Last Updated on November 13, 2020
If you’re sure you’re eating the ideal amount of healthy food, you might be doing it at the wrong time. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2017) found that when college students ate food just before going to bed, they were more prone to have higher percentages of body fat and body-mass index. In the end, if you’re a healthy person, it’s just a matter of math. If the number of calories you’re consuming is superior to the rate your body is burning them, you’re going to gain weight. Try to find the perfect balance.
2. Stress and lack of sleep
Stress is not something that affects only your mind; it definitely has a huge impact on your body and overall health. It affects your sleep schedule, as it can keep your problems revolving around your head at night when you’re trying to rest. This causes a series of hormonal changes, like the release of leptin, ghrelin, and cortisol, that affect your metabolism and sense of hunger. The same can be felt if you’re dealing with mood disorders like depression or anxiety. Or even if you’re a shift worker, as you’re constantly altering your sleeping schedule.
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3. Medication
Psychiatric medication (for depression or bipolar disorder, for example), meds that combat high blood pressure and birth control pills are the most common drugs that may cause weight gain. Normally doctors warn you about these potential consequences, recommending you to stay active and follow a strict meal plan. But if they didn’t, and you noticed a strange fluctuation on your weight a week after starting a new medication, check its side effects as it could be perfectly normal.
4. Health problems
Gaining weight for no apparent reason or combined with other symptoms can be an indication that something’s wrong with your health. We’ll give you a few examples, so you’ll be able to detect the signs of a potential medical issue. Hypothyroidism: The thyroid is responsible for controlling a variety of body functions, your metabolism being one of them. If your thyroid is not producing enough of its hormone, it will affect your resting metabolism and decrease the number of calories you’re capable of burning during the day. Besides weight gain, hypothyroidism is also responsible for fatigue, dry skin, and thin hair. Imbalanced electrolytes: If you combine the fact that you don’t drink enough water with the regular ingestion of salty products, it might lead you to gain weight due to water retention and bloating. Bacterial overgrowth: The overgrowth of bacteria inside your intestines can lead to sudden weight gain, as it can create difficulties in your digestion and slow bowel movement. Tumors: That’s true. Tumors can cause weight gain, especially if that gain is disproportionally located in the belly region, as is the case for ovarian tumors.
