You notice that you have put on a few kilos in the last few months but you don't know why. The explanation may be beyond what you eat

You eat healthy, you don't freckle too much with the 'extras' and you don't swell up on alcohol either, but lately you've noticed that you keep getting fatter. You feel heavy, you have gained a couple of kilos and you cannot find any explanation. What could be happening to you?

There are reasons that make us gain weight, and that do not have to do exclusively with the diet we follow. If you're sure you haven't gotten fat because you've been overeating or changing your menus, read on.

Why are you getting fat if you eat the same?

Here are the seven reasons that can explain your sudden and strange weight gain. Many have to do with your habits and others with your genetics or your age.

1) Your pace of life has changed

The sugary cereals, fast food and dinners precooked made microwave contain a lot of unhealthy additives, preservatives and fats sugars, which leads to weight gain. The current pace of life leads us, without being conscious, to throw more for these pseudo-foods.

It is possible that, without being aware, you have changed your diet in recent months, opting for 'healthy' versions of already cooked meals. You must read the labels well because everything that is processed is, as a general rule, unhealthy and caloric.

2) You sleep less or worse

If you don't sleep well at night you will end up noticing it on your scale sooner rather than later. Some experts have investigated the relationship between lack of sleep and weight gain, and they believe that it is simply because being awake longer hours you consume more calories.

However, others consider that it is due to a hormonal issue: when you do not get enough sleep, the hormones change and you secrete a specific one (ghrelin) that makes you feel hungrier. In addition, you secrete less of another (leptin) which is the one that alerts you that you have already eaten enough.

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3) You are stressed or depressed

The stress and depression make you fat. Having an elevated cortisol level can be good for a while, but chronic cortisol, one that lasts for months, can cause weight gain. Your body, being in this state of continuous alarm, thinks that you need the calories, then it accumulates fat because it believes there is danger.

A 2018 study concluded that there is a connection between high cortisol and fat. In fact, research revealed that cortisol can affect a person's circadian rhythm, causing them to gain weight.

Another study from 2015 monitored 362 patients taking antidepressants and concluded, after 36 months, that 55% had gained weight. Another 2010 study revealed that people who feel sad and lonely gain weight faster than those with fewer symptoms related to depression. The latter could be due to the fact that these individuals, when they feel bad, tend to eat foods with a high caloric load.

4) You have an undiagnosed health problem

Although many lifestyle factors contribute to unintended weight gain, certain medical conditions can also play a role, such as hypothyroidism or polycystic ovary syndrome.

5) digestive problems

The digestive problems, including constipation, may also explain the weight gain. If you do not go to the bathroom easily and regularly (once or twice a day), it may be the reason that you have put on weight.

Another possible risk factor could be in your gut flora or microbiome. Several studies link the mixing of bacteria in the gut with weight gain, especially if you don't have a correct balance of good and bad bacteria.

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6) It's age

There are different theories related to weight gain and age. One of them is the one that points to hormonal changes.

Around the age of 50, women go through menopause, which is attributed to a sharp drop in estrogen production, which causes an increase in body fat. This same hormone also affects men of that age, as revealed by a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which determined that although a lack of testosterone seems to be responsible for the increase in lean body mass (without fat), it is actually the absence of estrogen that is mainly responsible for the accumulation of fat.

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One way to control blood sugar is to eat a healthful diet. Generally, foods and drinks that the body absorbs slowly are best because they do not cause spikes and dips in blood sugar. The glycemic index (GI) measures the effects of specific foods on blood sugar levels. People looking to control their levels should pick foods with low or medium GI scores.

Stimula Blood Sugar