Break Through Your Set Point

Book excerpt: How many times have you gone on a diet and lost a few pounds, only to hit, once again, that dreaded plateau? Many people manage to lose the first 10, 15, or 20 pounds of the weight they want to shed. Then, no matter how hard they work, they can't seem to nudge the number on the scale farther down, and often they end up gaining back the weight they lost. Finally, there is a healthy, permanent weight-loss solution that will get you off the frustrating yo-yo that often accompanies most fad diets. Dr. George L. Blackburn is the associate director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School and directs the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine, which investigates complex issues in nutrition and health. Based on three decades of his research and clinical practice, Break Through Your Set Point offers an exciting and effective program that will give you specific tools to help you get out of your rut and prevent those extra pounds from coming back. Your set point, or typical body weight, is determined by your genes and your environment. Many modern lifestyle habits—including getting too little sleep and eating on the run—have conspired to raise many people's set points to unhealthily high levels. According to Dr. Blackburn's theory, if you set a reasonable goal to lose about 10 percent of your initial body weight, then hold steady at your new weight without regaining any pounds for at least six months, you can reset your body's set point. And once you've reset your set point, you can repeat the cycle to lose even more weight. The body's innate tendency to protect itself against starvation explains why the body resists losing weight after a certain point. Dr. Blackburn explains the science behind the set-point theory and helps you devise a plan that works for you. With his unique, multi-faceted approach, Dr. Blackburn shows that hitting your set point is not a dead end but the first step in losing weight the right way. This book will help you overcome your weight-loss plateau once and for all.