Body Set Point Theory?

[MattB]

I was wondering what is everyone ones thoughts on the body set point theory? For those of you that have not heard of it, it bascially says that everyone has a certain genetically determined weight/bodyfat that his or her body stays at. Some people diet and when they come off it go back to pretty much their body compostition before. While some Ectomorphs pretty much stay skinny or lean the majority of the time. Just a couple examples

Now part two of the question. If you believe in this theory, do you believe a person can change their body weight set point by staying at a certain body compostiton for a long time?

This is the main reason I bring up this thread. Before doing my show I stayed fairly lean but didnt have abs. Now after having dieted down and having my shoulder injury I have stayed around 8% or so bodyfat for several months while eating like crap all weekend long. I cleaned up my diet and I am currently eating over 350g of carbs a day and cannot gain weight and stay hungry all the time. I was never like this before and it made me think of this theory. So what say you???

[Grim83]

I for one think its bullshit, the only reason for it imo is because people tend to have a normal daily diet, a.k.a they eat pretty much the same stuff day after day, with only a few changes. anyway, if your not gaining then i think the only answer is eat more.

[MattB]

Originally Posted by Grim83

I for one think its bullshit, the only reason for it imo is because people tend to have a normal daily diet, a.k.a they eat pretty much the same stuff day after day, with only a few changes. anyway, if your not gaining then i think the only answer is eat more.

I'm not refering to just me. Merely giving an example of staying at a certain bodyfat I was never at for a long preiod of time.

[kitarpyar]

Originally Posted by MattB

I was wondering what is everyone ones thoughts on the body set point theory? For those of you that have not heard of it, it bascially says that everyone has a certain genetically determined weight/bodyfat that his or her body stays at. Some people diet and when they come off it go back to pretty much their body compostition before. While some Ectomorphs pretty much stay skinny or lean the majority of the time. Just a couple examples

Now part two of the question. If you believe in this theory, do you believe a person can change their body weight set point by staying at a certain body compostiton for a long time?

This is the main reason I bring up this thread. Before doing my show I stayed fairly lean but didnt have abs. Now after having dieted down and having my shoulder injury I have stayed around 8% or so bodyfat for several months while eating like crap all weekend long. I cleaned up my diet and I am currently eating over 350g of carbs a day and cannot gain weight and stay hungry all the time. I was never like this before and it made me think of this theory. So what say you???

Even if it was so, wouldnt the genetic pre-determined point be different for different lifestyles for the same person? And if it changed for different lifestyles for the same dude, what exactly is the value of this theory?

[BendtheBar]

Personal experience from 20+ years of calorie counting is that my body likes to stay at 225. When I'm thinner then that, I gain weight rapidly. Prior to 1996 (age 29), My weight stayed between 170 and 200. During those years, every day was a battle to keep the weight off. A couple of times I found myself right around 225, and it seemed like I gained 40 pounds in a month - it was probably more like 2 or 3.

Since 1996 I have hovered around that point, getting bigger several times. But when I get bigger, the weight literally falls off and I can rocket back down to 225-ish. For example, I started a moderate cutting diet on January 1st. Even without an ultra-restrictive amount of calories, I know my body will lose 20 pounds a month for a couple months.

But, when I lose weight and get to 225...it's like a wall. In 2007 I lost quite a bit of weight. That's when I got back into lifting after several years off. I was losing weight like mad, and then I hit 228 and didn't lose a thing in nearly 3 months. I tried everything...calorie cycling...running, you name it.

I do not know enough about set point theory to express an intelligent opinion. But I do know that for me, 225 is where my body likes to be, and seems to level off.

[jslep]

Originally Posted by kitarpyar

Even if it was so, wouldnt the genetic pre-determined point be different for different lifestyles for the same person? And if it changed for different lifestyles for the same dude, what exactly is the value of this theory?

it is so, but like you said it would be different for the same person pending their lifestyle. otherwise we would all be able to build fabulous pose ready physique's. but just like being tall or short you can be prone to fat or skinny.

[MattB]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Personal experience from 20+ years of calorie counting is that my body likes to stay at 225. When I'm thinner then that, I gain weight rapidly. Prior to 1996 (age 29), My weight stayed between 170 and 200. During those years, every day was a battle to keep the weight off. A couple of times I found myself right around 225, and it seemed like I gained 40 pounds in a month - it was probably more like 2 or 3.

Since 1996 I have hovered around that point, getting bigger several times. But when I get bigger, the weight literally falls off and I can rocket back down to 225-ish. For example, I started a moderate cutting diet on January 1st. Even without an ultra-restrictive amount of calories, I know my body will lose 20 pounds a month for a couple months.

But, when I lose weight and get to 225...it's like a wall. In 2007 I lost quite a bit of weight. That's when I got back into lifting after several years off. I was losing weight like mad, and then I hit 228 and didn't lose a thing in nearly 3 months. I tried everything...calorie cycling...running, you name it.

I do not know enough about set point theory to express an intelligent opinion. But I do know that for me, 225 is where my body likes to be, and seems to level off.

Good post BTB that is what I was refering. I know for me I can bulk like crazy but once I get past around 190 I start gaining fat.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by MattB

Good post BTB that is what I was refering. I know for me I can bulk like crazy but once I get past around 190 I start gaining fat.

That's exactly the type of phenomenon I experience. I can cut like mad while heading towards 225, and muscle loss isn't an issue. And when I was thin, I would gain quite a bit of fat from 180 to 220...very rapid. I swear I could have one bad weekend and see the scale go from 177 to 192. I know sounds silly, but in a certain sense, it's a good representation of my body's tendencies.

[jdmalm123]

I have noticed set points too. Once I break through, then I find a new set point.

Warning!

I used to be 4-8% BF without trying or dieting (ages 0-30+). Once I tried bulking for real, I took my BF to 15-16%. When I tried to lower my BF, I got stuck at 12%. Took a huge effort to get back to 8%. Ever since then, I easily shoot up to 10-11%.

Weight loss/weight gain is all about hormonal triggers. Protein, fat, carbs are all meaningless except in how they trigger a hormone response. Consider...

Carbs = insulin spike (storage mode)
Fats = precursor to and production of testosterone
etc...

In addition to training and diet impact on hormones, our hormone profiles are ever-changing as we age...

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by jdmalm123

In addition to training and diet impact on hormones, our hormone profiles are ever-changing as we age...

True, this is. My hormones hit rock bottom around the age of 30.