You’re eating well and working out, but you’re still gaining weight. If you add winter to the mix, weight fluctuation can be your worst enemy.
Personally, winter rubs me up the wrong way. I could be working out consistently, with no to little results. “That’s it, I’m blaming winter,” is what I’m likely to say, but sometimes winter has absolutely nothing to do with our weight fluctuations.
Below are a few reasons you could be gaining a few kilos instead of losing.
1/ Chronic Stress
Chronic stress can cause havoc to your metabolism. People eat as a way to comfort themselves. Chronic stress often leads to hormonal changes, that alter your cravings for high-calorie foods.
READ MORE: 10 Times Your Weight Gain Might Signal A Big Health Problem
2/ Leptin Levels
First things first, what is leptin? Leptin is a hormone that is produced by your body’s fat cells. The more body fat you carry, the more leptin you produce. Leptin targets an area of the brain called hypothalamus, signalling whether you’re full or if your body needs more food. The problem arises when the leptin levels are elevated, but the brain doesn’t acknowledge the hormones signal to not consume food anymore. A solution to reversing your leptin sensitivity is by exercising more frequently, sleeping longer and eating more fibre.
3/ Exercise
Whoa, hold up!
Exercise? That’s right!
Remember there are different workout routines for a variety of fitness outcomes. Some, workout to gain weight, but over-exercising can lead to a few stress-related hormonal fluctuations. If you’re exercising to lose weight, but there are no results it’s probably because you’re not taking recovery days between your workouts. Resting days are necessary for muscle repair and to reduce inflammation.
4/ Medication
Weight gain from medication is caused by a number of factors such as medicine, your age, and the medical condition. Depending on the medication you’re taking, the meds could stimulate your appetite. Talk to your healthcare about these side effects and see if they can provide you with alternative medicine. In addition to that, pay a bit more attention to your diet and exercise.
READ MORE: I Just Started Working Out – Why Am I Gaining Weight?
5/ Genetics
Our genetic makeup has a huge influence on what happens to our bodies, but that’s not an excuse to not put on those running shoes. Don’t stop moving, no matter what. Consistent workouts can do wonders for your health. Read more about it here
6/ Water intake
How can something so calorie-free be responsible for weight gain? When you consume and excrete large amounts of water, the results on the scale change. That’s no reason to stop drinking the good stuff though. The weight gain is not actual weight gain, it’s simply water weight.
