Every year when it gets closer to summer we all go through this phase of wanting to shape up and lose weight. But how do we put on all that excess weight? If you eat a diet of fast food and sweets – it’s a no brainer. But if you try to be healthy and be conscious of your diet all year round, yet you’re still putting on weight we see how it can be quite annoying. But our bodies are complex and while a lot of the time food is the main reason for excess weight, it’s not the only thing that affects us. So we thought it would be a good idea to explore 8 other reasons you may be putting on weight without even realizing it.
1. Stress
Stress is a big factor when it comes to our health. It can trigger our body into producing certain hormones that will make us constantly hungry, which can lead to overeating or indulging in sugary snacks. It can also make us sleep badly, which also means that our body doesn’t get enough rest and therefore can’t function properly which can lead to weight gain. Stress is just bad for us, so try your best to avoid it or find ways to manage it through careful planning, having some “me time”, yoga, meditation, exercising or any other way that works for you.
2. Hormones
If you’re eating well, exercising, you’re not really stressed and haven’t had any sudden lifestyle changes recently but you’re still gaining weight there might be a bigger underlying issue. A lot of the time it could be hormone imbalances that are messing up your metabolism and causing you to gain weight. It’s always a good idea to go to the doctor and check up on your hormones to see what’s up and how you can fix it.
3. Antibiotics
While you’re battling some sort of infection with antibiotics you might notice that you’re gaining weight. That sometimes happens because antibiotics can really mess with your gut bacteria and throw your metabolism off. We’re not saying you should quit taking antibiotics, after all, fighting off the infection is more important than gaining a little bit of weight. Just know that it could be one of the causes and if that’s the case it’ll all level out once you’re done with the antibiotics.
4. Age
Unfortunately, you can’t really get away from ageing. You can prevent wrinkles and take care of your skin, but age does affect the way our body functions. Some things become harder to digest, our metabolism tends to get slower the older we get. We can’t eat as much as we did when we were 20 and just expect our body to burn through it, those chips and treats are much more likely to take up permanent residence in the form of a bit of flab on your thighs, bellies or butts. Eating less and moving more is generally the solution for that.
5. Pesticides and Food Additives
There are studies that show a link between eating a lot of prepackaged foods and obesity. Certain chemicals that are added to foods to make them taste better or make them available year-round can mess with our bodies and make us gain weight. So it’s better to eat seasonal organic produce, avoid processes prepackaged foods and cook at home instead of eating out all the time.
6. Alcohol
It never feels like a lot when you’re having drinks, but alcohol is extremely calorically dense. A 100 grams of wine is usually around 85 calories, a shot of vodka is 90 calories and 100 grams of gin is over 250 calories. And once you start mixing cocktails you can only imagine how all of this adds up with sugar syrups and fruit juices. So while having a drink once in a while is ok, frequent drinking or a couple of glasses of wine with your meal a couple of times a week can really add up.
7. Diet Foods
You might think you’re doing yourself a favor by eating diet versions of your favorite food but you could be doing more harm than good. A lot of the time diet foods have less fat but more sugar to compensate for flavor, and even when it’s sugar-free – it still has that sweetener that can actually make you want to have more. Basically, because you’re eating diet foods and think they’re less calorific you might end up eating more of them. At that point, it’s better to just have the real thing but in moderation.
8. Mindless Eating
With entertainment at our fingertips in the form of smartphones, iPads and TVs we tend to be distracted a lot of the time. If you eat your meals while watching TV you’re not really focusing on the food, you’re just shoveling it in your mouth, so you’re less likely to enjoy it or feel when you’re actually getting full and are very likely to overeat. Another thing we often do is follow the crowd. If you’re out with friends or your family likes to indulge in desserts you’re very likely to eat just cause everyone else is eating even if you’re not hungry. This can result in unwanted weight gain too. So try practicing mindful eating and enjoying every bite.
