Weight gain

Weight gain can indicate both natural and pathological processes in the body. Sometimes the patient associates weight gain with normal overeating, although the root cause lies in hormonal failure, eating disorders, or adrenal dysfunction. It is very important to fix the problem in time and contact a specialized doctor with it. What you need to know about weight gain and how adipose tissue affects our lives?

Weight and health

The ratio of the mass and height of a person affects not only external parameters, but also the state of health. Deviation from the norm is fraught with a violation of metabolic processes, an additional burden on the heart, blood vessels, bone skeleton, and a reduction in life expectancy. BMI (body mass index) is used to determine normal, overweight or underweight.

The value of BMI is not universal. Most often, it is used as an average, which must be adjusted based on the individual characteristics of the patient.

According to statistics, being overweight increases the risk of developing cancer by 14-20%, heart disease by 32%, and depression by 55%. Weight gain can be a symptom of hormonal disorders, malfunction of internal organs, infectious or inflammatory diseases. If you cannot explain the increase in the number on the scale, you feel discomfort in your own body or uncharacteristic symptoms (shortness of breath, joint / heart pain, decreased activity, regular hunger) – consult a doctor. But an increase in BMI is not always associated with disease. What are the possible causes of weight gain and how to get rid of hated kilograms?

Possible causes of weight gain

The reasons for weight gain can cover absolutely all aspects of our life – from a violation of the gut microbiome to compulsive overeating. As soon as you notice an uncontrolled increase in body weight that is not related to physiology (for example, menstruation or allergic edema), be sure to consult a doctor. The specialization of the doctor depends on the accompanying symptoms and the characteristics of the well-being of each individual patient.

Age changes

Weight gain is closely related to human aging. The baby rapidly gains weight in the first few years of his life, “stretches” during puberty, keeps his normal weight by the age of 20-40, after which he gradually gets fat. As you know, every 10 years, metabolic processes slow down by 10%. The quantity and quality of muscle mass decreases, metabolism slows down, and the lifestyle becomes less active than in adolescence. It is impossible to avoid age-related changes, but their intensity can be regulated. Watch your diet, be outdoors more often and find the kind of physical activity (dance/yoga/hockey) that you like.

Stress and nervous disorders

The body’s response to stress is highly variable. On the one hand, this is a useful feature that helped humanity survive in emergency situations. On the other hand, stress destroys our muscles, lowers insulin resistance and promotes the accumulation of adipose tissue. The fact is that emergencies occur less and less, and human comfort is at an all-time high level. Instead of looking for shelter and protection from predators, we are exposed to petty domestic stress – worries about work, children, the future, our own appearance, or queues at the store. The result – the nervous system is constantly tense and is engaged in the production of cortisol. This is a hormone that “causes” our body to store fat in order to use it during future crises.

There are no universal tips for relieving stress. One patient should change jobs, another should take up dancing or yoga, and a third should finally reconcile with their parents. If you cannot cope with the task on your own, contact a psychologist.

We should not forget about eating disorders. According to statistics, obesity, along with anorexia, takes millions of lives and leads the list of the most dangerous diseases of our time. Regular overeating, the cult of food, addiction to fast food are not the norm and should be worked out with a specialist. Avoiding obesity is very simple – just eat right and move, but getting rid of the disease is more difficult. In addition to returning weight to normal, it is necessary to work out the psychological component, and this can take years.

Nutrition Errors

Shopping in organic stores is not always the key to proper nutrition. Superfoods, diet drinks, low-fat desserts can become not a salvation, but a real carbohydrate trap. A healthy diet should become a part of life, and not a temporary manipulation of one’s own consciousness. It is very important to understand the basic principles of making the right diet. They can be studied with the help of books, the Internet or a qualified nutritionist.

The transition to a healthy diet does not exclude the use of fast food or industrial sweets. The main thing is that the amount of healthy foods is at least 80% of the total diet.

The transition to a new type of food should be smooth. One of the most common beginner mistakes is cutting portions. A sharp reduction in the usual number of calories introduces the body into a state of stress. The body thinks that it is starving and not the best times are coming, so it actively stores fat and turns on the appetite to the fullest in order to get as much energy as possible.

Blood sugar level

Glucose is the element to which all carbohydrate products are broken down when they enter the human body. This is one of the main sources of energy that feeds our brain and allows a person to fully function. If the amount of incoming sugar exceeds the permissible norm, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus develop. According to studies, an excess of glucose is fraught with chronic fatigue, anxiety, chronic inflammation in the body and heart disease.

Due to the increased concentration of glucose, a person experiences hunger and cravings for high-carbohydrate foods, which accelerates weight gain. In this mode, the body does not have time to burn fat, synthesize the necessary hormones and support the work of individual organs. In addition to a sharp jump in body weight, the following symptoms are possible:

• irritability, irascibility, aggression;
• mood swings;
• craving for bakery sweet products;
• decrease in body quality, flabbiness and loss of skin elasticity;
• weakness, tremor during periods of hunger;
• uncontrolled fluctuations in energy levels;
• constant need for food (breaks between meals do not exceed 2-3 hours).

Hormonal disruptions

Not only the figure, but also well-being, appearance, activity and other components of our life depend on the hormonal background. Doctors secrete 5 hormones that have a major impact on our body, or rather, the amount of fat in it. What are these hormones, where are they produced and what functions do they perform?

1. Adrenalin. It is secreted by the adrenal glands to mobilize the forces of the body and eliminate the threat of various origins (stress, fear, shock, lack of sleep, strong emotions). Adrenaline affects almost all metabolic processes, including the breakdown of fats.
2. Thyroid hormones (thyroid). The thyroid gland produces two hormones – thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). They are responsible for cell growth, activity and metabolism. Thyroid hormones increase the breakdown and inhibit fat deposits on the hips and sides. Lack of hormones occurs with inflammation of the thyroid gland or lack of iodine.
3. Ovarian hormones (steroid). The female ovaries produce progestins, androgens and estrogens. These are sex hormones, on which the quality of our body, muscle growth / functionality and an increase in body fat depend. The level of sex hormones can be destabilized due to unhealthy eating habits, the use of hormonal drugs, aggravated heredity and pregnancy.
4. Liver hormones. The liver removes excess hormonal substances from the body, and also synthesizes some of them. Violation of the liver can occur due to strong emotional upheaval, alcohol abuse and fatty foods.
5. Insulin (pancreatic hormone). Insulin promotes the breakdown of carbohydrates and is responsible for energy metabolism in our body. An increase in insulin levels may be due to heredity, a pancreatic tumor, the development of diabetes, or the use of large amounts of fast carbohydrates.

Excess weight can be both a consequence of hormonal failure, and its cause. Listen to your own body, give preference to an active lifestyle and quality products. Do not forget about regular diagnostics and at least once every 2-3 years take a blood test to check the level of hormones.

Lack of sleep and rest

Lack of sleep and rest is stress for the body, which is associated with the production of cortisol and the accumulation of body fat. Chronic sleep deprivation also triggers the release of the hormone and consequent changes in the body. But there is another reason why 8 hours of sleep becomes a necessity. It is in the deep phase of sleep that fat burning occurs. Even at night, our body produces and consumes energy. Fat is an excellent energy resource, but it is impossible to process all the “extra” tissue. Follow the regimen and get enough sleep so that you don’t just spend a couple of hundred calories in a dream, but gain strength for a new active day.

How to get rid of excess weight?

The first step is to determine the cause of weight gain. If it lies in stress, improper diet, lack of sleep, reduced activity or rest, the patient can cope with the problem on their own. If weight gain is associated with eating disorders, hormonal disruptions or diseases of internal organs, you should consult a specialized doctor.

Features of weight adjustment also depend on the diagnosis. Some patients will need urgent hospitalization and regular medical supervision, others will need several months of morning exercises and an extra portion of salad for dinner. The main thing – do not neglect your own health and do not expect instant results. Losing weight will take twice as long as gaining it.

A radical change in diet, selection of an individual training plan, the use of dietary supplements is best done under the supervision of a nutritionist / personal trainer / doctor. If you have chosen an independent path, for any atypical symptoms, immediately consult a doctor.

When to expect results?

The human body is a complex mechanism that tries to protect itself as much as possible. Fat is a kind of protective cushion that our body is extremely reluctant to part with. We, like our metabolic processes, get used to living in a stable weight. Thermoregulation, physical capabilities, general well-being, hormone production, and so on are tuned to the mass. Sharp jumps in weight introduce the body into a state of stress. He must constantly readjust to new needs and does not understand, and therefore cannot correct the cause of what is happening.

Stress stimulates the production of cortisol. The hormone “burns” muscles and accumulates fat. That is why after a carbohydrate-free diet, fasting or regular physical exertion for wear and tear, the weight always returns in double volume.

According to the WHO recommendation, the optimal weight loss is 500 grams per week or 2 kilograms per month. The body will be able to easily adapt to changes and will not press the “saving button” of fat accumulation “for a rainy day”. In general, doctors advise abandoning diets or grueling workouts in favor of lifestyle adjustments. Only regular activity and proper nutrition will help keep the weight normal.