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What Determines Our Set-Point

Lesson 6 from: Eat More, Exercise Less & Lose Weight

Jonathan Bailor

What Determines Our Set-Point

Lesson 6 from: Eat More, Exercise Less & Lose Weight

Jonathan Bailor

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Lesson Info

6. What Determines Our Set-Point

Lesson Info

What Determines Our Set-Point

So where we left off last time was talking about our set point wait works and how our body works the balances out automatically from a body composition perspective just like it does for everything else talk about. Well, what determines our set point from a very high level are set point is forty five to seventy five percent determined by our genes. So quite clear in the research. A large portion of the hand of cards you've been dealt in terms of your body composition is heavily genetically predetermined, however, for the remaining percentage there's two factors we can influence our hormones and the way we influence our hormones is through the quality of the food we eat and the quality of the exercise we get and future segments and actual starting in this segment will be all about defining what do we mean by high quality foods, low quality food, et cetera. So but some fun studies and most of the studies or many of the studies were going to talk about today and tomorrow involved mysore ro...

dents. And I want to just give a quick disclaimer as to why we're doing these studies is because a lot of these studies you could never perform on human it's, so not necessarily saying I endorse animal studies in any way, shape or form, but studies have been done so we might as well talk about them and leverage them. But some of the things you hear about us doing in these studies not us but researchers doing humans would not consent to so that's why they're done on animals. So georgetown university to study on the set point in a animal model of mice and rats which is also really interesting because when you use animal models and scientific research it allows you to isolate things like emotional eating or cultural influences because it's just it's just um um alien brain right and its its natural habitat so researchers were looking to really see what determined long term wait regulation in um alien animal model and they divided normal rats into three groups. One group had access to an unlimited quantity ofthe normal rat food. Another group had unlimited quality too low quality food or what researchers call the cafeteria diet or what most people call the standard american diet thie third group had access to normal food that was laced was a very bitter substance called klein ein so basically they had access to not pleasantly tasting food. Remember that each group of rats could eat as much as they want. This is called an admiral bytom study meaning that the mice can just eat and eat and eat until they stop beating so the normal quality group maintained a normal weight as we would expect the rats fed hyper palatable, low quality food gained weight and the klein ein group lost rate so everything we would expect to have happen the rats lost about ten percent of their body weight over two days when the rats lost weight but now for the excuse me so uh thie three groups ate these rats to hit these rats ate thes meals at an unlimited rate then the researcher said okay cool we're now going to starve them so they take the rats and they forced them to eat less of those diets. So either a normal quality diet a low quality, hyper palatable diet or a disgusting diet and all the rats obviously lost weight temporarily but here's the non obvious part so when they stopped starving the rats so they starve the rats temporarily but then they gave them back access to unlimited quantity off these different qualities of food so the normal quality group stopped eating when they went back to their normal weight that they were at when they were originally given unlimited quantity of normal quality food the low quality group continued to eat low quality food after being starved until they reached that obese or heavier weight that they were originally at when they were over fed low quality food to begin with and the quinine group stopped eating after being starved when they achieved the weight immediately prior to being starved. So in all three of these cases eating less did temporarily drop body weight but as soon as they stop being forced to eat less they returned to the weight determined by the quality of the foods they were eating automatically like that's just what they're body wanted they stopped eating when they achieved or reach the set point wait determined by the quality of the diet they were eating but the researchers didn't stop there they said okay that's interesting that's the eat less component but what if we took these rats and made him exercise more how do you make rats exercise more well they took the rats and they put it in cold rooms really cold the rooms of the poor little rats were sent there shivering burning a lot of calories did rats eating three different qualities of diet in unlimited quantities who were exercising mohr lose any weight no none of them did because why they automatically increased the calories they ingested to offset the calories they burnt through more physical activity and again they ate precisely the amount of food necessary to maintain their low normal or high set points determined by the quality of their diet so the researchers then took this even once that further and took these again low normal or disgusting diets and pumped them into the rat's stomach they forced the rats to overeat because mom alien metabolism when fed normally doesn't want toe over it that's why it's called over eating the rats in all three groups stopped eating normally to offset the amount of calories that were being pumped into their stomach, they naturally again despite being told to eat less despite exercising mohr and despite being forced to eat more still automatically took actions to offset the interventions of the researchers and always to maintain the weight determined by the quality of the foods they were eating. So just to step through that eating less didn't cause long term weight loss that cause short term weight loss wouldn't cause long term weight loss exercising more didn't const long term weight loss it actually don't cause any weight loss at all because the set point one out just made him eat more having calories pumped into their stomach didn't even cause long term weight gain the set point again one out the only thing that impacted their weight long term was the quality off the food they had access to, and the takeaway here is not that we should all eat kwai nine laced disgusting food that's so that's an important takeaway but what is the important takeaway is that eating mohr exercising less never had any impact in a normal mom alien model the only thing that did long term is quality, so consider another study this wass this one is very viscerally amazing, so they took growing rats this time, so these are little rats that are growing so they should gain weight right? Because the group and they took one group and fed it a normal natural foods that rats are supposed to eat and eat in their natural environment. And then they fed another group, the standard american diet, so cookies, cakes, pies, processed starches and sweets. The researchers let both groups eat as much as they want for sixteen days, and then, on day seventeen, the rats on that low quality diet, we're just switched to a normal rat diet. So, again, no calorie restriction on ad lib item study meeting. Everyone could just eat as much as they want. This is what happened, so normal growth rate for rats eating a normal rat diet. Rats given low quality food day six day seventeen switched to normal rat diet, spontaneous reduction of caloric and take spontaneous normalization of body weight. The quality of the diet made the rats do automatically. What we all struggle to do consciously day in and day out.

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

7 Days of SANE Meals Recipes and Snacks The Calorie Myth Quick Start Guide
Smarter Exercise 20 Min Weekly Program The Calorie Myth Quick Start Guide
Smarter Success The Calorie Myth Quick Start Guide
Green Smoothie Strawberry Shake Recipe
Strawberry Seed Porridge Recipe
Free 28 Day Program Smarter Science of Slim
Sample of Recipes by Carrie Brown

Ratings and Reviews


This course if phenomenal! I've been on a 20+ year journey of trying to find the solution that will help me achieve my body goals that I can stick to, without going crazy. I have tried everything (keto, paleo, low fat, weight watchers, dash etc). Jonathan goes over a massive amount of research to help you understand the 'why' of why these diets don't work longterm and how to eat in a way that's sustainable. In addition, I've always struggled with exercise. I was an athlete growing up but as an adult it's been very difficult to find something that I like and will stick to. This exercise methodology is perfect because it's fast, results oriented and doesn't take longer than 15 minutes. I've recommended this course to everyone who asks. It's absolutely brilliant and I'm so, so grateful!

a Creativelive Student

This class was great - I love that it is presented as a framework so you can fit your own personal needs into it. Jonathan exhaustively covers the ideas, examples, and benefits of this strategy for better living.

Mila Petruk

It is the first time that I really want to leave a review on Creative Live. The course has touched me, although I am not new to the topic. But the ability of a knowledgeable person to base his lifestyle advice on science, his energy and wisdom are amazing. Thank you!

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