Gaining Weight and Don't Know Why? Read This

You feel as if you're doing everything right. You're carefully monitoring your food. You exercise. You even avoid parties so that you can stay on your diet. And despite those precautions, you've gained weight! Sound familiar? Then this exploration of common causes of weight gain is for you.

According to WebMD's experts, weight gain can be caused by:

Lack of sleep: If you skip sleep for reading, watching TV or studying, you're prone to late night snacking. In addition, being sleep deprived actually changes your hormone level, resulting in hunger and cravings.

Stress: When we're stressed, our bodies secrete cortisol. This hormone causes a boost in appetite. In addition, to comfort ourselves, we might be even more tempted to eat foods like cookies and ice cream.

Antidepressants: Although not all medications have this side-effect, some do. Do not change your medication on your own. But do check with your doctor to see if your antidepressant could be one linked with weight gain.

Steroids: If you have a condition that requires you to take anti-inflammatory steroid medications like prednisone, you may more easily gain weight due to fluid retention and increased hunger. Again, don't stop taking your pills: Talk with your doctor about your weight concerns.

Drugs: From migraine medication to hypertension drugs, various prescriptions can lead to weight gain. Discuss this issue with your doctor and do not stop taking any drug on your own.

Thyroid: Are you feeling tired and cold, as well as gaining weight? You might have hypothyroidism. This condition occurs when the thyroid does not manufacture enough thyroid hormone. Your metabolism slows and weight gain results. Your doctor can perform blood tests to see if this is the cause.

Cushing's syndrome: Weight gain is a common symptom of this condition. It can occur due to various causes, such as your adrenal glands malfunctioning or steroids used for asthma or arthritis or lupus.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): This hormonal problem can cause insulin resistance, resulting in weight gain.

Are You Gaining Because You Stopped Smoking?
The good news: You stopped smoking! The bad news: You gained some weight. Common causes include these results of kicking your nicotine habit:

• Feel hungrier and eat more (this feeling should go away after several weeks)
• Experience a decrease in your metabolism, without reducing your calorie intake
• Find food tastes better, which may lead to overeating
• Eat more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drink more alcohol

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