Lively Women

Gaining Weight and Don’t Know Why? 7 Things It Could Be

by Kristen King on May 28th, 2008

Should you be concerned if you’ve experienced unexpected or unexplained weight gain? Maybe, maybe not. Fluctuating a few pounds from week to week or even day to day is normal. Water is heavy, and your level of hydration will make an impact on the scale. So will the time of day you weigh yourself and how recently you’ve had a bowel movement. That being said, there are some times that your weight may change more than 5 to 10 pounds at a time, and then it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor to figure out why.

Here are seven common explanations for unexpected weight gain in women:

1. You’ve changed your diet without realizing it. I know when I started commuting to my "real" job after college, my diet changed dramatically. Instead of picking from a giant spread of healthy options at the dining hall, I was feasting on fatty muffins in the morning and fast food in the evening because it was easy and I was tired. (And no, the unhealthy food did nothing to increase my energy level.)
2. You’re drinking a lot of calories. Unless you’re liquid intake consists solely of water, you’re consuming a lot more calories than you realize in the form of the beverages you drink. Fruit juice is good for you, but it’s full of [natural] sugar, which means calories. Don’t get me started on soda. And even if you drink coffee with no cream, you add calories when you put in sugar.
3. Your metabolism is slowing down. It happens to all of us — it’s why you can’t wear your jeans from high school anymore. Metabolic slowing is common in the twenties, but it can happen at any life stage, and we do slow gradually from childhood on.
4. You’re eating more than you have in the past. Especially if you tend to eat on the go or eat in front of the TV, you may be consuming way more food than you realize, or more than you mean to. Conscious eating, which means that you’re aware of what goes into your body at all times, is key to making sure you’re not accidentally overeating.
5. You need to kick up your exercise routine. The body does become conditioned to certain activities, so if you’re big on pilates, take a spin class twice a week for a month and then go back to your old standby. Trade workouts with a friend to mix things up. Borrow an aerobic dance DVD from the library and give it a go.
6. You’re pregnant. If you suddenly put on like 10 pounds in a month with no other explanation (and you’re sexually active), take a pregnancy test. Hey, you never know. This is one of the big reasons you need to see your doctor if you’ve gained weight unexpectedly.
7. You’ve developed a chemical imbalance like a thyroid condition or hormonal issues. If this is the case, changing your diet or your exercise routine most likely will not be enough to solve the problem. This is another big reason you need to see your doctor if you’ve had unexplained weigh gain of more than a few pounds. These conditions can develop at any age, so better safe than sorry.

Remember, it is possible to be physically fit and overweight or underweight as well as at so-called healthy weight. You know what’s normal for you, so if the status quo changes dramatically, make an appointment with your primary care physician and get it worked out ASAP.

Have you started gaining weight with no obvious explanation? Did you have an unexplained weight loss that your doctor diagnosed — or one that you still can’t figure out? Leave a comment and tell your story!

(image: Newscom)

Tags: womens health blog, womens health, women, woman, health, gaining weight and dont know why, gaining weight and don t know why, unexplained weight gain, unexpected weight gain, why am i gaining weight, why am i getting fat, how do i stop gaining weight, when do i need to see my doctor, lively women, kristen king

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