There are a variety of reasons why you can’t lose weight, although there is one main reason that stands out the most. Your body works in ways you won’t believe, and you almost have to trick it to be able to actually lose weight.

Your brain is chemically balanced. The reason it is so hard to lose weight is that when you do lose weight, you are changing the chemical balance of your brain. This phenomenon is called the set point theory, and it’s a very interesting topic.

What To Do About It?

Your set point is the weight your body decides to be most comfortable at. Your body enforces this set point by being in constant communication with your brain to maintain this weight, or “set point”.

Everyone’s neurohormonal functions work differently so there is no set way to get around your set point. Fortunately, there are different methods more prone to changing your body’s set point.

How Your Body Creates New Set Points

New habits or lifestyle changes can create new set points. Think of it like a pendulum, you lose weight and aren’t able to maintain it, so your body swings back into gaining weight, making the cycle continue.

There are ways to maintain steady weight loss, making your set-point change gradually without creating neurohormonal changes to your metabolism or hunger.

What’s a Healthy Amount of Weight Loss

Losing weight slowly and consistently can be the most efficient way to create a new set point. If you lose one pound or less every week, then you’re most likely not losing enough weight for your brain to ‘notice’.

Therefore, you are slowly changing your bodies set-point. The biggest problem is, the second this weight loss stops – your body may react to gain more weight than you originally started. Like we said, your set point is like a pendulum, swinging back and forth yet staying consistent in a specific weight range.

Consistency is key. Just as easily as you lower your bodies set-point, it’s even easier to increase your set point.

How to Manipulate Your Set-Point

In order to manipulate your set point, you need to be aware of your individual set point. This means that you need to know exactly how much you are able to lose before your brain gets alarmed and slows down your metabolism and increases your hunger.

For most people, a set point can be anywhere between 3 to 10 pounds. Sometimes more and sometimes less.

The reason you need to know your set point is so that you can manipulate it. Once you lose your specific “set point” weight, you need to maintain that exact weight for a few days until your body adapts to this set point. It can sometimes take up to a week or two. Once your body adjusts to its new set-point, you continue your weight loss strategy until you lose that specific set-point weight again, continuing the cycle.

How Your Set-Point Can Change Automatically

In some cases, your set-point can change automatically. A rapid change to your hormone balance can create a new set point over a short period of time. This can happen from stress, happiness, grief, depression, or basically, anything either really good or really bad that overcompensates your brain stop focusing on and maintaining your set point.

Some hormonal changes can make you lose more weight than your set point balance can maintain. This is never recommended to induce by yourself. Your body can stabilize your weight even when you eat nothing or exercise a ton (when weight loss should happen).

If you exhaust more weight than your metabolism can handle, you can manipulate your set-point to lose weight.

Weight Loss Surgery Resets Your Set Point

Weight loss surgery is the surest way to not only manipulate your set-point but completely reset it. In the United States, the eligibility requirement to undergo weight loss surgery is having over a 35 BMI (body mass index). In Mexico, the eligibility is typically a 30 BMI or over.

There are many different procedures that are extremely effective like gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass surgery, and mini gastric bypass surgery. Weight loss surgery has never been safer than it is now. There are many experienced, qualified bariatric surgeons who are board certified in bariatric and metabolic surgery.

If you are interested in a safe, affordable weight loss surgery solution – call Mexico Bariatric Center.


Mexico Bariatric Center