Weight gain and fluctuations in weight can happen for a variety of reasons. Many people progressively gain weight as they age or make changes to their lifestyle. However, fast weight gain can be a sign of an underlying health condition, such as a problem with the thyroid, kidneys, or heart.
You Might Be Eating Too Little
This phenomenon is called “starvation mode,” and while your body isn't actually starving, it will naturally hold onto whatever calories it receives in an effort to help you maintain your energy balance.
Rapid weight gain or swelling in particular areas of the body can be due to fluid retention and may be a sign of heart failure. According to the American Heart Association , a weight gain of more than 2–3 pounds (lb) over 24 hours or 5 lb in a week could be a sign of heart failure.
What Is Hormonal Weight Gain? Weight gain associated with underlying hormonal imbalances. For men, hormonal weight gain can be caused by high stress or cortisol levels in the body.
Overall, a combination of lifestyle changes, such as dietary modifications, exercise, stress management, and adequate sleep, is key to reducing hormonal belly fat effectively. In some cases, hormone replacement therapy or body shaping procedures may also be considered.
Hormones largely influence weight, which in turn, can be controlled by a special focus on eating habits. According to nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary, you need to reset three hormones — prolactin, insulin and thyroid antibodies — for optimal fat loss.
“It is possible to overcome hormonal changes, particularly in women with perimenopausal belly fat or menopausal weight gain,” explains Registered Dietician, Lon Ben-Asher from the Pritikin Center.
A hormonal belly looks like an accumulation of fat around the belly. It looks like excess fat on the stomach that cannot be removed. Hormonal imbalances can lead to excess fat accumulation in the belly area.
Many women notice an increase in belly fat as they get older even if they don't gain weight. This is likely due to a lower level of estrogen because estrogen seems to have an effect on where fat is located in the body. Genes can contribute to an individual's chances of being overweight or obese too.
Our bodies produce a number of hormones, each with unique functions that keep us healthy. If certain hormones have higher than normal levels, losing weight can be much harder. Some of the most important hormones for losing stubborn fat are estrogen and leptin.
Most diets don't work for women, because they fail to address the hormonal root causes that are the most common reasons for weight loss resistance, like excess cortisol, insulin and/or leptin blockage, estrogen dominance, a sluggish thyroid, low testosterone, and problems with the HPA (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal) ...
High cortisol affects metabolism and may increase your risk of overeating or make weight loss more difficult. Finally, women with low estrogen levels during and after menopause may experience increased weight gain, while men with low testosterone levels often lose muscle mass and gain body fat.
Although the prevalence of obesity increases with age, weight gain is actually greatest across the younger years of adult life — late twenties and thirties — and diminishes gradually over time as adults get older, says Tucker.
A classic sign of Prader-Willi syndrome is a constant craving for food, resulting in rapid weight gain, starting around age 2 years. Constant hunger leads to eating often and consuming large portions. Unusual food-seeking behaviors, such as hoarding food, or eating frozen food or even garbage, may develop.
Regular exercise increases muscle mass and teaches the body to burn kilojoules at a faster rate, even when at rest. Drugs – like caffeine or nicotine, can increase the BMR. Dietary deficiencies – for example, a diet low in iodine reduces thyroid function and slows the metabolism.
There's no solid proof that vitamin B-12 shots, also called injections, help you lose weight. Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble B complex vitamin. It's found naturally in many foods, such as meat, fish and dairy products. Vitamin B-12 is added to some foods and is available as a dietary supplement.
Bodies hit weight plateaus.
Our bodies give up water first as they burn stored glycogen. Then, the real work begins. You lose fat, but often we lose some calorie-burning muscle, too. In addition, as we become smaller and lighter, movement becomes easier, so we burn fewer calories.