So what is Set Point Theory exactly? Setpoint is the weight range in which your body is programmed to function optimally, and the theory is that your body will fight to maintain that range. Everyone has a set point, but everyone doesn’t have the same set point. Just as you have no control over your height, eye color, or hair color, you also have no control over what your set point will be.
There is no magic formula with setpoint range. I wish I could just give you a formula and say “here’s your setpoint” but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. However, we do know through research that scientists estimate the average person to have a range of 10 to 20 pounds and we can find that range.
So how do you find that “set point range”? The simple answer would be by listening to your body and eating “normally”. That is a very loaded sentence because due to the amount of disordered eating that occurs in our world and if we look at women specifically ages 25 to 45, 65% show disordered eating behaviors, and an additional 10% have full-blown eating disorders. So at least 75% of women in our world are not eating “normally”. Source: Louise, Foxcroft, Calories & Corsets: A History of Dieting over 2,000 Years (Profile Books, 2011)
One resource that I love to give is Health at Every Size by Lindo Bacon. This book dives deep into weight science and the theory behind setpoint. I took a few excerpts from the book to guide you into the question, are you above your setpoint, or are you below your setpoint? So to be able to find that out, here are some questions you can ask yourself if you’re trying to figure out if you’re above or below your comfortable set point range.
Are you above your setpoint?
- Do you have difficulty recognizing when you’re actually hungry or when you had enough to eat?
- Do you routinely eat beyond a comfortable level of fullness or feel lethargic, stuffed or just uncomfortable or unpleasant after meals?
- Do you go through periods where you eat out of control anticipating that you’re soon to start a diet?
- Do you skip meals in an effort to lose weight and then overeat because you’re so incredibly hungry?
- Do you skip certain meals to “save up” for a big feast or for a big meal?
- Do you often eat as a coping mechanism? For example, tired, angry, nervous or killing time when you’re bored.
- Do you often feel guilty about some food or the amount of food you’ve eaten?
- If you overeat, do you figure you’ve blown your “diet” and end up eating even more?
- Do you often eat quickly without taking the time to focus on savoring the taste of your food and actually enjoy it?
- Do you fluctuate between periods of sensible, nutritious eating and then eating out of control?
These questions all relate to you above that set point range. If you say yes to a lot of these questions, it means that there’s a good chance that you could be above your set point weight of where your body wants to be.
Are you below your setpoint?
- Do you often feel cold?
- Do you feel like you’re constantly preoccupied with food and often feel desperately hungry like that empty pit in your stomach?
- Do you wake up with an overwhelming urge to eat?
- Do you have difficulty sleeping because of a gnawing hunger?
- Do you have an extremely low libido?
- For females, do you have infrequent periods or skip them entirely?
- Do you suffer from apathy, fatigue Irritability and or depression?
Please know that a lot of these things listed in here can also be signs and symptoms of other medical conditions. This is for informational, educational purposes only, this is not meant to serve as a diagnosis or in the place of a 1:1 nutrition consultation, but these
are all things to start thinking of and these are all found within the book “Health at every size”.
Below you will see the book written by Linda, and you’ll also see a picture of a screenshot out of a documentary called “Embrace”, it is on Amazon Prime and this is something we recommend to any of our clients that we work with either in groups or one-on-one. Lindo Bacon is actually quoted in the film and talks about the research from “Health at every size” But you’ll also see Taryn in this film, she is a body image activist and travels the globe to really dive into body loathing and poor body image and looks at people in every shape and size. This is a must-watch especially if you’re looking for something to watch during the many hours that you might be spending at home. It’s a great resource to get you one step closer to what your set point range is and how we figure out how to get there.
If you are looking for additional guidance about your set point range and are ready to take steps toward restoring your relationship with food and your body. We’d love to chat with you! Click here to schedule a FREE call with us!
