Dumb question of the day

(Patrick L Anderson) #1

When, exactly does the body reach stasis? I mean, obviously barring any eating disorders or disease, when does the body finally say that “X” is the ideal weight and start holding steady?

(Art ) #2

That’s got to be a moving target with way too many variables. Do you feel good, have energy, but at the same time enough weight to store fat soluble vitamins?

When I was at the Olympic Training Center the coaches, physiologists, sports psychologists and nutritionists spent more of their efforts to prevent over training and excessive weight loss than they did on performance enhancing.

Men with very low body fat were constantly sick and battling infections while women would openly brag about missing their periods.

You can find and define what boundaries work for you and then keep within that range.

(Robert C) #3

Well - basically only when you die.

But, in terms of Keto - it is sometimes called your “Phinney weight”.

My reading of it is that basically, continuing with Keto (eat to satiety, less than 20 grams of carbs, optionally “cheating” once it a while if that is required for your continued compliance or so you can “have a life” etc.) your body will eventually go down to some weight and essentially plateau forever. Based on things like your stress levels and quality/quantity of sleep, your body is happy with the fat level stored so it not driving you to eat more (to store more) and it is also not willing to give up any more (essentially “stasis”).

Adding exercise and/or fasting, improving sleep and decreasing stress might bring it below that level - essentially defining a new “stasis”.

An important point to keep in mind is that the body is not a machine - it is not just food intake and calories spent.
Two identical twins with exactly the same body composition will move to different “stasis” levels simply due to the contents of their mind if, for example, one gets a job as a stock broker and the other becomes a yoga instructor.

#4

I don’t know that we really have a stasis. I got fat and stayed within 10lbs of that weight for almost a decade regardless of how I ate, good, bad, binge, didn’t matter. Now my set point has changed and I’m back around this new weight, again, regardless of what I do. We can move that around by force but I think ultimately it’s us that has to get ourselves somewhere then our body should maintain it.

(Ken) #5

I tend not to believe in the concept. This is based on being in the Fitness Lifestyle for quite a few years. Participants, especially Bodybuilders are able to get body fat levels very low for competitions. The main difference is that the Keto concept for bodybuilding understands the metabolic side of the equation, being that when fat levels are low, yet activity levels are high, the nutritional focus is on the metabolics of prevention of a slowdown. That involves targeted carb consumption, a religious anathema of many on this Board. Despite it being proven for decades and used by thousands of people.

(Patrick L Anderson) #6

Oh, I feel great and I’m happy with my weight and all. I was just curious. It’s the mechanical engineer in me…

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #7

A good question. Firstly, we know that the normal range of body fat is about 10-12% for men and about 20-23% for women (assuming my memory is working correctly). Then, you need enough muscle to be able to move your body around and perform the tasks you need to do. Furthermore, your bone density constantly adjusts itself to meet the stresses your skeleton is subjected to. Eating patterns are also relevant.

We also know that people’s level of insulin resistance is another determining factor, which I believe is why some people’s weight set point is higher than other’s of the same build and general activity level. Also, global warming seems to be increasing weight in all animal species.

I doubt there is an answer that can be reduced to a formula, although Keven Hall has tried. Is his weight model still up anywhere on the NIH site? Last time I looked, I had trouble finding it.

(Barri) #8

It also changes as we age. I know this from personal experience! :rofl:

(mole person) #9

I don’t believe the body has “a stasis”. I can change the weight at which my body will hang out by changing any one of many variables. Even at my current maintenance weight of 104 lbs I can easily drop more weight with a couple of small changes and that will turn into a new set point if I maintain those variables.

My sister is a functioning anorexic and has been her whole life. She lives at a very low set point. It’s not healthy but it is perfectly stable.

(Art ) #10

I was thinking the same thing except stasis wouldn’t exist for some time after death.

But right away after cremation !!! :crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #11

That seems to be something that varies quite a bit from person to person. There is enough evidence for and against the notion of a “set point” for some researchers to consider it a valid hypothesis, while others pooh-pooh the whole idea. My wild-assed, totally non-data-based guess is that it will probably turn out to be associated somehow with insulin resistance.