Trying to lose a few pounds isn't easy, but what about if you are gaining them and don't know why? Besides the obvious that you are not eating well and exercising, there can be various reasons as to why you weigh more. Surprisingly, health problems or new medications can affect what you read on the scale.
If you find yourself in this predicament, here is how you can determine why you are gaining the weight.
Read more ¿Qué más?: 6 Tricks to stop feeling hungry all the time
Not understanding why your scale number is going up can be frustrating especially if you think you are doing everything right. If you are eating healthy, watching your portions, and exercising, then what gives?
Below are some reasons you might be putting on the pounds:
You're constipated: If you aren't pooping regularly that can easily be the reason why the number on the scale is higher. Try probiotics or increase your fiber intake to get things moving.
Relying too much on exercise: Weight loss is 80 percent diet and 20 percent exercise. If you are slacking on the eating well department, you can't expect that exercise will make up for it. Focus more on your diet and balance it out healthily with your workouts.
You aren't sleeping: When you don't sleep well, the hormone cortisol which releases when you are stressed increases. This can make you overeat and eat the wrong things, therefore make sure you are getting adequate sleep!
Your medication: If you started new medicine, check with your doctor that one of the side effects isn't weight gain. There are many medicines, including birth control that can make you put on the pounds.
Hidden health condition: If you have a faulty thyroid, mood disorders, or high blood sugar for example, these conditions can cause weight gain. Have your doctor run blood tests on you to make sure that you aren't suffering from a health problem that could be making you pack on weight.
Image via Thinkstock
