The "set piont" idea--- agree or disagree?

From the time I was in 6th grade on, I've only once weighed less than 150 pounds. When I weighed less, I was a 16-year-old anorectic and exercise bulimic who used a similar website to this one to fuel my food and calorie obsession. I got down to the "ideal weight" for my height (135 pounds for 5'7") but it was done in such an unhealthy way. My mother has suggested that, perhaps, my body just refuses to weigh anything other than 150 because that is my "natural set point". It seems like no matter how hungry I am (or full) or how much I exercise (or how little) I always weight about 150 pounds.

I don't see anything wrong with wanting a lower BMI, a weight in the middle of the weight range for my height instead of just over the top, wanting to wear clothing under a size 14. But do you think perhaps my mother is right, that perhaps I'm just doomed to always weigh 150 pounds (or more)?

Have you tried speaking to your doctor about this?  If the only way for you to get down to a lower weight is an unhealthy lifestyle there might be something more going on.  There are a variety of health issues that can effect weight gain or loss.

Remember too BMI isn't all about weight, those charts based simply on height and weight can be way off.  I have a friend who's a swimmer that always comes in as nearly obese on those charts, despite actually having a low range body fat count based on other methods. Muscle tissue does weigh more then fat, so weight is only one indicator of health.

Regardless of whether or not you have some other underlying physical problem, I'd say given your history your doctor is still going to be your best resource in trying to achieve a lower BMI.  He/She will be able to assist you in finding a plan that both works and won't be harmful.

Good luck!

Honestly, if a "set point" is within the healthy range (as yours is - 23.5 is not "over the top" of anything), then yes, I believe you shouldn't fight it.

You can maintain a weight lower than that, but it will require a disproportionate amount of effort and vigilance. Honestly, there are probably better uses for your time. You could invest about half the time you were going to invest into losing weight, into learning to love and accept yourself at your easy-breezy-beautiful healthy weight.

Remember please that a size 14 in the UK is about a size 10 (I think?) in the US (soon to be an 8, what with vanity sizing). You are not a short person and do not need to be a (UK) size 10 to be gorgeous. 

If you wish to change your shape or even your dress size, a better way would be to engage in a healthy, not over-the-top exercise program (in consultation with a professional, so that you get an objective sense of how much is enough vs. too much - and avoid the exercise bulimia trap). This should include strength training, for best results. And of course you cannot restrict calories at all, because you would be trying to build muscle. You could almost certainly drop a dress size or two without losing a single pound.

But again, you might find it more productive to shift the focus away from this particular obsession and work on parts of yourself other than your physique.

p.s. Don't think of it as "doomed", darling. You are able to maintain a healthy weight for your height, with no effort - some of us would kill for that.

I actually hadn't looked at what your BMI is rated at for the stats you gave before trustwomen made her post.  She's right about your BMI being fine for your stats.

I still think talking to your doctor's going to be your best resource here.  As in the case with my friend, it's not all about weight.  At this point looking at the scale may be doing you more harm then good.  If you haven't quite gotten the look you want, you should consider speaking with your doctor about setting up a toning and conditioning plan for yourself.  As trustwomen said, it might be more work then most people feel is worth it, but your profile says you like to stay active.  So perhaps all you need is a few small changes in what your activities are and you'll be set.

Just remember the two most important things: Consult your doctor, and it's not all about the scale! After all, the quickest way to make the scale read less is to drive up a mountain

Well, I'm a size 14 in US, not UK. And that's getting to the top of what is available in most of the stores I go into. I don't want to have to shop in specialty stores for larger women (no offense to anyone who does, but I really don't want to do that). And I've had testing for diabetes, thyroid, etc. All come out normal enough. I work out a lot (an hour a day at least, sometimes more, for 4-5 days a week, including both cardio and strength training) but have a doctor who makes sure I don't go overboard. With my workouts and my build I know I carry more muscle than a lot of ladies do, and don't really need a new work-out plan. I just can't seem to weigh any less than I do, and mostly I just wish I could get the flabby spots to go away.

I actually weigh myself only 4-5 times a year since the scale tends to depress me, and I go more for how I look/feel/clothes fit than the number on the scale. But I still feel like I should be able to lose fat, and that seems to be a lot harder than I can figure out.

What I have read about set point is that it is a theory... I think it was from a PhD, but still written about as a theory.  I know of no study that has proven this to be so.

I used to think my set point was about 140. I didn't think of this as my body's predetermined weight... I was just being a realist about how little I was willing to eat and how much I was willing to exercise.  I am now pushing 52... slightly taller than you, small/medium frame. At 23 my weight got up to 164. I jogged it down to 150 where it stalled. I then joined WW and got down to 133.  I have never regained all the weight, but mostly my weight tended to float up to 140. I've gone through five pregnancies, had some ups and downs, twice got to the 148 to 150 pound range, each time I dieted down to 130.  The last time was when I turned 50... since then I have easily maintained. I am now 128... and can easily lose more if I want. I maintain on 1500 to 1600 per day.  The thing is that I am now older, so maintaining should be harder... but it got easier.

I have made some changes that have allowed me to maintain so easily when I didn't before. First I had have decided calorie counting has to be part of my life forever, when ever I don't, I slide and regain weight.  I do a form of estimation (roughly counting, rounding to the nearest 25 calories) and this requires no more than 2 minutes a day. I do not obsess about it, do not enter every morsel into a computer program.  This week I had a large restaurant sandwich... I "guesstimated" it was abot the same as a 400-calorie Subway sub... close enough. I usually write down one number for a plate of food, I also write down stuff in my own short hand... abbrieviations. I keep a food diary on a 8.5 x 11 piece of scrap paper, folded in 8ths, one section per day, one page per week, and carry this always in my back pocket. A couple times a day I do "bookkeeping." 

I have also decided I have to step on the scale every day of my life.
When I have stopped, I regained weight.

I found regular exercise that I do now, including a weight-lifting class 3 times a week. 

I also way upped my fiber and cut out nearly bad fat to see if it would improve my cholesterol.  The result is that I am rarely hungry... because I want to avoid bad fat, I am less tempted by cookies.  Every day, I try to make 95% of my calories from the best quality food possible. Junk food is just less filling.  Fat also takes little effort for your body to digest, so burns less calories processing it.  Do not eliminate all fat, however... you still need some.

Now if you have a large frame, a heavier weight would be more natural for you.  Because you have a history of eating disorder, I am reluctant to suggest you do anything which might make you obsess about food. Still I know you would like to be slimmer.  That you have daily habits doesn't mean you have to obsess. You spend several minutes a day brushing your teeth, but don't obsess about getting cavities.  So in the same way, you can keep a rough food diary, write down all you eat on a piece of scrap paper, and roughly figure calories. Same way you can weigh in once in a while. Don't sweat it if the scale doesn't move, or has a weird fluctuation.  To figure out what's going on, you need a long-term picture of how many calories you eat and the weight it produces.  You don't want to get into any starvation/binge or feast/famine patterns.  In a calm way, just try to eat about the same amount of calories every day and see what happens. Weight loss is about being consistant over a long period of time... especially if you are close to your goal weight, you have to expect to lose less than a pound a week. I write my weigh-ins in my food diary, and use the spare 8th section to figure out my average calories eaten, and average weight for the week. I save them all because they are important records.

If over a couple months, it seems like you are maintaining on a low calorie number, then I agree you might see a doctor. In the mean time, keeping good records will be very helpful when you go to a doctor, so he/she better understands what is happening.

It sounds like you are already fit and healthy. Perhaps the "flabby spots" you see are just a natural woman's body? Even very thin people have them, you can't trust pictures (click on this link and go to "portfolio" if you don't believe me).

I would be shocked at hearing that you are a US 14, because I am a US 16-18 and I weigh nearly 60 lbs more than you do. On the other hand, 15 years ago when I was your age and weighed the same as you, I was a 14, too - perhaps the clothing you are wearing is older, from before the sizes changed?

Normal, ideal, "fitness"-level body fat for women is 19-24%. For men it's 13-15%. Women are just made softer and rounder, even when they are very fit, as you are. (Washboard abs are a boy thing.)

Sounds like working on self-acceptance, and keeping up your healthy habits, is the answer. Cut the tags out of your clothes and boost that confidence - I'm certain that you are gorgeous! I was, at your age and size - though I didn't know it at the time. I look back now, and wish I had seen it then... ;)

Well if all those things are in line, other then adjusting your workout to concentrate on your 'problem areas' if you haven't already, your mum may be right.  Even at my fittest in college, my thighs were never exactly a part I was proud of, it's just where my body desides to put my fat stores first I guess.

Eveyone's bodies are different and sometimes they're more stubborn then we are.  Accepting that is all just part of learning to love ourselves. I wish you luck in both respects.

Thank you everyone.

 I'm lately trying to make a focus upon healthy fiber, increasing fruits and veggies and lean protein, cutting down on my binge-foods. We'll have to see if it makes any difference.

Most people are surprised to see what I weigh and what sized clothes I wear. I suppose it's a compliment that people think I'm thinner than I am, but it's a bit embarrassing to have to tell people I weigh 20 pounds more than they think and 4-6 sizes larger. I have trouble buying clothing, which is one reason I'd like to lose weight, but perhaps it's just my body shape and there isn't much to be done about it. I have a reasonably normal waist but very large legs, which means that pants are either too big in the waist or too tight in the thighs. I almost never wear shorts, and thankfully this summer I gave up on them and started wearing flowing skirts that look better and are more comfortable. I have a thin frame but a lot of muscle and it does throw the BMI numbers and everything else out of wack.

I guess it's just time for me to focus on changing my eating habits so that they are healthier overall and focusing on building my self-confidence and body-image. I will always hope to lose those ten pounds so I'm not squishing out of my size large clothing, but perhaps I should just learn to accept it. That, however, is something I'm not sure how to do.

Nice Claddagh! 

Set point.  I've heard of it.  I'm going to swing to -  No,  I don't believe in it only because we have a thing called metabolism.   

I heard that as we age our metabolism slows down. 

I've been sitting at 161.5 pounds forever.  I wear a size 8/10 jeans.   I really really want to get to the 150 range.  Unfortunately, I have to be very patient and consistent with what I'm doing.  I don't expect to be there until early October. 

My point, I can get the scale to move, not much, by lifting weights.  I heard pumping iron not only revs up your metabolism but also burns fat.

Instead of focusing on that stupid clueless scale, I'm focusing on improving/maintaining my metabolism and reducing body fat.

I know if I cleaned up my diet I could probably lose a lil more weight but right now, I'm going to stick with what is working. 

How's your metabolism?

Slow, apparently. :-p

I suppose I can say it's too efficient. I store food as fat very very easily and my body is extremely hesitant to give the fat up. I do tend to put most of my focus on healthy eating and living, but I understand how frustrating it is to do that for weeks on end and see no difference in the scale. My father, on the other hand, loves to remind me how he just has to skip one of his donuts from his snack and can lose weight. Oh to have my father's fantastic man-metabolism...

I suppose my clothes may be a LITTLE bit looser, and I may have a little more definition, but the scale is nice because it's so easy to have a definite number to quantify the changes. 

We're similar in that my set point also seems to be 150, and that has been the case for at least 20 years (I'm 36). This is the case if I'm eating healthy and getting moderate exercise.

I can always get back to 150 if I gain some weight, but anything less is a struggle and I also get "addicted" to counting calories and exercise.

Now that I'm older, I'm accepting this more, especially after having just had a baby. Besides, friends say I look too skinny if I go near 140, and I'm 5'6"

Good luck and stay healthy! 

 

I personally think the BMI "healthy" range is a bit low for me, so I use a body fat calculation to determine a good weight for myself.  My body fat percentage is now 33%, so I know to be in a healthy range I need to lose approximately 10% of my current weight (plus a little bit for the loss in muscle mass simply due to weighing less).