Have you heard of a weight set point? ⚖️
Is it real, and is it keeping you from losing weight?
Maybe.
There is a set point theory that basically describes how our bodies are wired for survival.
In short, when your body is used to maintaining at a certain weight for a period of time, once it senses weight loss, it will respond by: slowing down your metabolism, increasing your hunger hormones, decreasing your satiety hormones and generally make weight loss really, really hard.
Although your body is just trying to keep you in balance and maintain the status quo, it can make weight loss seem impossible.
HOLD ON! If you are now thinking about giving up on achieving a healthy weight before you even try to fight against this seemingly impossible barrier, stop yourself! 🛑
It IS possible to lose weight, even if you’ve been overweight for many years, even decades, and it will not be as difficult as you think. (Until a better way to measure adverse health effects of weight is established, I will define overweight here as general rule here as having a BMI of 25 or greater).
First, let’s go back and take a moment for gratitude to our amazing human bodies.
Our bodies house our beautiful souls and minds, they allow us to breathe, to sing, to dance, to create art, to hear beautiful music, and to smell amazing scents.
And of course, our bodies protect us from harms such as sickness, injury, and starvation.
Think about our incredible immune system that can fend off illnesses and keeps a working memory of many that we’ve already had, and can build immunity to ones that may be fatal.
How about our nervous system with built in reflexes to prevent falls and burns for example?
And don’t forget our hormones that work to preserve our metabolism during times of famine.
“Ok,” you say, “Can we NOT purchase the “insurance against starvation” plan?” Hahahaha. 🤣
No, it comes as part of the package.
But, we can understand enough about it to lessen its influence.
If you’ve tried to lose weight by diet and exercise alone and it has not worked, it does not mean it can not work.
It just means you didn’t have all the information to apply to this effort.
To start, your body needs to feel and know that it’s not in danger. Once you can achieve that, getting your body to adapt to a healthy weight range is pretty simple.
Your body needs to feel safe in order to let go of fat.
This cannot be done by restrictive diets and hard workouts. (The 1990s called and they want their diet culture back.) And it certainly can’t be done by jumping from one plan to another every few weeks.
Creating that safety can only be done by taking a holistic approach to the body.
Nutrition, movement, hormones, emotions, and sleep, all need equal attention in order to create the environment each body needs to thrive and not remain in a constant state of alarm or survival.
So, bottom line is you can overcome a set point or any plateau. To get started with the basics, you can grab my free guide to weight loss plateaus here: Coach Penny's Guide to Weight Loss
If you've already downloaded the guide and have questions, send me an email and ask me your question.
My own weight loss success journey was possible because I invested in hiring a qualified coach to guide me in integrating all this together for what made sense in my life. If I could do it, I know I can help any woman to do the same!
My unique brand of health and wellness coaching includes life coaching.
I enable my clients to cut through all the noise and overwhelm of weight loss and life challenges.
I can get highly motivated, high acheiving women who have busy lives, and little spare time, on the path to weight loss and a healthy mind and body. My clients get results.
My coaching follows the highest standards and most effective coaching methods, while always staying true to each of my client's personal values and lifestyle.
I'm here waiting to help you. If you want to join the waitlist for my 1:1 coaching, email me back with your interest and I will send you more details.
If you’re ready to find out more, drop me an email to: penny@coachpennymd.com
or book a free Zoom call with me here to get a free jumpstart strategy session:
Here's to busting through set points (both physical and mental),
Coach Penny 💕
Comments