Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Why am I Gaining Weight?

Hi,
I am a 30-year old woman, 5'2" tall, weighing 125 pounds. I have been happy with this weight, but recently I have been gaining. I walk about 12,000 steps at work every day in addition to walking on my treadmill for 45 minutes 5 days a week at a 3.8mph pace. I eat about 1900 calories a day. Can you tell me why I'm gaining weight?  Valerie L.

Hi Valerie!
I can't tell you exactly why you are gaining weight but I can tell you there are just about 3 possibilities:

One is that you are eating more than you realize. This can happen easily around the holidays when there are festive treats everywhere. We tend to "just take one" or mindlessly munch off a plate of cookies in the break room. Some indulge a bit too much at holiday dinners and never lose the pound they add on here and there. You might consider keeping a strict food diary to find out exactly how much you are really eating.

Second is that you may be exercising less. This can happen when our schedules get busier (again, not uncommon around the holidays). Perhaps a day is skipped here or there because of holiday events or shopping days, or even from being exhausted after all the parties and shopping! Start keeping notes of the days you are actually exercising, and think about the chance that you could be walking less at work for some reason. It could even be that you've changed something at home--stopped walking a dog, moved to a one-story house--or another change that did not seem significant.

Finally, there is a chance you have an underactive thyroid. As many as 10 percent of women have some compromise in their thyroid function. This can slow your metabolism and cause weight gain. The diagnosis can be made with a simple blood test (and usually some other testing to confirm) and the treatment can be a simple daily pill.

If you've determined there is no change in either the calories you take in, or the calories you burn over the past several weeks, take a trip to your family physician to find out if something physical is going on.
Laurie

2 comments:

  1. Good diet can be easy way to loose the weight and maintain healthy weight.


    Weight gain

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  2. Very good suggestions. The only thing I would like to add is sometimes mixing up your exercise routine helps. Our bodies become accustomed to the same workouts and a change is needed to challenge the body. Perhaps, join a spinning class, add some resistance training or an exercise DVD might help.

    Michelle

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