10 Shocking Reasons You’re Gaining Weight

These little actions become habits that you’ll start to see a problem. It’s likely that because you’ve been committing these habits for longer than you can remember, you’re probably overlooking the fact that they’re some of the reasons why you’ve been packing on the weight.

These shocking and surprising reasons people gain weight happen every day.

1. You Always Skip a Meal

You may think that skipping meals will help you reach your weight loss goal, but contrary to popular belief, that is not the case. And you’re not alone in thinking so. 

2. You Chow Down Quickly

Fun fact: it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it’s full. So chances are, you may be joining the clean plate club before your body tells you it’s satiated.

3. Putting Too Much Emphasis on Exercise

There is no doubt that a major aspect of losing weight and staying in shape is exercising properly. But, it is a balance between exercise and calorie intake that is the healthiest way to prevent weight gain. “However, to create the caloric deficit required to see consistent weight loss, we have to address the input side of the equation,”

4. Sleep Deprivation

Without a solid night’s rest your body can not function properly. “When we don’t get the minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep that our body needs, a hormone is secreted that actually makes us feel hungry all day when in fact we’re just tired,” says Herkowitz. Studies have also shown that sleep deprivation can cause lower resting metabolic rates. It also impairs brain activity in the frontal lobe, which controls behavior and choices (such as choosing what to eat).

5. Too Much Healthy Food

Too much of a good thing, can still be too much. Studies have shown that when people think they are eating healthy, they tend to eat much more. 

6. Weight Training

Many people do not realize that weight gain is not just fat gain. Weight training can increase your muscle mass, therefore increasing your weight. When you gain muscle faster than you lose fat, your body mass is increasing.

7. Undereating

Skipping meals may keep your calorie count down, but your body will not react happily. All bodies are different, “When we restrict calories, some people lose weight as they should and others will plateau or even gain weight.  If you are eating less than about 1600 calories per day and not losing weight, you might consider if you are eating enough to allow your body to support your metabolism.”

8. Overtraining

Over training is also a common reason that people tend to gain weight. Long workouts can take a toll on your emotion and psychological well being, which is very important to weight loss. Completing longer workouts will put unnecessary pressure on yourself which will cause over stress.

9. Dehydration

Dehydration can seriously affect the mechanics of your body. It affects how your body burns fat and can encourage an excessive calorie consumption. Also, dehydration can slow down your metabolism, cause fatigue, digestive disorders, and the energy needed for your body to maintain or lose weight.

10. Stress

Stress is often associated with a temporary loss of appetite, but chronic stress can actually be tied with an increase of appetite and weight gain. Often the activity that relieves stress becomes eating, and since with depression your neuro-endocrine system does not work properly it sends a hormonal signal which makes you feel hungry.