Body Fat Set Point: Is It Real?
A lot has been made of body fat set point. A point that body fat losses stop when we're dieting down and trying to get lean. Many authorities have questioned if the set point is real and I'm on the side that says yes, it is real. Many people fail on their diets when they drop a good amount of fat then stall. At this point they'll end up performing more work and eating up muscle tissue.
You'll see many "experts" that claim that they know how to get those last 5 pounds off. Unfortunately for the consumer, many of these experts have never dieted someone down to acceptable bodyfat levels. News flash, if you're 20 pounds over weight then you don't have the last 5 to lose.
Set point is impacted by the amount of body fat that you carry when you are lean and by when you are over weight. Both of these metabolic conditions cause a restructuring to our genetics to a certain extent.
The average male who has never been fatter then 20% body fat and never leaner then 10% can easily maintain that range. The problems start when he attempts to get under 10%. The main hormone that controls set point is leptin which basically tells your brain as to how much body fat your carrying and how much food you're eating.
It then becomes a neurotransmitter issue where dopamine and serotonin effect which controls depression and hunger.
Do I think set point is real? Yes. Are there ways to drop more body fat? You bet but that's another story....
Body Fat Set Point: Is It Real?
A lot has been made of body fat set point. A point that body fat losses stop when we're dieting down and trying to get lean. Many authorities have questioned if the set point is real and I'm on the side that says yes, it is real. Many people fail on their diets when they drop a good amount of fat then stall. At this point they'll end up performing more work and eating up muscle tissue.
You'll see many "experts" that claim that they know how to get those last 5 pounds off. Unfortunately for the consumer, many of these experts have never dieted someone down to acceptable bodyfat levels. News flash, if you're 20 pounds over weight then you don't have the last 5 to lose.
Set point is impacted by the amount of body fat that you carry when you are lean and by when you are over weight. Both of these metabolic conditions cause a restructuring to our genetics to a certain extent.
The average male who has never been fatter then 20% body fat and never leaner then 10% can easily maintain that range. The problems start when he attempts to get under 10%. The main hormone that controls set point is leptin which basically tells your brain as to how much body fat your carrying and how much food you're eating.
It then becomes a neurotransmitter issue where dopamine and serotonin effect which controls depression and hunger.
Do I think set point is real? Yes. Are there ways to drop more body fat? You bet but that's another story....