Why Do I Keep Gaining Weight Even Though I Don't Eat Much?

The reading on the scale is alarming. Where have the pounds suddenly come to my body? Why do I keep gaining weight even though I don’t eat much?

You have to know the cause of weight change whether gain or loss as some keep gaining weight for no reason or at least it’s not obvious.

It is normal for the weight to vary by a few pounds. If you weigh yourself after drinking water or eating a large meal, the scale usually looks more than usual.

Usually, weight variation involves the gaining and loss of fluid in the body. However, a sudden weight change can be caused by an underlying health condition, even a serious one.

Although weight loss and gain don’t always mean that, you still have to consider them.

However, it is much more common that the weight gain that you can’t explain is due to our lifestyles.

Check out 4 Sumo habits that cause weight gain.

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Why am I gaining weight when I barely eat?

Why Do I Keep Gaining Weight Even Though I Don't Eat Much? — Why do I keep gaining weight even though I don’t eat much

Some may ask why I am getting fat when I don’t eat too much, while others why am I not gaining weight even though I eat a lot.

Slow Metabolism and Weight Gain

One of the common misconceptions about weight gain, despite eating less, is having a slow metabolism. Metabolism refers to the process by which your body converts food and drink into energy. Here’s how a slow metabolism can contribute to weight gain:

Muscle Mass: Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. A decrease in muscle mass, whether due to aging, inactivity, or inadequate protein intake, can slow your metabolism and lead to weight gain.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs at rest to maintain vital functions. A slower metabolism means a lower BMR, so you burn fewer calories even when inactive.
Calorie Burning: With a slow metabolism, your body is less efficient at burning calories during physical activities, meaning fewer calories are burned compared to someone with a faster metabolism.
Energy Storage: When your body burns calories slowly, excess calories are more likely to be stored as fat, leading to weight gain.
Hormonal Imbalance: Conditions like hypothyroidism can slow down metabolism, causing the body to burn fewer calories and contribute to weight gain.
Age Factor: As you age, your metabolism naturally slows down, requiring fewer calories to maintain your weight. If your calorie intake remains the same, you may experience weight gain.

Hidden Calories and Weight Gain

A significant factor in unexplained weight gain is the presence of hidden calories in your diet. These are calories that you may not account for, but they can add up quickly and impact your weight. Here’s how hidden calories can contribute to weight gain:

Processed Foods: Packaged and processed foods often contain added sugars and fats, increasing their calorie content without providing much nutritional value.
Beverages: Drinks like soda, juice, alcohol, and flavored coffees can contain high amounts of sugar and calories, often consumed without considering their caloric content.
Condiments: Sauces, dressings, and spreads such as mayonnaise, ketchup, and salad dressings can be calorie-dense, adding up quickly with each meal.
Snacking: Small snacks throughout the day, like chips, nuts, or candy, may seem harmless but can contribute significantly to your daily calorie intake.
Portion Sizes: Eating larger portions than necessary, even healthy foods, can result in consuming more calories than intended.
Cooking Methods: The way food is prepared can add hidden calories, such as frying in oil or adding butter and cream to dishes.

Stress and Weight Gain

Stress can significantly impact your weight and overall health, often leading to unexpected weight gain. Here’s how stress contributes to weight gain:

Increased Fat Storage: Prolonged stress can alter how your body stores fat, leading to an accumulation of visceral fat, which is associated with various health problems.
Increased Cortisol Levels: Stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that can lead to increased appetite and cravings for high-calorie, comfort foods. Elevated cortisol levels can also promote fat storage, especially around the abdominal area.
Emotional Eating: Stress often leads to emotional eating, where individuals consume food not out of hunger but as a coping mechanism. This can result in consuming more calories and unhealthy foods.
Insulin Resistance: Chronic stress can lead to insulin resistance, making it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar levels and increasing the risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
Disrupted Sleep: Stress can affect the quality of your sleep, leading to poor sleep patterns. Lack of sleep can disrupt hunger hormones, increase cravings, and reduce the body’s ability to burn calories effectively.
Reduced Physical Activity: High-stress levels can lead to fatigue and decreased motivation to exercise, resulting in fewer calories burned and potential weight gain.

Medical Conditions

Diseases rarely explain weight gain or loss, even though Hypothyroidism or type 2 diabetes may be associated with a mild susceptibility to gaining weight or difficulty losing weight. The disease can cause weight gain, mainly when one cannot move because of osteoarthritis.

Also, obesity itself predisposes to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

Patients with chronic illness can move less. Immobility, in turn, exacerbates diseases.

Various restrictions on movement also hinder exercise, and many gain weight because of it. Obesity is a big burden personally and easily affects your mood. In older people, immobility can contribute to the development of musculoskeletal fragility syndrome.

Add to that, hormonal imbalance causing PCOS can hinder weight loss in women suffering from it.

Related: Can PCOS cause weight loss

At first, you may consider keeping a weekly food diary. It reveals if your eating has changed, explaining weight gain or loss.

It is a good idea to see a doctor for a rapid weight loss of several kilograms for which you do not come up with a logical reason.

If there is a serious illness in the background, a quick response can even save a life. For example, starting cancer treatments every week matters.

If you also feel restless, your heart beats harder and your sweat rises easily. The reason for the weight loss may be hyperthyroidism.

Thyroid waves

The thyroid gland produces thyroxine, which is a hormone that has a significant effect on the body’s metabolism.

Thousands around the world suffer from hyperthyroidism. The underlying cause is often an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease is a condition in which the body attacks its tissues and produces antibodies to them.

Related: AIP Diet List Of Foods. In this article, we will help you choose which food to eat and which to ban.

Antibodies stimulate the thyroid gland to produce too many thyroid hormones, which drive the metabolism to overdrive – and the weight drops. However, hyperthyroidism is treated with a medicine that reduces the production of thyroid hormones.

Doctors may recommend following medications for a year and a half usually corrects the condition. But, in some cases, the thyroid gland may need an operation to remove it.

Weight gain can be a symptom of hypothyroidism, which means low thyroid hormone production.

Thyroxine medication corrects the situation in most cases.

You may prefer only medications, but what if you can do some dietary modifications for better results?

Check out: How to reset your thyroid gland

Cushing syndrome weight gain

Cushing’s syndrome is a condition caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. This syndrome can lead to significant weight gain, and understanding its impact is crucial:

Central Obesity: Weight gain is often concentrated around the abdomen, face, and upper back, leading to a characteristic “moon face” and “buffalo hump.”
Muscle Weakness: Excess cortisol can cause muscle wasting and weakness, particularly in the arms and legs, contributing to an overall increase in body fat percentage.
Fat Redistribution: Fat tends to redistribute from the limbs to the trunk, creating an uneven body shape.
Increased Appetite: Elevated cortisol levels can increase appetite, leading to higher calorie intake and further weight gain.
Insulin Resistance: Cushing’s syndrome can cause insulin resistance, making it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar levels and promote fat storage.
Fluid Retention: High cortisol can also lead to fluid retention, which can contribute to weight gain and a puffy appearance.

Understanding these points can help in recognizing and managing weight gain associated with Cushing’s syndrome. For more detailed information, consult healthcare professionals and explore dedicated medical resources.

Antipsychotics weight gain

The most common antidepressants, so-called SSRIs, can increase or decrease weight. Strong medications, such as the antipsychotic Risperdal, can gain weight quickly. Some may ask: Why do antipsychotics cause weight gain?

The drug itself does not gain pounds, but it increases the feeling of hunger or weakens the control of eating.

How to reverse weight gain from antipsychotics?

Some doctors recommend using metformin (diabetic medication) to counter the effects of antipsychotic drugs. However, it’s better to find the perfect combination between a healthy lifestyle and the use of metformin to get the best results.

Either way, you should consult your doctor before using any medication.

Hormonal weight gain

PCOS is the most prevailing endocrine disorder. Not just weight gain, but also, it is associated with irregular menstruation and hair growth.

The best treatment is weight management, but increasing exercise and quitting smoking can be necessary.

Birth control pills can restore regular menstruation, but you should consult the doctor in this situation.

If the weight rises near the age of 50, hormones may also have something to do with it.

In women, the proportion of muscle mass decreases, the portion of fat increases, and the metabolism of the rest slows down.

That’s why you can get about 2 pounds extra fat a year if you don’t change your lifestyle or exercise less.

A sharp rise in weight around the age of 50 is rarely because of hormonal changes. However, they can impair sleep in both women and men. When tired, they can’t move again, so they gain extra pounds quickly.

Regardless of age and hormones, the same ways help to control weight include a balanced vegetarian diet, exercise, and adequate rest.

Normal Weight gain

➤ Pregnancy

➤ Increase in calorie intake.

➤ Emotional change, such as loneliness

➤ Hypothyroidism.

➤ Cushing’s syndrome.

➤ Polycystic ovary syndrome.

➤ Medication

Normal Weight loss

➤ Emotional change, such as grief

➤ Hyperthyroidism

➤ Decrease in calorie intake