I Care More Than Usual But I Gained Weight

I Care More Than Usual But I Gained Weight

I have more activity than usual, and I care about diet management. I live a life that is not that different from usual, but I sometimes gain weight. What is the reason for this difficulty in weight management?

◆ Lack of sleep

Two associations are observed between sleep and weight. One is that if you have a habit of sleeping late, your chances of eating late at night are increased. Another thing is that the lack of sleep increases the levels of hormones that cause hunger and appetite. This leads to the problem of eating more than usual, or not eating enough, and not feeling full, even if you do not know it.

◆ Stress

If daily life is repeated with intense competition and extreme labor, our body will find a'survival mode'. It secretes the stress hormone cortisol. When this hormone is released, your appetite grows and you find high-calorie foods that make your mind comfortable. The purpose is to relieve stress by eating food.

◆ antidepressants

One of the side effects of taking antidepressants is weight gain. If you are having trouble managing your weight since you started taking medication for depression, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor about these areas. It is not advisable to discontinue medication at will, without consulting a doctor. Depression may have changed your weight, or your appetite may have risen as your mental state stabilized after taking the medication, so it is important to identify the exact cause through counseling.

◆ Steroids

Anti-inflammatory steroid drugs also cause weight gain. The main reason is that excess body fluid remains in the body and appetite increases. While taking steroids, you can temporarily gain weight as fat stays in certain areas, such as the face, back of the neck, and the abdomen. However, steroids should not be discontinued at any discretion, and you should decide whether to continue taking them by consulting a doctor.

◆ Other drugs

There are other drugs prescribed in hospitals that lead to weight gain. This includes drugs that treat mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as migraine, cramping, high blood pressure, and diabetes medications. If long-term side effects lead to fattening, consult your doctor to help you adjust your dose or find alternative medications.

Some women believe that birth control pills lead to weight gain, but the relationship between birth control pills and weight gain remains unclear. Also, most of them increase temporarily while taking the drug, but do not lead to long-term weight gain.

◆ Hypothyroidism

If enough thyroid hormones are not produced in the thyroid gland formed in the front of the neck, metabolism slows down and fatigue increases. In addition, despite the loss of appetite, an abnormal phenomenon occurs in which the weight increases. When taking thyroid hormones, thyroid function returns to normal.

◆ Menopause

Most women experience weight gain when they enter menopause. Hormonal changes also have an effect, and aging itself slows down metabolism and calorie consumption. Changes in lifestyle habits, such as decreased activity, also have an impact.

◆ Cushing's syndrome

Even if there is a Cushing's syndrome in which excess sugar corticosteroids are secreted, fat in the abdomen increases and the face rounds like a moon cake. You may suspect this syndrome if you feel that your face, neck, abdomen, lower back, and lower back are significantly gaining weight.