Breaking Through Set Points: Understanding the 2nd Most Common Reason Patients Experience a Weight Loss Stall
The weight loss graph to the right is of my own weight loss journey over the last ~ 3 months.
It visually shows shows an interesting story about Set Points.
For nearly three full months, my weight hovered stubbornly around 228 pounds, bouncing up or down a pound or two - before suddenly dropping dramatically to 217 pounds in in the last few weeks.
This is a textbook example of breaking through a set point.
What Are Set Points?
Your body has a built-in weight-maintaining system, like a thermostat that keeps the room temperature just right. This ancient survival mechanism has been around for thousands of years, helping us stay healthy when food is scarce. When you try to lose weight, your body fights back by slowing down your metabolism and adjusting your hormone levels to keep you at your comfortable weight.
The Science Behind Set Points
Your brain’s weight control center, the hypothalamus, uses a team of hormones like leptin, ghrelin, and insulin to keep your body at its ideal weight. When you cut back on calories, your body does a few things:
- Slows down its metabolism
- Makes you feel hungrier
- Saves energy
- Changes how it stores fat
In short - it will do everything possible to make sure it maintains the body's ability to survive.
Breaking Through Plateaus
Let’s take a look at my chart again. You’ll notice a typical plateau pattern followed by a big breakthrough. From October to December, my weight stayed pretty much the same even though I kept trying to lose weight. But then, in late December, something incredible happened! I lost a whopping 10.6 pounds!
This pattern shows three important things about set point theory:
1. Plateaus are totally normal and expected
2. Our bodies need time to adjust to a new weight
3. Breakthroughs often happen suddenly
The Path Forward
The graph shows a weekly rate of -0.8 pounds, indicating steady, sustainable progress. While the dramatic drop at the end is exciting, it was the consistent effort during the plateau period that made the break through of the Set Point possible.
Too often patients who don't see regular drops in their weight get frustrated, think the medication is no longer working for them, or ask to increase dosages.
What This Means For You
If you’re feeling stuck, don’t worry! It’s common to hit a plateau, and it usually takes 6-8 weeks for your body to adjust to a new weight. During this time, focus on:
- Sticking to your healthy habits
- Celebrating non-scale wins
- Trusting the process
- Staying committed to your program
Remember, breaking through a plateau isn’t about forcing your body to change. It’s about letting your body adapt to a new routine. The results in this chart didn’t happen overnight; they were the result of consistent effort during the challenging plateau period.
Your body’s set point can be adjusted, but it takes time, patience, and understanding. When you work with your body’s natural processes rather than against them, sustainable weight loss becomes possible.
I hope this article helps you understand more about set points - and remember here at our clinic - we provide in-depth and on-going support to our patients. We work with them one-on-one when needed to address issues like Stalls while on their Journey's as we want to ensure everyone succeeds. Real Support, Real Results and Real Transformations!
Pacific Northwest Medical Group
6622 112th ST E, Puyallup WA 98373
253-340-2270
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