Biological or psychological reversion?

At its core, reversion to the mean refers to the idea that things, whether it’s weight, happiness, or success, tend to return to an average or baseline over time. Picture it like a thermostat. You might dial up the heat for a while, but eventually, the system pulls things back to the preset temperature.
In a psychological context, Gay Hendricks describes this as the Upper Limit Problem in The Big Leap —a tendency to self-sabotage when we experience too much happiness, love, or success. It’s like we hit an invisible ceiling that says, “Whoa there! You’re not allowed to feel this good,” and so, we unconsciously bring ourselves back to that comfort zone of average.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jason Fung takes a biological approach in The Obesity Code, explaining how our body weight is tightly controlled by the hypothalamus, the part of our brain that regulates hunger and energy. You might lose a few pounds here and there, but just like that thermostat, your brain adjusts, trying to push your weight back to its preset point.

Upper Limits and Set Points: Different Domains, Same Idea

Let’s break it down with examples:

1. Happiness: You’ve just landed a big promotion, started a new relationship, or finished a personal project—your happiness skyrockets. But after a few days or weeks, that high fades. Maybe you start worrying about new challenges or find small reasons to be stressed again. Hendricks would argue this is your Upper Limit Problem at work, a psychological barrier that keeps you from consistently living at a higher level of happiness or success.
2. Weight: Similarly, with weight, you might go on a diet, shed some pounds, and feel pretty great. But unless you address the underlying mechanisms (like insulin resistance that Dr. Fung discusses), your body will fight to return to that set point, often leaving you frustrated as the weight creeps back on.

In both cases, the “mean” or average feels safer, more comfortable—even though you may not consciously choose it.

How the Hypothalamus and Mind Work Together

The connection between the mind’s Upper Limit Problem and the body’s weight set point runs deep. Both are rooted in a desire to maintain homeostasis—a state of equilibrium where things don’t get too good or too bad. The hypothalamus is responsible for physical balance, while our subconscious mind does the same thing emotionally.
Dr. Fung explains that the hypothalamus controls hunger signals and energy expenditure in a way that can sabotage our dieting efforts. It responds to calorie restriction by slowing metabolism and increasing hunger, driving us back to that familiar weight. Similarly, Hendricks suggests that our subconscious mind works to protect us from discomfort—whether that’s the discomfort of failure or, paradoxically, the discomfort of too much_ success.

Why Does This Happen?

The reasons for both these tendencies—whether biological or psychological—can be traced back to survival. For thousands of years, our brains and bodies were wired for stability. That upper limit or set point was there to keep us safe, to ensure we didn’t take on more than we could handle. Think about it: in ancient times, too much success or too much weight loss could be dangerous. The brain evolved to help us conserve energy and avoid extreme highs and lows.
But here’s the real kicker—while this worked for survival in the wild, it doesn’t always serve us in today’s world. We’re no longer running from predators or trying to survive a winter with limited food supplies. Yet, our brain and body haven’t caught up to that shift, meaning we’re left with psychological and biological systems that can keep us stuck in a frustrating loop.

How to Break Free

So, how do you override these tendencies? Both Hendricks and Fung offer solutions, but they require a deeper understanding of what’s truly lurking under the surface.

1. Awareness: It all starts with awareness. Hendricks says you need to notice when you’re self-sabotaging. Maybe you finally land that dream job and immediately start worrying about failure. That’s your upper limit kicking in. Fung points out that with weight loss, it’s not just willpower—it’s your brain adjusting hunger and energy to keep you at your familiar weight. Knowing that it’s more than just “bad habits” helps you approach both issues more strategically.
2. Changing the Set Point: The next step is shifting your set point, whether it’s emotional or physical. Hendricks believes you can raise your happiness threshold by embracing positive moments longer. Next time you feel uncomfortable with too much success, remind yourself it’s okay to feel this good. Over time, this rewires your brain to accept more joy. Fung, on the other hand, says to shift your weight set point, you need to lower insulin levels. By incorporating intermittent fasting or cutting back on processed carbs, you gradually help your body reset to a healthier baseline. Why? Because insulin is the key hormone that signals your body to store fat - the thing we are trying to change, and when levels are constantly high, your body stubbornly holds onto that weight.
3. Sustainable Lifestyle Changes: Both Hendricks and Fung agree that real progress requires sustainability. For happiness, Hendricks suggests small, daily practices like mindfulness or pausing to celebrate wins—these help nudge your upper limit higher over time. With weight, Fung emphasizes the importance of making long-term changes, like reducing meal frequency or lowering carb intake, to keep insulin low. It’s not about drastic measures; it’s about consistency.

Tying It All Together

Ultimately, both authors tap into the same idea: your mind and body have built-in mechanisms designed to keep you safe, pulling you back to what’s familiar - to revert us to a comfortable average. But those set points, whether emotional or physical, aren’t insurmountable. By understanding how they work, and applying strategies to counteract them, we can begin to live more freely—whether that means embracing more happiness or shedding unwanted pounds.
Both authors remind us that true change isn’t just about pushing harder; it’s about understanding the systems that govern our lives and working with them, not against them. And the best part? Once you break through, the sky’s the limit—or at least, a much higher one!
So, if you’ve ever felt stuck—whether on the scale or in your success—it’s not just “you.” There’s a deeper pull at play, but with a bit of awareness and strategy, you can nudge that set point up or down to where you truly want to be. Give it a try—and see what happens when you push beyond those limits.
Now, what’s your “set point” that you’re ready to break through? Let’s start that conversation - let's explore how a systems approach can allow for hard-earned weight loss or the heightened level of happiness to stick around truly.