Why I'm not losing weight - 7 reasons for being overweight that have nothing to do with diet

certified clinical geneticist, nutritionist, expert of UniProf Academy of Physicians

Why does excess weight appear even if you eat right?

Sometimes it happens that a person eats right, does not forget about moderate exercise and sleeps well, but the reflection in the mirror still reminds of unwanted pounds. In this case, it is worth thinking about whether everything is all right with the body. After all, provoke a set of excess weight can and some diseases.

Problems with the thyroid gland

A decrease in the amount of thyroid hormones slows down metabolic processes in the body. Which, in turn, leads to fat deposits. Read more about how this organ affects weight loss in the material at the link.

Disorder of the pituitary gland

This disorder is known as adiposogenital dystrophy. Its main causes are:

Infectious diseases (meningitis, tuberculosis, encephalitis, etc.);
head trauma.

It is often a problem of childhood or adolescence.

Disorder of the adrenal glands

This disorder is called Icenko-Cushing’s syndrome. It tends to affect adults. The syndrome provokes excessive production of the hormone cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. Its excess contributes to the rapid breakdown of protein, which raises blood sugar levels. This reduces the volume of muscle tissue. And to compensate for the losses, the body increases fat deposits.

The main areas where fat accumulates in this case are the waist, hips and chin. And almost never the legs and arms.

Leptin resistance

Excessive hormone production leads to constant overeating, as the body “forgets” to burn fat for energy production. A person with leptin resistance is unable to tell if he or she has satisfied hunger. As a result, excess food stretches the stomach, leading to eating disorders and obesity.

Correcting leptin resistance is quite easy and at the same time difficult. No medications or magic treatments are required, but it is important:

exercise daily, even if it is short cardio or yoga (remind the body to burn fat);
take food breaks of more than four hours (also give a request to the body to burn calories);
eat an early dinner and completely avoid evening and even more so nighttime snacking.

Sex hormone imbalance

With a decrease in the production of sex hormones, the overall activity of the body also decreases. As a consequence, excess fat accumulates around the hips and abdomen. Much less often it appears on the legs or in the chin area.

Mental disorders

Many mental disorders and lack of sleep lead to overeating and nighttime binges, as well as stress eating. A lack of dopamine, the happiness hormone, causes the body to seek it in any quickly available manifestations. Sugar and simple carbohydrates are one of the easiest ways to boost dopamine levels. But the negative result will not be long in coming: overeating increases the total body weight.

How to increase the level of happy hormones without harm to health, read in the article at the link.

Chronic inflammation

If the body reacts to inflammation in the normal mode, it is all mobilized and solves the problem. But if we are talking about chronic inflammation, there is a risk of increased histamine production. And where there is it, there will always be swelling – they also contribute to weight gain.

There are many causes of overweight, and about 25% of cases are not directly related to poor diet. Therefore, if you notice that you have started to gain weight, although there are no apparent reasons for this, it is worth seeing a doctor. This way you will be able to rule out dangerous diseases or diagnose them in time and get help.