Even when you're hardly eating, it's annoying when the scale continues moving higher. The misconception that gaining weight comes from consuming more calories than your body can burn is one that most individuals have.
It is true that gaining a few kilos of body weight results from consuming more calories than you burn. However, there are other covert causes for why you can be eating less but gaining weight.
These could be some reasons you're having trouble with unintended weight gain.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Poor sleep has long been associated with rapid weight gain. Researchers have already discovered a number of conclusive connections between sleep deprivation and fat. According to specialists, the nocturnal hormones leptin and ghrelin, which are produced by the body, cause those who are sleep deprived to eat more. Ghrelin tends to rise when you're sleep deprived and tells your brain when it's time to eat. However, leptin alerts your brain when it is time to quit eating. Leptin levels are reported to decrease with insufficient sleep time.
Inadequate Consumption of Food
Sorry to bust your bubble, but cutting back on your food intake won't always result in a smaller waistline. Quite the opposite, it may cause your body to enter a state of "starvation mode." This is because your body is conserving energy out of fear that it may soon be starved.
Putting on weight is not an inevitable result of eating too little. When your metabolism slows and the scale stays the same, it's tempting to quit up and return to old eating habits. Possible long-term consequence: putting on extra pounds. That's why it's so discouraging when people follow a fad diet because they don't see the rapid weight reduction they were hoping for.
A lack of exercise routine
Lack of physical exercise, which you are all too familiar with, is another probable cause of your weight increase. It's not a trick question; if you're not active enough, your body will be unable to effectively use the calories you take in. If this occurs, the body will have no choice except to convert the excess calories into fat.
Since calorie burning decreases with inactivity, this is especially relevant for the sedentary.
Possibly Hormonal
Hormonal imbalances are another possible reason of sudden weight gain. Hormonal weight gain is the result of an imbalance that may be corrected by maintaining normal hormone levels.
Your doctor may first check for insulin resistance when addressing hormones and weight gain. High blood sugar levels result from cells being resistant to the effects of insulin. As a result, the body stores the surplus glucose as fat, and the person gradually gains weight without even trying.
Insulin is only one hormone whose imbalance might lead to unexplained weight gain. Stress hormone cortisol, for instance, has been linked to weight gain by stimulating hunger and desires for unhealthy foods. Thyroid hormones, leptin, ghrelin, and estrogen are just a few other hormones that have been linked to weight gain.
Underlying Medical Conditions
Look into possible medical causes of weight increase before you start berating yourself. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and hypothyroidism are two diseases that can disrupt your body's natural ability to burn calories and retain fat.
