Homeostasis: Why You Are Struggling to Keep Off Weight

If you are on a weight loss journey chances are you’ve hit some roadblocks, especially when it comes to keeping the weight off. You could be doing everything right—exercising regularly, eating healthy foods, and eating within a reasonable calorie range. Yet, somehow, your body seems to fight back and you feel like you’re not making any progress. Often, I have heard or read from health experts and fitness trainers say that losing weight is hard, but keeping off weight is even harder.

One major reason for this struggle is called homeostasis. Understanding homeostasis will help you realize why your body resists long-term weight changes and how you can better manage your body, and not work against it.

What Is Homeostasis?

According to this definition I found on Wikipedia, Homeostasis is the body’s ability to maintain a stable internal environment, such as regulating temperature, blood pressure, and other vital functions. It’s a survival mechanism that ensures your body functions properly even when external conditions change. For example, when you are in a hot environment, your internal body temperature rises and your body adjusts by sweating to help you cool down.

In any weight loss journey, homeostasis plays a crucial role. The body has a certain “set point,” or preferred weight range, and it will do everything it can to stay there. This set point is different for everybody and it is mostly determined by genetics. If you’ve been in a stable weight range for a long time, losing weight might feel like you’re working against your own body—and in many ways, you are.

Results from a 2021 research carried out on participants of the famous American reality TV show The Biggest Loser further highlight the impact of homeostasis. On the show, people who are struggling with obesity participate in intense weight loss contests. This contest involves extreme fitness programs and strict dieting. It was found out that while some of the contestants were able to keep off weight, many of them put on much weight almost immediately.

Why Homeostasis Makes Weight Loss Hard

• Metabolism Slows Down
  One of the ways your body maintains homeostasis is by adjusting your metabolism when you lose weight. When you start to shed pounds, your body senses that it’s losing energy stores (fat) and reacts by slowing your metabolism.
  
  This is part of your body’s effort to conserve energy, thinking it might need those resources in the future. Unfortunately, a slower metabolism means you burn fewer calories even while performing the same activities.
  
• Hunger Hormones Spike
  Another trick your body plays involves hunger hormones, like ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin increases appetite, while leptin tells your brain when you’re full. When you lose weight, your body produces more ghrelin, which can increase cravings and hunger, making it hard to stick to your diet.
  
  At the same time, leptin levels decrease, making it tougher to feel satisfied after meals. This is particularly true when you are trying to cut calories. In my experience, it also has a psychological side to it because the thought of reducing meal portions and skipping meals makes me feel hungry.
  
• The Set Point Theory
  Your body has a natural “set point” for weight that it defends, thanks to evolutionary biology. When you lose weight, your body perceives it as a threat to its survival, triggering mechanisms like metabolic slowdown and hunger signals to bring your weight back up to its set point. This is why long-term weight loss often feels like an uphill battle.

How to Work With Homeostasis, Not Against It

Although homeostasis makes weight management challenging, you can still break the circle and create a new set point. Here are some strategies to help you maintain weight loss in the long run:

• Have a Long Term Mindset
  In my opinion, this is by far the best way to break the circle. One mistake I see many people make is taking their weight loss journey like a one-time project. This is usually unproductive and any progress made during the short period will be lost to the action of homeostasis. Training consistently over a long period of time will help your body to completely adjust and adapt to the new norm you have set for it.
  
• Focus on Sustainable Habits
  Extreme dieting might lead to rapid weight loss, but it can also confuse your body’s natural rhythm and make it more likely to bounce back to its previous weight. Instead, aim for small, manageable changes like eating balanced meals, staying active, and getting enough sleep. Consistency helps your body gradually adjust to a new weight “set point.”
  
• Build and Maintain Muscle
  Strength training is essential to preserving muscle mass during weight loss. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so by incorporating resistance exercises, you can help counteract the metabolic slowdown associated with weight loss. This helps your body keep burning calories efficiently.
  
• Eat Enough Protein
  Protein is a key nutrient for muscle repair and can help keep you fuller for longer, reducing cravings. By maintaining a diet rich in lean protein, you give your body the building blocks it needs to repair and build muscle while also preventing hunger spikes.
  
• Gradually Reduce Calories
  Instead of cutting your calorie intake drastically, aim for a slow and steady approach. This gives your body time to adjust to a lower calorie intake without triggering a sharp drop in metabolism or a rise in hunger hormones.
  
• Mind Your Mental Health
  Stress, sleep, and emotional factors all play a role in weight management. Chronic stress can lead to hormonal imbalances that affect hunger and fat storage. Prioritize stress-reducing activities like meditation, adequate sleep, and time for relaxation to support your weight maintenance efforts.

Final Note on Homeostasis

Understanding your body weight can be confusing at times. Our weights constantly fluctuate during our daily activities. Which makes it harder to understand Homeostasis. With that said, homeostasis might make it seem like your body is working against you in your weight loss journey, but understanding how it works can help you find more effective ways for long-term success. 

Rather than fighting your body’s natural processes, work with them by creating sustainable habits, maintaining muscle, and managing your metabolism. This will help you overcome the roadblocks homeostasis can create and give you a better chance of keeping the weight off for good. Weight loss isn’t just about willpower; it’s also about biology. Once you understand that, you can make smarter, more sustainable choices for long-term health.