for most of your adult life, this is likely your set point weight. If you try to lose weight and drop down to 130 pounds, your body will resist this change and make adjustments to try to bring you back up to your set point weight. This is why many people who lose weight often find it difficult to maintain their weight loss long-term.
Factors That Influence Weight Set Points
1. Genetics: Research has shown that genetics can play a significant role in determining your set point weight. This is because certain genes can impact your metabolism, hunger levels, and the way your body stores and burns fat.
2. Hormones: Hormones such as leptin and ghrelin play a role in regulating appetite and energy expenditure. If these hormones are imbalanced, it can make it harder to maintain weight loss.
3. Environment: Your lifestyle and environment can also impact your set point weight. Factors such as diet, physical activity level, and stress levels can all influence your body’s natural tendency to maintain a certain weight range.
How Long Does It Take to Establish a New Set Point Weight?
Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer to this question as it can vary widely depending on a variety of factors. One should expect that it will take time to regulate the complex interactions of environmental, hormonal, and behavioral factors that impact our weight set point. Studies have shown that it can take anywhere from 1 year to 6 years for your body to adjust to a new weight range and establish a new set point.
A Practical Prescription:
- A tailored diet and exercise plan incorporating pharmacological management, aerobic and strength training exercises to control hormones, promote calorie expenditure, improve fitness, and ongoing support is required for long-term weight maintenance.
- Gradually increasing exercise intensity and duration over time will prevent plateaus and promote continued progress.
During this time, it’s important to focus on sustainable weight loss methods that promote healthy habits and long-term success. Crash diets and extreme weight loss methods may result in rapid weight loss, but they’re not sustainable and can actually make it harder to maintain weight loss over time. That’s because your body will increase cortisol, a stress hormone, which increases appetite and hunger while decreasing metabolism in response to trying to suddenly lose large amounts of weight.
Tips for Establishing a New Weight Set Point
If you’re looking to establish a new set point weight, here are some tips to help you achieve sustainable weight loss:
1. Focus on a healthy diet: Rather than cutting out entire food groups or drastically reducing your calorie intake, focus on eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
2. Incorporate physical activity: Regular exercise can not only help you lose weight but also improve your overall health and well-being. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week.
3. Sleep
Sleep is often overlooked as a factor in weight loss. Lack of sleep can disrupt hormone levels, increase appetite, and lead to weight gain. Aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night to promote weight loss and overall health.
4. Stress Management
Stress can contribute to weight gain by increasing cortisol levels, which can lead to increased appetite and fat storage. Finding ways to manage stress, such as yoga, meditation, or deep breathing, can help you reduce stress levels and promote weight loss.
5. Weight Loss Programs
Weight loss programs can be a useful tool for achieving weight loss goals. They offer medication-assisted weight loss, support, education, and resources to help you make sustainable lifestyle changes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, your weight set point is determined by a variety of genetic and environmental factors. Establishing a new set point weight can be a challenge, as it requires not only losing weight but also maintaining that weight loss over a sustained period of time. Studies have shown that it can take anywhere from 1 year to 6 years for your body to adjust to a new weight range and establish a new set point. Establishing a new weight set point requires sustainable weight loss, which can be achieved through weight loss programs, diet, exercise, stress reduction, and sleep.
References
- Heindel JJ, Howard S, Agay-Shay K, et al. Obesity II: Establishing causal links between chemical exposures and obesity [published correction appears in Biochem Pharmacol. 2022 Aug;202:115144]. Biochem Pharmacol. 2022;199:115015. doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2022.115015
- Rosenbaum M, Hirsch J, Gallagher DA, Leibel RL. Long-term persistence of adaptive thermogenesis in subjects who have maintained a reduced body weight. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;88(4):906-912. doi:10.1093/ajcn/88.4.906
