Does the weight your body "wants" to be ever readjust itself downwards?

[expatkat]

I have a theory that my body (maybe everyone's?) has a mind of its own where weight is concerned. Since I started on the slippery slope of childbearing, my body wants to be about 10 lbs heavier than I want it to be. Recently I've lost some of the weight due to stress rather than effort, and I wonder if I'm destined to put it all back on over time, as I've done in the past, or if the body can be retrained to have a new ideal weight, if you keep the weight off long enough. Does anyone have the answer to that?

I have thought this too.
It is a fairly well supported theory in some circles. My sil did her phD on this very idea.
Try a search for set point theory of weight.

I just had a quick look, Jasper. Very interesting. . .

just found this quite interesting site - the tips section is quite good.

this site

My dad (a doctor - but not in this field) has always said that once you have lost weight, you need to work at maintaining it for a year, until your body (and mind) get "used" to that weight. Otherwsie, your natural hunger pangs will take you back to where you were.

All this is so interesting. Yeah, perttybird, I get uncontrollable urges to binge after too long at my "preferred" weight. . .interesting to know that maybe, after a year of hard work, my body could get used to the new weight.

I have interviewed lots of successful slimmers who say to keep the weight off once reaching target, they need to continue/reinforce the motivation that got it off in the first place--it does not stay off naturally UNLESS, and this is purely anecdotal stuff, they were non yo-yo or emotional overeaters beforehand. So if you were new to dieting when you reduced your weight to a point below what you previously thought was your 'natural' size, you are more likely to be able to re-adjust.
Hope this doesn't sound too confused.

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