It can be annoying when you try to diet and work out, and you still gain weight. But perhaps there are other factors that you may have overlooked, and these factors may be contributing to your “inexplicable” weight gain. Try and see if you also have the following issues that may be causing the weight gain:
Stress
Stress can have a long list of negative physical, mental, and emotional effects, and you can add weight gain as one of them. The human body generally goes into “survival” mode when you’re feeling stressed.
As a result, your body secretes cortisol, which is also known as the “stress hormone”. The cortisol increases your appetite, which then leads to more calories consumed. It also doesn’t help that plenty of people reach out for comfort foods to help alleviate their stress, and many of these comfort foods contain lots of calories.
Try to find other ways of alleviating stress, aside from comfort foods. These can include meditation, yoga, or regular massages.
Sleep Issues
When you don’t regularly get high-quality sleep for enough hours, your body consequently undergoes changes in hormone levels. These changes can lead to greater appetite and increased feelings of hunger. In addition, the hormones may keep you from feeling full after eating.
Also, when you can’t sleep, you get bored and try to find something to do in the meantime. For many people, this leads to lots of midnight snacks!
If you’re able to address your sleep issues properly, then you might be able to stop the weight gain as well.
Medication Side Effects
If you’re taking some sort of medication, then the weight gain may just be a side effect of the medicines you’re currently taking. Of course, it won’t be as easy as to just stop taking the medicine. Instead, you may want to discuss alternative medicines with your doctor. Those prescribed medicines are probably crucial for your health.
The medications often associated with weight gain include:
- Antidepressants. True, the medication itself may directly cause the weight gain. But some people may have an increased appetite simply because the antidepressants make them feel better.
- Anti-inflammatory steroids. Prednisone and other similar drugs are infamous for having weight gain side effects. These steroids can increase the appetite and cause fluid retention as well. Some people also notice that their bodies may suddenly hold fat in new places, like on their belly, in the face, or around the neck.
- Medicines for diabetes.
- Medicines for high blood pressure.
- Medicines for seizures.
- Medicines for migraines.
- Antipsychotic drugs.
Birth Control Pills
Some women who take the Pill may gain some weight, mainly due to fluid retention. The good news is that this is generally a short-term issue and not a long-term problem. Once your body gets used to the new birth control pills, your weight usually normalizes.
You should discuss the problem with your doctor, to make sure you’re not overly stressed about it and to alleviate your concerns.
Menopause
It’s true that plenty of women do gain weight around menopause time, but the hormones probably aren’t the main cause of the weight gain. You’re older when you hit menopause, and aging slows down the metabolism. Also, as you get older, you’re less likely to work out.
Still, it’s also true that menopause can be part of the problem. Menopausal women tend have more fat building up around the waist, instead of on the thighs and hips.
Hypothyroidism
This is another type of hormonal issue. There’s a gland in front of your neck called the thyroid, and it’s responsible for making the thyroid hormone. But if the gland doesn’t make enough of this hormone, it can lead to weakness and fatigue, leading to weight gain. The lack of the thyroid hormone also slows down your metabolism, which doesn’t help.
Regular visits to the doctor can help make sure you don’t have this problem. But if you do have hypothyroidism, then treating the problem with medication may slow down or even reverse the weight gain.
You’ve Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking is always a good idea, even if it may lead to some sort of weight gain. The weight gain is usually short term as you feel hungrier without a cigarette, but the weight gain normally doesn’t go over 10 pounds. Also, you snap out of these hunger pangs after a few weeks or so, as your body gets used to the lack of nicotine.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
This is a hormonal issue that some women may have when they reach childbearing age. The condition leads to insulin resistance, when in turn can lead to weight gain.
Final Words
If you think that you have health issues or medications that are causing your weight gain, discuss the matter with your doctor. That way, you can make sure you address these issues safely and correctly!