If you have gain weight or lost weight a few pounds recently, don’t worry, small fluctuations in weight are normal. After all, diet and bowel movements affect our weight, and this is normal weight fluctuation.
But if you gain 4-5 pounds, or even more, in a few weeks or even days, then you should pay attention. For a man, it is very abnormal for his weight to fluctuate by 4-5 pounds in a short period of time. “
Weight fluctuations of 4-5 pounds are more typical in women, but are rare in men. Especially if your weight has been stable for months or years, sudden weight gain is something to watch out for. The main reasons are as follows:
1. You’re eating too much salt
Excessive sodium intake can cause edema , and water has weight and volume, so if you eat a lot of salty foods for several days in a row, you will gain weight quickly.
Be especially careful about the food you eat in restaurants or canteens. If you are on a long business trip or eat in a canteen, or eat out for several days in a row, you may gain weight because of eating too much salt.
2. You are taking a new medication
There are many medications that may cause gain weight; in fact, up to 15% of people who take medications may experience weight gain.
Depression medications (including SSRIs) and heart medications ( beta blockers ) are the most likely to cause weight gain. Some sleep aids and pain medications, and even some antihistamines for allergies, can also cause weight gain.
The above types of medications, with the addition of steroids and testosterone- boosting drugs or supplements, work hormonally and will certainly stimulate weight gain.
3. You’re overeating and drinking
This seems easy to understand, especially when you are not active enough and overeating, your weight will increase quickly. At this time, we often need to do a deep self-examination to find out why we are overeating. We can start from both physical and psychological aspects. At least in the cases I have come across, psychological reasons account for a greater proportion, and sudden events in the past have caused the urge to overeat.
Another is alcoholism. Alcohol is not only harmful to health, but also a high-calorie drink. After consuming alcohol, the body can only focus on consuming the calories of alcohol, and will neither consume its own calories nor the calories of other foods consumed at the same time. A tool for weight gain.
4. Subtle changes
Some subtle changes in life can also cause rapid weight gain. More parties and social events, bigger tableware at home, an ice cream a day when the weather gets warmer, a handful of sunflower seeds before bed…
Without realizing it, even if you increase your calorie intake by 100 kcal (a piece of fruit the size of your fist) every day, after ten days, you will have increased more than 100 grams of pure fat.
5. Decreased physical activity
Giving up regular fitness habits, driving instead of walking, and stopping walking when it’s cold, these subtle changes will often add some fat to you every day, which will accumulate over time.
Long-term fitness can effectively maintain and increase your muscles and help you burn more fat. Once you stop, your body consumes less and your muscles will also decrease. If your diet does not change during this period, you will naturally gain weight quickly.
6. After dieting and fasting to lose weight
Not all weight loss is a good thing. Although fasting and dieting will reduce some fat, what is lost more is body water, intestinal contents lost due to not eating, and protein in the body.
This weight will be regained immediately after returning to a normal diet, which is often called weight rebound. In fact, it is not a rebound at all, but a normal body regaining what was originally there.
7. Endocrine Disorders
According to the National Institutes of Health, about 1 in 5 adults has an underactive thyroid gland, also known as hypothyroidism . While the condition is more common in women, if men develop hypothyroidism, it can lead to sudden weight gain.
Although less typical, some other hormone disorders, such as Cushing’s disease , can also cause weight gain. If you have these endocrine disorders, weight gain may not be your only symptom. Fatigue, weakness, headaches, thinking problems, depression, or irritability are all symptoms of hormone disorders.
