If you’ve been diligent about your diet and you’ve hit a plateau where your weight won’t budge but you still feel hungry, you may be battling your set point.

The set point theory, developed in the 1980s, is based on the notion that everyone’s body has a comfortable weight range determined by body fat.

If you diet to lose weight, which means lowering your set point, you may reach a wall where you get sudden cravings to binge on forbidden foods or you may become obsessed with the thought of eating.

Apparently, the human body cannot differentiate between dieting and starvation. Long-term calorie deprivation triggers your body to turn down its metabolism level and burn calories more slowly, making it harder for you to maintain a steady weight loss.

Although not everyone agrees with this theory, many do believe that the best way to change your set point is through a commitment to a regular exercise routine which will increase your rate of metabolism.

The larger muscles, thighs and buttocks, require more calories to burn for fuel. So lower body exercises, combined with a healthy diet, may be your best way to burn past your set point for a toned and healthy body.