Why is it that most diets cause weight loss followed by a period where you gain weight? It’s a mystery that leads most people to believe that the entire diet industry is a hoax.<\/p>\n
While there are many (many) bad diets that can easily be blamed for why you gain weight, most diets are<\/em> designed to work. We know this because people lose weight and can keep it off. So what, then, causes the big divide between those that keep pounds off and those that gain them back?<\/p>\n The answer is something known as “set point theory,” which probably means nothing to you. But if you’ve ever found that you gain weight when you diet, it’s likely the missing piece of the puzzle that can change everything.<\/p>\n If more people understood that plateau is a part of weight loss, then they wouldn\u2019t quit prematurely.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I\u2019ve been journaling–somewhat consistently–since second grade. While unpacking boxes after a recent move, I found an entry from 1991 (I was 9) that read: <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t have to always fit into big pants.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n I was<\/span> that<\/span><\/i> guy. The chubby guy who needed his pants tailored for his Bar Mitzvah because they didn\u2019t make suits for young men with a waist so big and height so\u2026 <\/span>restricted<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If my story sounds cliche, well, it is. But it\u2019s not too good to be true. The part missing from the fast-forwarded version is that I struggled with weight loss (and the dreaded weight loss plateau) and body image for years. I\u2019d go as far as telling people I was allergic to chlorine to keep my T-shirt on in the pool. (I\u2019ll never understand how I thought this explanation would work. It\u2019s not like the shirt protected my skin from the water, but I digress\u2026 )<\/span><\/p>\n My ultimate success was a byproduct of many (many) failures and learning how to overcome times of despair and lost hope. I shifted away from gimmick diets and \u201cfour<\/span>-week plans<\/span><\/a>\u201d and focused on blocking out my negative thoughts and becoming happier with who I was. Then I could finally focus on the other part of the weight-loss battle: building a realistic plan for <\/span>my<\/span><\/i> body.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s the same approach I\u2019ve used to coach hundreds of overweight people<\/a> to better health and fitness and more happiness. But it all starts with believing a simple truth that is starting to feel more like myth than reality: <\/span>You <\/b>can <\/i><\/b>transform your body. <\/b>Most people just do it the wrong way. Too fast. Too impatient. Too generalized. And too unrealistic. <\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve worked with <\/span>clients who have lost 100 to 200 pounds<\/span>.<\/span><\/a> \u00a0And most of the time, these successes happen over the course of months (or even years), not five episodes on a television show. At least, that\u2019s the case for those who successfully keep the weight off.<\/span><\/p>\n This is an especially important point\u00a0because some research (and recent media coverage) suggests that <\/span>long-term weight loss is hopeless.<\/span><\/a> \u00a0While many people do, in fact, gain weight they previously lost, it\u2019s not because dropping fat is \u201cmission impossible.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Instead, it starts with changing your definition of \u201csuccess,\u201d setting aside instant gratification, and understanding how weight loss actually works. When that happens, everything changes\u00a0and anyone can build a plan that ensures they\u2019re not another sad statistic.<\/span><\/p>\n First, some bad news: All nutritional approaches or diet plans stop \u201cworking\u201d at some point. Weight loss stops. You don\u2019t see changes, and you believe that either you or the plan are no longer functioning. The good news: When it appears to stop working, it\u2019s actually still working. <\/span><\/p>\n Confused? Stay with me and it\u2019ll make more sense.<\/span><\/p>\n We know that as you lose weight, your metabolism <\/span>tends to slow down<\/span><\/a>–although it\u2019s not absolute. (This <\/span>research reviewed 71 studies<\/span><\/a> and didn\u2019t find a significant drop in metabolism.) We also know that if you\u2019re patient about (focus on losing one to two pounds per week <\/span>at most)<\/span><\/i>, then you\u2019re more likely to <\/span>keep it off for <\/span><\/a>good. But most people quit <\/span>before <\/span><\/i>significant weight loss occurs. It usually looks something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n Step 1:<\/strong> You lose weight (sometimes, a lot, and very fast)<\/p>\n Step 2:<\/strong> You stop losing weight<\/p>\n Step 3:<\/strong> You’re still not seeing any changes.<\/p>\n Step 4:<\/strong> Weight gain.<\/p>\n Step 5:<\/strong> You’re pissed off, frustrated, and quit.<\/p>\n This process usually happens in less than 6 weeks. If you believe some studies, the average person diets for an average of 6 weeks — followed by 14 weeks “off” a diet. That’s not a good balance of results.<\/p>\n The thing is — and what no one tells you — steps two and three (stalled progress\/plateau) are often an important part of the weight-loss process. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dropping one to two pounds per week is considered healthy, but it\u2019s also the average. That means you might lose four pounds one week and zero the next. On those weeks when the scale doesn\u2019t change, it\u2019s not necessarily a sign that your body has reached its weight-loss limit.<\/span><\/p>\n To put it another way, your plateau is a \u00a0<\/span>necessary part<\/span><\/i> of the process. You must stall in order to move forward (again). And when you understand why–or, more importantly, accept this reality–it changes everything. <\/span><\/p>\n Your body does not like change. I don\u2019t care who you are; it\u2019s very resistant to anything that takes it out of its comfort zone (a.k.a. <\/span>homeostasis<\/a>). When that change occurs–specifically when you try to lose weight–your body does everything in its power to adjust and get you \u201cback to normal.\u201d This is a process known as set point theory. <\/span><\/p>\n If you ask me, set point theory is the reason why so many people fail on long-term weight-loss goals.<\/span> If more people understood that plateau is an expected and natural part of the process, then they wouldn\u2019t quit prematurely<\/b>. Sometimes the scale isn\u2019t moving simply because your body is adjusting to change. <\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it works:<\/span><\/p>\n We all have a \u201cnormal\u201d body weight. Whether we like that weight or not is a different story, but this is the weight that we\u2019ve come to \u201caccept\u201d as our own. We also have a look we desire, whether it\u2019s your college weight, your pre-baby body, or where you were that one time you got super fit a few years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n Your mind wants to achieve your goals, but your body wants to cling to what\u2019s familiar. So when you try to change, physiological reactions occur to suck you back into the body you\u2019ve known for so long.<\/span><\/p>\n The more weight you lose, the harder your body works to resist that change, or even pull you back to your old weight. It does this by slowing your metabolism (comparatively) and increasing your hunger. Sucks, right? <\/span><\/p>\n Just wait, it\u2019s not all doom and gloom. If you can hang in and resist the urge to quit, these changes are temporary and can help <\/span>ease<\/span><\/i> the permanence of your weight loss.<\/span><\/p>\n Set points are not carved in stone. It\u2019s more like frozen in carbonite, a la Han Solo. You can undo the process by changing your body and allowing your body to adjust. This is why plateaus can be so deceiving. Your body is adapting to its new reality. Once it does, that\u2019s when you\u2019re ready to take the next jump and see a “whoosh” of new weight loss.<\/span><\/p>\n Everyone\u2019s set point is a little different, so there\u2019s not one rule for how long you have to wait. The more weight you have to lose (say, more than 50 pounds), the quicker it can happen initially without hitting your set point. If you want to lose closer to 15 or 20 pounds, you might hit a wall after the first 10. <\/span><\/p>\n This is why you\u2019ve seen so many magazine cover lines about \u201cHow to Lose the Last 10 Lbs.\u201d Those should really say, \u201cHow to Be Patient After You Lose the First 10 Lbs.\u201d But that doesn\u2019t sound as sexy. <\/span><\/p>\n Once you hit your set point, your body likely needs anywhere from four to eight weeks to adjust to your new weight. Then you\u2019ll establish a new set point, and your body will respond like that\u2019s your new normal. <\/span><\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t sound that exciting, but it\u2019s better than you think.<\/span><\/p>\n If you go from 200 to 180 pounds or 150 to 130 pounds and wait out the set point process, your body\u2019s drive to move back to the old weight has changed. It becomes much easier to stay at your current weight because your body no longer thinks it\u2019s outside its comfort zone–and you\u2019re able to start losing weight again. On the flip side, it becomes much harder to gain weight, as well. <\/span><\/p>\n The result: you don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re constantly following a pain-in-the-ass plan. That’s why long-term fat-loss never occurs in 30 days or anything magical. It’s a process.<\/span><\/p>\n Finding the right eating approach is about seeing the long-game. Almost any plan can deliver the quick results. Ignore those. Instead, focus on what you think you can do for six to 12 months. When you do, you won\u2019t be as frustrated when you hit the set point. Instead, you\u2019ll be buying time–not buying a new approach (literally)–until the weight loss starts again.<\/span><\/p>\n Winning the War on Hunger: Practical Solutions to Overeating<\/a><\/p>\n Fix Your Diet: Understanding Proteins, Carbs and Fats<\/a><\/p>\nLong-Term Weight Loss Is Real (But You’ve Been Fooled)<\/h2>\n
Why do you really gain weight?<\/h2>\n
The Only Real<\/em> Weight Loss Secret<\/h2>\n
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