Weight and body image insecurities have plagued me most of my life. Unfortunately, the struggle with weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight seems fairly universal.

For me, it started during puberty and amplified in college when I no longer played competitive tennis, had a sorority chef who made delicious food, and drank too much alcohol.

During college, I also learned that I have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine disorder that impacts insulin sensitivity. This ultimately led to a pre-diabetes diagnosis in my mid-20s.

After college, I made efforts to lose the 25 pounds I had gained. A nutritionist hired by the law firm where I worked ran a voluntary weight loss program. I fail to recall most of the advice she gave, but I do remember instructions to limit, or ideally avoid, carbohydrates the first half of the day. I also remember eating a salad with grilled chicken and no dressing nearly every day for lunch.

Eventually, I lost the weight, but keeping it off felt like a constant battle.

Why Is Losing Weight Such a Challenge?

For starters, our current culture sets us up to fail. In the United States, processed food reigns supreme. It’s everywhere. And it often contains labels with health claims!

We live in a fast paced world, and processed food is quick and convenient. Many people also find it quite tasty, and even addictive. After all, food scientists create it for that purpose. Sadly, processed food also costs less than fresh, whole foods.

How does processed food make maintaining a healthy body weight so difficult?

Well, for starters, it produces dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that provides a feeling of euphoria.

Processed food also lacks nutrients and fiber, which means it doesn’t actually satiate. People feel hungry again within a short period of time.

Additionally, processed foods contain abnormal percentages of macronutrients. For instance, a whole food might have high levels of fat or carbs, but it does not typically have both. Many processed foods have both, and the resulting impact on the brain leads to more cravings.

To make matters worse, when people seek guidance on losing weight, they become overwhelmed due to information overload. Should I count calories? Should I stick to a plant-based diet? Or do I need animal protein? Should I exercise every day? Will Pilates suffice, or do I need to engage in high intensity interval training?

People often don’t know where to start, and therefore, they don’t! Or if they do, they quickly lose steam and give up.

The Greater Challenge: Keeping The Weight Off – The “Set Point” Theory

For those fortunate enough to lose weight, keeping it off can feel more onerous. Weight regain is all too common, hence the term “yo-yo dieting.” Maintaining a healthy body weight should not be so difficult.

This issue both confuses and fascinates me. For that reason, I took a course on the science behind weight loss and obesity (through Emory University, available on Coursera).

Turns out, we all have a “set point” when it comes to our weight. What does that mean? Well, think about it like a thermostat – you set it to your preferred temperature, and the system works diligently to keep your house at that set temperature.

When we lose weight, our bodies work diligently to gain that weight back and return us to our set point. Our bodies seek familiarity.

It makes sense, right? Biologically and historically, our bodies want extra weight in case famine strikes. This day in age, most of us don’t have to worry about that. Instead, we likely have food within steps of us at all times.

Sadly, people blame themselves for a lack of willpower when they regain weight, and unfortunately, the subsequent shame makes them less likely to attempt losing weight in the future.

When Our Bodies Do Not Cooperate: Hormones & Weight Loss

After losing weight, our bodies want to return us to our “set point.” But how does the body accomplish this?

1. Slower Metabolism

When someone loses a large amount of weight, his or her metabolism slows down. But not just a marginal amount. Studies have shown that it slows down to a rate below what is considered normal for someone of that weight with the same fat and muscle ratios.

How do we know this? Remember the show Biggest Loser? Scientists followed participants from that show for years after the show ended. Sadly, the majority of them regained a large percentage, or all, of the weight. (source)

Shockingly, scientists found that the participants burned about 500 fewer calories per day, on average, than other persons with the same fat and muscle mass, activity levels, etc.

No wonder maintaining a healthy body weight, especially after losing weight, feels so arduous!

2. Increased Hunger

To make matters worse, our hormones work against us. Ghrelin, the hunger stimulating hormone produced by the stomach, increases after weight loss. So not only does the metabolism slow down, but the hormone that communicates with the brain to make people feel hungry, increases.

Imagine needing to eat fewer calories because your metabolism does not burn as much as it should, yet you feel hungry all the time. Sounds miserable!

3. Hormonal Impact

Another hormone, leptin, made in human fat cells, works to suppress appetite. The more fat someone has, the more leptin he or she produces. Conversely, when someone loses fat, leptin levels decrease, making the desire for food much stronger.

Additionally, when leptin levels drop, the pleasure someone gets from eating food increases, thereby making him or her want to eat even more.

Can We Outsmart Our Hormones?

Fortunately, the Coursera course presented several strategies for outsmarting our biology:

1. Always meal plan. And don’t deviate from it!
   • Plan satiating, nutrient dense meals and snacks. Also, have an awareness of your overall calorie consumption. That way, if the brain sends hunger signals, you can more easily dismiss them knowing that you have consumed enough food.

2. Don’t buy foods that stimulate dopamine.
   • High fat and high sugar foods make our brains crave more fat and sugar. It’s a vicious cycle. Do yourself a favor and avoid temptations whenever possible.

3.  Strength training!
   • I am a big proponent of this one! Muscle burns three times more calories than fat at rest, which would help to counteract the slow metabolism addressed above. Muscle will also keep blood sugar levels more stable by storing excess glucose in the form of glycogen, thereby keeping glucose out of the blood stream. Essentially, muscle makes it much easier to achieve metabolic health.

What Should I Eat To Maintain Weight Loss?

People, especially in the health and wellness space, constantly debate about what foods/diets lead to the greatest health outcomes. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of confusion and overwhelm.  

Personally, I ignore all the different “diets” out there. Essentially, it comes down to this — for maintaining a healthy body weight, avoid processed foods. Instead, eat whole, nutrient dense foods. Simply put, processed foods do not fuel our bodies. Without fuel, our bodies cannot function properly.

As explained above, processed foods like sugar and refined flour do not contain any beneficial nutrients. Yet, they spike blood sugar and induce a dopamine release in the brain that leads to cravings for more. Conversely, think about whole foods like fresh produce. Can you imagine overeating vegetables?

Importantly, processed foods do not satiate. This means the feeling of hunger will strike again, likely before the next meal time. This typically leads to overeating, and therefore weight gain.

Other Factors That Contribute To Body Weight

Most people focus on their diet when attempting to lose weight, but other factors also contribute to body weight and composition —

1. Genetics

According to the Coursera course, scientists found common genes that account for approximately 20% variation in BMI across the population. These genes correspond to functions in our brain, such as how we taste food and the pleasure we get from it. Ultimately, the scientists concluded that genetics play a role, albeit a small one, in body weight.

2. Gut Microbiome

A 2015 study of 800 people measured blood sugar levels every 5 minutes. Levels varied significantly even when all 800 people ate the same meal. Based on their findings, researchers developed an algorithm for each person in the trial that could accurately predict that person’s blood-sugar response to a given food based on his/her microbiome.

Since a person’s metabolic markers often impact body weight, the gut microbiome could play an important role in obesity and set point. This study also shows a diet that works for one person may not work for someone else. I find this relatively new area of science fascinating!

3. Stress Levels

Too much stress leads to elevated cortisol, a hormone that produces a fight-or-flight response to perceived threats. This natural response allows the body to protect itself. It typically achieves this by storing energy in order to “fight” the threat.

Well, where do we get our energy? From food. Specifically, high calorie, quick energy carbs. But, without an actual physical threat to outrun, those calories do not get expended and instead store as fat. 

Even worse, too much cortisol makes our bodies redistribute fat to the belly. This type of fat, called visceral fat, releases hormones and chemicals (cytokines) that cause inflammation and insulin resistance, which in turn raises set point.

4. Sleep

Sleep has more of an impact on maintaining a healthy body weight than many people probably realize. Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on hormones and weight loss.

For example, insufficient sleep raises ghrelin (the hunger hormone) levels and lowers leptin (appetite suppressing hormone) levels. This means we feel hungrier, which leads to overeating.

After all, exercising restraint becomes more difficult when fatigued. And when fatigued, we search for quick energy, typically less healthy, foods. Our bodies also have a harder time regulating blood sugar when sleep deprived.

5. Exercise

Exercise has numerous impacts on body weight and health in general. First, as explained above, muscle keeps people metabolically healthy by regulating blood glucose levels.

Second, when muscles contract, they release myokines – chemical messengers that travel throughout the body. These chemicals have a beneficial impact on the brain, specifically pathways that control energy levels and body-weight balance.

Even physical movement like walking has substantial benefits. Sitting without moving for more than an hour “shuts off” muscles. This subsequently slows the metabolism making it harder to get glucose out of the bloodstream. Just getting up and moving for a minute or two every hour makes a difference.

Can We Change Our Set Point?

Yes! But it won’t happen over night. Some sources site as little as a few months, but many more surmise it takes 18 months to 2 years, or even longer.

Resetting a set point requires a concerted effort in many areas of daily life, including nutrition, movement, stress, and sleep.

I find that developing a routine is the easiest way to achieve this. For me, the routine includes meal planning, purchasing only whole foods, and making time each day to cook nutrient dense meals for myself and my family.

I also carve out time every day to exercise. Other priorities include fresh air, sunshine, and movement outdoors, although I find this one challenging during the winter months.

For stress reduction, I use a sauna almost every day. I also practice different breath work/breathing exercises first thing in the morning and right before bed each night.

Additionally, I have experimented with cold plunging, and while I think it greatly reduces stress, I find it the hardest habit to maintain because I really dislike cold water!

Honestly, I find exercise to be the best stress reducer.

Lastly, I prioritize my sleep. I get in bed by 10 pm each night and aim for 8 hours of sleep. To improve the quality of my sleep, I have a bedtime/wind-down routine, keep my room extremely dark, play white noise, and try not to eat or drink anything (with the exception of water and herbal tea) within 3 hours of going to bed.

Medical Disclaimer: I am not a physician or a medical professional. The content shared on this jessicatrone.com is for informational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician prior to beginning any fitness, health, or wellness regimen or routine. The content on jessicatrone.com is based on the opinion and personal experiences of its author and is solely for educational and informational purposes. Jessicatrone.com is not liable for how you choose to implement and use the information contained in it.

Were you previously aware of the “Set Point” theory?

Does anything about it surprise you?

In which of these areas – food, exercise, sleep and stress — do you struggle most when it comes to finding balance and establishing good health?