ByMichael Ormsbee, PhD,Florida State UniversityEdited by Kate Findley and proofread byAngelaShoemaker, The Great Courses DailyResearch shows that after dieting stops, body weight returns to its starting point; thus, it is really challenging to lose fat and keep it off. Photo By Freebird7977 / ShutterstockWhat Is Set-Point Theory?

Set-point theorywhich also goes by names like your lipostat or your homeostatic control mechanismstates that you have a set weight where your body is most comfortable. By this definition, if you were to either gain or lose weight, your body would do all it could to pull you back to the original, starting weight.

For example, if you start to diet and exercise properly, it is common to lose weight rapidly at first. Then the rate of weight loss slows downa lot. In other words, you hit a plateau.

Too many times, Ive seen great intentions and a great start to a new lifestyle, but in the end, despite great efforts and initial changes, body fat and weight tend to creep back up, and there is no improvement in body composition or health, Professor Ormsbee said.

Often, if you restrict your food intake enough, it dramatically increases your hunger levels. This response is called hyperphagia or increased hunger.

Here is the truth about most dietseventually you simply return to the ways you used to eat. Typically, this is because you change so many things all at once that you cant keep it up.

Other times, the diets are unsustainable. In fact, roughly 78% of people who initially lose about 5% of their body weight eventually gain it back over five years.

When you eat again after a severe diet restriction, your fat mass comes back quickly compared to the slower development of lean muscle. You actually feel hungry until your muscle mass has fully recovered.

You also slow your metabolic ratein part due to the loss of lean mass. If you combine reduced energy expenditure with increased hunger, you eventually end up with more fat mass and body weight after dieting.

This brings us back to the set-point. Could it be that we are just ingrained with a body weight that our bodies work hard to defend?

Actually, yes, this does seem to be true, Professor Ormsbee said.

Think about your friends who can eat whatever they want without gaining any weight. You probably would say that this type of person has a fast metabolism, right? Well, you can also say they have a low set-point.

The same thing goes the other way, too. Maybe you are someone who seems to put on weight quickly. In this case, you may have a slow metabolism or a high set-point.

So, how does the set-point work? Essentially, you have a well-regulated internal control mechanism in the hypothalamus that tightly maintains your pre-set level of body fat and body weight. Your hypothalamus responds to signals from your fat cells, gastrointestinal tract, and pancreas to alter your metabolism, hunger, body fat levels, and weight.

Not only do these changes occur, but you also have some hormones like ghrelin, leptin, and serotonin that control your hunger and appetite. Just as you might expect, if you lose weight, there is a good chance youll end up hungry, and if you gain weight, you may end up losing your appetite.

Its important to know that with weight loss, your metabolic rate will decrease. You will require fewer calories than you used before you started losing weight. Eventually, the initial decrease in food you eat becomes the normal amount of food you require to sustain your new size.

Your body no longer sees that you are eating less, so there is no energy deficit. Nowat your lower weightyou have to adjust, reducing your calories even more to spark more weight loss.

For example, in one study, after 10 weeks on a weight loss diet, men and women did lose weight. However, some of their hormones like leptin, ghrelin, cholecystokinin, and others also changed in a way that made them hungrier and lowered their metabolic ratesand these changes persisted for months after the study ended.

The opposite is true, tooif you are trying to gain weight by eating a lot more food, you will increase your metabolic rate in an unconscious effort to bring your weight back to a set-point where its comfortable hanging out.

Even in overeating research studies, where people were fed a lot of extra food, the participants ended up gaining far less weight than the researchers predicted. When the participants went back to eating normally, they went right back to their initial body weights.

Time and time again,

How, then, can you change your body composition for good? Professor Ormsbee explains in tomorrows article.

Michael Ormsbee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences and Interim Director of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine in the College of Human Sciences at Florida State University. He received his MS in Exercise Physiology from South Dakota State University and his PhD in Bioenergetics from East Carolina University.

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Why Can Your Friend Eat Anything and Stay Skinny? Set-Point Theory - The Great Courses Daily News

29-year-old student Blake Arbelo tells Men's Health how transforming his body gave him the self-belief to change his life and chase his dreams.

I had a lightbulb moment regarding my weight shortly after finishing my university degree. I had originally planned to travel overseas to celebrate, but then the Covid restrictions came into play. After lockdown ended in Sydney, I had become fairly out of shape, so I decided that instead of spending the money I had saved on travel, I was going to invest it in myself and my health and fitness, and get something out of it that would give me long-term benefits.

I started working with Dom, a trainer at Ultimate Performance Fitness in Sydney, three times a week. I hadn't weight trained for a while, so I jumped straight in the deep end, doing resistance training with machines and free weights. I also did an additional arms and abs workout at home on the weekends. During my time at UP, Dom would give me encouraging talks, and would often point to a wall of before-and-after photos of clients and tell me "there is a spot on that wall for you." This kept motivating me to push hard to get in the best shape I could.

I also changed my nutrition. I had previously been eating out a fair bit, but I now follow a very clean diet of whole foods such as eggs, nuts, chicken, fish, beef, sweet potatoes, and a range of green vegetables. Through this process, I learned the importance of tracking your nutrition, as well as your workout.

I began my weight loss journey at around 80 kgs (176 pounds). 12 weeks later, I weigh 64 kgs (141 pounds). I started at 17 percent body fat, and finished at just under 8 percent. I have also been able to maintain my weight since finishing the 12-week transformation program, and I'm really happy about that.

My friends and family were all shocked with how quickly I began to see results. They saw how quickly this can be achieved with the right approach, which has also helped them to now take the leap forward in pursuing their own fitness goals. My brother is currently working out with a personal trainer at UP after being inspired by my transformation.

In many ways, this experience has improved my energy and how I go about my daily routine, but most of all it has really improved the way I feel about myself. It has given me a lot more confidence in how I look and feel, for example when having my shirt off in public, or just speaking to new people. I have learned to believe in myself and I would not change that for anything.

In terms of fitness, I would like to maintain my level of body fat and build some more muscle. I am also in the process of pursing my next life goal of becoming a member of the Australian federal police. This is something I never thought I would have the confidence to do or be a part of.

Anyone can change their life for the better, it's just a matter of believing in yourself If you want to get started, then just do it. You won't regret it.

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I Lost 35 Pounds and Got Shredded Abs in Just 12 Weeks of Working Out and Dieting - menshealth.com

It's that time of year where people are looking to shred a few pounds to get their "beach body" ready. However, you and I both know that losing weight can be a challenge.

Let's be honest, dieting is a pain in the you know what. I mean who really wants to weigh and measure your food, or calculate the number of carbs you can have per day? It's a lot of work, and most of the time it still leaves you hungry once it's all said and done. Oh, and don't get me started on how hard it is to go out to eat while on a diet. Sometimes, with all of that time, effort, and commitment, you still don't get any of the results you were hoping for with your weight loss.

However, according toregistered dietitian nutritionist Andrea Ovardhas, there's a much easier way to lose weight that is pretty much effortless. She says that the easiest weight loss hack is to eat two cups of vegetables every day.

Two cups of vegetables every day? That's it? According to her, yes!

Now, it's most likely not the food that you really want to eat, but when you're dieting, you never get to eat that type of food anyway. This weight loss hack has been proven to work though. Here's why: veggiesare typically low in calories and high in fiber, which means that by eating these, you will feel full for longer and give you a daily dose of healthy vitamins and minerals. Plus, it will help keep you from eating more calorie dense food.

So, make sure to load up on veggies each day. It's hard to argue with science like this. Two cups of vegetables each day might just be the trick to help you lose the weight that you've been trying to shed for quite some time now.

(H/T- Eat This, Not That)

Seven Super Easy and Delicious Lunch Ideas You Can Meal Prep Ahead of Time

KEEP READING: 3-ingredient recipes you can make right now

READ MORE: 10 free apps to help you get fit in our new normal

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Dietitian Shares The Easiest Weight Loss Hack, And It Works! - wkdq.com - wkdq.com

Diets dont have to be complicated. It is all about right nutrition in the right amount at the right time, write Sapna Puri & Arpana Mehra, as they share tips to staying healthy with proper diet and exercise

With the second big wave of Covid-19 hitting big and swamping the country, the focus on proper food and fitness while staying at home has become even greater. What you eat, eventually revs your metabolism and strengthens your immune system and how you direct your body to move via exercise ensures that you do not accumlate weight due to inactivity and stay fit. While most is common knowledge, we have put together some pointers that will work as a guide to your good health.

Common Food Issues

Most people deal with cravings and food addiction. Its impact on daily life results in yo yo weight gain. If you can reduce your cravings, you can easily solve any obesity-related problems. To deal with cravings, plan meals ahead and keep healthy snacks, like dates, figs, melons, grapes, citrus, berries, raw honey, and smoothies with coconut water, handy. These foods work really well when you feel the need for a sugar fix or caffeine. If you are insulin sensitive, eating cucumber slices or leafy greens along with your fruit (or a green smoothie) will help you avoid the highs or lows.

Weight Loss on your mind

Introduce intermittent fasting and fasted work outs to your routine for good results. Be patient with yourself as the whole process is slow and can take at least four weeks to show results. Narrowing your feeding window is incredible for brain health and weight loss. The meals that you can skip or replace during intermittent fasting are breakfast or dinner. It is best to avoid snacking when fasting other than water. Instead, you can add a squeeze of lemon, have unsweetened coffee (with upto one table spoon of organic cream), unsweetened tea, coconut or MCT oil. Some tips to follow while practicing intermittent fasting are:

Dopamine foods

The first step while planning your diet should be to add some of the dopamine-boosting foods. These foods include, fish, lamb, chicken, cheese, almonds, bell peppers, sesame seeds, spinach, sprouts, broccoli, pineapple, papaya, guava, kale, berries, oranges, lentils, kidney beans etc. With these foods youll be nourishing your mind as well as adding energy-inducing foods to your intake.

Fibre: The Secret Ingredient

Foods rich in fibre reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Fibre is also a key ingredient for losing weight without feeling hungry. Fibre makes you feel full, because it swells in your stomach when it absorbs liquid. Soluble fibre helps the body eliminate fats and lower cholesterol, giving you a steady supply of energy. Some good sources of soluble fiber are Oats, Phyllium husk, and fruits such as kiwi, cherries, and dried figs.

Stress Free Life

Filling our lives with peace also has a direct effect on good health and weight. Lack of peace increases the stress hormone, Cortisol, in the brain, which tells the body to store fat in the belly. Practices such as meditation, yoga, prayer, listening to music or playing with pets, and enjoying your food help bring peace into your life.

When we stay healthy and vibrant, age does not matter. With a healthy lifestyle and positive outlook aging is but a universal phenomenon. Most longevity diets are based on foods eaten in places having the most centenarians. Most diet advice attributes to eating more fresh vegetables, legumes, whole grains and consuming less meat, dairy products, processed foods, and sugar. We all know this in principle, but the real challenge comes in application. Lets make the right choice.

Control your consumption of animal protein. Processed red meats are exceptionally harmful. From the energy point of view, when we substitute animal protein with more plant protein, there isnt a single amino that cant be obtained by consuming plant-based protein sources. Amino acids are the building blocks for every protein in the human body but consuming too many animal proteins (as meat contains all nine essential amino acids) doesnt come without a cost. On the other hand plant proteins contain decent levels of amino acids, enough to keep us going with reduced blood glucose levels, significantly lower rates of cardiovascular disease and cancers and increased lifespan.

Fitness Goals

Beginning of the year is usually a good time for setting goals and committing to new things, particularly health and fitness goals, it is never too late. All you need to do is to stick to your goals and choose the ones that you can work on gradually. Simply put: When you fight against your body, its going to fight back. Cravings, fatigue, and a scale that wont budge are all signs of your body rebelling. Your body is your home, your anchor. Start to treat it that way. Its totally okay to want to change your body. Whether its weight loss, getting stronger, gaining weight, you need to include your body in what ever fitness programme you choose. Take sometime to write down one or more goals that are truly for you and only you. For instance, you could pen:

Benefits of exercising

How much our muscles influence our psychological and brain health is unbelievable. Science shows that when you move your body, your muscles release chemicals known as myokines into your blood stream that improve your mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and make your brain more resilient to stress. We call them Hope Molecules. Regular exercise changes your brain over time and maintains brain health. Studies show that after six weeks of activity, we see functional and structural changes in the brains reward system that are similar to what you see from the most advance treatments for depression.

Changing Scenario

With everyone avoiding their local gyms due to Covid-19 concerns, its only natural that so many new At Home stationary bikes have come up in the market. Interest in cycling has seen a major spike since the start of the pandemic. It is one of the best forms of cardio you can do especially long term. Cycling is non-weight bearing, so it reduces the risk of injuries due to wear and tear on your joints, particularly your knees. On an average, a thirty minutes cycling session can help you burn any where between 200-450 calories, if not more, depending on your weight and speed.

Yoga

Yoga helps you find peace, no matter how crazy life is. When your stress fest is in full force, sleep and breathing become more difficult, which in turn creates more anxiety. Naturally, we prescribe yoga as the fix. The alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayam) can ease anxiety and calm a busy brain.

Cat/Cow, technically two poses, one is not often done without the other to counter. Its repetitions relieve any abdominal cramping caused by anxiety, making it a great pose to help with PMS cramps too.

Legs up the wall allows your nervous system to chill, reroutes circulation, grounds you, and brings you back to the present.

Headstand increases the circulation of blood and oxygen to the brain, calming the mind. Whether you are out running or in doing reps, its shifting your outlook.

Dancing

A single set of exercise can elicit mood improvement. And what gets you in a better mood than dancing? A study in the Journal of Sports & Exercise Psychology found that highly active people were more optimistic than those who do little to no activity, and they felt much more positive about their physical abilities.

Whether you are looking to shake up your at-home fitness routine or want to try a workout that doesnt feel like a workout, the African Dance workout founded over two decades ago, has gone viral during the corona virus pandemic and for good reason, because its fun too. If you usually avoid dance workouts because youre worried about keeping in step or dont think you have much rhythm, African dances joyful method will quickly change your mind. Plus, the fact that youre moving and grooving from the comfort of your own living room means you truly have no reason to fret if you miss a move or have trouble keeping up.

To add icing to the fitness cake, encourage yourself to discover Pilates and experience the amazing mind and body benefits. The workouts use mat-based Pilates, and are designed to build core strength and mobility while improving muscle definition and posture. A strong core is a foundation for a strong body.

Strength Training

One way to attain the goal to get biologically younger is to make sure that the maximum amount of oxygen your body uses per minute, typically stays stable until age 35 or 40. To really prevent decline in it, the body needs to be pushed close to its peak performance, usually once or twice a week. Add HIIT, sprintervals, fast paced circuits to your regular weekly cardio. One also needs to build strength. The average adult loses 3 to 8 percent of muscle each decade after age thirty. However, studies have shown that women in their 50s and 60s who did a full body strength work out twice a week effectively made their bodies 15 to 20 years younger in one year.

So which ever way you inspire yourself, make sure to eat consciously and exercise regulary. Most important, stay happy and love yourself.

Puri is a Diet Coach and Mehrais a Lifestyle Change Practitioner.Together, they run Calorie Conscious

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The simple guide to good health - Daily Pioneer

When trying to reduce your risk of obesity-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, monitoring changes in your weight seems like a good way to track progress.

But while stepping on a bathroom scale every day is easy, it may not provide the best snapshot of the health risks that come from carrying excess fat, in particular weight around the abdomen.

Instead, a group of experts recommends measuring waist circumference, alongside body mass index (BMI) a combination of height and weight as a way to identify people with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Recent data highlight abdominal obesity, as determined by waist circumference, as a cardiovascular disease risk marker that is independent of body mass index, they wrote in a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association

The authors also called for doctors to routinely measure patients waist circumference, which may be especially helpful for patients trying to lose weight.

Patients should have their BMI and [waist circumference] measured not only for the initial assessment of the degree of overweight and obesity, wrote the authors, but also as a guide to the efficacy of weight loss treatment.

Some clinical guidelines already call for physicians to measure waist circumference alongside BMI to identify patients most at risk from being overweight or having obesity.

But Robert Ross, PhD, an obesity researcher at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, says more needs to be done to ensure that waist circumference is measured routinely like other vital signs.

We measure blood pressure on all patients, he said. Waist circumference is no harder to measure than blood pressure. Why cant we take another 2 minutes and measure their waist?

The need for measuring waist circumference in the clinic stems in part from the limitations of BMI.

For example, weightlifters with very low body fat are sometimes misclassified as overweight or obese when using BMI because they have a high amount of muscle mass for their height.

For other groups, BMI provides a relatively clear picture of a persons overall body fat, but it doesnt show where the fat is located which can affect a persons health risks.

People who carry a lot of weight around their abdomen an apple-shaped body have a higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and premature death.

These health risks are lower for pear-shaped individuals, those who carry more weight around their hips and thighs.

Premenopausal women tend to accumulate excess adiposity, or weight, in the lower body, said Ross, which, with respect to health risks, tends to be more benign.

Using BMI along with waist circumference helps doctors differentiate between these two body shapes.

In addition, using BMI alone may not capture the health risks for older adults.

As people age, they tend to lose muscle mass, but they may also gain weight around the abdomen. So, even if their overall weight and BMI stays the same, they may shift toward a body shape associated with higher health risks.

Measuring waist circumference would capture the shift in fat distribution.

Several studies have looked at the link between waist circumference and diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

Ross and his colleagues discuss many of these in a recent paper published in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology.

One of these studies found a strong connection between waist circumference and the risk of dying prematurely, regardless of BMI.

For each one of the BMI units, as the waist circumference goes up, mortality risk goes up substantially, said Ross, who was not involved in the study.

This was true even when researchers considered factors such as peoples smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity.

In addition to estimating a persons health risks, waist circumference can be used to track a persons progress when they begin exercising regularly or improve their diet something measuring weight alone might miss.

Well hear from participants in our randomized trials all the time: You know, the bathroom scale isnt cooperating, but my dress fits better, my pants fit better, said Ross.

This change in waist size is not only a good indicator of improvements in health, it can also help people stay motivated.

Instead of people feeling that they have failed in their attempts to address obesity, they are empowered, said Ross. Even though the bathroom scale may not be going down, or may not be cooperating as they had hoped, these other measures are improving.

Read more from the original source:
Your Waist Size Is a Clue to Your Heart Disease Risk - Healthline