Fast and Fit Shaun

Today we introduce the concept of Set Point as it relates to weight, weight loss and weight maintenance. 95 percent of people who lose weight will gain it back. Genes do contribute to obesity but genes alone do not explain the rise of overweight and obese we are currently experiencing. Exercise is by all accounts good for us but doesn’t appear to be especially helpful when it comes  to shedding the pounds for everyone. The Set Point Theory is a theory that helps to explain why simply addressing calories in vs. calories out may not necessarily lead to permanent weight loss. In a nutshell, the Set Point Theory asserts that our body strives to maintain a certain weight. When we move beyond a certain weight range in either direction, our body will fight to bring us back. It can do this because our body is not a closed system. Instead, it can respond to weight loss or gain by increasing appetite or decreasing calorie expenditure.  In that sense, the set point is akin to a thermostat set at a certain temperature. It can either switch on the air or heat to respond to a change with the goal of bringing the temp back down to its setting. The real question is how do we reset our thermostat. This is an area where there are still unknowns, however, both the quality of calories and timing of calories seems to play a role. There is evidence that both eating primarily whole foods and restricting your eating window to a minimum of 12 hours may help to lower our set point. Adequate sleep and a stress management are also factors. And the opposite appears true. Processed foods and prolonged eating windows combined with inadequate sleep and too much stress raise our set point. Ultimately the key to sustained weight loss and weight maintenance is resetting the thermostat.