7 Reasons For Weight Gain That Have Nothing To Do With Laziness Or Fast Food
chandrama deshmukh 
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Has it ever happened to you that it feels like you are doing everything right, and yet you are gaining weight? By everything right, we mean avoiding fast food, working hard (Notice that we have mentioned ‘working hard,’ and not working out!), and sometimes even losing sleep over the weight gain that has happened. And yet, those extra layers of fat just seem to be building over and over again around your waist, and they just refuse to go away. What could it be that is causing this seemingly unfair increase of those inches?
At the end of this article, you’ll know that it is not always because of indulging in fast food or being lazy leads to weight gain. Sometimes, the reasons are quite unexpected. What we mean to say is that you wouldn’t even imagine that doing that could lead to weight gain. Read on to find out the secret causes of weight gain and what you can do to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
1. Changes In Your Body’s Hormones
As women, our bodies go through hormonal changes very, very frequently and this is what makes our bodies absolutely different from men’s. The most obvious one is, of course, during our menstrual cycles every month, when the body goes through cyclical hormonal changes. Apart from this also, our bodies go through a lot – right from pregnancy to menopause (1), (2).
So, what happens is that the workout session that worked wonderfully well in keeping those kilos away when you were a young girl, they basically stop working once you cross 30 or 40. But the solution to this is quite simple, actually: All you have to do is gradually increase the intensity as well the amount of physical duress of your everyday workout. This will help you in keeping those extra kilos away, and even shed them in case they have already crept into your body.
2. Consuming Too Much Fruit
Yes, we know. This sounds like the absolute opposite of what we have heard our entire lives. And don’t worry. We are not telling you that your whole life has been a lie! Fruits are a healthy snack and definitely much better than the other snacks in the market. However, caution must be exercised on the quantity that you are consuming, as well as the type of fruit. Many fruits contain more calories than others. For example, bananas are high on sucrose, which, in effect, is sugar only. So, to avoid weight gain, we recommend the eating of fruits that are low in calories, like grapefruit and pomegranates. Even green apples have significantly lesser calories than the usual apples.
3. Ignoring Pressing Health Problems
Sometimes, we just let health issues pass us by. We try convincing ourselves that we’re absolutely fine. However, if ever you have felt that there is something amiss, our recommendation is that you don’t dismiss it as just a passing thing. Always pay attention to the signs that your body is giving you; one of which is unprecedented weight gain. Visit a doctor so you can be correctly diagnosed and also treated.
4. Becoming Dependent On Medication
Sometimes medication for certain conditions can also cause weight gain (3). The best way to deal with this is to keep a watch and if you see any irregularities, pay a visit to the doctor immediately. However, make sure that you do not stop any medication without consulting your doctor first. Chances are, once you express your concerns, the doctor will themselves change the medication that you are on to something that doesn’t cause weight gain.
5. Indulging In Unhealthy Eating Habits
An unhealthy eating habit doesn’t mean just consuming unhealthy food. Sometimes, it also involves eating emotionally. Many of us tend to look at food as a comforting factor and turn to it whenever we’ve had a stressful or tough time. This is the worst kind of dependency and invariably leads to health issues; weight gain being the least amongst them. One way of dealing with this is trying to differentiate between actual and induced hunger. Work towards dealing with the latter by getting involved in activities that are actually stress-busting and do not involve the intake of an unhealthy number of calories.
6. Not Dealing With Stress
Many times, we are under the misconception that if someone is under stress, then they will lose weight. That is not always true. Sometimes just the opposite can also happen. And if that is happening to you, we suggest that you look at ways in which you can handle the stress better. Meeting a therapist is always a good idea, especially if the reason from which the stress is stemming is unclear.
7. Not Getting Enough Shut-Eye
Believe it or not, not getting enough sleep also contributes to weight gain and unnecessary inches around your waist. There are several studies that have proven this correlation between a lack of sleep and weight gain (4). The best way to deal with this is to make sure that you make a schedule for yourself and stick to it. This will also help in restructuring your body clock so that your body can get the amount of sleep that it needs.
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