14 reasons why you are gaining weight even though you are dieting and exercising

If you have spent half your life fighting overweight and in the end have not achieved any sustainable results, perhaps you have continued to make these common mistakes all these years.

There are people who seem to do nothing but try to lose weight all their lives — but to no avail. And then they also manage, on the contrary, to gain extra weight.

What if it's about you? Try to analyze your lifestyle. It may seem to you that you seem to be watching your diet, and you go to training, and in general you do everything right, but in fact you repeat the same mistakes from year to year that lead to weight gain.

You are betting only on the gym

Of course, if you allocate at least an hour a week for sports, this is already a significant contribution to your health and a step towards the figure of your dreams. However, if you hardly move at all during the remaining time, this may still not be enough. Try to stay active outside of training: walk more often, walk in the fresh air, try to use the elevator less often.

You underestimate the size of your portions

It may seem to you that you eat very little, "like a bird." However, Cornell University scientists have found that people with average weight tend to underestimate the calorie content of their diet for the day by almost 20%, and overweight people underestimate it by almost 40%.

This does not mean that now you have to give up your favorite food and switch to broccoli and chicken breast. Moreover, even on such supposedly "safe" products for the figure, you can get better if you do not monitor the portion size.

You don't count calories from drinks

Juice, coffee, beer or lemonade are drinks, not food, but they have calories, and sometimes very big. You can monitor your diet and count calories, try to maintain a deficit, but if you do not take into account such drinks, you can not only not lose weight, but also gain weight.

You don't get much sleep

Modern people rarely get enough sleep at all. It may seem to you that this does not affect the figure in any way, but scientists say the opposite. Studies show that lack of sleep causes people to overeat due to increased ghrelin production. For a beautiful figure, it is very important to sleep 7-8 hours a day.

You eat too little protein

In order to eat in a balanced way and not suffer from hunger, it is important to eat enough proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Most often, people do not get enough protein in their diet — and because of this, they feel less full during the day. And this leads to snacks. Studies show that high-protein diets can reduce body weight and help prevent overeating.

You don't work with stress

There can be so many sources of stress that at some point you may stop paying attention to this condition altogether. However, it is very important to be able to deal with stress. The fact is that the release of cortisol can also provoke overeating — especially if you are one of those who try to eat emotions sweet.

Are you taking medications with side effects

Many popular drugs have weight gain among the side effects. This does not mean that you need to stop taking the pills prescribed by the doctor, but it makes sense to discuss with him whether it is possible to replace the medicine.

Your muscles are inflamed

There is evidence that inflammation prevents you from losing excess weight and increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is not uncommon for people who are too intensely engaged in training to face muscle inflammation.

You are weighing yourself incorrectly

The minimum weight for the whole day for a person is when he wakes up in the morning, goes to the bathroom and then gets on the scales. Throughout the day, we all get heavier as we eat and drink. That is why it is so important to get up on the scales at the same time every day — otherwise it will be difficult for you to understand whether you are getting fat or losing weight.

Are you skipping meals

Sometimes people think that if they ate a lot at lunch, then you can just skip dinner — and then everything will be fine. And some suggest that skipping meals will help you lose weight without dieting. But, alas, it doesn't work that way: you just give a reprieve to your hunger and eat much more for lunch than you need. There is a study from 2021 that showed that refusing dinner is associated with obesity and overweight.

You're eating too fast

The habit of chewing food too quickly, eating on the go or listening to the sounds of the TV can prevent you from getting in shape. The fact is that this way you eat much more than you need, without even noticing it. Your brain simply does not have time to determine that you are full.

You have not passed the medical examination

There are a number of diseases that prevent you from losing weight. Apnea, hypothyroidism, depression, diabetes mellitus… If you can't lose weight for a long time, despite all your efforts, then it's time to check your health.

You forbid yourself too much

Many people, in pursuit of a quick result, give up all their favorite foods and try to eat a minimum of food. However, numerous studies have shown that restrictive diets ultimately prevent weight loss and instead contribute to its increase.

You eat little fiber

There are people who, in principle, do not like vegetables. And fruits in our region are often quite expensive. Meanwhile, there can be no healthy weight loss without fiber. Dietary fiber gives a feeling of satiety and helps to improve digestion, writes ETNT.