We know you are trying so hard to maintain your weight, but then one day you decide to try your pair of jeans that you wore like a month or two ago and boom!
They are too tight that you can’t reach for the button.
You wonder where you went wrong since you have been exercising, eating healthy foods, and drinking plenty of water.
Would there be another reason to gain weight?
Yes, actually! And they will surprise you.
There are many things that can expand your waistline and we are going to explore fifteen of them.
1. You Overeat Healthy Foods
As much as you want to lose weight, eating healthy food is recommended, but overeating of that healthy food can result in the opposite.
Try to eat portions instead.
Foods like quinoa, avocados, nuts, and dark chocolates should be consumed in controllable portions.
Unless it’s a vegetable or fruit, the food you are eating might not be low in calories, and so you should start these portion control cues.
- Rice and pasta size of your fist
- Nut butter and shredded cheese smaller than a ping-pong ball
- Lean meats the size of a deck of cards
2. You are Going Through Depression
Suffering from depression is something we don’t want to experience.
The medication makes some people gain more pounds as some reports have stated.
According to dieticians, some antidepressants can lead to cravings especially for carbohydrates, and you know very well what carbs do.
Moreover, depression results in loss of appetite, but its medication makes sick people regain their appetite and overeating.
The solution to this problem is switching medication since some of them cause weight gain than others.
However, changing your medication might have a lesser effect on your depression.
You have to decide what comes first, losing weight or getting rid of depression.
3. Your Body is Dehydrated
According to research conducted by the University of Birmingham, downing two cups of water before every meal can accelerate weight loss.
Water helps us to feel more full and therefore eat less, and also gives us the energy and maintain our bodies’ temperature.
Skipping those two cups of water before consuming your meal can make you eat excess calories, and result in weight gain, and a dehydrated body conserves the remaining water for vital body functions.
Keep your body hydrated and avoid gaining weight by drinking enough water throughout. You can also drink tasty detox water.
4. You Stay Up Late
You could be eating right, working out like Dwayne Johnson, but if you are staying up late watching his movies and catching up with “Game of Thrones,” “Empire,” “Narcos,” and “Charmed,” you aren’t doing your body any justice.
You will notice your waist increasing.
Shorter amounts of sleep are associated with weight gain because lack of sleep awakens the hunger hormone known as ghrelin and decreases the satiety hormone.
When you are awake, your brain tends to tell you to eat some junk food, and it becomes harder to practice portion control.
According to dieticians, when you sleep for seven to eight hours every night for a week or two the surge of hunger and cravings lower down.
5. You are Obsessed with Your Workout Sessions
To lose weight, you also have to work out as much as you are eating healthy food, and most of us love those sessions.
However, don’t be obsessed or overthink about your sessions since according to experts, it can make it difficult for you to lose weight.
As long as you are thinking about your workout, you are tempted to consume more calories because you are too confident that you will burn them at the gym.
Sadly, it’s far from possible.
What’s good? Set the date, the reminder, and forget about it!
Don’t worry; your iCal will remind you.
This way, you won’t have to think about your workout constantly.
6. Your Thyroid is Sluggish
The grand in the neck above Adam’s apple is known as the thyroid, and it plays a couple of roles in your body including boosting your metabolism.
However, there are times for some reasons that your thyroid doesn’t accomplish its purpose, and the condition is known as hypothyroidism.
So what’s one of the symptoms? Well, you know why we are here.
Weight gain is one of them but according to doctors, the condition develops slowly, and many people aren’t aware that they have the condition until it reaches its full-blown level.
If the thyroid is the reason you gained weight, no matter how much you work out, eat the appropriate diet, you won’t be able to achieve the lean body that you have always wanted.
Best advice is if you notice some sudden weight gain yet you eat healthy food and workout, visit your doctor and have them check whether you have any thyroid issues.
7. You hardly Step on the Scale
You have even heard it in the songs, that what you don’t know will never hurt you, but that probably means there is some bad news waiting on the other side.
When talking about weight gain, ignoring to weigh yourself is what will hurt you.
You probably don’t want to know the number.
According to dieticians, we feel lazy to step on the weight scales especially in the winter months, and we tend to indulge in comfort food, barely workout, and we sit at the fireplace or turn the thermostat on.
To burn those extra pounds, reduce treats, be more active and step on your scale at least once in a week.
The most recommended days to measure your weight is on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
8. You Forget to Check Yourself Out
The candies you eat can derail your weight loss if you forget to use the self-checkout kiosks that grocery stores have provided for their customers.
Let’s dig deeper.
IHL Consulting Group did a study which indicated impulse purchases lowered for both men and women at 16.7 percent and 32.1 percent respectively when they were the ones scanning their items and swipe and their credit card.
Most impulse shopping is dangerous for your waistline.
80 percent of candies and 61 percent of salty snacks purchases are unplanned for.
Next time you pass by a grocery store, be the one to check yourself out.
9. You are Getting Older
After clocking 30, our bodies start to lose muscle mass.
Our metabolism also slows down.
With the cakes, the candles and drinks, you are in a celebration mode, but the worst gift you get is gaining weight as you grow older especially if you consume the same types of food you ate before 30.
To maintain that youthful figure, stay active.
Include a combination of cardio and weight-bearing workouts to preserve your tissue and lean body.
10. You’re Achy
Achy parts of your body can discourage you from working out or involve yourself in physical activity.
Failing to exercise can make you gain weight with time especially if you haven’t stopped eating what you were eating when you were working out.
Who can be comfortable to work out with joint pains?
It’s almost impossible! But exercises can defend you against arthritis symptoms, and you should go for low impacts activities such a swimming, and cycling.
According to experts, some strength training exercises like lifting light weights can help you a lot.
11. You Eat Too Many Healthy Foods
According to a dietitian Leah Kaufman, when her clients feel like they aren’t allowed to indulge a few times, they develop irresistible cravings.
To beat that desire, you need to eat no more than 100 calories a day to slow down those cravings without losing track.
Some of the recommended foods are single Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, 12 gummy bears, and nine peanut M&Ms.
12. You Carry a Basket While Shopping
You probably entered the store to pick some few things, but picking the handheld basket is not a good idea. It’s better to take the cart instead.
According to a study done by the Journal of Marketing Research, pushing a cart makes it less likely to pick items that add fat to your belly.
The researchers added that carrying a basket can trigger an impulse to pick items like crackers, cookies, and chips. Grab some healthy snacks instead.
13. You Are Not Eating Enough Protein
Consuming enough protein is important because it’s satiating, prevents you from overeating, and they are slowly refined compared to carbohydrates.
Proteins also help to maintain lean muscle mass.
If you aren’t eating enough protein which makes your muscles and cells healthy, your body has no alternative but to break down those muscles to acquire the nutrients you need.
The lesser muscle you have, the slower the metabolism which can mean weight gain after some time.
Keep your metabolism strong by consuming protein-rich foods such as chicken breast, organic tofu, and turkey.
14. You Are In a Stressful Job
Your too demanding boss could be the reason you are increasing the circumference of your waistline.
The stressful nature of your job is making your body release cortisol which directly causes the increase of belly fat.
Elevated cortisol can lead to hunger pangs by increasing blood glucose.
The unused blood glucose is stored as fat as well.
Discuss your work schedule with your boss, or you can come earlier to the office when there is no one to bother you and plan for the day’s assignments.
15. You’re Taking Medication
There are a variety of medications that you take including birth control pills and beta-blockers that can make your waistline increase in size.
Some drugs stimulate your appetite, while others slow the body’s metabolism.
Weight problems have also been as a result of not complying with treatment.
There are some drugs also, especially for treating the common cold that can cause drowsiness and weakens you so that you can’t even work out.
Pay attention to this.
If you think your dose is causing you to gain weight, don’t stop taking it.
Instead, talk to your doctor and ask for an alternative drug that has no effects on your weight.
Conclusion
Most people want an athletic look, spend some hours every week to work out and are on a diet to help them maintain proper weight.
But there are some certain instances such a thyroid sickness, medication, and getting older that can make it hard for you to achieve a lean body.
There are also some things that you can control like not having enough sleep, or shopping with a basket.
You have to know that it’s only you who can control your weight with your lifestyle decisions.
Apply the tips above, and maybe you will have that body you have always dreamed of.
