Dr. Mark Hyman said that our body is naturally designed to gain weight and to keep it on at many costs. The desire to survive depends on it. If you become aware of this scientific fact, you will be able to lose and achieve have healthy body weight.

What Many People Ignore

Body image infatuates society. This means that the next time you see a tabloid newspaper or a certain senseless magazine, you have to be aware of this and do not mind that those pictures are probably edited. Be aware that they are a fake world and make you have, consume, and buy more. That is the brainless world of the mass media.

Eventually, this will result in misinformation and ignorance regarding dieting, body shape, exercise, etc.

The consequences…

In order to understand the consequences, it is important for you to have a fictional illustration. Lucy is a very sweet and smart 14-year-old girl, and she is moderately overweight. Many classmates, along with her friends, sometimes poke her, and this eventually causes low self-esteem, and she becomes depressed.

She goes to the local library, and she sees a magazine that has the sentence “Lose 20 pounds in one month!” and she walks by this. She thinks this is probably too good to be true. Everybody still teases her, and eventually, she breaks down. At this point, Lucy is desperate, and she wants to try everything. She goes to the supermarket, buys the magazine with her savings, and decides to believe that sentence.

Lucy follows the “program” and eventually loses very little, almost any weight. This cycle continues.

7 Hidden Reasons For Weight Gain And How TO Fix Them

1. “Low-Fat”

Lisa Miles is a nutrition scientist, and she says that low-fat foods actually contain a lot of sugar. These foods contain a lot of calories, and you can gain weight by eating them.

How to fix it: it is important to read all labels and check the amount of sugar and calories. A lot of “low-fat” foods actually have more than alternatives.

2. A Lot Of T.V.

TV is the main reason why many people live an inactive lifestyle. While watching TV, you might eat unhealthy foods.

How to fix this: think about the time you are spending on your couch. Have a pact and stick to it: for every 30 minutes you spend in front of the T.V., you have to do a 15-minute workout. For every 60 minutes of watching TV, you have to drink 16 ounces of water.

Be aware: the results are amazing.

3. Burning The Midnight Oil

It is shown in research that sleep deficiency can contribute to weight gain.

Michael Braus is a sleep specialist and Ph.D, and he said that lack of sleep can release more cortisol, which will increase your appetite.

How to fix it: you should sleep 7 to 9 hours every night. This is the allowance for sleep decided by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).

4. Bigger Portions

One study conducted by the World Cancer Research Fund discovered that hamburgers have a bigger size than in 1980. However, this happened to every portion, even for vegetables and fruit portions in restaurants. Another fact about 1980: “7.9 % of women and 4.8% of men were obese.”
Since then, these rates have doubled.

How to fix this: go for the fullness. This may seem like an unhelpful tip, so here is a breakdown:

– Eat slowly
– Serve your meal on a small plate
– Learn how to cook two healthy meals (at least)
– Do not choose to upgrade your meal when eating fast food.

5. Medications

Certain prescription drugs – including the ones for treating depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and seizures, can be the reason for weight gain.

How to fix this: you cannot just stop taking your medications without previously consulting a health professional or your doctor. You have to slowly quit the drugs and inquire about tapering.
The most important thing would be asking for a 2nd opinion!

6. Stress

Cynthia Sass is a Registered Dietitian and MPH, and she states that stress is related to weight gain, and the reason is there is a high cortisol level. Cortisol is the stress hormone, and it is related to junk food cravings, appetite, and belly fat accumulation. It can also mess up your metabolism.

How to fix this: it is important to learn a breathing exercise. Sit comfortably in an upright position with crossed legs, slowly bring the chest forward, and leave the shoulders to fall back. Be relaxed and place your hands on your lap.

Slowly breathe using your abdomen, and allow your tummy to expand on inhalation and to contract on exhalation.
Count to 4 and inhale through your nose. Count to 6 and exhale. If you do this properly, it is magic.

7. Dieting

Dieting is never the answer. The reason is that:

– More than 90% of people will regain their original weight.
– It is bad to have a weight fluctuation as it can influence your physical and mental health.
– There can be an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

How to fix this: you have to make a lifestyle change. It can be annoying to you, but it will help you. Make a change and do that with small steps. In the end, you will exercise regularly, stop eating processed crap, and be healthier!

Remember to be gentle with self-discipline. Do not put a lot of pressure, and you’ll get there!

Conclusion

There are many people similar to Lucy. You have to know that our brain becomes mature when we are 25 years old. This means that the crap about weight loss has a great influence on our children.

Many people do not know that exercise and food are not the only two things that can help with losing weight. Health problems, genetics, gender as well and age are also responsible for this.