Weight gain is always something we’re afraid of. It feels like everyone is led to believe that gaining weight is a terrible thing and will make you incredibly unhealthy. This isn’t always the case, as ‘weight’ simply refers to how much you weigh, and you can be in incredible shape and weigh more than someone that’s not as active and fit as you are.
However, there are times when you may look in the mirror and think you’ve gained a few pounds. We’ve all had those moments where we feel fat, and we just can’t understand why. Or, those days where we hop on the scales and see that we’ve gained a couple of pounds.
Sometimes, these things happen when you’re eating well and exercising regularly too. So, what’s the deal? Why do you sometimes feel like you’re gaining weight? Well, it can come down to multiple different reasons that may seem a little unusual. Take a look at the info down below to find out what I’m talking about:
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Slow Digestive System
Believe it or not, the cause of your weight gain could be down to a slow digestive system. If your digestive system is working regularly, then it breaks down what you eat, and you pass it every day. In fact, you should be going to the toilet at least twice a day if your digestive system is ‘regular.'
If it’s not, and you’re only passing stuff once a day or once every other day, then you have a problem. It means your food isn’t being broken down, which will naturally mean your body is carrying more weight as you’re not depositing some into the toilet. Yeah, it’s not the nicest thing to imagine, but you get the picture!
You’ll know if this is your issue because you’ll often feel constipated or have stomach pains after every meal. In this case, the solution is simple; improve your digestive system. Slowly add more fiber to your diet and take probiotics to aid digestion. This will help you become more regular, and you’ll stop holding onto your food.
Medication
Pills, tablets, and every kind of medication are designed to make you feel better or treat an issue. If that’s the case, how can it make you feel fat? It’s not like there’s a ‘fat pill’ out there that immediately makes you pack on a few pounds.
However, it is known that some medications can have side effects that cause fluctuations in your weight with continued use. The thing is, quite a lot of common pills and tablets do have this side effect. You have the contraceptive pill, you’ve got various arthritis medicine, heart medicine, and even insulin can all cause weight gain in some people. The only way to know if medication is the cause of your weight gain is to reduce your dosage and see what happens. If you find you all of a sudden stop gaining weight, you should visit your doctor to tell them that you’re experiencing this side effect.
The good news is a lot of the common medication that causes weight gain doesn’t need to be taken all the time. Microgynon - the contraceptive pill - isn’t something you have to take every day or even every week. So, with things like this, you won’t have trouble reducing how much you take it, and avoiding the side effects.
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Depression
I’ve spent some time on this blog talking about various mental health issues such as depression before. But, I’m sure many of you are unaware that it can actually cause weight gain. There are two ways it does this, and the first is pretty much covered in the point above. You see, a lot of antidepressant medication can cause weight gain as a side effect. So, if you’re depressed and taking medication for it, this could be why you’re gaining weight.
As well as this, depression, in general, has been linked with weight gain in numerous scientific studies. It’s thought that people suffering from depression are more likely to gain weight. The reasons behind this are simple; if you’re depressed, you’re more likely to turn to various comfort foods that are high in fat and make you put on weight. Often, you could be eating these without really thinking as you just look for something to lighten your mood.
Obviously, if depression is causing you to gain weight, then there are things you can do to combat it. The first is to think about stepping off the medication for the time being. You don’t have to completely cut it out, just maybe take less. When depression causes you to comfort eat, that’s when you have a bit of a problem. It can be so hard to fight your feelings and put down that chocolate bar and packet of crisps. What you should do is put yourself in a position where you don’t have to have a fight with your feelings. If you don’t buy bad food, to begin with, you won’t have bad food to turn to when you’re feeling low.
You're not... It's An Illusion!
Finally, one of the reasons you could be gaining weight is because you’re falling victim to something of an illusion. There are many examples of this, and it may sound like some mystic magical thing, but it’s actually very simple.
Let’s say you weigh yourself when you wake up one day, then weigh yourself at the end of the week before you go to bed. In this scenario, the scales may well say that you’ve gained some weight. However, take into account the timing of each weighing. You weighed yourself at the start of the week in the morning when you’ve eaten nothing and haven’t drunk any water all night long. At the end of the week, you weigh yourself after a full day of eating and drinking water, which naturally makes you gain a few pounds until you get rid of the excess water and digest your food properly. If you weighed yourself in the morning instead, you might well have found that you didn’t gain any weight at all that week.
As you can see, there are many weird and unusual reasons that make you gain weight or make it seem like you’ve gained weight. So, don’t always feel bad if you see you’ve gained a couple of pounds. It could be down to one of these things, which can easily be solved!
