10 months for body to "reset it's memory" Fact - or myth?

[KD]

What if I was 12 stone at 17 years old, and now I'm 18, I'm about 10 stone?
It can't be that because I was 9st 5 on my 18th, that's my setpoint though I do appear to be easily able to maintain 9st 5 (up until I pigged out for my entire birthday week and have shot up to 10st )

Hmm, confused. I did seem to have a set point around 10st and around 9st 5, though obviously I don't know if I did the first time around, because I wan't bothered about my weight then!

May try to get back to 9st 5

x

Unfortunately, it's not as easy as saying my setpoint is X because that is what it was at 18, as there are so many variables.

When I say 'manipulated' your diet (way of eating), I don't mean necessarily 'you'. So many other things come into play.

Your setpoint may influence your decision about what to eat and when, but for many years you may not have had a lot of choice over these things. Head rules first. For example, out with friends, wanting to be one of the crowd= possibly eating more than your hormones are telling you

Family social times when you may have been encouraged to eat more than your body wanted etc

The setpoint is only one factor amongst many.

You can influence your setpoint up and down to a certain extent, but left alone to its own devices, it'll be about 18 when your setpoint is set for adulthood (plus the lowering as you get older)

[vicky_r]

Hmmmn... this is very interesting reading. I will try not to let it get me down, the thought that I will forever have to watch what I eat... but I guess I already knew that. I just hope it does get easier... rightnow I can see myself still making all sorts of wrong choices, even if I know why I might be making them and that they are wrong. Hopefully the "angel" onm y shoulder will win out when I go into RTM though, and beat down the "devil's" cries to gorge on bad food...

[KD]

I remember I looked thru some pages, and it was said there resetting memory isn't a myth. But I don't know whether it's true....

Scientists appear to be divided so we just don't know whether the setpoint resets to the lower weight, or not.

Trouble is, it's so hard to test. How much of a persons control over food after a few years is down to resetting of leptin and various other hormones, or new habits, lifestyle etc?

I have talked to a number of very qualified experts and opinions differ as to how much can be put down to a successful maintainers new accepted weight, or whether they've just got a handle on the whole maintenance thing....or a mix of both.

There has been some talk recently of leptin injections being available for people who had got to healthy weight after losing a lot, to help them maintain. For a long time scientists were looking at giving these injections to help people lose the weight in the first place, but it doesn't work well as overweight people can become resistant to the leptin. So, new talk of hope for maintainers.

That would be wonderful, but I don't think it will happen in my lifetime.

[Minerva]

I think, the whole body resetting point is ... well probably down to the individual.

Personally, I STILL can't tell whether I'm full or not so I have had to LEARN to consciously LOOK at my portion on the plate and assess whether it's too much and to keep track of how much I eat when I'm at one of those 'buffet' parties. Your stomach shrinks a bit though after a long diet - which helps a bit with the 'can't physically stuff any more in' bit...

I did find that weight point where everything felt 'right' at about 9st, but I know I have that stupid gene which makes me seek food ALL the damn time for no real reason; which prehistorically would have been the one to prepare me for times of famine...! My dad is the same, he yo-yo diets with it and doesn't let it get too bad anymore.

Even after nearly 3 years of LL, calorie counting, maintenance etc, I still feel hungry and full at the same time, which has never changed, so I have to always think about what and how much I eat on a very conscious level. ... I do really wish I had that magical thing that stops me eating any more than I have to! You live and you learn though, eh...

[Debbi8489]

On another note, haven't read anything scientific to support this (or not support it), but I think we often have different setpoints along the way.

I know that when I was on the 'up', I sort of hovered for a while around the 13st mark. Then again at the 15 stone mark, and another at the 18st 12 mark. At each point, I could have probably stayed there without too much trouble, but by the time I was bigger, I had already made a fair few bad connections; forming new poor eating and lifestyle habits, which pushed it up further.

When I lost weight, it was those marks (with non VLCD diets), that I had huge plateaus. So they appeared to be my various setpoints.

I've just read the whole thread. This is all new to me. I havent heard about leptin etc.

The part that I have quoted has very much been my experience. I find it completely fascinating, but infuriating that after dieting for 25 years I didnt know!!!