So you’ve been mindful of your eating and exercising on a regular basis for some time, but you’re still gaining weight or are unable to lose any at all. This can be extremely frustrating and confusing at the same time. So what’s the deal? The answer is that there could be other factors playing a role that you should consider. Here are the 10 reasons you might be gaining weight.
Dehydration
Yes, it always goes back to how much water you are drinking each day. Dehydration can cause your body to protect itself by retaining water; which will make you gain weight.
Hypothyroid
Hypothyroid is an issue that is close to my heart because my mother suffers from this health issue. The thyroid regulates your metabolism and if it’s slows down, so does your metabolism along with it; which causes weight gain. This is definitely something that requires a doctor’s visit and potentially medication to regulate.
Too much cardio
You’re probably saying to yourself, “what?” too much cardiovascular exercise can cause me to gain weight? Yes, it’s true. If you’re taking a spin class three times per week, you’re going to be a lot hungrier than if you hadn’t. Finding a balance of calories in and calories out can take some time.
Down and out
If you struggle with depression, weight gain can most certainly be an issue. Whether you’re eating because you’re depressed or gaining weight from medicating the depression, it can be a struggle. Working together with a therapist and your medical doctor to find a balance is key.
Lack of sleep
Did you know that not getting your 7-8 hours of sleep each night can increase your hunger hormone causing you to make unhealthy food choices? Our bodies crave fatty comfort foods even more when we’re sleep deprived and also makes us lose all control with how much we eat. Bottom line; ensure you’re getting your much needed sleep.
Stress
When our minds and bodies are under stress the hormone cortisol is released; which increases the feeling of hunger even when we’re not hungry, causing overeating and stored body fat. Awareness is key when it comes to controlling stressors, so breathe through them as much as possible and recognize it before reaching for more food.
Too much salt
Yes, we need salt for anything to have flavor and also for proper brain function, but nowadays it’s overloaded in everything that we eat. When you eat too much sodium you retain water and become bloated; which doesn’t make anyone feel good about themselves. Regulate your salt intake by reading labels and buying reduced sodium products as often as you can.
Going out to eat too often
Everyone should enjoy a nice meal out from time to time, but it’s important to be aware of how often you do this. When you put someone else in charge of the ingredients you’re ultimately are going to eat, you can’t keep track of the butter, oil, fat or salt used to cook your food.
Not eating enough protein
You’re eating as healthy as you can but you’re still gaining weight? It could be as simple as you’re not eating enough protein in your diet. Protein builds muscle mass which keeps the metabolism going strong, but without enough protein your metabolism will slow and cause weight gain.
Fake foods
It took me a while to realize that those low fat foods like cookies, fake butters and dairy products were just supplemented with more sugar that ultimately caused more weight gain. Instead, eat real foods, just in moderation and skip all the fake stuff.
