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Cause of weight gain in Women

Causes for Weight Gain in Women

Most adult women at one time or another have struggled with their weight, and recent research suggests that weight gain in women differs from that of men. 

There are many reasons why women put on the pounds and some of the factors that lead to weight gain in women are surprising. Here are a list of 11 causes for weight gain that specifically affects the female population.

1. Pregnancy

Women are required to gain weight during pregnancy. However, many women consume too many calories when they are expecting. Guided by the idea of "eating for two," many women overeat and gain more weight than is recommended by the medical community. A healthy woman with an average body weight should eat an extra 300 calories.

2. Menopause

During menopause, the hormonal changes may cause an increase in appetite and lead to weight gain. Your changing body composition may also make it more difficult to lose any excess weight.

3. Not Eating Enough

Studies indicate that more than 50% of the population of women are dieting at any given time. Yet, the quest to lose weight often can do more harm than good. A reason why many women gain weight is because they don't eat enough. When you aren't consuming enough food, the metabolism slows down and the body begins to store fat.

4. Eating "Low-Fat" Foods

Female dieters may be seduced by packages with the words "low-fat" printed on them. However, these low-fat foods often contain as many calories as normal food items.

5. Lack of Fiber

The popularity of low-carb diets such as Atkins have caused fiber deficiencies among dieters. Fiber is essential to losing and maintaining a healthy weight. Not only does fiber promote bowel health, it also gives you a feeling of fullness which helps you to eat less.

6. Too Much Stress

The demands of having a career and managing a family may cause many women to pack on the pounds. Stress causes the body go into crisis mode. As a result, the body begins to slow down and store fat. 

7. Lack of Sleep

When you're sleep deprived, your body can't work to its best ability. The body's reacts to a lack of sleep by storing fat.

8. Depression

Many women engage in what is called "emotional eating." This is a response to depression and an attempt to fill a void in your life through food. Comfort foods such as chocolate and other sweets may soothe the soul, but they expand the waistline.

9. Lack of Fatty Acids

Not all fats are bad for you. Fatty acids like those contained in flaxseed oil help you to maintain your metabolism and curb unhealthy food cravings.

10. Diseases and Illness

There are a number of diseases and illness that can cause weight gain. Ovarian cysts can cause a woman to gain up to 15 kilos over a short period of time. Problems with the liver, kidneys and heart can be associated with weight gain. Also, women who undergo breastcancer treatments often experience a fluctuation in weight.

11. Birth Control

When you begin taking a new birth control pill, you may notice an increase in your weight. Weight gain is a common side effect for most contraceptives.

If you are suddenly gaining weight for what seems to be no reason, consider the above 11 factors.

Surprising Reasons:- Why You are Gaining Weight

Many people don't  eat much, still gain enormous amount of weight with time.

We can now conclude that Extra calories may not be the only cause of weight gain.

But now how do you explain weight gain when your lifestyle includes regular exercise and a healthy diet that is controlled in calories? 

Gaining weight is absolutely maddening, especially when you really don't understand why the needle on the scale keeps going up.

Several things should be considered if you are gaining weight while watching calories and being physically active. More than likely, it's a variety of things working together that have resulted in the weight gain.

Weight gain is so complicated; there are so many factors that can impact your weight. It is more likely a combination of things more than just one factor.

Here are few factors that can cause the scale to creep up when you least expect it.

1. You Might Be Gaining Weight Because of Lack of Sleep

The body functions best when well rested.When you don't get enough sleep, your body experiences physiological stress and, biochemically, you store fat more efficiently.

When you're tired, you also don't handle stress as well, so you may reach for food as a coping mechanism. Further, you may be taking in extra calories from late-night snacking. Some people think eating might help them get back to sleep, but all it really does is add more calories to their daily total.

Symptoms that you may not be getting enough rest include fatigue, low energy levels, nodding off easily, and feeling irritable.

Strive to get eight hours of sleep each night.

When you develop good sleeping rituals and get regular exercise, you sleep better.

2. You May Be Gaining Weight Because of Stress

We live in a society that demands we do more, be more, and achieve more.

Stress moves us forward and helps cope with life's demands, but it also affects our mood and emotions.

Stress response, whether it is 'fight-or-flight,' juggling too many responsibilities, or coping with financial pressures, triggers a biochemical process where our bodies go into survival mode.Our bodies store fuel, slow down metabolism, and dump out chemicals [cortisol, leptin, and other hormones] which are more likely to cause ... obesity in the abdominal region.

Many people reach for food to help ease the stress. But, of course, this doesn't work in the long run.

Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, says stress eaters tend to prefer high-carbohydrate foods because these foods trigger an increase in the brain chemical serotonin, which has a calming effect. "It is almost like self-medicating," she says. "Many people binge on starchy foods to make themselves feel better."

They recommend relaxation techniques as well as exercise, which also burns calories and provides other health benefits.

3. You May Be Gaining Weight Because of Medications

Some prescription drugs used to treat depression, mood disorders, seizures, migraines, blood pressure, and diabetes can cause weight gain, from a modest amount to as much as 5 kilos per month.

Some steroids, hormone replacement therapy, and even oral contraceptives may also cause gradual weight creep. 

Your medicine cabinet might be the cause of your weight gain if you've gained 2 or more kilos in a month without a change in your lifestyle.

Every drug works a little differently to cause weight gain, from increasing appetite, altering the way fat is stored, to how insulin levels change, And not all drugs have the same side effects on all people.

In the case of antidepressants, weight gain may not even be related to the action of the drug -- feeling better can also result in a heartier appetite. Some drugs can cause fluid retention that shows up on the scale as weight gain, but is not fat, and is usually easily corrected.

Experts say that some of the most common types of medications that may cause weight gain are:

·         Steroids

·         Antidepressants

·         Antipsychotics

·         Antiseizure medications

·         Diabetes medications

·         High blood pressure medications

·         Heartburn medications

But it's important to remember that a few extra kilos may be well worth the trade-off of what a particular medication does for your overall health, experts say. 

Further, even if your medications are the cause of your weight gain, you still need to be mindful of eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

These things can contribute, but rarely are the sole cause of the weight gain.

If you suspect your medication is causing weight gain, talk to your health care provider to see about changing your prescription. But whatever you do, don't go off your medication without seeking medical advice.

There could be very serious consequences if you stop taking your medication without consulting your physician.So, never do that.

4. You May Be Gaining Weight Because of a Medical Condition

The most common medical condition that causes weight gain is hypothyroidism.  A deficiency of thyroid hormone can decrease metabolism, causing appetite loss and weight gain.

If you are feeling fatigued, lethargic, swelling, hoarse voice, intolerance to cold, sleeping too much, or headaches, you should see your doctor for an easy test to determine if you have hypothyroidism.

Much rarer is a condition known as Cushing's syndrome -- a disorder caused by an excess of the hormone cortisol -- that can also result in weight gain.

5. You May Be Gaining Weight Because of Menopause

Women reach menopause at a range of ages, but most are in midlife and are often less physically active than when they were younger. Along with aging comes a natural slowing of metabolism. At the same time, hormonal changes can trigger hunger, depression, and poor sleep.

It is multifactoral. When women go through menopause, they lose estrogen, causing their shapes to change -- usually a loss of hip and thigh weight.

Estrogen favors fat deposition in the lower body, and when you lose this hormone, fat is more likely to be deposited in the midsection (much like men).

The key to avoiding this extra belly fat is to maintain and increase the amount of lean body mass, which will, in turn, increase your metabolism or calorie burn rate.

Exercise also helps offset bone loss that can come with menopause.  A combination of exercise and a healthy, calorie-controlled diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is the answer to thwarting menopausal weight gain.

7 days Cabbage Soup Diet

Remember: This diet should only be followed for 7 days at a time, with at least two weeks in between.

Day One:

Fruit: Eat all of the fruit you want (except bananas). Eat only your soup and the fruit for the first day. For drinks- unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and water.

Day Two:

Vegetables: Eat until you are stuffed will all fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. Try to eat leafy green vegetables and stay away from dry beans, peas and corn. Eat all the vegetables you want along with your soup. At dinner, reward yourself with a big baked potato with butter. Do not eat fruit today.

Day Three:

Mix Days One and Two: Eat all the soup, fruits and vegetables you want. No Baked Potato.

Day Four:

Bananas and Skim Milk: Eat as many as eight bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you would like on this day, along with your soup. This day is supposed to lessen your desire for sweets.

Day Five:

Beef And Tomatoes: Ten to twenty ounces of beef and up to six fresh tomatoes. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water this day to wash the uric acid from your body. Eat your soup at least once this day. You may eat broiled or baked chicken instead of beef (but absolutely no skin-on chicken). If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for beef on one of the beef days (but not both).

Day Six:

Beef and Vegetables: Eat to your heart’s content of beef and vegetables this day. You can even have 2 or 3 steaks if you like, with leafy green vegetables. No Baked Potato. Eat your soup at least once.

Day Seven:

Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices and vegetables: Again stuff, stuff, stuff yourself. Be sure to eat your soup at least once this day.

FOR SOUP:

·         6 large green onions (or any onions)

·         2 green peppers (or other colored peppers)

·         3 carrots

·         1 bunch celery

·         1 head cabbage

·         1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole)

·         1 container (10 oz. or so) Mushrooms

·         1 package Lipton soup mix (optional)

·         1 or 2 cubes bouillon (optional)

·         1 can of original V8 juice (optional)

·         OTHER SPICES (NO salt!)

OTHER DAYS:

·         1 bunch of bananas (at least 6-8)

·         1 pkg. of strawberries (or any other berry you like)

·         Grapes, peaches, watermelon, nectarines (any fruits you like)

·         6 tomatoes (at least 6 in addition to what is already listed)

·         Skim Milk

·         1 large potato (JUST ONE! A sweet potato is OK, too)

·         Chicken, fish or Beef (Choose Chicken OR steak, not both)

·         Brown Rice

You can refer to some very important information related to weight loss The goal is to achieve ideal weight before taking any action.