Weight loss can be challenging, sure, but it shouldn’t be impossible.
If you're carefully tracking your calorie intake and logging your
workouts and still aren't seeing results, you may want to call your
doctor—especially since Ellen Manos, M.D., says that weight-related
diseases and conditions can be more common in women than in men.
Irregular periods can be a sign that something is off that could be
affecting your weight, says Manos. (The same hormones that affect your
cycle can also impact your poundage.) Other symptoms to keep an eye on
include unusual fatigue, acne, and hair growth or loss.
If you experience a slow-and-steady weight gain that seems to have no
obvious explanation, Manos suggests going to a doctor to see if you
could have one of the conditions below.
1. Chronic Stress
The adrenal glands respond to chronic stress (a state of constant
anxiety that continues over a period of months, maybe as a result of an
event like a death) by increasing the production of cortisol, a.k.a. the
stress hormone. "If your adrenal glands are stressed, you’re going to
have abnormalities," says Manos. A challenge to the adrenal glands can,
ultimately, undermine your metabolism.
A study conducted at the Ohio State University found
that women who experienced a stressor within 24 hours of eating a meal
of 930 calories and 60 grams of fat burned 104 fewer calories than women
who hadn’t experienced a stressor. The conclusion? Stress can cause an
estimated 11 pounds of weight gain per year in women.
To fix the problem of chronic stress, “You have to delve, as a
patient, into why you are having these stresses and whether you can make
a lifestyle change to make your life less stressful,” says Manos. She
adds that techniques for addressing can include exercise and meditation.
2. Depression
Depression can manifest itself in a variety of ways, one of which is a
change in appetite. “Some people who get depressed don’t have energy for
anything and want to eat for comfort,” says Manos. A doctor can help
you figure out how to best treat depression if you suffer from it.
3. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism (or an underactive thyroid) causes an upset in the
production of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), hormones that
support the metabolism. “It often will hit you when you’re ‘stressed,’
and I put stressed in quotes because it’s mostly physical stress—times
when your body is changing,” says Manos. The condition is often
associated with puberty or menopause (but not always). Symptoms can
include sluggishness and a leaking from the nipples.
The thyroid, which is located at the center of the neck, works with
the hypothalamus and the pituitary to support the metabolism. Diagnosis
of hypothyroidism includes an examination of the thyroid and a series of
blood tests. Treatment of hypothyroidism involves the hormone
levothyroxine, which is typically taken daily to reverse symptoms such
as chronic fatigue, high cholesterol, and weight gain.
4. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (for women)
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is when a patient has benign cysts on
her ovaries, as connected with an imbalance of hormones in the blood.
Patients with PCOS have high levels of "male" hormones (progesterone and
testosterone), which affects their ability to ovulate and can cause
acne and growth of hair on the body/face (in addition to obesity).
According to a study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism,
PCOS is associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes and type 2
diabetes, independent of BMI. But by addressing your weight (with or
without medication), you may be able to ease your symptoms of PCOS—and
decrease your risk of these types of diabetes. "So the good news is you
effect the change,” says Manos.
5. Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a resistance to insulin, which affects the
metabolization of glucose. "You can’t concentrate because your sugar
goes up," says Manos. "You might get a little hyper, but when it bottoms
out you’re out of it." Symptoms can also include increased thirst or
hunger as the body works to process and eliminate the glucose.
Before developing type 2 diabetes, you may experience insulin
resistance syndrome or prediabetes. At this stage, you can reverse the
trend with changes to diet and exercise, so it’s important to receive an
evaluation with a blood glucose test ASAP.
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