Does anyone believe on a set weight theory?

[oopsadaisy77]

The reason I ask is I appear to find it hard to get my body fat below 32% and weight below 10 stone. When I do, I try really hard but then suddenly (I posted this on a weight loss chat thread too) the desire to eat (everything) becomes overwhelming and I want to eat everything. Then once I reach that old weight again and that ledge reappears on my thighs and bum the desire to overheat stops. So for me, without sounding like Im absolving responsibility the set weight theory (i.e our bodies want to be at a certain weight) appears true.

I wondered if low carb may help or if anyone else has found this to combat this, to override the overeating.

I had porridge with protein for breakfast and instantly I was looking for more food and wondered maybe carbs aren't helping... I don't know maybe Im deluding myself. I would be interested if anyone had experienced anything similar and had had success.

I agree. I had three weetabix just now, and am immediately craving more toast etc.

Yesterday, I just had yoghurt, and was fine.

Struggle to get weight below 12st - can dip down for a day or so, then pops back.

I'm not sure I agree, I've been everything from a size 6 at my smallest to a size 12 just after childbirth. I'd say I can already tell what day I'm going to have by the way I start it. For example if we went out for breakfast and I had a big portion of pancakes I'd be constantly pecking all day on stuff (usually unhealthy carby stuff!) if it's a work day I usually have coffee with a dash of milk, or green tea all morning, i'll have a decent enough lunch of protein and veg and then a light dinner. No appetite to snack. I think the less you eat the less you want to eat and I swear by skipping breakfast during weight loss. I think carbs are a vicious cycle and very few of us lead lives with levels of activity required to eat as much pasta as most of us do!

Just sent that I put the desire to overheat stops! ....overeat :-)
So interesting thank you both for sharing.
I have done lots of activity in the past (not now as have injuries and I think I needed some level of carbs at the time (more than just vegetables)).

I have suspected breakfast opens up my appetite but I always wake, not hungry, but looking forward to eating especially on a week day as I dread work ! I love food. So skipping breakfast will be a huge challenge. I could probably try skimmed milk in a coffee, latte but I guess thats quite sugary because of the lactose (?)

A while ago I was really overeating, was really stressed too, so much so I thought this is becoming a real problem so I just said no. skipped breakfast for that day and was amazed at how I didn't fancy a snack or an early lunch. I don't that was a one off and it took uber willpower at the time. I was brought up to eat my breakfast! I also wondered if I carried on doing it if I would end up overeating later in the day. Thomlin do you wake up some days and just want a big breakfast (i.e your body is screaming for kcal) is it a case of you have a big breakfast and then your body wants more kcal if you see what I mean... I probably haven't explained that very well!
(confused)

tomcat was your yoghurt a sweetened one?

ahhh topcat sorry, damn autocorrect.

Oops I think I know what you mean, I never wake up wanting a big breakfast (or really feeling like breakfast at all) but if the family wants to go out I wouldn't sit with a black coffee I would definitely partake! And then I'd know that the rest of the day was going to be filled with big meals and snacks if that makes sense. I don't really feel hungry to the point I need to eat something if I don't break the fast at all.

For milk I swear by the Lacto Free Full Fat blue one. Half the carbs of normal milk.

I think if you naturally love food you will always struggle to be slim. Most of my family (women anyway) are sizes 18+ but they absolutely love food and make it a big part of their lives. I used to be like this but kinda trained myself out of it, you really have to start seeing food more as fuel or nutrition than as a treat. You have to learn to stop before you have that full up feeling, i.e stop when you're no longer hungry. And you can't be scared of being a bit hungry. I usually have a 10am hunger pang but I'm so busy at work I just distract or make a cuppa and it's gone within 10 minutes. I think a lot of people would reach for a snack but there is really no need. It's surprisingly easy to do a 1200kcal diet if you stick to 2 full meals a day, so I don't really calorie count and tend to stick to roughly 1200 weekdays so I have enough of a defecit to have what i want at the weeekends (within reason) and still maintain the same weight.

Thomson I really relate to that loving food and my father’s side of the family are all the same. My husband can take it or leave it with food and only eats when hungry (perplexing for me!).

Thanks for the tip for lacto free milk I did look today in m and s and they only had the semi skimmed lacto free and carbs were almost same as the skimmed (

I also find I have days whereby being mindful is easier than others. Today has been a day that has been somewhat challenging but have come down with a cold so possibly part of it.

How do you distract yourself at work? I’m afraid I do use food and coffee to get myself through tough days at work.if I’m even slightly anxious my carb desire increases massively. I used to work near a cafe and it was actually a huge help to just stroll to cafe at lunch time, now we pretty much work through lunch - we’ll we try and have it but it’s a dash ten minutes max. I think it’s been better days I haven’t had it at all.

I did the two meal (pretty much had coffee with milk for breakfast) yesterday and it really was great as felt truly hungry by lunch. Today though my first thought was food and coffee but feeling grotty. I just need something when I wake up, but maybe that’s just discipline!

I think it’s more what you’re willing to accept of yourself.

I also stick around 10 stone, and after much thought I think it’s because I basically look ok. I can eat treats basically when I want. I can eat treats less often and look amazing, but I think my resolve disappears as soon as I look acceptable (to myself).

When you see yourself in the mirror, at 10 stone, do you look like yourself? Like, your own idea of yourself. Because, for me at least, THAT has been the toughest plateau to break through. Boy if I gain a few pounds, it’s no work at all to have a growling angry stomach for a week or two.

I don’t really have a solution, but I think what I experience is at least a part of the idea of a set point.

I’m just like you mmm3 I look passable (probably a bit of a big bum (my son followed me saying wibble wobble wobble wobble the other day!) and I think my body fat is around 30 percent but I’m not obese. I do find if I eat completely what I want o probably could gain even more - I can gain weight quickly, but can lose it quickly.

Like you, I start to look I suppose more aesthetically pleasing when I drop beneath 10 stone and although I feel slightly more “attractive” (married have kids stressful job aesthetics isn’t my priority) I become more driven by food or its on my mond all the time then I binge back up to ten stone again. It used to be 9 1/2 and as I reached 40 it changed to ten. So I suppose I’m concerned it will creeep up.

I am someone who sees food and eats it. I tried to skip breakfast one day and it was like someone had taken a huge chunk of sunshine out of my life and I realised I rely on food so much for comfort too. But going back to the set point, once I get to 10 stone 2 I can appear to restrict my kcal with reasonable ease for a week or two.

I have had times in my life where I let myself free on bread and I went to 11 stone + I think I also have the potential to be huge because I really like food.

It is frustrating though as I felt amazing for a few weeks and lost weight body fat down and I really made a mindful effort, but that effort like too much once I got back into work and that combined with a sudden urge to eat everything came back.

I skip breakfast too and also find myself overeating all day when I do eat breakfast.

When I wake up desperate for breakfast it is usually because I am dreading the day ahead, want to delay the start, want some comfort. It is about dysfunctional management of my emotions not the need for calories. Could it be the same for you?

Yea I believe in it. There’s a wealth of research out there to back it up too.

However if you raise your calorie intake and increase your exercise you can fool your body into slow weight loss.

The worst thing you can do is decrease your calories to famine mode as you will drive up your set point. Do it slowly and your body will notice it less. And exchanging fat for muscle is fab as muscle looks neater and leaner than fat.