For anyone that’s ever tried to lose weight, only to have progress halt, have it be non-existent at all or even worse, have it backslide and go in the opposite direction completely, there may be a few significant reasons why these things are occurring. If you’re busting your behind in the gym, eating right, and avoiding those temptations that seem to be at every corner—like midnight snacks and alcohol—and unintentional weight gain seems to be winning out, it could be due to things that are occurring within your body that you just don’t know are happening.
In many cases of unwanted weight gain tweaking simple things such as sleeping habits, the time of day that large meals occur and even a more positive outlook on life itself, can all reverse the effects and put you back on the right track for dropping those pounds. Here are a few unusual, yet true reasons behind you unwanted weight gain.
Dysthymia
This is a form of chronic depression that can last a number of years for anyone suffering from it. Unlike the signs and symptoms of general depression, this ailment is not usually characterized by depressive episodes or significant periods of depression. Those with dysthymia usually feel down or blue constantly, but are able to go on about their lives, whereas those that feel or are labeled as having depression often feel that they are unable to. This is a rare condition and is typically suffered from by women, with less than 10 percent of the U.S population having the ailment. One of the major symptoms of dysthymia is weight gain, and this is due to a steady rise in food intake or even a decrease in the activity of the thyroid and the metabolism.
Stress
Eating healthy, exercising frequently, and doing all of the right things can still backfire if your life is filled with stress. Not only is stress infamous for making the human body crave unhealthy foods, it also plays games with the thyroid and the metabolism too. When stress levels are high the hormone cortisol skyrockets within the body and that causes everything from the accumulation of belly fat to decreased blood pressure. Eradicating stress can be difficult, but it can also be done. It’s one of the more major hindrances of weight gain that can be managed by you as an individual.
Disproportionate Eating
It really is a cold hard fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, knowing that eating breakfast in the right amount on a consistent basis has large effect on overall weight, is something that most people are unaware of. A recent study found that those who eat a large breakfast, a small to moderate lunch and a moderate dinner actually lose close to double the amount of weight as those who take on the same amount of calories in the day, but mostly at dinner. In fact, it may not be a stretch to say that even if you’re eating breakfast, you probably fall into the lighter side, meaning you’re eating to start the day as you should, but you aren’t giving yourself the required nutrients to keep the metabolism going through the day. Simply switching the way in which you’re eating, making meals bulkier in the morning and lighter as you go on each day, you can really start to see results on the scale in the right direction.
