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December 6, 2017

What’s Getting in the Way of Your Weight Loss?

Published in: causes of weight gain, How to deal with chronic pain, Menopause, Staying Healthy, Wahl massagers, Weight Gain, what's causing your weight gain, why am I gaining weight
Say it ain’t so! (istockphoto.com)

If you’re planning once again to make some New Year’s Resolutions, but tired of making the same ones over and over and over again, here’s something for you: A dive into what’s getting in the way of your desire to shed some pounds.

Because sometimes, you need to silence your inner critic from telling you that you have no self- control… and finally find the truth behind it all.

Pain. Chronic pain can lead to unwanted weight gain in many ways. Side effects from medications, like anti-inflammatory steroids, can make the scale creep up. Being in pain can make it more difficult to be active, or can make you avoid exercise for fear of worsening your pain. And the stress of chronic pain can lead to overeating.

What to do: Be mindful of portions. If your medication makes you hungry, stock up on healthy snacks like veggies and fruit. Talk to your healthcare professional about safe and effective exercises, which can actually help manage chronic pain. Ease your pain naturally using at-home massage with this deep-tissue massager by Wahl, which can attack and relieve muscle pain deep below the surface, or pinpoint specific problem areas. Lots of research has shown that massage can effectively ease chronic pain and help improve quality of life.

Skimping on Sleep. Among yawning, under eye bags, difficulty concentrating, moodiness and fatigue (obviously) comes another fallout from not getting enough sleep – and that’s weight gain. How? Well, for one, studies show that regions of your brain will cause you to crave more “comfort” foods (as in chips and cookies) than “healthy” ones (as in carrot sticks and apples). And you’ll eat more of them, too, because sleep deprivation increases hunger, by ramping up the hunger hormone known as ghrelin, which is responsible for increasing your appetite. Conversely, the hormone leptin, which signals your brain that it’s full, just about goes missing.

What to do: Get the sleep you need by practicing good sleep routines: Keep your room cool, quiet and dark and shut down any electronic devices at least 30 minutes before turning in. Avoid caffeine after 3 p.m., and limit your alcohol consumption – though it can initially make you sleepy, alcohol can cause you to sleep restlessly and wake throughout the night. If these solutions haven’t had the profound effect that you were wishing they’d have, then you may want to see which alternative medications can help instead. For example, if you pay a visit to somewhere like this marijuana dispensary Las Vegas, you may be able to find the best strain of marijuana that can help with your sleep deprivation. This has been known to work and can help people get the sleep they deserve. Certain types of medication, like sleeping pills, could also work too. Just make sure that you consult with your doctor if this is the route that you want to go down.

Menopause. Hormones are changing; most notably your estrogen is declining. And that is partially responsible for the weight you’re gaining – especially around your middle. This finding was part of a large 2012 study by the International Menopause Society; scientists found that hormonal shifts were the likely culprit in the distribution of body fat in menopausal women. That reduction in estrogen can also lower your metabolic rate, making weight gain more likely. The loss of muscle mass, which comes naturally with aging can also impact your metabolism, slowing it down even further.

What to do: Stay active and engage regularly in both aerobic exercise and resistance training. Watch your portions and make sure to eat mindfully.

Mindless Eating. If you’re eating in the car while you’re driving, eating in front of the television, snacking out of a bag while watching a movie, or eating while you’re reading a magazine or scrolling through emails, it’s likely you’re unaware of what, and how much food, is going into your mouth. That’s mindless eating: A recipe for weight gain. Oftentimes, it’s changing our behavior – rather than “going on a diet” – that can help people lose weight.

What to do:

  • Don’t eat directly from the package. Instead, dole out a reasonably-sized portion, and put the bag away, out of sight.
  • Set down your utensils between bites to slow down your pace.
  • Chew each bite thoroughly.
  • Eat without distractions.
  • Take a few moments before going for seconds to make sure you’re really hungry.

Stress. Anxiety is a big trigger for overeating, making unhealthy food choices and eating when you’re not even hungry. While for some, stress can shut down appetite in the short term, prolonged or persistent stress can cause your adrenal glands to pump out cortisol, which in turn increases appetite. Cortisol, the stress hormone, also increases motivation, and with it, the motivation to eat.

Stress has also been found in studies to increase the types of food you crave – and of course, it’s not of the celery-stick variety, but rather the sugary, fatty types of foods stress makes you reach for. As if that isn’t bad enough, once you eat these foods, they quell your stress, which only reinforces the desire for more.

What to do: Meditation, social support and exercise all go a long way toward managing and counteracting stress that can send your appetite into overdrive.

Medications. Common prescription drugs can cause unwanted weight gain. Sometimes it’s the drug itself – it can affect how your body absorbs and stores glucose; or slow your body’s metabolism. Other times it’s the side effects from the drug – some can stimulate your appetite. And still, some drugs may cause shortness of breath or fatigue, which would cause you to exercise less or not at all, while others may cause you to retain water.

Some medications, though they don’t necessarily cause weight gain, can make it hard to lose weight.

The drugs most commonly associated with weight gain include corticosteroids, antidepressants, diabetes medications like insulin, certain heartburn drugs, hormone therapy or contraceptives and anti-seizure drugs like Depakote.

What to do: Be aware of your food intake by keeping a food diary if you think your medication could be to blame for weight gain. Make time for exercise, even if it’s just a walk. When your doctor prescribes a medication, ask if it causes weight gain and if so, if there is an alternative to it.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Irene S. Levine says

    December 9, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    The sleep reminder was especially timely for me!

  2. Joana says

    December 27, 2017 at 6:44 pm

    How do you manipulate your hormones in your 20’s?

  3. Nancy Bryant says

    January 16, 2018 at 8:01 am

    I strongly believe stress and lack of sleep makes you gain weight as you continue to search for comfort foods and to make up for lack of sleep. Great suggestions on keeping portions of veggies and fruits when taking medications. Some antibiotics are quite sensitive to the stomach making you feel hungry. Thank you for sharing!

  4. Phillips says

    March 5, 2018 at 3:20 pm

    Weight loss is really difficult when it comes to exsercise.

  5. Justin Brown says

    March 21, 2018 at 1:07 pm

    Fantastic tips. Really want to lose weight for the sake of being healthy and self confidence.These are good steps to make healthy changes in my life, cheers to continued success!

  6. Rene says

    March 26, 2018 at 2:39 pm

    Mindless eating was a biggy for me. It’s amazing how easily bad eating habits can sneak their way into our lives. Great article!

  7. Sally says

    March 30, 2018 at 4:19 am

    Have you ever felt sleepy after eating? If yes the food you choose does not contain the nutrients your body needs to restore energy. If so, your work or work can be less productive.

    The foods you consume can affect your body’s energy levels throughout the day. Well, for your body’s energy to stay awake, you need to eat the right foods. Here are five foods that can restore your energy level!
    http://bit.ly/2GecQsm

  8. Martina Anderson says

    April 5, 2018 at 6:53 am

    Amazing information that you have shared 🙂

    I have the habit of eating medicines whenever I feel sick. After reading your blog, I will know that it is one of the main reasons for gaining weight. Thanks for sharing this information. I will quit this habit. Keep sharing such posts who help people like me.

  9. Alex@BigBlueWaves says

    May 6, 2018 at 7:20 pm

    Those are some very important things to consider! Thanks a lot for sharing.

    I always tell the readers to watch out for those factors besides the food itself.
    What are your thoughts on emotional pain/emptiness as a cause of over-eating? This one often lurks as a hidden cause, IMO.

    All the best!

    • SherylK says

      May 7, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      Emotional pain/emptiness…also celebrations. It runs the emotional gamut, doesn’t it?

  10. Mani says

    May 10, 2018 at 7:26 am

    Thanks for providing a detailed post regarding the hurdles in your way to block your task to weight loss. Very helpful post.

  11. seun says

    August 10, 2018 at 12:36 pm

    Good question. My main one is skimping on sleep. I seriously need to handle this one.

  12. Allana Williams says

    August 27, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    I have insomnia. I think it makes me weak every time. That’s why I have no energy to workout.

  13. Tamir says

    September 12, 2018 at 5:06 am

    I have read your all tips and i think these lines are very unique in your article.
    Don’t eat directly from the package. Instead, dole out a reasonably-sized portion, and put the bag away, out of sight.
    Set down your utensils between bites to slow down your pace.
    Chew each bite thoroughly.
    Eat without distractions.
    Take a few moments before going for seconds to make sure you’re really hungry.
    anyhow its a good article 10/10. keep it up

  14. zahid says

    September 27, 2018 at 7:29 pm

    For me, stress or anxiety always reduced my appetite. although it varies person to person. But I’ve seen a lot of people going through mental stress or anxiety or some sort of chronic pain as you mentioned above lose the will to have a goal. I think for losing weight one should first be mentally sound & determined.

  15. Diep Pham says

    October 11, 2018 at 4:15 pm

    Great article, I really appreciate your research. Just the information I looking for. Best wishes and keep it up!

  16. jane says

    January 31, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    I tried lot of stuff and supplement just to get rid of my belly, but red tea detox is so amazing. I don’t usually give my feedback but this one should get its credit for being so true to their consumer.
    What i can say overall i love the taste refreshing at the same time its too beneficial tried in 3 weeks and gradually my belly reduces it size..
    put also some effort in your goal this product helps a lot.

  17. Maria Hernandez says

    May 10, 2019 at 7:09 am

    Great article…
    Sometimes the hardest thing for me is just getting started. Making a new habit (or ditching an old one) can look big, so I focus on just doing it – even if it isn’t perfect. I started working out last October, and now it isn’t very hard to get up and go do it, be cause it is a habit But those first weeks were hard! I kept telling myself “It’s ok if you can’t DO that much – just get up and go do ‘smething’, to get your self in a habit!”

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