This literally made me cry. I have never had my issues with food explained so articulately. I want to change so bad, but I had no idea where to start. Thank you
Start with one thing. I have multiple issues but I am going to start with food, so I am going to eat at least three meals a day and not rustic what type of food that is. (except I'm vegan so it's a lil difficult 😅). You got this I believe in you!
Charl Add Not easy when you used to be overweight and are currently just 5-8 lbs from being overweight again. I can’t see myself that way again... I just can’t.
@@someidiot4754 overweight by BMI? Inform yourself about it and you will see it is bullshit, as longs as your body is working properly there is no need to loose or gain weight!!!
@@charladd4084 I know you mean well, but surely no body wants to be like 500lbs in weight? Personally I don’t like the way my body looks when it’s overweight so I want to slim down a little bit and cut down on some foods.
Hey Colleen! I am 20 years old, underweight, and have amenorrhea. One day I decided I had enough and read the Intuitive Eating book. This and your channel have really helped me keep a positive mindset about gaining weight. I feel more nourished than ever! I really needed this video because i have been looking into the whole set point theory. Thank you!!❤️🙏🏼
As a recent Type 2 Diabetic...this information is amazing. I've lost weight without counting calories or macros. I've changed my mindless eating lifestyle to a more plant based out of nutritional needs. This works for me. No judgement for my partner who chooses to eat differently. I'm fuller, more energized, my sugars and numbers are all normal now. This works for me because I'm not counting, stressing and it's not a diet. I LOVE this video. Thank you. What my doctor says my goal weight should be isn't realistic. My body is much happier and so am I at 170 and I'm closer to that weight now, than I was 50lbs ago. Again, no counting, journaling, weighing...nada. You are spot on!
I know this is 3 years old, but this is so going to help- I was originally overweight then I lost over 30 pounds and ended up giving myself anorexia. Ive recovered but it’s still hard to find what’s best for my body Thanks for the advice though
I lost my periods about 7 months ago, I was underweight and unhappy but had a body that society “acknowledged” to be a “good slim body”. I had my periods 4 days ago, I gained about 15kg and I’m truly happy to satisfy each craving. So my advice for someone who feels guilty of having a bar of chocolate and some pastry after the dinner: go and grab it, you want it and you got it. Listen to your body, it is smarter than you. It gave you hints that there is something wrong with it when periods stopped. Your brain is tricking you but you can change it. Be kind to yourself, never restrict yourself as it will keep pushing you back again and again. You are more than just a body Lots of love❤️
i am not getting my period from almost 8 months now becuz i am extreamly underweight but whenever i start to think that i should eat more or i should eat chocolate etc i cant convince my mind because i always think i will gain weight🤧🤧 but plzz addvicee me what u did to get them back also tell after effort of how maany days did u got themm back plzz plzz reply i really need it😭
@@rameenkhalid6100 I’m so sorry for not answering you when you needed it the most😭 I hope you’re feeling much better now. What helped me is the “I’ll gain weight no matter what” kind of mindset. You just have to gain weight. And whenever I felt guilt for eating, I always remembered that I can loose so much more in life. For me it was the idea of raising kids someday in the future. And this is not possible with messed up periods. So I put my priorities first and let me tell you, weight, once your body is nourished enough, will settle down to the weight that works best for you. I’m sending you much love ❤️ you’re stronger than you think
The moment where you been on a diet since age 9 and now you are 281 lbs at age 24 and you are like wow years of dieting has caused this set point to go higher
Me too. This means you are restricting for too long and thus experiencing extreme hunger. Just listen to your body, eat freely until you are both physically and mentally full. Overtime your appetite will normalize as your body learns to trust you for not starving it again after a feast.
Love love love this! I've been on my intuitive eating journey for just over a year now and it's the best decision I've ever made. I don't believe I'm at my set point yet but I have faith my body is figuring it out. Thank you for the great resource ♥️
This is day 3 of practicing IE. I'm so done with dieting. I wasn't even searching for IE but for some reason your short videos started popping up in my RUclips feed. Recently every time I try to restart a diet or restart keto I make it 3 days and then binge on sweets. Day 2 of normal eating I ate 2 starbursts and it was enough! Thank you so much for your videos!
I now watched a couple of your videos and I must say: It‘s amazing what you’re doing! I wish these were the videos I watched when I was a young teen struggling with my body image after years of bullying and having warped views on health and Victoria Secret angels. I am so glad that the new generation grows up with a different message. Thank you ❤
So I’m binging all your videos! Everything is starting to make sense! I’ve been hardcore macro counting/falling off the wagon for a solid 5 years now 😕 Based on your questions, I answered yes to all the first set and no to the second. Which makes me feel like I’m above my set point. This actually makes sense. Bc there was a time when I maintained a weight much low than my current pretty easy. I’m thinking that’s likely my set and I felt really good at that weight too! I joined your Hunger Challenge and then SociEaty!! Here’s to healing my relationship with food and my body!!!
I cried, thank you girl, I have to stick to watching you instead of consuming harmful content and feeling pressured to go below my healthy BMI just because I don't like how I look. It's only making me more miserable.
This is interesting. The weight my body maintains effortlessly is 180. I eat healthy, eat intuitively, am very active. That is not where I feel healthy and good. I am 39 now and it is possible I raised my set point when I was young. The weight I feel best is 155 to 160. But I need to count calories to do that. Yet when I get there I think , but the bmi chart says I should be under 145. Then I get so frustrated that I can never get there. Look forward to listening to that book.
I am in your camp. I certainly could lose some weight, but I'm post menopausal and the weight just creeps up when your normal hormones just go away one day. I do recall when I was in my 30s, I got down to 145 and my periods stopped after a length of time training for a 15k run. Obviously, I was below my set point weight and didn't know it. I'll never see that number again, but as an older woman, I would be happy with something below the 200 mark as I'm at 215 right now. If I could get to 170 it would be marvelous, but she said to get rid of the scale. What to do? I'm also hypothryoroid and take medication for that. Maybe its a lost cause.
My body just loves to gain muscle my weight without thinking too much about food is 190-200 I used to be ashamed of that weight but honestly when I look back I was always above the norm already at 140-150 in my teens and 20s and I wasn't even very big I'm just very dense and now in my 30s no wonder i weigh what i do my body is just like that ive done nothing wrong and embracing it more and enjoying lifting weights cause my body can do it and i dont have to think too much about eating its pretty great
Yep no scale , no counting calories or restriction last year I did Optavia and it screwed my body - mind set up with such low calorie and the restriction. I lost way too much weight. I was unhealthy so when I went off the optavia diet my body was basically starving which lead to binge eating and feeling shame watching the scale go back up . It’s been since November 2021 I started my journey to heal from diet culture Mentality . I find in my 50’s post menopause that flexible internment fasting helps me be mindful not eating late at night. I’ve done so much work to heal and love my body 💕 thank you for being part of the healing process for women .
Something just thought of... Is stress a reason for weight gain because the body thinks it has to save up for when there isn't much food to go around? Historically many cultures have thought being a little bigger was better because it would get one through winter or an illness. We're actually the weird ones in wanting to be so thin all the time. Just a random thought from random person. 🤷♀️ Edit: Smoothie bags are excellent idea! Whole video has been helpful. Thanks 😊
It's easy to say all of this when your set weight is naturally skinny. My parents are both naturally 'overweight' and they eat relatively healthy foods my mom decided to combat her being naturally overweight by always yoyo dieting and having food rules and my dad just embarrassed it and is obese with a host of health problems
Loving your videos!!! During this quarantine I stopped tracking after counting points for 14 months and began eating more. I now eat what I am serving my family and have found that I am still maintaining my weight. Maybe I am at my set point?!?! Thanks for your videos...I am learning so much. Plan to find Healthy at Every Size and keep learning.
I feel like a lot of this comment section is kind of missing the point, and it took me a couple times of watching this video to understand it so I thought I would help. Especially since there are some negative comments toward Colleen which isn’t cool. Your “set point” weight is the weight your body is just supposed to....be. If you’re 160 lbs and 6 months ago before quarantine you were 130, that doesn’t mean 130 was your happier weight. You’re 160 lbs, and after a few days of eating good food and not having good anxiety you’re feeling amazing and at your best. BUT it’s only been a few days so you probably only lost a couple lbs, let’s say 155 lbs. 155 is your set weight because you’re feeling balanced and healthy. However, if 155 was NOT meant to be your set weight then your body will just naturally let it go because it knows it’s getting replenished and doesn’t need to hold onto anything. Your set weight can change over time. For instance, I’m over 250 lbs, but I’m feeling healthy, if 3 months from now I’m let’s say 220 and I’m feeling amazing then great! My new set weight. However, let’s say I lost 100 lbs, I might feel like GARBAGE at that weight because what do I know? I’ve never been at a healthy equilibrium with my body due to all the diets I’ve done. Hope this helps someone.
When I started taking a particular medicine three years ago, I gained about 25 pounds. I'm able to manage the side effects better now, but I feel like if I didn't restrict myself I would gain even more weight and any that I've lost since then. Unfortunately I have explored all options but I absolutely need this medication...I would love to let my body take over but I don't think it's capable of regulating on its own at this point.
Why is my body needing more food all of a sudden? I've been trying to eat intuitively but even when I'm physically full, my "mind" is still hungry and unsatisfied (if that makes sense).. I keep thinking about food too I tried slowing my eating pace and being more mindful, but I still need more food than I think I really do I also eat healthy most of the time so it isn't my body craving nutrients The only thing that changed recently is allowing all foods and accepting my body's size after years of trying to lose weight I don't understand 😅
@@lilyvanterve it’s really hard in the beginning, but just try to eat until you’re satisfied. If that means eating a whole box of cookies, do it. I remember I NEVER felt satisfied, and always had to eat until I was sick to feel good, but now I can eat normal amounts and feel satisfied 😋
I started IE 2 years ago and have gained 50lbs. I’m the biggest I’ve ever been and it bums me out so often. I know I was starving myself for years and then when I started IE I was stress eating. Ugh! Trying to find balance. My body won’t let me diet anymore or it backfires SO quickly. Even if I’m not aware I’m in a diet mentality. This is so hard. I hate being in a bigger body!!!! 😫
The thing is I answered yes to a lot of the questions on both sides of the equation! So am I over my set point weight, under it, or at it? Or am I just obsessed with food because I love cooking?
My diet, I eat what I want when I want (Chocolate Ice Cream, amazing) and I'm happy, that's what counts. My weight fluctuates maybe 5 lbs. Where I live is I do a lot of walking or skateboarding, faster than taking a car sometimes.
I read that our body's set point can increase with weight gain holding us at a higher point than in the past. How common is it for an intuitive eaters set point to decrease with time?
literally!! i lost weight and kept it off because i followed a diet/workout plan i created for myself for weight loss and once i achieved my goal i made a new plan for weight maintenance and have been following it to this day and plan to continue following it. its rlly not that hard idk why ppl are overcomplicating it 🤷🏼♀️
I am super new to intuitive eating (within the last week and half or so) and am reading the book for the first time. I share some of the fears of what is going to happen with my weight without food rules. I am resisting the temptation to go back to calorie counting and trusting the process. Thank you for such a great video!
@sarahbeautyfit Saraketo I am enjoying holiday foods without guilt for the first time in almost 10 years and it feels amazing. I do think I have gained a little weight but I’m still working out so I have a feeling it will balance out with time. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m choosing and enjoying vegetables again which is weird but cool. Haha The benefits of listening to my body instead of fighting it are kinda amazing. I still have some fears but they are continuing to decrease. Thanks for asking 😊
I have had an “all or nothing” mentality for years. By the grace of God, I have made so much progress since late 2019. I’m still on a journey - but this was a big win. The other day, I was on the treadmill, just getting in a few steps after my weight lifting. My fitness tracker said I was at 9 min 35 seconds. I felt like stopping. So I DID!!! In the past I would have felt compelled to hit the round 10 minute mark. This was somewhat big for me. Now, my question is - could I possibly workout without my tracker?? I’ve become so dependent on it - like using my GPS even when I know where I’m going. It’s such a mental hangup. I wonder if the goal would be to get rid of ALL of those measurement tools? (Body weight scale, food scale, fitness trackers, etc) I bet the answer is YES. Baby steps…
I listened to my body yelling for help and started eating. Gained 3 pounds, I got scared. I stopped, don't know what to do 😭 I'm scared to eat. Hate myself.
I appreciate you saying healthy at any size.. I have struggled for years. I range between 185 and 200 comfortably.. this is above the Dr's. Suggestions, of course, but all blood work and other things are very healthy. So I diet and diet, not to mention a size 14 in society says I'm obese... I am new to my intuitive journey, and it was hard in the beginning, but I am getting better every week as I try to listen to my body.
Being post menopausal is making my situation even worse, but the issue is (because I’ve been heavier a few times) my set point weight is something I hate. I don’t look good or feel good at it. I love being thin. And, now at 56, my natural weight is probably higher than it was back in my younger years.
I am 56 and have beenon some sort of "program" since I was 12. I am looking forward to the freedom! #1 thing I am going to do is stop tracking every stinking bite eat or think about eating!
've heard people talk a lot about the bodies 'set point' and how we have a range of around 5-20lbs that is where each individual body is healthiest. I have recently begun working out more and doing a bit of strength training, purely because it's something I enjoy and it's a good way for me and my partner to find more time to spend together. My question is this, if I lose fat but build muscle (as a by product of the added exercise, it isn't a hard and fast goal of mine as I do try to live intuitively) am I still at my set point? for example, if I weigh 160lb now and in 6 months I still weigh 160lb but my body has changed because that weight is now muscle instead of fat, is that still my set point? or will it then change? Hopefully someone in the comments can answer this!
You said that under eating can increase your set point weight, I have restricted in the past, does that mean my set point weight now just higher? Is there anyway to lower it?
Great question! I believe the biggest impact is the continuous cycles of yo-yo dieting. I restricted for a very long time as well and was underweight. My body did gain some to get back to it's set point weight. Had I restricted again, then binged,then restricted I believe THAT is when the set weight heightens further. Does this make sense?
@@ColleenChristensen Seriously, that answer doesn't help. What most of us want to know is: What can we do to reset our "Set weight" point to less than it has become because of the past unhealthy cycle gain/restrict dieting over many years. I've hated my weight since high school, now hit menopause and need to RE-SET the "set point". My body seems to think my set point is 175. 5" frame is not healthy at 175lbs What can be done?
i used to relate to overeating far past fullness, and being stuffed and thinking about food all the time. Now I still think about food all the time, but I don't eat enough. I'm not sure what my set point weight is. I have lost 21 pounds. But I'm still on the brink of being overweight. I want to look different, but also have a healthy relationship with food. It doesn't feel like I can have both...
This video means the world to me. I have been struggling with accepting my body for a very long time and this is amazing. I finally understand that I have to let go to be at my 'healthiest.' I do have one question though: I have a lot of food allergies. I can't eat gluten or dairy and my body is intolerant of large amounts of sugar. Do you have any tips about losing food rules when I still have to pay close attention to what I am eating?
I searched this out because, on a keto diet, I continue to lose weight. I started keto to lose a final 5 lbs and have lost 20! I am eating a lot more and still dropping pounds although I feel great.
Thanks for the video! Good stuff! One question came to mind: How do you know if you have reached your set point weight when you should not use a scale? Are you only measuring by how you feel?
yes!!! you'll feel stability. it will fluctuate, out bodies do! Your hunger & fullness cues are strong, no urge to binge, feeling physically & mentally comfortable!
I feel like you only describe the positives, like you might not actually feel the best in your set point, you might hate your body and feel fat, the important thing is you don't have to love your body because it does so much for you. Maybe you could touch on that? It might be hard for you to understand because your body is naturally very privileged and slim. Great video tho.
Oh, 180% that mindset stuff is HARD!!!!!! I have a post on a few simple tactics to help improve body image. However we really can distort our thoughts so I do always bring it back to how it feel and feeling gratitude! Great points! colleenchristensennutrition.com/3-simple-steps-to-improve-body-image/
@@amytrumbull2075 of course it exists. She even said it herself. I encourage you to educate yourself on privileged bodies (majority of people) I bet even you have a privileged body because you would know if you don't.
Thanks Colleen - really interesting video. Do you think it’s almost inevitable you may put on weight (if you’re coming to this after prolonged dieting) before your body finds its set point? And also I am 50 so can I expect my set point to be higher than if I were in my 20’s?
This is true. I just posted a weight loss video that revolves around this topic. I think you can drop your setpoint 5 pounds when losing 10 lbs. then go off diet for 2 weeks. check set point and it will be 5 pounds lower. This seems to be a realistic result. Then return to diet for another 2 weeks. Continue till you get to your desired weight.
Hi Colleen, i have a question for you! Roughly 5 months ago, I took up intermittent fasting, at first as a way to lose weight, but I kept it when I realised that I felt less bloated and tired throughout the day, and was able to feel happier and more energetic. However, I also had many food rules for myself, and deemed certain foods as 'bad', which badly impacted my mental health. I've found your channel, and I love the idea of intuitive eating, but I don't want to go back to eating in a normal food window, as I prefer the way my body feels during my current eating time. Do you think I can marry intuitive eating and intermittent fasting? Or should I only stick to one? Thanks for any help!
Hi, in my opinion if you feel good fasting, and not restricting yourself go for it. You can also intuitive eat during your eating hours. It’s all about balance and what feels good to your body, some people feel good while fasting and some people don’t. So do whatever is more healthy and enjoyable for you 😉.
I’m 8 months into my IE journey. I’ve relapsed to counting calories and weighing daily twice. But both times I’ve ditched it because I find counting calories encourages me to disconnect from my fullness cues. If I’ve logged it I eat the whole thing. When I step away from tracking I’m more likely to stop and not finish something g if I’m full and satisfied. 8 months in my bingeing has essentially stopped. I’ve gained about 10 pounds and holding steady there but I don’t think that’s my true set point weight. I don’t feel great at this weight. I think my main struggle 8 months in is truly finding my fullness cues. I don’t binge anymore which is a huge success, but I’m still eating past fullness.
I too am terrified of gaining back weight. have you ever considered reviewing "profile by sanford" program? I used it and kept weight off for 2 years but never got to my goal and now i am gaining weight back slowly. I am listening to your videos and i like them. Trying to break my fitness pal habit but it makes me nausous to even think of not logging.
This is such an interesting theory. I thought that when I stopped dieting and stopped my food rules I would just exponentially gain weight. That’s the thought I had for years and why I kept going back to dieting. It’s so great to know that it won’t happen. I’ve been diet free since October 2019. Yeah I’ve gain weight, but eventually it stopped. It fluctuates but i haven’t gained exponentially like I thought
Let’s also address those people that are terrified of LOSING weight Because, at least within families, there is a lot of stigma when it comes to being naturally skinny People just want you to eat more and this is the main reason people suffer from binge eating disorder and bulimia They are pressured to stuff their faces with food and end up losing control of their hunger-fullness cues, thus gaining weight and living miserably Because in such cases you are both afraid to gain weight, as this is not you, AND to lose weight, as you are scared of how people will react Those people, in my opinion, deserve as much attention as those who naturally have heavier bodies than those idealized by society and restrict their food intake in fear of weight gain
Sooo, I have never worried about what I eat. I ate anything. Then, menopause came. I don't like my new set point weight. How do I wrap my head around that?
I'm really confused. I answered yes to almost every single question for both below and above set point weight. What does this mean? I suppress hunger, can't feel my hunger cues, am massively preoccupied with food, binge uncontrollably a lot at night way past fullness, restrict during the day, live off of coffee. I am the heaviest I have been in three years (I entered recovery 18 months ago), any more weight gain will destroy me. I can't do it. I'll end up as big as I was before the ED. And I didn't feel amazing then, I felt like cr*p. I can't go back to that.
She is amazing. I am beginner for mindfulness eating and I never heard about it until I saw her video. I am going through it. Wish me luck😂. I have eating disorder and I’m suffering with it.😢
I am severely over weight. Set point is a "nice" idea if you are a size 10 or 12 not a size 22 or 24 and it is hard to move or do anything. I am very uncomfortable. How do I lower my set point weight?
So I had an eating disorder and was once underweight . During recovery I gain weight but I kept gaining . Then with birth control and then pregnancy Now I’m “obese” . I think I now how to lose or gain but not maintain . Now I’m so sad and hate myself . Being obese is not healthy either but I’m afraid that if I go on a diet I will relapse . Mind you I am muslim so I do Ramadan but that doesn’t affect me because it’s for religious reason not for weight loss . So is there hope for me ? I don’t think that obesity is my set point for me .
I’m scared my set point is going to be like the RUclipsr Stephanie Buttermore. She is beautiful and amazing but for myself I would not want to gain as mich as her.
ThrivingAfterThirty her story was a bit 'extreme' though. She was very thin for a very long time and lost her period at some point. Her body just went into overdrive. Her body now is actually losing weight and redistributing weight (I follow her on Insta) which looks totally different than before. Hope this helps! ☺️
she had a much different issue, she had extreme hunger. i 100% understand your fear, but i highly doubt you have anything to worry about. she was eating around 5000 calories a day, she could eat a LOT of food. she was eating to try and solve her hunger problem, not really a weight related problem.
@@tweeri117 Oh wow, that is a lot of calories. I noticed that her hunger is decreasing a lot now. It's very interesting to see the changes she is going through. I definitely don't have a huge hunger problem. Thank you for your reply. :)
Great topic! Everyone is totally different. Personally, I didn't go "all in" and I teach the girlfriends in my membership to go slower. Why? Because if we feel we have to go "all in" sometimes that is plain SCARY and we will be to scared to do ANYTHING! Rather, pick one food rule and start there. Pick an easy one! Maybe you're avoiding certain carbs, fat, etc. Start slowly, its okay! Also, a lot of times we DO overshoot our set point weight!!!!
When I think about throwing away the scales (or even putting them in the loft) I feel really anxious. Same with deleting my fitnesses pal. I have been obese before and I’m afraid I will be again. However I have been dieting since I was a child and I’m so tired of it and it really doesn’t work.
Thanks for this video it’s very informative. I just had some questions around the set point weight theory. Can it change over time? Also as you transition between one stage to another - adolescence to adulthood, to becoming older adult and hitting menopause if you’re female? I feel my own set point has changed at-least every 10 years. I also wondered if increased physical activity can change your set point? Thanks again this video was very helpful! :-)
I just had an epiphany 😭 I've been dieting since I was like 9-10 years old and I'm almost 20 now. I just realized when I go backpacking, usually 10+ days with no apps to track and intense exercise, I automatically intuitively eat and I always feel amazing! I feel like but the end I usually understand my hunger and fullness cues but then I go right back into dieting to "save" the feeling
This is me 100%. While hiking, backpacking, and camping, I eat truly intuitively, without thinking about food, without obsession, without blaming my body for feeling any certain way. When I come back to the city, all of that intuition turns back into researching a new diet or trend.
I deleted myfitnesspal 6 months ago, stopped going on the scale and am now 16 kg heavier, way above my set point weight and at my heaviest I've ever been. So don't think that with my history (and present) of binge eating this is going to work for me....
Me either. I gained 20 lbs over several months once I stopped tracking on MFP and throwing away the scale. I’m back to tracking. I haven’t succeeded in “mindful eating.” At ALL.
Same thing happened to me when I tried this. I went from 155 to 200lbs pretty quickly. Went back to restricting and got down to 165 and stayed there with effort for the past year. Let up restricting for the past few weeks, back up to 173. I am only 5’5” tall. If I eat over 1500 calories a day, I gain and that’s with consistent exercise. I just get so tired of being hungry but the alternative is an unhealthy weight and related health problems like high blood pressure and borderline high glucose. I wish I could eat normally and be at a heathy weight. This is not helpful for me and just makes me more frustrated to watch naturally skinny people claim to know the answers for people who have always struggled with being overweight. 😥
I need rules around my food since I am overweight. I ate whatever I wanted for a long time and gained lots of weight. Rules give me structure and guidelines to follow. Having no food rules when you have a food addiction doesn't work. I am eating more whole foods and have cut out a lot of processed foods as well. I'm healthier now than ever before!
This sounds great. What about if you've gained 20 pounds from medicine? I feel I want to control to get back to "normal" (which felt like my set point pre-third baby and pre-medicine).
...or from disease. My body weight was great until my thyroid crashed. Now I'm hungry ALL the time, like my body wants 3000 calories a day, but I'm pushing 200 pounds, (5'8") so I won't listen to my body's cravings because I know they aren't healthy. If I eat 1500 calories a day, I loose a tiny bit of weight, so I know my body isn't burning much more than that per day.
I feel like I'm in between both things you described... above and below my set point... this is how screwed up I am from trying so many diets.. I fluctuate between both... ugh.. anyone else relate?
I accidentally increased my set weight point I think! I've had horrible chronic gastritis for 4 years now and have been starving for the whole 4 years because of it. My weight initially dropped 70lbs in 3-4 months because of the lack of food. Now I'm putting on weight again and I cannot get rid of a single pound of it. I've been tearing my hair out trying to figure out why I can't lose it. This might explain it!
No thanx id rather be skinny. Don’t care if that’s my set point weight or not but id rather be thin. My set point weight is like 60-63 kilos(im 171 cm tall) but right now im at 54 kilos because i like it more. I don’t overly restrict myself to be here. I simplu follow a 75-25% rule(75% of time eat for my body high nutritious food and 25% i eat for my mind-less nutritious food that i love) and work out 3-4 times/week
This is all wonderful information. However, I must say hearing it from someone who's body falls within what society deems attractive naturally, does make it hard to hear.
The thing is I feel drained and like shit constantly being 5’2” and being around 70 KG. I feel better physically when I’m eating less but I get constant hunger, this is a weight I’ll never be happy at and I was around 57 for years before I started to do night shift and overeat by tons. I really hope this isn’t it… Is medication the way to go here? I eat 3000 calories a day because of gnawing hunger when I try to eat less and I’m certainly not below my setpoint or else I’d be gaining weight eating like this. It’s annoying and I’m fed up, my guess is I’ve raised my setpoint through staying over it for so long
Just uninstalled MyFitnessPal after a day of binge eating. I feel physically weak these days. I will try to dip in the water of intuitive eating. I'm scared to be honest, but the information I've come across so far makes enough sense to me
To people wondering if this is true because overweight people exist: As someone who used to be overweight then transitioned to having an eating disorder and is now at a healthy weight, I can say that people are overweight because they consistently don’t listen to their body. They overeat not because they want food, but because food gives them dopamine and serves as a comfort source. What they really want is dopamine, not food. So they usually eat until they feel uncomfortably full, which the body doesn’t want. After recovery I found hobbies so that I can get dopamine that way, and don’t use food as a comfort tool anymore and I’m a normal weight now. 👍
That may be your truth but to say it is everyone’s issue is pretty presumptuous. We are all different. There are many reasons why a person could be overweight. Your experience does not make it true for everyone. Ugh 😩
So I'm finding intuitive eating to be really interesting, but the "health at every size" thing seems off to me... Morbid obesity isn't healthy. There are so many health problems. The same goes for being underweight. So does that phrase truly mean *every* weight, or is that like a general statement?
I answered yes to some of each above and below, I know that's not a definitive answer. But I feel like this is my worst fear confirmed, (that I'm at my set point weight and it's not where I want to be) I don't under eat, I don't let myself get to the hangry point, I don't over eat, if I'm not hungry or almost hungry but it's dinner, I'll just skip dinner or maybe do a light dinner. I don't late night snack, I eat some junk, but not a lot and I like a lot of veggies, fruits, and protein. But I just stay at the same weight... so where does this leave me, fat and unhappy 🙁?
i’ve been underweight for months and i can’t control it but i just can’t get myself to eat.. haven’t had a period since april 2021 and i just feel so lost lol
Ok so I answered “no” to all of your questions relating to possibly being over my set point weight, but I am 39 yrs, 5’2” and weigh about 145. So my question is, how does the idea of a set point weight fit in with physical activity? If I have a healthy attitude toward food, but yet I am not active enough, is it reasonable that I would be over my set point weight? Thanks!
This makes sense. but I've been hovering around 290 for years. During pregnancy I loose like 30 lbs, because my appetite is very low then, and then after gain really quick to the 290's again, mostly cauz I get CRAZY sugar and carb cravings. Overall I'm pretty healthy, but should loose a few pounds to have a bit more energy etc... based on BMI I'm morbidly obese (5'8") , but I honestly think my set point weight should be around 250 ish, which would still be considered obese... but my whole family is larger build.
How does all this come into play when you have high blood sugar? That is where I am struggling with now-- after getting GD- and then Covid hit- I not only gained a lot of weight, but my sugar is now high... I want to eat intuitively, I also want my sugar in check - and I have toddler which makes it hard to ever sit and actually eat mindfully. I try- but I'm so busy with his meals - that I end up shoveling food in blindly...he stresses my eating out.
Great question! I always ask: How do you FEEL. Usually, we can feel it. We feel like we're below our set point weight because we feel restricted, low energy, not nourished. You may be above if you feel physically uncomfortable in your body and it's difficult to feel comfortable doing daily activities. Does this make sense?
How does this work for someone with a metabolic disorder like PCOS? I worked with a nutritionist who told me I was not eating enough. I started eating the amounts she said we're more healthy, and I gained 30 pounds. 😓
What about eating before bed? I’ve heard it’s had negative impacts towards starving in the morning. I have found myself a lot hungrier. I don’t know if it’s because of my lack of calories through the day or it’s just no good eating before bed.
I’ve done so many weight loss programs that work first few weeks then stop working and I start gaining my weight I lost back. I love to exercise but not sure if this effects my weight loss.
I heard many people say they started to eat way more after starting intuitive eating due to past restriction, that they are very hungry etc. And I have it other way round, I decided to only eat when I'm hungry but I rarely am. Before intuitive eating I ate 90% because of emotions (stress, boredom, sadness)/habits and 10% because of hunger. I often felt too full and certainly gained weight. Does the lack of hunger mean I'm above my set point weight? What am I supposed to do?
![TIME TO TELL ALL! [Raw & Real] My Story From A Disordered To Happy Eater](/img/1.gif)
This literally made me cry. I have never had my issues with food explained so articulately. I want to change so bad, but I had no idea where to start. Thank you
Start with one thing. I have multiple issues but I am going to start with food, so I am going to eat at least three meals a day and not rustic what type of food that is. (except I'm vegan so it's a lil difficult 😅).
You got this I believe in you!
The thing is: i’m terrified of gaining weight
DO IT. Gaining freedom is so much more important than gaining weight, I promise it's so worth it. (From someone who got their life back :) )
Charl Add Not easy when you used to be overweight and are currently just 5-8 lbs from being overweight again. I can’t see myself that way again... I just can’t.
@@charladd4084 thank you so so much i really appreciate it
@@someidiot4754 overweight by BMI? Inform yourself about it and you will see it is bullshit, as longs as your body is working properly there is no need to loose or gain weight!!!
@@charladd4084 I know you mean well, but surely no body wants to be like 500lbs in weight? Personally I don’t like the way my body looks when it’s overweight so I want to slim down a little bit and cut down on some foods.
Hey Colleen! I am 20 years old, underweight, and have amenorrhea. One day I decided I had enough and read the Intuitive Eating book. This and your channel have really helped me keep a positive mindset about gaining weight. I feel more nourished than ever! I really needed this video because i have been looking into the whole set point theory. Thank you!!❤️🙏🏼
Sof 3355 keep that positive mindset girlfriend!!! Sending you hugssss!
wow thats so cool
As a recent Type 2 Diabetic...this information is amazing. I've lost weight without counting calories or macros. I've changed my mindless eating lifestyle to a more plant based out of nutritional needs. This works for me. No judgement for my partner who chooses to eat differently. I'm fuller, more energized, my sugars and numbers are all normal now. This works for me because I'm not counting, stressing and it's not a diet. I LOVE this video. Thank you. What my doctor says my goal weight should be isn't realistic. My body is much happier and so am I at 170 and I'm closer to that weight now, than I was 50lbs ago. Again, no counting, journaling, weighing...nada. You are spot on!
I know this is 3 years old, but this is so going to help-
I was originally overweight then I lost over 30 pounds and ended up giving myself anorexia. Ive recovered but it’s still hard to find what’s best for my body
Thanks for the advice though
I'm in the same situation and same story . How are you now ?
I lost my periods about 7 months ago, I was underweight and unhappy but had a body that society “acknowledged” to be a “good slim body”.
I had my periods 4 days ago, I gained about 15kg and I’m truly happy to satisfy each craving.
So my advice for someone who feels guilty of having a bar of chocolate and some pastry after the dinner: go and grab it, you want it and you got it. Listen to your body, it is smarter than you. It gave you hints that there is something wrong with it when periods stopped. Your brain is tricking you but you can change it. Be kind to yourself, never restrict yourself as it will keep pushing you back again and again.
You are more than just a body
Lots of love❤️
i am not getting my period from almost 8 months now becuz i am extreamly underweight but whenever i start to think that i should eat more or i should eat chocolate etc i cant convince my mind because i always think i will gain weight🤧🤧 but plzz addvicee me what u did to get them back also tell after effort of how maany days did u got themm back plzz plzz reply i really need it😭
love this. I 1000000 percent agree!
❤
@@rameenkhalid6100 I’m so sorry for not answering you when you needed it the most😭 I hope you’re feeling much better now. What helped me is the “I’ll gain weight no matter what” kind of mindset. You just have to gain weight. And whenever I felt guilt for eating, I always remembered that I can loose so much more in life. For me it was the idea of raising kids someday in the future. And this is not possible with messed up periods. So I put my priorities first and let me tell you, weight, once your body is nourished enough, will settle down to the weight that works best for you. I’m sending you much love ❤️ you’re stronger than you think
@@bunny_citizen7326 thank us soo soo much for replying although i have not got my periods till now but now atleast i am eating a good quangity of food
The moment where you been on a diet since age 9 and now you are 281 lbs at age 24 and you are like wow years of dieting has caused this set point to go higher
SAME!!
Truth... (but my years are 12 and 33)
Yep. For me it’s 13 and now 38. 😖
No 9 year old should ever ever ever be encouraged to be on a diet!
Me too. Been dieting since teenage years and weight has only gone up
I answered yes to both the below and above set point answers, pretty much all of them for both.
Me too! ):
I think I’m losing my mind
Me too. This means you are restricting for too long and thus experiencing extreme hunger. Just listen to your body, eat freely until you are both physically and mentally full. Overtime your appetite will normalize as your body learns to trust you for not starving it again after a feast.
🤦🏼♀️ yes for both
Love love love this! I've been on my intuitive eating journey for just over a year now and it's the best decision I've ever made. I don't believe I'm at my set point yet but I have faith my body is figuring it out. Thank you for the great resource ♥️
This is day 3 of practicing IE. I'm so done with dieting. I wasn't even searching for IE but for some reason your short videos started popping up in my RUclips feed. Recently every time I try to restart a diet or restart keto I make it 3 days and then binge on sweets. Day 2 of normal eating I ate 2 starbursts and it was enough! Thank you so much for your videos!
I feel like i am above my set point weight right now but I've been doing these techniques for a few days and it has really helped me.
I now watched a couple of your videos and I must say: It‘s amazing what you’re doing! I wish these were the videos I watched when I was a young teen struggling with my body image after years of bullying and having warped views on health and Victoria Secret angels. I am so glad that the new generation grows up with a different message. Thank you ❤
So I’m binging all your videos! Everything is starting to make sense! I’ve been hardcore macro counting/falling off the wagon for a solid 5 years now 😕
Based on your questions, I answered yes to all the first set and no to the second. Which makes me feel like I’m above my set point. This actually makes sense. Bc there was a time when I maintained a weight much low than my current pretty easy. I’m thinking that’s likely my set and I felt really good at that weight too!
I joined your Hunger Challenge and then SociEaty!! Here’s to healing my relationship with food and my body!!!
I cried, thank you girl, I have to stick to watching you instead of consuming harmful content and feeling pressured to go below my healthy BMI just because I don't like how I look. It's only making me more miserable.
This is interesting. The weight my body maintains effortlessly is 180. I eat healthy, eat intuitively, am very active. That is not where I feel healthy and good. I am 39 now and it is possible I raised my set point when I was young. The weight I feel best is 155 to 160. But I need to count calories to do that. Yet when I get there I think , but the bmi chart says I should be under 145. Then I get so frustrated that I can never get there. Look forward to listening to that book.
I am in your camp. I certainly could lose some weight, but I'm post menopausal and the weight just creeps up when your normal hormones just go away one day. I do recall when I was in my 30s, I got down to 145 and my periods stopped after a length of time training for a 15k run. Obviously, I was below my set point weight and didn't know it. I'll never see that number again, but as an older woman, I would be happy with something below the 200 mark as I'm at 215 right now. If I could get to 170 it would be marvelous, but she said to get rid of the scale. What to do? I'm also hypothryoroid and take medication for that. Maybe its a lost cause.
BMI does not account for muscle and should be permanently removed from society. I hate BMI calculations
My body just loves to gain muscle my weight without thinking too much about food is 190-200 I used to be ashamed of that weight but honestly when I look back I was always above the norm already at 140-150 in my teens and 20s and I wasn't even very big I'm just very dense and now in my 30s no wonder i weigh what i do my body is just like that ive done nothing wrong and embracing it more and enjoying lifting weights cause my body can do it and i dont have to think too much about eating its pretty great
I was healthiest at 135, which is a BMI of 18
Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep a bmi of 18 at my age?
Yep no scale , no counting calories or restriction last year I did Optavia and it screwed my body - mind set up with such low calorie and the restriction. I lost way too much weight.
I was unhealthy so when I went off the optavia diet my body was basically starving which lead to binge eating and feeling shame watching the scale go back up . It’s been since November 2021 I started my journey to heal from diet culture
Mentality .
I find in my 50’s post menopause that flexible internment fasting helps me be mindful not eating late at night.
I’ve done so much work to heal and love my body 💕 thank you for being part of the healing process for women .
Something just thought of... Is stress a reason for weight gain because the body thinks it has to save up for when there isn't much food to go around?
Historically many cultures have thought being a little bigger was better because it would get one through winter or an illness. We're actually the weird ones in wanting to be so thin all the time.
Just a random thought from random person. 🤷♀️
Edit: Smoothie bags are excellent idea! Whole video has been helpful. Thanks 😊
It's easy to say all of this when your set weight is naturally skinny. My parents are both naturally 'overweight' and they eat relatively healthy foods my mom decided to combat her being naturally overweight by always yoyo dieting and having food rules and my dad just embarrassed it and is obese with a host of health problems
This is no way they are naturally fat and eat healthy. They must overeat or got thyroid issues.
@@maryanosman1685 they eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full and there are no thyroid problems
Maria Bagriy its better to stop eating When your no longer hungry
@@mariabagriy150 maybe they stop eating when they too full.
To lose weight, you need to feel light after each meal
@@maryanosman1685 What a sadly ignorant comment. I hope you have better educated yourself since posting this.
Loving your videos!!! During this quarantine I stopped tracking after counting points for 14 months and began eating more. I now eat what I am serving my family and have found that I am still maintaining my weight. Maybe I am at my set point?!?! Thanks for your videos...I am learning so much. Plan to find Healthy at Every Size and keep learning.
jeaaaaaa me toooooooo
I feel like a lot of this comment section is kind of missing the point, and it took me a couple times of watching this video to understand it so I thought I would help. Especially since there are some negative comments toward Colleen which isn’t cool.
Your “set point” weight is the weight your body is just supposed to....be. If you’re 160 lbs and 6 months ago before quarantine you were 130, that doesn’t mean 130 was your happier weight. You’re 160 lbs, and after a few days of eating good food and not having good anxiety you’re feeling amazing and at your best. BUT it’s only been a few days so you probably only lost a couple lbs, let’s say 155 lbs. 155 is your set weight because you’re feeling balanced and healthy. However, if 155 was NOT meant to be your set weight then your body will just naturally let it go because it knows it’s getting replenished and doesn’t need to hold onto anything. Your set weight can change over time. For instance, I’m over 250 lbs, but I’m feeling healthy, if 3 months from now I’m let’s say 220 and I’m feeling amazing then great! My new set weight. However, let’s say I lost 100 lbs, I might feel like GARBAGE at that weight because what do I know? I’ve never been at a healthy equilibrium with my body due to all the diets I’ve done. Hope this helps someone.
Ohhh I understand a little better now, I guess it will be a long process. Thank you for the clarification.
Love this, thank you! x
When I started taking a particular medicine three years ago, I gained about 25 pounds. I'm able to manage the side effects better now, but I feel like if I didn't restrict myself I would gain even more weight and any that I've lost since then. Unfortunately I have explored all options but I absolutely need this medication...I would love to let my body take over but I don't think it's capable of regulating on its own at this point.
Thank you for keeping weight management real.
Why is my body needing more food all of a sudden?
I've been trying to eat intuitively but even when I'm physically full, my "mind" is still hungry and unsatisfied (if that makes sense).. I keep thinking about food too
I tried slowing my eating pace and being more mindful, but I still need more food than I think I really do
I also eat healthy most of the time so it isn't my body craving nutrients
The only thing that changed recently is allowing all foods and accepting my body's size after years of trying to lose weight
I don't understand 😅
Manar Abdullah youre not alone, my mind screams for food much louder than my body does
It’s called extreme hunger. After dieting and under nourishing your body, it sends signals to EAT to make up for al those days of restrictions.
@@chloesanders05 so how do we control it? should we give in to it or just keep eating until physically full?
@@lilyvanterve it’s really hard in the beginning, but just try to eat until you’re satisfied. If that means eating a whole box of cookies, do it. I remember I NEVER felt satisfied, and always had to eat until I was sick to feel good, but now I can eat normal amounts and feel satisfied 😋
when i feel like this, eating some amazing bread and pasta will always make me feel satisfied. don’t restrict on “bad” foods
I started IE 2 years ago and have gained 50lbs. I’m the biggest I’ve ever been and it bums me out so often. I know I was starving myself for years and then when I started IE I was stress eating. Ugh! Trying to find balance. My body won’t let me diet anymore or it backfires SO quickly. Even if I’m not aware I’m in a diet mentality. This is so hard. I hate being in a bigger body!!!! 😫
The thing is I answered yes to a lot of the questions on both sides of the equation! So am I over my set point weight, under it, or at it? Or am I just obsessed with food because I love cooking?
My diet, I eat what I want when I want (Chocolate Ice Cream, amazing) and I'm happy, that's what counts. My weight fluctuates maybe 5 lbs. Where I live is I do a lot of walking or skateboarding, faster than taking a car sometimes.
i'm just starting my intuitive eating journey after a lifetime of dieting and your videos are super helpful and comforting. Thank you!!
I read that our body's set point can increase with weight gain holding us at a higher point than in the past. How common is it for an intuitive eaters set point to decrease with time?
Everyone is different, it will happen naturally from nourishing your body.
Colleen, why is the body of a model considered unrealistic? The model achieved it, why can't I?
literally!! i lost weight and kept it off because i followed a diet/workout plan i created for myself for weight loss and once i achieved my goal i made a new plan for weight maintenance and have been following it to this day and plan to continue following it. its rlly not that hard idk why ppl are overcomplicating it 🤷🏼♀️
I am super new to intuitive eating (within the last week and half or so) and am reading the book for the first time. I share some of the fears of what is going to happen with my weight without food rules. I am resisting the temptation to go back to calorie counting and trusting the process. Thank you for such a great video!
@sarahbeautyfit Saraketo I am enjoying holiday foods without guilt for the first time in almost 10 years and it feels amazing. I do think I have gained a little weight but I’m still working out so I have a feeling it will balance out with time. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m choosing and enjoying vegetables again which is weird but cool. Haha The benefits of listening to my body instead of fighting it are kinda amazing. I still have some fears but they are continuing to decrease. Thanks for asking 😊
the pay you say the 'pal' in f****s pal is pretty much the most adorable thing I've ever heard! Thank you for this vid, super helpful
I have had an “all or nothing” mentality for years. By the grace of God, I have made so much progress since late 2019. I’m still on a journey - but this was a big win. The other day, I was on the treadmill, just getting in a few steps after my weight lifting. My fitness tracker said I was at 9 min 35 seconds. I felt like stopping. So I DID!!! In the past I would have felt compelled to hit the round 10 minute mark. This was somewhat big for me. Now, my question is - could I possibly workout without my tracker?? I’ve become so dependent on it - like using my GPS even when I know where I’m going. It’s such a mental hangup. I wonder if the goal would be to get rid of ALL of those measurement tools? (Body weight scale, food scale, fitness trackers, etc) I bet the answer is YES.
Baby steps…
Immensely grateful for this podcast! So eye opening and helpful. Thank you from the heart!
I listened to my body yelling for help and started eating. Gained 3 pounds, I got scared. I stopped, don't know what to do 😭 I'm scared to eat. Hate myself.
I appreciate you saying healthy at any size.. I have struggled for years. I range between 185 and 200 comfortably.. this is above the Dr's. Suggestions, of course, but all blood work and other things are very healthy. So I diet and diet, not to mention a size 14 in society says I'm obese... I am new to my intuitive journey, and it was hard in the beginning, but I am getting better every week as I try to listen to my body.
You got this! So glad you have started your IE journey! It's so worth it!❤
Colleen, I hope you know your channel is changing a lot of lives, including mine,
For some reason this video made me cry.
Being post menopausal is making my situation even worse, but the issue is (because I’ve been heavier a few times) my set point weight is something I hate. I don’t look good or feel good at it. I love being thin. And, now at 56, my natural weight is probably higher than it was back in my younger years.
I am 56 and have beenon some sort of "program" since I was 12. I am looking forward to the freedom!
#1 thing I am going to do is stop tracking every stinking bite eat or think about eating!
've heard people talk a lot about the bodies 'set point' and how we have a range of around 5-20lbs that is where each individual body is healthiest. I have recently begun working out more and doing a bit of strength training, purely because it's something I enjoy and it's a good way for me and my partner to find more time to spend together. My question is this, if I lose fat but build muscle (as a by product of the added exercise, it isn't a hard and fast goal of mine as I do try to live intuitively) am I still at my set point? for example, if I weigh 160lb now and in 6 months I still weigh 160lb but my body has changed because that weight is now muscle instead of fat, is that still my set point? or will it then change? Hopefully someone in the comments can answer this!
I have the same question..
You’ll need more of a caloric demand, but trust your hunger/fill cues to figure it out
You said that under eating can increase your set point weight, I have restricted in the past, does that mean my set point weight now just higher? Is there anyway to lower it?
Same question 🙋
Great question! I believe the biggest impact is the continuous cycles of yo-yo dieting. I restricted for a very long time as well and was underweight. My body did gain some to get back to it's set point weight. Had I restricted again, then binged,then restricted I believe THAT is when the set weight heightens further. Does this make sense?
@@Ola-it5vk See below girlfriend!
@@ColleenChristensen So no, we can't lower it?
@@ColleenChristensen Seriously, that answer doesn't help. What most of us want to know is: What can we do to reset our "Set weight" point to less than it has become because of the past unhealthy cycle gain/restrict dieting over many years. I've hated my weight since high school, now hit menopause and need to RE-SET the "set point". My body seems to think my set point is 175. 5" frame is not healthy at 175lbs What can be done?
i used to relate to overeating far past fullness, and being stuffed and thinking about food all the time. Now I still think about food all the time, but I don't eat enough. I'm not sure what my set point weight is. I have lost 21 pounds. But I'm still on the brink of being overweight. I want to look different, but also have a healthy relationship with food. It doesn't feel like I can have both...
This video means the world to me. I have been struggling with accepting my body for a very long time and this is amazing. I finally understand that I have to let go to be at my 'healthiest.' I do have one question though: I have a lot of food allergies. I can't eat gluten or dairy and my body is intolerant of large amounts of sugar. Do you have any tips about losing food rules when I still have to pay close attention to what I am eating?
I searched this out because, on a keto diet, I continue to lose weight. I started keto to lose a final 5 lbs and have lost 20! I am eating a lot more and still dropping pounds although I feel great.
I'm reading 'the f*ck it diet'.... it is eye opening!
Yep! Totally backfired. I’ve dieted my way up.
Thanks for the video! Good stuff!
One question came to mind: How do you know if you have reached your set point weight when you should not use a scale? Are you only measuring by how you feel?
yes!!! you'll feel stability. it will fluctuate, out bodies do! Your hunger & fullness cues are strong, no urge to binge, feeling physically & mentally comfortable!
I feel like you only describe the positives, like you might not actually feel the best in your set point, you might hate your body and feel fat, the important thing is you don't have to love your body because it does so much for you. Maybe you could touch on that? It might be hard for you to understand because your body is naturally very privileged and slim. Great video tho.
Saskia Finnan I love her so so much but I think you brought up a very good point!!
Oh, 180% that mindset stuff is HARD!!!!!! I have a post on a few simple tactics to help improve body image. However we really can distort our thoughts so I do always bring it back to how it feel and feeling gratitude! Great points! colleenchristensennutrition.com/3-simple-steps-to-improve-body-image/
her body is not "priveledged" as there is literally no such thing
@@amytrumbull2075 of course it exists. She even said it herself. I encourage you to educate yourself on privileged bodies (majority of people) I bet even you have a privileged body because you would know if you don't.
Why did I not find you sooner. 😊. Been struggling for so long
Thanks Colleen - really interesting video. Do you think it’s almost inevitable you may put on weight (if you’re coming to this after prolonged dieting) before your body finds its set point? And also I am 50 so can I expect my set point to be higher than if I were in my 20’s?
This is true. I just posted a weight loss video that revolves around this topic. I think you can drop your setpoint 5 pounds when losing 10 lbs. then go off diet for 2 weeks. check set point and it will be 5 pounds lower. This seems to be a realistic result. Then return to diet for another 2 weeks. Continue till you get to your desired weight.
Did you not listen to a word she said?
Hi Colleen, i have a question for you!
Roughly 5 months ago, I took up intermittent fasting, at first as a way to lose weight, but I kept it when I realised that I felt less bloated and tired throughout the day, and was able to feel happier and more energetic. However, I also had many food rules for myself, and deemed certain foods as 'bad', which badly impacted my mental health. I've found your channel, and I love the idea of intuitive eating, but I don't want to go back to eating in a normal food window, as I prefer the way my body feels during my current eating time. Do you think I can marry intuitive eating and intermittent fasting? Or should I only stick to one?
Thanks for any help!
Hi, in my opinion if you feel good fasting, and not restricting yourself go for it. You can also intuitive eat during your eating hours. It’s all about balance and what feels good to your body, some people feel good while fasting and some people don’t. So do whatever is more healthy and enjoyable for you 😉.
I’m 8 months into my IE journey. I’ve relapsed to counting calories and weighing daily twice. But both times I’ve ditched it because I find counting calories encourages me to disconnect from my fullness cues. If I’ve logged it I eat the whole thing. When I step away from tracking I’m more likely to stop and not finish something g if I’m full and satisfied. 8 months in my bingeing has essentially stopped. I’ve gained about 10 pounds and holding steady there but I don’t think that’s my true set point weight. I don’t feel great at this weight. I think my main struggle 8 months in is truly finding my fullness cues. I don’t binge anymore which is a huge success, but I’m still eating past fullness.
Health at Every Size is amazing thank you!
I too am terrified of gaining back weight. have you ever considered reviewing "profile by sanford" program? I used it and kept weight off for 2 years but never got to my goal and now i am gaining weight back slowly. I am listening to your videos and i like them. Trying to break my fitness pal habit but it makes me nausous to even think of not logging.
I think the fear of gaining weight is a huge marketing ploy of diet culture -- if we're not scared to gain weight, we don't need diets, right?
This is such an interesting theory. I thought that when I stopped dieting and stopped my food rules I would just exponentially gain weight. That’s the thought I had for years and why I kept going back to dieting. It’s so great to know that it won’t happen. I’ve been diet free since October 2019. Yeah I’ve gain weight, but eventually it stopped. It fluctuates but i haven’t gained exponentially like I thought
Let’s also address those people that are terrified of LOSING weight
Because, at least within families, there is a lot of stigma when it comes to being naturally skinny
People just want you to eat more and this is the main reason people suffer from binge eating disorder and bulimia
They are pressured to stuff their faces with food and end up losing control of their hunger-fullness cues, thus gaining weight and living miserably
Because in such cases you are both afraid to gain weight, as this is not you, AND to lose weight, as you are scared of how people will react
Those people, in my opinion, deserve as much attention as those who naturally have heavier bodies than those idealized by society and restrict their food intake in fear of weight gain
I'm not a dieter and I am 300 pounds... I don't think weight gain is always a result of restricting.
Sooo, I have never worried about what I eat. I ate anything. Then, menopause came. I don't like my new set point weight. How do I wrap my head around that?
I'm really confused. I answered yes to almost every single question for both below and above set point weight. What does this mean? I suppress hunger, can't feel my hunger cues, am massively preoccupied with food, binge uncontrollably a lot at night way past fullness, restrict during the day, live off of coffee.
I am the heaviest I have been in three years (I entered recovery 18 months ago), any more weight gain will destroy me. I can't do it. I'll end up as big as I was before the ED. And I didn't feel amazing then, I felt like cr*p. I can't go back to that.
She is amazing. I am beginner for mindfulness eating and I never heard about it until I saw her video. I am going through it. Wish me luck😂. I have eating disorder and I’m suffering with it.😢
I am severely over weight. Set point is a "nice" idea if you are a size 10 or 12 not a size 22 or 24 and it is hard to move or do anything. I am very uncomfortable.
How do I lower my set point weight?
Well I just answered yes to all of those questions 😳
So I had an eating disorder and was once underweight . During recovery I gain weight but I kept gaining . Then with birth control and then pregnancy Now I’m “obese” . I think I now how to lose or gain but not maintain . Now I’m so sad and hate myself . Being obese is not healthy either but I’m afraid that if I go on a diet I will relapse . Mind you I am muslim so I do Ramadan but that doesn’t affect me because it’s for religious reason not for weight loss . So is there hope for me ? I don’t think that obesity is my set point for me .
I’m scared my set point is going to be like the RUclipsr Stephanie Buttermore. She is beautiful and amazing but for myself I would not want to gain as mich as her.
ThrivingAfterThirty her story was a bit 'extreme' though. She was very thin for a very long time and lost her period at some point. Her body just went into overdrive. Her body now is actually losing weight and redistributing weight (I follow her on Insta) which looks totally different than before. Hope this helps! ☺️
she had a much different issue, she had extreme hunger. i 100% understand your fear, but i highly doubt you have anything to worry about. she was eating around 5000 calories a day, she could eat a LOT of food. she was eating to try and solve her hunger problem, not really a weight related problem.
@@estherh.1106 Ohhh how interesting to see the changes. I'll go check out her IG. Thanks :)
@@tweeri117 Oh wow, that is a lot of calories. I noticed that her hunger is decreasing a lot now. It's very interesting to see the changes she is going through. I definitely don't have a huge hunger problem. Thank you for your reply. :)
Great topic! Everyone is totally different. Personally, I didn't go "all in" and I teach the girlfriends in my membership to go slower. Why? Because if we feel we have to go "all in" sometimes that is plain SCARY and we will be to scared to do ANYTHING! Rather, pick one food rule and start there. Pick an easy one! Maybe you're avoiding certain carbs, fat, etc. Start slowly, its okay! Also, a lot of times we DO overshoot our set point weight!!!!
When I think about throwing away the scales (or even putting them in the loft) I feel really anxious. Same with deleting my fitnesses pal. I have been obese before and I’m afraid I will be again. However I have been dieting since I was a child and I’m so tired of it and it really doesn’t work.
What if I have all of those “symptoms”? All the ones for being above your set point, and all the ones for being below????
Thanks for this video it’s very informative. I just had some questions around the set point weight theory. Can it change over time? Also as you transition between one stage to another - adolescence to adulthood, to becoming older adult and hitting menopause if you’re female? I feel my own set point has changed at-least every 10 years. I also wondered if increased physical activity can change your set point? Thanks again this video was very helpful! :-)
Great topic 👍👍❤️
Thanks Ola!
I just had an epiphany 😭 I've been dieting since I was like 9-10 years old and I'm almost 20 now. I just realized when I go backpacking, usually 10+ days with no apps to track and intense exercise, I automatically intuitively eat and I always feel amazing! I feel like but the end I usually understand my hunger and fullness cues but then I go right back into dieting to "save" the feeling
This is me 100%. While hiking, backpacking, and camping, I eat truly intuitively, without thinking about food, without obsession, without blaming my body for feeling any certain way. When I come back to the city, all of that intuition turns back into researching a new diet or trend.
I deleted myfitnesspal 6 months ago, stopped going on the scale and am now 16 kg heavier, way above my set point weight and at my heaviest I've ever been. So don't think that with my history (and present) of binge eating this is going to work for me....
Me either. I gained 20 lbs over several months once I stopped tracking on MFP and throwing away the scale. I’m back to tracking.
I haven’t succeeded in “mindful eating.” At ALL.
Same thing happened to me when I tried this. I went from 155 to 200lbs pretty quickly. Went back to restricting and got down to 165 and stayed there with effort for the past year. Let up restricting for the past few weeks, back up to 173. I am only 5’5” tall. If I eat over 1500 calories a day, I gain and that’s with consistent exercise. I just get so tired of being hungry but the alternative is an unhealthy weight and related health problems like high blood pressure and borderline high glucose. I wish I could eat normally and be at a heathy weight. This is not helpful for me and just makes me more frustrated to watch naturally skinny people claim to know the answers for people who have always struggled with being overweight. 😥
I need rules around my food since I am overweight. I ate whatever I wanted for a long time and gained lots of weight. Rules give me structure and guidelines to follow. Having no food rules when you have a food addiction doesn't work. I am eating more whole foods and have cut out a lot of processed foods as well. I'm healthier now than ever before!
I think retraining your eating habits to ones that are more healthy for your body probably don't count as food rules.
This sounds great. What about if you've gained 20 pounds from medicine? I feel I want to control to get back to "normal" (which felt like my set point pre-third baby and pre-medicine).
...or from disease. My body weight was great until my thyroid crashed. Now I'm hungry ALL the time, like my body wants 3000 calories a day, but I'm pushing 200 pounds, (5'8") so I won't listen to my body's cravings because I know they aren't healthy. If I eat 1500 calories a day, I loose a tiny bit of weight, so I know my body isn't burning much more than that per day.
This video is amazing ! Thank you 🙏
I feel like I'm in between both things you described... above and below my set point... this is how screwed up I am from trying so many diets.. I fluctuate between both... ugh.. anyone else relate?
I accidentally increased my set weight point I think! I've had horrible chronic gastritis for 4 years now and have been starving for the whole 4 years because of it. My weight initially dropped 70lbs in 3-4 months because of the lack of food. Now I'm putting on weight again and I cannot get rid of a single pound of it. I've been tearing my hair out trying to figure out why I can't lose it. This might explain it!
No thanx id rather be skinny. Don’t care if that’s my set point weight or not but id rather be thin. My set point weight is like 60-63 kilos(im 171 cm tall) but right now im at 54 kilos because i like it more. I don’t overly restrict myself to be here. I simplu follow a 75-25% rule(75% of time eat for my body high nutritious food and 25% i eat for my mind-less nutritious food that i love) and work out 3-4 times/week
Scary, but makes so much sense
This is all wonderful information. However, I must say hearing it from someone who's body falls within what society deems attractive naturally, does make it hard to hear.
Right!?!? It’s always people who never had a weight issue but think 120lbs at 5’10” is too fat that make these intuitive eating videos.🙄
The thing is I feel drained and like shit constantly being 5’2” and being around 70 KG. I feel better physically when I’m eating less but I get constant hunger, this is a weight I’ll never be happy at and I was around 57 for years before I started to do night shift and overeat by tons. I really hope this isn’t it…
Is medication the way to go here? I eat 3000 calories a day because of gnawing hunger when I try to eat less and I’m certainly not below my setpoint or else I’d be gaining weight eating like this. It’s annoying and I’m fed up, my guess is I’ve raised my setpoint through staying over it for so long
Just uninstalled MyFitnessPal after a day of binge eating. I feel physically weak these days. I will try to dip in the water of intuitive eating. I'm scared to be honest, but the information I've come across so far makes enough sense to me
To people wondering if this is true because overweight people exist: As someone who used to be overweight then transitioned to having an eating disorder and is now at a healthy weight, I can say that people are overweight because they consistently don’t listen to their body. They overeat not because they want food, but because food gives them dopamine and serves as a comfort source. What they really want is dopamine, not food. So they usually eat until they feel uncomfortably full, which the body doesn’t want. After recovery I found hobbies so that I can get dopamine that way, and don’t use food as a comfort tool anymore and I’m a normal weight now. 👍
That may be your truth but to say it is everyone’s issue is pretty presumptuous. We are all different. There are many reasons why a person could be overweight. Your experience does not make it true for everyone. Ugh 😩
So I'm finding intuitive eating to be really interesting, but the "health at every size" thing seems off to me... Morbid obesity isn't healthy. There are so many health problems. The same goes for being underweight. So does that phrase truly mean *every* weight, or is that like a general statement?
I literally said yes to all of the below weight questions 😭😭😭
Ok random but can you please review products as well like Stur?
I answered yes to some of each above and below, I know that's not a definitive answer. But I feel like this is my worst fear confirmed, (that I'm at my set point weight and it's not where I want to be) I don't under eat, I don't let myself get to the hangry point, I don't over eat, if I'm not hungry or almost hungry but it's dinner, I'll just skip dinner or maybe do a light dinner. I don't late night snack, I eat some junk, but not a lot and I like a lot of veggies, fruits, and protein. But I just stay at the same weight... so where does this leave me, fat and unhappy 🙁?
i’ve been underweight for months and i can’t control it but i just can’t get myself to eat.. haven’t had a period since april 2021 and i just feel so lost lol
Ok so I answered “no” to all of your questions relating to possibly being over my set point weight, but I am 39 yrs, 5’2” and weigh about 145. So my question is, how does the idea of a set point weight fit in with physical activity? If I have a healthy attitude toward food, but yet I am not active enough, is it reasonable that I would be over my set point weight? Thanks!
Too bad the ad before this video was this program advocating for weight loss by eating according to your hormones :(.
Cheryl Peters algorithms, man
This makes sense. but I've been hovering around 290 for years. During pregnancy I loose like 30 lbs, because my appetite is very low then, and then after gain really quick to the 290's again, mostly cauz I get CRAZY sugar and carb cravings. Overall I'm pretty healthy, but should loose a few pounds to have a bit more energy etc... based on BMI I'm morbidly obese (5'8") , but I honestly think my set point weight should be around 250 ish, which would still be considered obese... but my whole family is larger build.
I’m wondering your thoughts on hyperemesis gravidarum and rebound weight gain…🤔
I love your content!
How does all this come into play when you have high blood sugar? That is where I am struggling with now-- after getting GD- and then Covid hit- I not only gained a lot of weight, but my sugar is now high... I want to eat intuitively, I also want my sugar in check - and I have toddler which makes it hard to ever sit and actually eat mindfully. I try- but I'm so busy with his meals - that I end up shoveling food in blindly...he stresses my eating out.
Anyone else getting ads for weightloss programs And liposuction?
I said yes to both set of questions.. what now? What does that mean? Am I above? Below?
Same thing 🤔
Great question! I always ask: How do you FEEL. Usually, we can feel it. We feel like we're below our set point weight because we feel restricted, low energy, not nourished. You may be above if you feel physically uncomfortable in your body and it's difficult to feel comfortable doing daily activities. Does this make sense?
@@uncorn2009 Checkout my comment! Hope it helps!
Colleen Christensen Thanks 💕 Well I guess I‘m below my set point...
@@ColleenChristensen thank you!
How does this work for someone with a metabolic disorder like PCOS? I worked with a nutritionist who told me I was not eating enough. I started eating the amounts she said we're more healthy, and I gained 30 pounds. 😓
What about eating before bed? I’ve heard it’s had negative impacts towards starving in the morning. I have found myself a lot hungrier. I don’t know if it’s because of my lack of calories through the day or it’s just no good eating before bed.
Thing is i answered yes to almost all of the questions. Guess I'm simultaneously too fat and too skinny. Fits with what people are telling me tho
I’ve done so many weight loss programs that work first few weeks then stop working and I start gaining my weight I lost back. I love to exercise but not sure if this effects my weight loss.
I heard many people say they started to eat way more after starting intuitive eating due to past restriction, that they are very hungry etc. And I have it other way round, I decided to only eat when I'm hungry but I rarely am. Before intuitive eating I ate 90% because of emotions (stress, boredom, sadness)/habits and 10% because of hunger. I often felt too full and certainly gained weight. Does the lack of hunger mean I'm above my set point weight? What am I supposed to do?