What makes someone gain weight?

Question

I`m 24 years and I`m overweight. I was wondering if gaining weight can occur due to other factors except unhealthy eating. I should lose about 20 pounds in order to have a healthy weight, not so much to lose, I know. My problem is that I always seem to gain some weight instead of losing it although I`m having a healthy diet. Can stress be a cause? I`m really stressed at work. What do you think? Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

Yes, stress can definitely be a cause of gaining weight. Fatigue could be a cause too, perhaps you`re working too much. You eat frequently during the day? Maybe you suffer from binge eating disorder. However, you should check a doctor. Till then, count your calories, see exactly how much you eat and how much you burn. You find good weight loss tools at projectweightloss.com- a calorie counter, diet and fitness planner, interesting articles, forums, lotsa friends willing to support you, you name it! I`ve been a member for a few months and it helped a lot in my weight loss program.

Answer 2

There are actually proven factors that cause weight gain....3 of the top, diet related are:
Break-up/relationship issues
Moving to a new place
New job/Job stress

It is also sometimes just hormonal, or there might be deeper issues that you should work out with your doctor. Or it coul dbe your pregnant and just didnt know like me...lol!

And another tip, one overweight gal to the next....the more you stress about losing weight, the more likely you will be to gain it....It happened to be before my brothers wedding. Ate right, busted my butt at the gym, and i gained 15lbs!!!!! I was so stressed about losing the weight that I gained instead. Relax, just enjoy the feeling of being healthy and you'd be suprised at the turn out. Don't keep reminding yourself you need to loose weight, or look in the mirror and dog yourself. Be proud your eating right and working out to be healthy. Thats what i did and I lost 60lbs in less the 3 months, cause I didnt care about the weight. Just how good it felt to be healthy.

And to all the people who say "oh its cuase you eat more" That is not always true. You can eat the same as the person next to you. If your metabolism is slower due to inactivity, stress, or hormones, your body does not burn at the same rate. Not all overweight people eat like pigs, sometimes its more then that. Physcial abnormalities or stress. Even Genetics.

Answer 3

I understand your dilemma but I would like to state that every weight issue is related to knowledge...and here is why. Note - when I reference the K-word I'll put an * by the item.

First, we have to admit that weight is usually a condition mandated by society and not by our own body type *. So, you need to fairly evaluate what type of body shape you are and become comfortable with that decision, which is another issue *.

Next, weight is a combination of many things; lifestyle, health, diet (btw, diet literally means "what you eat") exercise, and many other items such as stress *. For the last issue, stress, many people find it relieving to eat in order to overcome depression, anxiety and a whole host of other issues *. So, recognize what is making you eat; are you hungry, depressed, anxious *?

Next, develop a regiment and stick to it. This means everything; eating, exercise and anything else that may be affecting your mental and physical state i.e. stress *. You can do anything you set your mind to but you have to accept the entire concept of "choice" and not for just a small point of time.

Next, health is the underlying issue so make sure you are completely healthy. Get a physical and make sure you are within normal limits before starting strenuous exercise *.

Pointers - fat is storage of excess calories. Some people retain calories differently because of race i.e samoans. If you want to reduce body fat then find out what you are and where you want to be * . Btw, norm for your age is below 20% *. And the only way to reduce body fat is to excercise, while keeping calories at a daily regiment *. And, most importantly, start eating smaller meals. This allows your body to start thinking "I don't have to store this as fat because I'll eat in a couple of hours." And try not to overeat, which is hard to do in our over consumption society *.

Again, this is just a start but it all relates back to knowledge. Too many people think that this is a simple, one-degree solution but it isn't. Find out more, and build your knowledge base. For instance, how much protein should you eat in a day: Calories, fat, carbohydrates?

Take your time, develope a plan and stick to it.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

Answer 4

Even if you have a healthy diet, if you aren't doing some sort of fitness routine, you could still gain weight. If you aren't a workout type of person, at least try taking short walks in the morning or evening.

If that still isn't helping, you might want to get your thyroid checked out. I had a friend with a thyroid problem that caused alot of weight gain.

Answer 5

Prescriptions can make you gain and keep weight.

Yes, stress can cause many major medical problems. Stress gave me a mild heart condition with no previous heart problems. Once the stress was gone, all the pain went away.

A few tricks we use in our house to help maintain and not gain are using the salad size plates for dinner. NO FAST FOOD. It is unbelievably high in calories. No sugar or desserts (except sugar free and fat free). I use Splenda only for all sweetening. I only use about 2 lbs of sugar a year.
Nothing fried. Plus we both drink a 6 pack of water a day.
Plus we walk one to two miles a night. Clock it off in your neighborhood and set a time to walk as the sun goes down and the temps. go down.

My Husband is diabetic so I have had to learn many tricks to help keep us under control. We are both on several medications that contribute to weight gain.

Good Luck.

Answer 6

Yes stress can be a factor. But more likely is the fact that you're eating too many calories. You can eat a healthy diet, but still be eating too many calories. Example: grilled chicken is healthy, but a big piece still has more calories than you're supposed to be getting for 1 meal. Just really make a conscious effort to watch your portion sizes (that chicken breast should only be the size of a deck of cards and no bigger), and get active every day--even if it's just to take a walk.

Answer 7

Stress is a contibuting factor.

Note: Both sleeping too much AND too little, can cause unhealthy weight gain. my advice, get the healthy balance of sleep.

also, weight gain can also be hereditary or other environmental factors (ie, not how much you eat, but what you eat and what time you eat.)

Hope this helps, Peace.

Answer 8

I think that you can reach your goal. I am also trying to lose a few pounds. this is what I have found so far:
- weight gain can be hereditary, but you can fight that
-getting enough sleep really helps
- dont starve yourself
- drink lots of water, sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger (tea is also good)
- yes, try to relax. stress doesn't help
- exercise whenever you can ( I dreaded exercise becuase I thought It would take all day, but exersising in short intervals really helps keep you metabolism going.)
- eat slow
- eat food that tastes good so you will be satisfied.
- be balanced so you can avoid binge eating.

Answer 9

Stress can, but not because of stress itself, because people tend to eat more when stressed out. Some people are the opposite, like me, who lose weight when stressed.

You could have a thyroid problem which can make it nearly impossible to lose weight, thus you gain it. Best to check with your doctor and ask him/her to run a thyroid test on you.

Answer 10

stress may be a cause. most likely if you're dieting and excersizing. heres some good weight loss tips. : it helped me lose my 20 pounds . ........ walk early mornings, only eat twice a day. no snacks. , downsize your meals. make shure it is healthy with no fatty meats,. no soda , tea, or cofffee. only water and fat free milk. drink as much water as possible and only about 1 or 2 glasses of milk a day , walk at night and STOP EATING 3 HOURS BEFORE BED. :] i guaruntee you the 20 :) good luck!