Reasons for weight gain??

[funshine]

Does anyone know of any reasons someone might gain weight apart from the obvious like eating too many calories,not doing enough exercise,underactive thyroid etc??

I've been steadily gaining weight over the last 6 months and nothing in my lifestyle has changed.According to the doc my thyroids fine so it's not that but it's making me very unhappy.I only eat less than 1000 calories each day too so it don't make sense...please help me!!

[Ethel]

If you have been eating less that 1000 calories per day for some time, you may be suffering all sorts of problems - it is simply not enough to sustain a healthy body.

Your body will go into starvation mode.

Unless you are getting extra calories from drink - what do you drink each day? High calorie soft drinks and / or alcohol?

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/calories/ calorie_counting/1000_diet_menu.htm

If your total consumption is less that 1500 calories a day and you are still gaining weight, you need to talk to your doctor.

[bensmum]

As ethel says if you start to eat less than you need your body will adapt so that it needs less. However at less than 1000 calories per day, unless you are completely immobile, I would have thought that you should not be gaining weight at least. It's probably best to go back to oyur GP

[Panic Button]

Perhaps worth asking to discuss it with a different doctor, as it is clearly worrying you.

[Loosehead]

There is only one explanation for weight gain, too many calories, simple. Now there my be many reasons why your body is using les calories, the most likely as said above is starvation, essentailly the body is designed to eat when it can and go long periods without eating if necessary. Unfortunately modern food availability means that the body's own mechanisms are largely unneeded and indeed can prove a hinderance. Eat what you are now and do exercise, the body wil be forced to raise metabolism and in turn forced to use more energy. There are some conditions that make weight gain likely, they are rare but even people with those need energy to function.

[alijangra]

Loosehead there are actually many medical conditions that cause weight gain. Poster states she has less than 1000 cals daily, how can that be too many? Panic Button is correct, GP should investigate more than just thyroid as there are many endocrinological disorders that should be considered.

[Loosehead]

Because for whatever reason she is using less than 1000. There is no great mystery.

[Ethel]

Loosehead - a person in a vegetative state is fed a minimum of 800 calories per day by iv just to keep the body going. And still they lose weight.

[Loosehead]

And your point is?

Ok, the rules are simple, it takes 1 joule of energy to move one kilo one metre, that is the universal truth.

If she is eating 1000 calories a day and still putting on weight then she is in a vegitative state!

People generally undersetimate what they are eating, not diliberately but they tend to forget to add in everything like 5 cups of tea, ho and that mars bar, oh yes and I put 2 spoons of suger on my special K etc etc. In reality I would bet real money that she is eating more than 1000 cals. but does not account for it.

Now people tend to get very angry when this is suggested please don't all I'm saying is, I don''t care what your particular condition for weight gain is, the laws of physics still apply as above.

[gherkinfiend]

are you taking any medications? I recently came off anti-depressants and have started to lose weight with changing my calorie intake or becoming more active...I think i might actually be eating more since I am now awake for more 2 hours a day....

But definitely have a chat with the doctor...and try keeping a food diary for a couple of days before you go to show them what kind of food you eat and when to make thing clearer..and yes, loosehead is right about 1 thing...don't forget about liquid calories too!

[funshine]

Loosehead: I am definitely not underestimating my eating and calories etc.I write down everything I eat and have done for a while now,I don't drink alcohol,sugary drinks,tea, coffee etc and add sugar to nothing.I don't take any medication either.

This is why I'm so frustrated because I don't understand it...my diet consists of mainly fruit and vegetables with a little protein and hardly any fat. I have been eating less than 1000 cals for some time now so maybe I will try and up my intake a bit and see if it kickstarts my metabolism or something.

I exercise every day,either cardio or just something like walking and I'm always "on the go".I've never had a problem before,in fact my metabolism has always been high and I've had to eat more than average and all of a sudden it is like a switch has flicked in my body and slowed it down.

I'm going to have another chat with my GP i think and see what can be done.

[Loosehead]

fair enough, I hope you find the answers, your metabolism must be almost shut down. try and increase food a little, and exersize a lot, that may kick start your metabolism.

[alijangra]

Im not angry at all (?) but I eat loads more than 1000 cals and dont gain weight (granted, I work out regularly). Im just saying it is not as cut and dried as you might think. I worked in a diabetes and endocrinology ward for a year when i first qualified as a nurse (a few years ago now I guess) and I remember a few disorders and some extremely obese people with little hope of shifting the weight. They didnt start out that way, and I just think unexplained weight gain should be taken just as seriously as unexplained weight loss.

[abranei]

All the points above are valid but in the right circumstances.

Funshine please post the following details as we are all speculating on what you do and dont do...

Height
Weight
Meals and drink break down. inc times you eat in the day
Excercise plan no. of days and duration
Age
Explain how you calculate you meals calorie value.
What % of foods are proteins, fats and carbs

[funshine]

Ok so I'm almost 21, I'm 5ft 4 and weigh 46kg.I know that still makes me underweight but the point is I have gained alot of weight in the last few months without trying and changing any eating patterns etc.

I don't really eat sort of 3 meals a day but usually have a low fat yoghurt say a mullerlite and a piece of fruit around 11am.Then I will have a salad kind of just vegetables at lunch which is about 2.30-3pm with a low cal dressing and occasionally a few new potatoes or some tuna or quorn slices and maybe some more fruit.

Then for dinner at around 8-9pm I will have more veg with some sort of protein,usually no more than 100-150 cals worth.Then I will usually have another yoghurt,some fruit or sometimes a small amount of ice cream fo pud.Most days I will have a few sweets or like chocolate raisins and a packet of low fat crisps during the day.

As for drinks the only thing I have is low sugar squashes like ribena light,low cal fizzy drinks and very rarely a glass of soy milk.I don't have tea or coffee,alcohol or juice or sugar filled soft drinks.

Exercise-I walk everywhere I can which is usually a good few hours each day and I do 3x30 mins jogging eaxh week.Sometimes I go swimming and am thinking of doing weights etc.I used to be a walking calorie counter but find it quite unhelpful so don't really measure anything precisely but from what I eat it is obvious it is not alot although I probably don't eat anything that is right for my body.

I simply cannot understand why I am gaining weight on this amount of food.How can I cut it down anymore,it's ridiculous!!Please help me!

[Panic Button]

Sounds as though you could do with putting a bit of weight on!

I know you probably don't want to hear this, but as a typical red blooded male I can tell you that stick thin models are not attractive. The majority of us prefer a full rounded body.

Kate Moss or Kelly Brook? Kelly any day!

[abranei]

How much weight have you increased over what time? i.e 1/2 stone in 1 month?

[funshine]

It's been about a stone and a 1/2 over the last 5 or 6 months...it might not sound a lot but it really notices when you are small anyway and none of my bloody clothes fit me anymore.It's so depressing,I know I'm not big,I'm just not happy gaining weight on such a tiny amount of calories because surely it can't be normal??

[abranei]

Pregnant?

Based in your height and weight your BMI is just under the normal weight band and since BMI is not the best way to say if your under or overweight I wouldnt worry too much. It does just a quick guide.

1000 Calories is way to low and you should be eating around 1500-1700 calories a day if your excercising 3 times a week, This is based on a program I have that calculates your height,weight, amount of excercise, sex etc

I suspect that your in hibernation mode and this process means that your body is store as much fat as possible. You need to eat more so start at 1700 calories for three days (You need to continue to chart this) and then drop to 1500 calories for say two/three weeks and see if this stops weight gain.

Never go below 1200 calories as this is you BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and going below this is unhealthly

You posted that you dont eat till 11am and this is effectively skipping breakfast. When people say its the most important meal of the day IT IS!!! Eating breakfast at say 7.30 starts you metabolism early and breaks the fast you had while sleeping. Insulin sensitivity is lower in the morning so eat bigger meals during the morning and your meals should get small towards the night time.

Insulin is the gateway to fat. It tells the body that it has more energy than it needs and stores it as fat. That tired feeling you get after large meals or sugary drinks etc is the insulin spike that stores fat. Smaller more fequent meals will help avoid insuling spikes.

Try and eat smaller meals 6 meals a day to keep your metabolism going and dont eat after 8pm

Eats lots of veg, fish, chicken (Soya, Ouorn if veggy).

Drink lots of water.

One other question would you say your muscle composition have reduced and fat increase? Are you less strong than you used to be?

[funshine]

I wouldn't say that my muscle has increased or decrease,I guess my fat on my legs has increased...that's where I can see the difference from the weight gain but don't really know what are the best exercises etc to tone them up a bit and I know you can't spot reduce fat so it's a bit annoying.

And no I'm definitely not pregnant.