10 Reasons You Might Be Putting On Weight!
Put on a few pounds lately and can’t seem to shift them? Avoiding these diet pitfalls could make all the difference to you
Going Bump In The Night!
Supper does often seem like quite an attractive thought, but eating too late at night can be responsible for piling on the pounds. Not only do we tend to snack on higher fat and calorie foods before bed, we are also less likely to burn stored fat if our tummies are full as our body goes about its business of restorative healing during the night.
Down In The Mouth
Depression and weight gain can create a cycle which makes you feel like you are sinking lower and lower… You eat more high calorie “treat” foods because you are feeling down, and gaining weight makes you feel more sluggish and depressed – but that cycle can be broken! Proven tactics are avoiding using food as a pick-me-up, eating regular, balanced meals and exercising.
More Or Less?
Do you eat until you are totally full and can’t eat another bite – and then have an after-dinner mint? Over-eating could have happened little by little, or it could be a habit that you have got into. Reducing your plate size and eating slowly and mindfully will help reduce your waist size.
Ignorance Is Bliss!
How can you be putting on weight when you almost never snack between meals and are very careful with your portion control? Well, we can all be a bit guilty of underestimating, food-wise – and that means how much we eat as well as what we eat! Try keeping a food diary and noting down everything you eat… You might just be surprised.
Pause For Thought!
As if it wasn’t enough that our temperature gauges and emotions can go off the rails before, during and after the menopause, we can also pile on some pounds too. Hormonal changes and a reduction in muscle mass both lead to a slowing down of the metabolism, meaning we need to take in fewer calories than we did before the menopause.
Solving The Puzzle
If feeling deathly tired and quite down, without any change in your routine at all, accompanies a weight gain, you might, like thousands of others, be suffering from an underactive thyroid gland. A trip to the doctors and a blood test will determine if this is the case, and some simple daily meds will soon have you on your way to feeling yourself again.
A Change For The Better
Have you stopped having regular bowel movements or are you having infrequent ones which are hard to pass, leaving you bloated and “bunged up”? Make sure you are drinking enough water, consuming enough fibre and undertaking gentle exercise every day. Teas with liquorice or senna can help your body on its way, but if you are at all concerned, make an appointment with your GP.
All Change!
Medication can sometimes be responsible for weight gain and/or a spike in appetite. If your waistbands are feeling a little tight after a change in medication or the addition of new ones, make some time to have a chat with your doctor or pharmacist.
Move On Up!
The food we eat is our fuel, and although it takes some of that fuel to keep the ol’ body ticking along, are you putting in more fuel that your body is using up, leading to weight gain? Walk, dance or work out to shed those extra pounds.
Tummy Troubles
Amidst dealing with a range of symptoms associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), sufferers may also find that they are putting on weight. Poor intestinal health and a depletion of healthy gut flora can slow down digestion and the metabolism and increase cravings for carbs. Treat your body and mind kindly, and reintroduce healthy intestinal bacteria to feel better and shifft the pounds.