When you’re gaining weight for no reason, particularly when you’ve been trying to lose, it can be more than just a little bit frustrating. After all the hard work you’ve put into making the right changes and keeping them up, getting the opposite outcome to what you wanted can make you want to give up on the spot.
Why Are You Gaining Weight for No Reason?
The truth is that if you’re gaining weight, it’s not for no reason. There is always a reason. The trick is to figure out what it is. Is it something you’re doing? Is it something you’re not doing? Is it another factor that you hadn’t considered?
If you feel confident that you are taking the right steps to lose weight, but the opposite is true, your best strategy is likely to speak with your doctor. There are many medical reasons that can cause you to feel like you’re gaining weight for no reason. Finding out if any of them are behind what you’re experiencing can help you to know what to do to overcome the issue.
How to Know if You’re the Cause?
If there isn’t an underlying medical issue causing you to seem to be gaining weight for no reason, then the answer may indeed be in something you’re doing. You may feel you’re doing everything right, when it turns out that there is a common mistake mixed in with your efforts. It’s best to identify those issues as soon as possible so you can correct them and stop sending yourself in the wrong direction.
The following are some of the most common mistakes people make and that can cause them to experience what feels like weight gain for no reason.
- Eating too little – Many people believe that the less they eat, the faster they’ll lose weight. While this may work at first, eventually, your body will go into starvation mode, slowing your metabolism and causing a range of effects including weight gain despite the reduced food intake. Instead, learn your appropriate calorie range for weight loss and stay within it.
- Cutting entire food groups – By trying to eliminate entire food groups, you’ll not only also cut out many nutrients your body needs, but you’ll also change the way your body functions. For instance, the keto diet causes your body to go into ketosis by running on mainly dietary fat and a bit of protein, with a very small number of carbs. Unfortunately, the moment the body loses ketosis, the pounds can climb back on very quickly.
- Changing only exercise habits – Exercise is a very important part of weight management. However, many people feel that if they simply hit the gym and hit it hard, they’ll be able to reach their goal without having to change their diets very much. This can make it seem like you’re experiencing weight gain for no reason, when the truth is that you’re still taking in far more calories than you’re burning.
