You put yourself through a strict exercise regimen and you rarely deviate from your fasting diet, so why is it that you’re not reducing excess poundage? Time like this makes you wonder if you’re just genetically susceptible to gaining weight and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to change it. The key to weight loss is to dissect the causes of weight gain and consult your doctor or dietitian to prevent diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, especially if your body has been showing signs of metabolic syndromes, such as increased blood pressure, low levels of good cholesterol and excess fat around your waist. Read on for the most common causes of weight gain and determine which one is yours.
Sluggish Thyroid
If you often experience muscle pain, fatigue, dry mouth, and skin, then chances are you have an underactive thyroid gland, which basically means your hormone is out of whack and messing with your waistline. When your thyroid gland is not producing enough hormones to regulate metabolism, you gain weight due to water retention and suffer from a low energy level. It’s better to get it checked out if you’re chronically drowsy and fatigued for no reason. The solution for the underactive thyroid gland is to take supplements that contain iodine to restore your metabolic functions.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin is strongly associated with weight gain as it is a hormone that is essential in regulating energy and fat storage. When you eat more carbohydrates than you need to maintain a healthy weight, it triggers your pancreas to release insulin which induces our fat cells to absorb excess glucose and leads to weight gain. Diabetes and obesity usually stem from insulin resistance, which means absorbing excess glucose by virtue of impaired insulin sensitivity. The best way to prevent insulin resistance is to be mindful of what you eat and cut down your carbohydrates intake.
Leptin Resistance
Produced by the body’s fat cells, leptin is a hormone that signals satiety to our brain and prevents us from starving or overeating. When your leptin signal isn’t working due to a condition known as leptin resistance triggered by increased free fatty acids or inflammation, your brain will trick you into thinking that you’re starving and lead to unhealthy overeating. If you have love handles and abnormal fatty deposits, then you’re probably leptin resistant. There’s no easy way or shortcut to reverse leptin resistance, but what you can do is maintain a healthy lifestyle by avoiding processed food and eating more fiber to improve gut health.
Dehydration
Another surprising cause of weight gain is dehydration. If your stomach always feels bloated after eating, chances are you’re dehydrated! Most of us mistake the feeling of thirst for the feeling of hunger. You may have experienced mild lightheadedness and fatigueness after meals and confused the thirst with the hankering for desserts. A study found that drinking more water can prevent water retention and accelerate weight loss by suppressing our appetite.