Set Point Science

Cheri Alberts
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  • Nutrition
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The Set Point Science Podcast explores the science behind how your body and brain regulate weight, for good. Hosted by Cheri Alberts, this podcast draws from neuroscience, psychology, physiology, and real-world coaching to explain why weight loss stalls, why forcing never works, and how calm, consistent nourishment allows the body to release weight naturally. No tracking. No extremes. No fighting your body. Just science, understanding, and a gentler way forward.

  1. 5 days ago

    “Passive” Weight Loss: How I Lost 15 Pounds Without Dieting (Ep 37)

    I’ve lost 15 pounds since my weight spiked on prednisone earlier this summer. What I want to talk about is that I didn’t have to go to war with myself to make it happen. The weight came off almost like a side effect of something else I was doing. I call this “passive” weight loss. In this episode, I’m talking about what passive weight loss actually means, why most weight-loss advice gets the order backwards, and why your nervous system may be the thing standing between you and weight loss, not your discipline. We’ll talk about: why weight loss can feel harder after years of dieting what your brain is actually trying to predict why big calorie gaps can create biological pushback why consistency is often a side effect of proper nourishment how protein helped calm my food noise and cravings why gentle nighttime hunger feels different when your body has been fed enough earlier how passive weight loss can become the middle ground between “take the drug” and “go hardcore” This is the premise Set Point Science was built on: your body is not broken, and you are not lacking discipline. Your nervous system is doing exactly what it was built to do. Once it trusts that enough is coming, consistency stops being something you force. It starts showing up on its own. Koia Brand Plant-Based Protein Shakes https://link.amazon/B05wEGxJf (amazon affiliate link) Learn more about the Passive Weight Loss Mini-Course here: https://setpointscience.com/passive Follow along: @setpointscience on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook https://setpointscience.com ‍ Studies Mentioned Sumithran, P., Prendergast, L. A., Delbridge, E., Purcell, K., Shulkes, A., Kriketos, A., & Proietto, J. Q. (2011). Long-term persistence of hormonal adaptations to weight loss. New England Journal of Medicine, 365(17), 1597–1604. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1105816 Weigle, D. S., Breen, P. A., Matthys, C. C., Callahan, H. S., Meeuws, K. E., Burden, V. R., & Purnell, J. Q. (2005). A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurnal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 82(1), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/82.1.41 ‍ ‍ #SetPointScience #PassiveWeightLoss #WeightLossWithoutDieting #MidlifeWeightLoss #FoodNoise #NervousSystemRegulation #ProteinFirst #GentleWeightLoss #SustainableWeightLoss #WeightLossForWomen #Over40WeightLoss #DietCultureRecovery #EnoughFirst #SetPointRestore #WeightLossPodcast ‍

  2. 8 Sept

    Cheri Weight Update: I Lost 2.2 More Pounds, Even After Another Setback (Ep 36)

    I lost another 2.2 pounds, moving from 176.4 to 174.2, even after getting sick, losing my swimming routine for a couple of weeks, and dealing with a rotating cast of eye styes. The exciting part is not just the number. It is that the plan kept working inside my real life because the food rhythm was satisfying and repeatable enough to survive disruption. In this episode, I explain how I did it. What you’ll learn: ⚖️ Why losing 2.2 pounds during a messy stretch felt more meaningful than a dramatic perfect-week result 🤒 What happened when sickness, eye styes, and time away from swimming interrupted my routine 🌱 Why interruptions are not proof that your plan failed 🍽️ How a satisfying, repeatable food rhythm helped keep the scale moving when exercise paused 🧱 Why a plan built only for ideal conditions is too fragile for real life 🔄 The difference between keeping the structure and changing the meals, movement, or timing 🥩 Why protein keeps helping me feel done, calm, and less preoccupied with food 🔥 How to find the “pilot light” version of your plan for sickness, travel, stress, injury, and other disruptions What most often interrupts your plan: sickness, travel, family stress, injury, or boredom with your meals? Tell me in the comments. I read and reply to these myself. Download the UPDATED 2.0 free Gentle Weight Loss Starter Guide: https://setpointscience.com/starterguide Connect with me: 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/setpointscience 💬 Facebook: https://facebook.com/setpointscience 🎵 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@setpointscience 🌐 Website: https://setpointscience.com   Research Referenced in This Episode Kohanmoo, A., Faghih, S., & Akhlaghi, M. (2020). Effect of short- and long-term protein consumption on appetite and appetite-regulating gastrointestinal hormones: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Physiology & Behavior, 226, Article 113123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113123 Westenhoefer, J., Engel, D., Holst, C., Lorenz, J., Peacock, M., Stubbs, J., Whybrow, S., & Raats, M. (2013). Cognitive and weight-related correlates of flexible and rigid restrained eating behaviour. Eating Behaviors, 14(1), 69–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.10.015    #SetPointScience #WeightLossUpdate #MidlifeWeightLoss #SustainableWeightLoss #WeightLossAfter40 #FoodNoise #Protein #FlexibleEating #GentleWeightLoss #RealLifeWeightLoss #CheriAlberts

  3. 1 Sept

    “Why Am I Overeating at Night?” The Real Reason You Can’t “Just Be Done” (Ep 35)

    If you keep overeating at night, the problem may not be that you cannot stop. It may be that your meals never helped your body and brain feel truly done. What you’ll learn: 🌙 Why nighttime overeating may not actually begin at night 🧠 The difference between fullness, satisfaction and satiety 🥗 Why a meal can fill your stomach without helping your brain feel done 💪 How protein, meal timing, energy and pleasure can affect hunger and food noise 🚪 Why “close the kitchen and use more discipline” can become a fragile strategy 🔄 How morning restriction can rebuild the evening urgency you are trying to prevent 🧪 How to try the seven-day “Done Without Force” experiment 🌅 Why the morning after overeating is a time to reassure your body, not punish it Do you feel truly done after dinner, or do you feel like you are forcing yourself to be done? Let me know in the comments. Download the UPDATED 2.0 free Gentle Weight Loss Starter Guide: https://setpointscience.com/starterguide Connect with me: 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/setpointscience 💬 Facebook: https://facebook.com/setpointscience 🎵 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@setpointscience 🌐 Website: https://setpointscience.com Correction: In this episode I said "a 2000 study by Wilhelm Hofmann and colleagues". I got the year wrong. It's actually from 2007. Sorry for the mix-up! Correct citation is below. Research Referenced in This Episode Hofmann, W., Rauch, W., & Gawronski, B. (2007). And deplete us not into temptation: Automatic attitudes, dietary restraint, and self-regulatory resources as determinants of eating behavior. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43(3), 497–504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2006.05.004 Kohanmoo, A., Faghih, S., & Akhlaghi, M. (2020). Effect of short- and long-term protein consumption on appetite and appetite-regulating gastrointestinal hormones: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Physiology & Behavior, 226, Article 113123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113123    #SetPointScience #NighttimeEating #OvereatingAtNight #EmotionalEating #FoodNoise #Satiety #Hunger #GentleWeightLoss #SustainableWeightLoss #MidlifeWeightLoss #WeightLossAfter40 #Protein #FlexibleEating #CheriAlberts

  4. 25 Aug

    My Oncologist Suggested a GLP-1. Here’s Why I’m Not Taking It Yet. (Ep34)

    My oncologist raised GLP-1 medication during my breast cancer follow-up, and after discussing the newer data, my health history, side effects, cost and the progress I’m currently making, we decided on a three-month test of my existing plan. My answer is not never. It is not yet. What you’ll learn: 🩺 Why my oncologist brought up GLP-1 medication after hormone-positive breast cancer 💉 Why I am not anti-GLP-1, even though I’m not starting one right now ⚖️ How body fat can be part of the hormonal conversation after hormone-positive breast cancer 📊 Why my current progress deserves a fair three-month test 💪 The concerns I’m weighing, including muscle loss, digestive side effects, cost and rebound hunger 🧠 Why frustration and fear should provide information without making the entire decision 🌿 How to make health decisions based on your body, your data, your doctor, your values and your real life 💙 Why changing your mind later does not make your earlier decision wrong Are you in a “not never, but not yet” season? Let me know below. Download the UPDATED 2.0 free Gentle Weight Loss Starter Guide: https://setpointscience.com/starterguide Connect with me: Instagram: https://instagram.com/setpointscience Facebook: https://facebook.com/setpointscience TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@setpointscience Website: https://setpointscience.com #SetPointScience #GLP1 #GLP1Journey #GentleWeightLoss #SustainableWeightLoss #MidlifeWeightLoss #WeightLossAfter40 #FoodNoise #BreastCancerSurvivor #HormonePositiveBreastCancer #CheriAlberts

  5. 18 Aug

    Cheri Weight Update: I’m Down 1.8 Lbs...Here’s What Happened After I Almost Gave Up (Ep33)

    I lost 1.8 pounds in two weeks without going to war with my appetite...and the biggest win was realizing I did not feel like I needed a break from the protocol. After seriously considering weight loss medication, I gave my own sustainable approach one focused two-week test. I moved from 178.2 to 176.4 while eating enough, including dinner. This episode is about more than a number on the scale. It is about discovering that calm, repeatable weight loss may finally be possible without extreme restriction, punishing exercise, or white-knuckling my appetite. What you’ll learn: - Why I decided not to begin weight loss medication immediately - What I tested during this two-week personal experiment - Why I temporarily paused heavy weightlifting and increased gentler cardio - How eating more protein earlier in the day affected my hunger and satisfaction - Why not skipping dinner became an important part of making the plan sustainable 🍔 Want the homemade burger buns and chicken burgers with caramelized onions from this episode? Get both recipes here: https://setpointscience.com/recipes 📞 Would you like help creating your own sustainable meal plan? Book a free 15-minute Two-Step Call with me: https://setpointscience.com/twostep Connect with me: 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/setpointscience 💬 Facebook: https://facebook.com/setpointscience 🎵 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@setpointscience 🌐 Website: https://setpointscience.com Hashtags: #SetPointScience #EnoughFirst #WeightLossUpdate #SustainableWeightLoss #MidlifeWeightLoss #WeightLossAfter40 #FoodNoise #Hunger #Appetite #FlexibleEating #Protein #WalkingForWeightLoss #CheriAlberts

  6. 11 Aug

    I’m Finally Free Around Food. Are You Actually Free Around Food, or Just Never Around It? (Ep32)

    Avoiding certain foods gave me real stability for years...but when motherhood made those foods part of ordinary life, I discovered that stability was not the same as freedom. In this episode, I explain why having “zero interest” in a food under carefully controlled conditions doesn’t tell you how your approach will hold up when life changes; why understanding the environmental, psychological, and practical conditions shaping your eating is not “making excuses”; and why real food peace is a flexible, portable strategy that can survive birthdays, vacations, stress, family life, and actual Tuesday afternoons. What you’ll learn: Why avoidance can create genuine stability without necessarily building flexibility How to tell whether your food peace is portable or dependent on tightly controlled conditions Why understanding the conditions behind a behavior is not “making excuses” What changed when my old nutritarian strategy had to meet motherhood and family life How all-or-nothing food rules can turn one difficult moment into an emergency Why food identity can make another person’s choices feel threatening What a calmer, more adaptable relationship with food can look like in real life Get the free Gentle Weight Loss Starter Guide: https://setpointscience.com/podcastguide Connect with me: Instagram: https://instagram.com/setpointscience Facebook: https://facebook.com/setpointscience TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@setpointscience Website: https://setpointscience.com Hashtags: #SetPointScience #FoodFreedom #FoodPeace #FlexibleEating #FoodNoise #BingeEatingRecovery #WeightLossAfter40 #MidlifeWeightLoss #CheriAlberts

  7. 4 Aug

    I Almost Started Weight Loss Medication Yesterday... Here’s What I Did Instead (Ep31)

    I almost started weight loss medication yesterday, but this morning I decided not to, at least not yet. My weight has been stuck around 178, and after watching my husband make easy progress on medication while I continue working so hard, I reached a real breaking point. I was frustrated. I was tired. And I was ready to change everything. But instead of making a major decision on one of my worst days, I waited until morning. That gave me enough space to see what was actually happening and recognize two important pieces of my own weight-loss puzzle that I had been missing. In this episode, I’m sharing the whole messy story, including: • What made me seriously consider weight loss medication • The medication effects that made me hesitate • Why heavy weightlifting did not create the weight loss I expected • Why I’m no longer forcing myself to reach 10,000 steps • The old dieting pattern I caught myself repeating • What happens when I eat enough protein earlier in the day • Why deciding my meals ahead of time matters so much • The exact food and exercise experiment I’m running for the next two weeks • What I’ll do if this plan still doesn’t create sustained weight loss This is not a polished before-and-after story told once everything has worked out. This is the real middle. I’m navigating plantar fasciitis, recurring lung issues, three children, work, summer break, conflicting advice, and a body that does not respond well to generic weight-loss rules. Taking a long time does not necessarily mean you’re failing. Sometimes it means you’re doing the actual work of discovering what your body and your real life can sustain. 💬 Tell me in the comments: What does a realistic weight-loss approach look like for you? Not the strictest plan you could temporarily force yourself to follow. What food and movement could you genuinely continue doing as part of your normal life? Want help building your own realistic meal plan? Book a free 15-minute Two-Step Call with me. We’ll create a simple meal plan based on your preferences, history, schedule, and current life. Then we’ll decide whether Restore, private coaching, or another next step makes sense for you. Book your free Two-Step Call: https://setpointscience.com/twostep Follow Set Point Science: Instagram: @setpointscience TikTok: @setpointscience Facebook: Set Point Science YouTube: @setpointscience Website: https://setpointscience.com #WeightLossMedication #MidlifeWeightLoss #GLP1 #SustainableWeightLoss #WeightLossJourney #FoodNoise #ProteinForWeightLoss #SetPointScience

  8. 28 Jul

    ”Eat Less, Move More” to Lose Weight is Wrong! (+Restore is Open NOW!)

    "Eat less, move more" is wrong! It's the advice everyone gives for weight loss, and it's incomplete at best. In this episode I break down why eating less actually backfires for so many of us, and the two states your body cycles through that decide whether it lets go of weight or holds onto it.   What you'll learn:   ■ Why "just eat less" can create the exact instability that leads to cravings, grazing, and late night overeating ■ The difference between what I call storage mode and release mode ■ Two real Restore member stories: one about catching a shame spiral before it started, one about building something sustainable around real physical limitations ■ My own recent realization about a subconscious "skip dinner" habit I didn't even know I was still running   ■■■■■ Set Point Restore, my coaching membership, is open for enrollment this week only. Doors close Friday, July 31st, and won't reopen until October. Join in the first three days (by Wednesday, July 29th at 9:00 PM Mountain) and you'll also get 4 bonus PDFs I've never published anywhere else. Full details and enrollment: setpointscience.com/restore ■■■■■   Instagram: instagram.com/setpointscience TikTok: tiktok.com/@setpointscience   I'm Cheri Alberts: weight loss coach, breast cancer survivor, mom of three. This is the Set Point Science podcast.

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About

The Set Point Science Podcast explores the science behind how your body and brain regulate weight, for good. Hosted by Cheri Alberts, this podcast draws from neuroscience, psychology, physiology, and real-world coaching to explain why weight loss stalls, why forcing never works, and how calm, consistent nourishment allows the body to release weight naturally. No tracking. No extremes. No fighting your body. Just science, understanding, and a gentler way forward.

Information

  • Creator
    Cheri Alberts
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Set Point Science

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