For many, weight gain can happen very gradually. Two extra pounds over the course of a year can go completely unnoticed (and often do). However, over time, these pounds pile up, and after 10 years, you suddenly realize that you have more than 20 pounds to lose.
Ironically, many successful weight losers will tell you that losing those pounds wasn’t actually the hardest part, but rather that maintaining that weight long term proved more difficult. A study of 14 former Biggest Losers contestants, many of whom managed to lose hundreds of pounds resulting from our participation on the show, highlights some of the complex ways the body fights weight loss. Thanks to something called “set point,” we now know that even the most dedicated fight an uphill battle against biology to keep those extra pounds off.
THE SET POINT
Simply put, set point is a complex brain-driven weight regulation system that aims to keep the body within a certain weight range. The biological benefit is harder to appreciate these days, but it is actually a protective adaptation intended to help humans survive when food is scarce.
An individual’s set point is determined partly by genetics and partly by lifestyle factors. (Think: diet, activity level, exercise, sleep, stress, etc.) This varies from person to person but can also change throughout our lives. Gradual weight gain is one way this can happen – we’re talking about a gain of 1 to 2 pounds per year for a decade or two – which ultimately makes it more difficult to lose those extra pounds and maintain your previous weight.
WHERE THE BIOLOGICAL BATTLE BEGINS
When trying to lose weight, the body struggles to stay around its set point by conserving calories, increasing appetite, and decreasing satiety signals. This eye-opening trio is one of the main reasons it’s so difficult to lose weight and keep it off:
1. LESS CALORIES BURNED
It is accepted that anyone who intentionally loses weight – regardless of how much weight they had to lose – will ultimately have a slower metabolism. Two big factors are driving this: a shift toward energy conservation and the loss of lean, calorie-burning body mass. These physiological changes lead to a slower metabolism, an effect that a small study suggests can last for years.
2. HIGHER HUNGER LEVELS
During periods of weight loss, the body also increases the production of certain hunger signals, including ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger and appetite. Biologically, this makes sense, as an increase in appetite could prevent further unintentional weight loss, but unfortunately for those of us trying to lose weight, it only increases our desire to eat. The effect also appears to be long-lasting. One study found that although ghrelin levels decreased after an initial period of weight loss, they remained significantly elevated for at least a year afterwards.
3. LESS DESIRE TO EAT LESS
Additionally, the body fights weight loss by reducing its satiety signals. Leptin, the body’s main satiety hormone, drops during weight loss. This means that you don’t just feel less satisfied, in fact you are less satisfied – and not just while you’re losing weight. Study found leptin levels were still 35% lower over a year After the initial period of weight loss.
5 TIPS FOR RESETTING YOUR SETPOINT
1. Tackle 10% at a time
Research around the set point suggests that modest, slower weight loss results in less impact on hunger and satiety hormones. Setting an initial weight loss goal of around 5-10% of your current weight can have many positive health implications for some, while minimizing metabolic shock.
2. WORK ON WEIGHT MAINTENANCE
Once you’ve lost that initial 10%, consider working on maintaining your new, lower weight for a few months. A gradual approach to weight loss will likely reduce the metabolic impact on your body and will also allow you to practice weight maintenance, an important skill you will need to learn to maintain your hard-earned weight loss.
3. OPTIMIZE YOUR PROTEIN INTAKE
When it comes to weight loss, dietary protein can have many positive effects. Research suggests that increased protein intake may alleviate slowing metabolism, likely by offsetting the amount of lean muscle burned for energy, in addition to fat, during a calorie deficit. For more protein tips, check out the MyFitnessPal Guide: Protein Edition.
4. CONSIDER STRENGTH TRAINING
To minimize muscle loss during a calorie deficit, strength training is also recommended as well as optimizing protein intake. Additionally, following an exercise routine is one of the behaviors identified to maintain successful weight loss. You can make strength training a habit during your weight loss journey by tracking your exercise on MyFitnessPal.
5. Ditch the “diet” for good
Not only does yo-yo dieting have negative impacts on metabolism, but research has also linked repeated cycles of weight loss and gain to other serious health problems, such as heart disease. Sustainability is the key word here. Small, incremental changes in your daily habits translate into long-term success and, over time, will also outsmart your body’s biology to gain that weight back.
Originally published April 2017
The article Ask the Dietitian: Why is Weight Loss So Hard? appeared first on the MyFitnessPal blog.
