One of the most frustrating things for those on a weight loss journey—or anyone for that matter—is unexpected and unexplained weight gain. When you feel like you’re doing everything right, but the numbers on the scale are going up instead of going down, it can be extremely disheartening. But there could be a number of legitimate reasons for this.
If you’ve experienced unexpected rapid weight gain recently, and you want to get to the bottom of why this has happened, then this article can help. Read on for your guide to unintentional weight gain and the things that could be causing it. Some of the answers may surprise you!
1. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep is a super important function for our bodies. It helps with our mental and physical health, it allows us to rest our brains and our bodies, and not getting enough sleep can have all sorts of undesirable consequences. One of these can be weight gain.
One study found that women who slept fewer than 6 hours daily had a higher body mass index compared with women who slept 6 hours or more per day. You need sleep to lose weight, but you also need it to prevent unwanted weight gain.
2. Unconscious Eating
When you begin to gain weight, the first and most obvious place to look is your diet. Have you been consuming more calories than usual lately without even realizing it?
Try keeping a good diary for a week, and see if how much you think you eat is in line with reality. It’s possible you just need to watch your calorie intake a little more closely.
3. Hypothyroidism
Thyroid disorders are big causes of sudden weight gain, so this is something you may want your doctor to check out. Your thyroid is responsible for secreting a hormone that regulates your metabolism.
When you’ve got an under-active thyroid, your metabolism can slow down, causing weight gain to occur. Diseases such as Hashimoto’s can cause thyroid issues. You can learn more here hashimotosfix.com.
4. Stress
Stress can have all sorts of adverse effects on the human body. It can cause acne, insomnia, weight loss, and yes, rapid weight gain.
If you’ve gained a lot of weight recently, try looking at the different areas of your life and seeing if there’s anything causing you undue stress. If you are stressed, it can be helpful to speak with someone about it.
5. New Medication
If you’ve started a new medication in recent weeks or months, this may be what’s causing you to gain weight. Different medications have different side effects and react with people in different ways. Birth control pills, antibiotics, antidepressants can all cause you to gain weight.
Getting to the Bottom of Your Unexplained Weight Gain
When figuring out the root cause of your unexplained weight gain, it can be helpful to look at any changes you’ve made in your life recently. If your routine hasn’t changed at all, then disease or outer influence could be to blame.
If you’re concerned, speak to your medical provider as soon as you can. For more health and fat-busting tips, see the rest of our content now.
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