Why am I eating less but gaining weight?

healthyeating.sfgate.com - Can You Eat Less & Gain Weight? - Healthy Eating | SF Gate

Is hummus good for adrenal fatigue?

Another delicious adrenal fatigue snack would be hummus, which is a mix of chickpea and tahini. Besides providing you with a good mood and lots of...

Last updated Jun 6, 2021

Can sprouts build muscle?

Sprouted Grains These sprouts are very small and alkalizing to the body and extremely high in nutrition. This group of grains are bodybuilders and...

Last updated Dec 17, 2021

Common yard weed melts 60lbs of fat?

Made into a potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favorite beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.

Learn More »

Promotion

While a general rule of thumb is that eating less causes you to lose weight, there are reasons why you might be packing on the pounds even though your diet is sparse. The types of foods you eat, your workout regimen and certain lifestyle factors could all be to blame if you're dieting but the scale is rising.

Eating the Wrong Foods

You might be eating smaller meals or snacking less often, but you might be eating foods that are particularly calorie-dense and, therefore, you're not losing but gaining weight. Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple explains that many healthy foods are high in calories. Take nuts, for example. You may have heard that eating more nuts improves your heart health and may even lead to weight loss, but there can be too much of a good thing. With almost 200 calories per ounce, pecans contribute a lot of calories in a small amount of food, and can easily trick you into thinking you're eating less, when you're actually eating more, calorie-wise.

Not Eating Enough

Maybe your problem is that you're eating too little, which can also hinder your weight-loss results. When you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode, in which it slows metabolism -- as well as all your other body functions -- in order to conserve energy. So, while you may be thinking that it makes perfect sense that the less you eat the more fat you'll lose, you're actually doing more harm than good. In addition to decreased fat loss, you also may be putting your lean muscle mass -- one of the major driving factors of your metabolism -- in jeopardy because the body will start to use it as fuel. Lastly, when you don't take in enough calories, you won't have the energy for regular workouts, which are key for fat loss.

Building Muscle Mass

If you're combining your diet with hard-hitting sessions at the gym, there may be a very simple explanation for your failure to lose weight -- you're gaining muscle. Fat and muscle weigh the same amount, but muscle is denser and takes up less space. So you may be eating healthy and taking in fewer calories -- and you probably see a difference in your body and the way your clothes fit -- but the number on the scale might be going up instead of down. Don't worry, this is a good thing. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate, which means you'll burn calories at a higher rate even when you're not working out. Just remember not to reduce your food intake too much when you're engaged in regular exercise because your body needs the calories and macronutrients to build and maintain muscle and physiological functions.

Stress and Body Fat

You might eat just the right amount of nutritious foods, but if you are under a lot of stress, your hormones could be what's holding you back. According to a study published in the journal "Obesity" in 2017, chronic stress increases the amount of cortisol -- known as the stress hormone -- in the body, which can affect metabolism and storage of fat. Over time, this can lead to weight gain, especially in the abdominal area. This means that someone who is chronically stressed out and someone who is usually calm and collected may eat the same diet, but the stressed-out individual will have a harder time getting rid of stubborn belly fat.

Hypothyroidism

What is the best time to eat honey?

in the morning Usually the doctors recommend honey to be taken empty stomach early in the morning as it gives an instant kick and energy boost...

Last updated Dec 18, 2019

What is the healthiest diet soda?

11 Best Sugar-Free Sodas on Grocery Store Shelves Zevia Zero Calorie Soda, Cola. Virgil's Zero Sugar Root Beer. Reed's Zero Sugar Real Ginger Ale....

Last updated Jun 28, 2020

Purple weed obliterates 72lbs of flab

The main ingredient for a potent powdered supplement, based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.

Learn More »

Promotion

Does yogurt raise blood sugar?

“Yogurt naturally contains both high-quality carbohydrates and protein, making it an excellent food for slowing or preventing an unhealthy rise in blood sugar,” Ficek says.

everydayhealth.com - 10 Surprising Foods That Have Little Impact on Blood Sugar

When you're diagnosed with diabetes, one of the first changes that your doctor will recommend is cleaning up your diet. Suddenly even seemingly healthy foods are placed on a do-not-eat list. While you may start to feel like there are very few foods you can eat safely, you'll be happy to hear that a handful of foods commonly assumed to be off-limits are actually healthy choices for those living with the condition. These “off-limits” foods actually have a much lower impact on glucose levels than people think, and get the green light to include in a diabetes-friendly diet. The 10 on this list all have a low or medium glycemic load (GL), which is a measurement that factors in a food’s glycemic index and carbohydrates per serving to show how the food affects blood sugar, according to Oregon State University. Foods low on the scale break down more slowly in the body, which may produce fewer fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels. A GL of 10 or under is considered low, while 11 to 19 is medium, and 20 and above is high.

RELATED: 20 Easy and Quick Snacks for People With Diabetes

While no two people with diabetes will respond to a certain food the same way, here are 10 foods you may be surprised to learn may have little impact on blood sugar.

Is Oatmeal good for a diabetic?

Oatmeal, that hearty, humble breakfast staple, can be a great addition to a diabetes diet. A widely available whole grain, oats are rich in fiber...

Last updated Jul 21, 2021

Can you gain weight from not eating?

Not eating won't directly lead to weight gain -- in fact, you may lose weight as you'll temporarily eat fewer calories than you burn. The problem...

Last updated Mar 7, 2021

Tasty juice “eats through” 54lbs of thick flab

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »

Promotion

Can you speed up fat burning?

This includes weight lifting, high-intensity interval training, eating enough calories and protein, getting plenty of sleep and drinking green tea....

Last updated Jan 19, 2018

Purple weed obliterates 72lbs of flab

The main ingredient for a potent powdered supplement, based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.

Learn More »

Promotion

How do you treat low blood count?

Treatment for this form of anemia usually involves taking iron supplements and changing your diet. For some people, this might involve receiving...

Last updated May 11, 2019