While it’s tempting to blame your weight gain on the pizza you ate for lunch and cheesecake you had for dessert, your calorie intake isn’t the only possible culprit.
Be mindful of everything happening in your body, as well as how you feel physically and emotionally. The next time you put on weight, pause and ask yourself these three questions:
Do You Notice Other Changes?
Make it a habit to inspect your body. Run your fingers through your hair to assess its texture and density. Inspect your skin for dryness and your stretch marks for discoloration. Often, weight gain accompanied by symptoms like these warrant a visit to the doctor.
It’s best to know beforehand which hospitals or clinics to visit in huge places like Salt Lake City. This makes it easier to manage your time and budget because they’ll likely test you for thyroid problems and similar conditions that affect your weight.
While not every combination of changes points to a disease, it’s better to check with a healthcare professional to be sure. Ignoring the symptoms, especially if they’re ones you’ve noticed for a while now, might lead to severe repercussions.
Where Do You Put on Weight?
Knowing which body part carries excess fat can tell you about your future health risks. Hormones and genetics play a huge role in this. You might notice that you share the same ‘problem areas’ with your parents or siblings. Some of your friends might point out that you’re more prone to gaining weight in your mid-section now that you’ve reached menopausal age.
Regardless of your age and gender, the most important area you have to watch out for is your waist. It has a direct relation to your measure of visceral fat, which is the fat concentrated in your abdominal cavity, and insulin resistance. Women should watch out for a waistline over 35, while men need to keep it under 40. These red flats put you at a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Have You Been Sleeping Well?
Sleep debt starts a cycle that is hard to break free from. When you’re sleep-deprived, you resort to caffeine and junk food to keep you going. Your lousy performance at work or school demands extra time in front of the computer, which means sacrificing more hours of sleep.
Getting enough snooze at night makes sure your metabolism functions correctly. It also allows you to produce the right number of hormones that tell you when to eat and when to stop.
Going back to your ideal weight might not be so much about the time you put in the gym, but the time you spend asleep. If you noticed you’ve been pulling a lot of all-nighters lately, find a way to get your much-needed 7-8 hours every night.
Your weight is not only a matter of looks but also a matter of health. Treat your weight gain with an investigative eye and try to find its cause. Identifying the culprit allows you to care for yourself better and lose that weight faster.
