Unexplained weight gain? What you think are good eating habits may not necessarily be good eating habits.
Do you feel like you’re watching what you eat and yet you’re gaining weight? In addition to medical reasons, it is mainly poor eating habits and lack of physical activity that lead to weight gain. As a reminder, a woman needs 1,800 to 2,200 calories per day (a breakfast of approximately 650 calories, a lunch of 900 calories, and a dinner of 450 calories). Tour of the causes of unexplained weight gain with Caroline Seguin, nutritionist-dietician.
Because you snack between meals?
The main cause of weight gain besides medical reasons is snacking. “Snacking is any consumption of food outside of meals. You have to distinguish snacking from snacking. Snacking is not linked to a feeling of hunger and generally responds to a desire to eat, a need for comfort or a sweet tooth. If they are balanced and nutritionally well constructed, the three meals of the day are normally enough to last the whole day without snacks.“explains the nutritionist straight away. As snacking occurs in addition to meals, it supplements the energy load of the day and promotes weight gain. The energy intake of the snack should not be added to the energy intake lunch. In other words, if you plan to have a 100-calorie snack, lunch should have 100 calories less than usual.
Because you eat too much in the evening?
Many people eat two meals a day and skip breakfast. They eat on the go at lunchtime and make a big dinner since they are hungry when they get home. Eating too large a meal in the evening is a bad idea because the body, which remains inactive at night, tends to transform what we eat into fat and store it. “Normally, you should distribute your calories this way: breakfast between 500 and 700 calories, lunch at 1,000 calories and dinner at 400/500 calories“, explains our nutritionist. As the famous adage says, the ideal is to “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”. Breakfast should be hearty, however, dinner should be light because the body needs little energy during the night.
Because you skip meals?
“After 8 hours of fasting, a reflex mechanism will be put in place in the brain which induces the body to store it in order to prevent a possible deficiency. It is the body which will itself produce reserves. So if you skip a meal, the body will tend to store the next meal more. And stockpiling will promote weight gain, hence the importance of respecting three meals a day.“, insists Caroline Seguin. It is better to have a light dinner than to skip this meal.”In the evening, choose soups, salads or bruschettas which allow you to combine several ingredients in small volumes“, advises the specialist.
Because you eat low-fat products?
Sweetened or low-fat products give a “clear conscience”, deceive the brain and accustom it to the sweet taste. “Light” or “zero” sodas certainly do not contain calories, but activate the area of the brain involved in the desire for sugar and the feeling of hunger. Result: the more sweet we drink (sweetener or glucose), the hungrier we are, the more we want to eat and the more we increase our appetite for sweet products. “Furthermore, when we move towards purchases of this type, oHe says to himself “since I ate a 0% yogurt, I have the right to treat myself to an extra square of chocolate”. Ultimately, if we add the calories of low-fat yogurt and chocolate, we see that they are higher than that of classic yogurt. Some studies have also shown that people who consume sweetened products can gain on average 40% more weight compared to people who do not eat them.“, indicates Caroline Seguin.
Because you sit too much?
Energy expenditure comes from basic metabolism (this is the quantity of calories that an individual burns per day to live, make their heart beat, breathe, digest, etc.), physical and muscular expenditure (it is refers to the quantity of calories that an individual burns per day when making an effort, walking, getting up, doing sports, etc.) and brain expenditure (this is the quantity of calories that ‘an individual burns a day when he thinks and does intellectual activity). “We have no influence on the basic metabolism and on cerebral expenditure. On the other hand, we can control physical expenditure by moving more and practicing physical activity.” warns the nutritionist. It is recommended to practice at least 1h30 of moderate endurance activity (walking, leisure activities, cycling) or at least 1h15 minutes of sustained endurance activity (jogging, gym, tennis, swimming. ..) per week as an adult.
Because you have a metabolic disorder?
Certain diseases can impact weight, such as thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or even “Cushing’s syndrome, a fairly rare genetic disease characterized by excessive secretion of cortisol from the adrenal glands“, explains the nutritionist, with fat located in the bust, neck and face.
Because you are taking medication that makes you gain weight?
Antidepressants, anxiolytics, certain neuroleptics, corticosteroids and beta-blockers can increase the feeling of hunger or cause weight gain. If you are taking one of these treatments, talk to your prescribing doctor so they can adjust the dosage or consider another treatment.
Because you drink too much water?
It’s rather rare, but drinking too much water (between 3 to 5 L of water per day) can lead to slight weight gain, 3 to 4 kg on average. “This behavior is more visible in women, who think that to lose weight you have to drink a lot. If she drinks too much, her body is too full of water. And when the body absorbs more water than it can eliminate, it tends to retain it and can begin to bloat. This can particularly manifest itself in the formation of edema in the hands or feet.“, describes the specialist.
These symptoms, suggestive of water retention, generally disappear on their own, but if they persist, it is best to consult a doctor. To maintain renal balance and so that the kidneys can properly eliminate all the water consumed, it is recommended to drink approximately 1.5 L (or 8 glasses of 200 ml) of water per day.
Thanks to Caroline Seguin, nutritionist-dietician.