Changes in your weight are pretty common at various points in your life. It could be because your metabolism is slowing down, you’re exercising less, or you’re eating more. But sometimes you start to gain weight and you’re not sure why it’s really happening. You’re not eating any differently and you haven’t become any less active, so what could be causing your weight gain? There are multiple causes of unexpected or unexplained weight gain and it’s not always easy to find out what might be causing the issue. However, some of the following options could explain why you’re gaining weight.
Underactive Thyroid
The thyroid gland produces important hormones, and sometimes it might not work as it should. It can be too active or underactive, which both cause a range of symptoms. If your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism), weight gain is one of the symptoms you might experience. Other symptoms include tiredness, depression, muscle cramps, and irregular periods. Treatment for an underactive thyroid includes medications such as Eltroxin that are designed to replace the hormones not being produced by your thyroid. These medications don’t usually cause any side effects and can relieve your symptoms.
Hormonal Changes
Other changes in your hormones, not caused by hypothyroidism, could also be what’s making you gain weight. Weight gain can be one of the consequences of menopause, which typically happens between around age 45 and 55 for women. A decrease in oestrogen during this time can cause weight gain. Women with PCOS might also gain weight, or you can simply gain weight temporarily at certain points in your menstrual cycle. Other things that might cause hormone changes and weight gain include an increase in cortisol production and increased aldosterone production. Some hormonal changes can be addressed with the right treatment to help prevent and reverse weight gain.
Medications
Some medications may cause weight gain as a side effect. They can cause you to retain fluid or might make it harder to burn off fat. Some of the medications that might cause you to gain weight include corticosteroids, antidepressants, antipsychotic medications, and birth control pills. You can check the information that comes with your medication to see if weight gain is an expected side effect. It’s often possible to talk about switching your medication to something else if it’s causing you to gain weight. Ask your doctor whether there are other options that you can try if you want to avoid putting on too much weight.
Pregnancy
One of the common causes of putting on weight is pregnancy. Even if you think it’s unlikely that you’re pregnant, it’s still a good idea to consider it as a possibility and take a pregnancy test. If you’re not pregnant, it will rule it out for sure and if you are pregnant, you’ll know about it sooner. It can be useful to do before you see a doctor about weight gain so you can show you’ve already considered the possibility.
Putting on weight unexpectedly can be frustrating, but there are various causes that you can consider if you want to find out what’s going on.
Collaborative post
