The Top 10 Things that Cause Weight Gain

by | Apr 16, 2012 | Health Habits, Nutrition Support, Uncategorized

The Top 10 Things that Cause Weight GainSometimes almost too much emphasis is placed on what to do to lose weight. But what about what you shouldn’t do to help avoid gaining the weight in the first place? It is so much easier to add unwanted pounds to our bodies than it is to take them off so learning what the worst things you can do is an important lesson for everyone who wants to be fit. Here the top 10 things that cause weight gain:

1. Skipping meals

Think of your body as a well-oiled machine. It needs fuel to run and it needs it regularly. When you skip a meal you throw off your system. First, your body thinks that there is a problem and will horde and store calories. So if you skip breakfast and “make up for it” with a massive lunch then your body will save all those calories ‘just in case’.

2. Snacking

Yes this seems like a no brainer and yet people still constantly do it. Snacking tends to throw off your body’s management of glucose which directly effects fat storage and energy usage. By adding between meal snacks (which are usually unhealthy and full of sugar) you will regularly spike your system in a way you don’t want.

3. Fluid Intake

Too much soda and not enough water is a sure fire way to gain weight. To start, your body needs water and a decent amount of it to run efficiently. Soda provides no value and even low calorie beverages just add extra sugar to your system (much like snacking). On top of that drinking soda or energy drinks make you less thirsty while dehydrating you.

4. Eating Anything Fried

To fry food you have to dip it in hot oil. That oil is just fat which goes into your body and finds a new home as… you guessed it – fat!

5. Not Getting Enough Sleep

Everyone should sleep 6 to 8 hours, especially if they are exercising regularly. Your body needs rest. Your body needs more rest when you are working out and straining it beyond a normal day activities. When you skip on sleep not only do you not recuperate properly but you can become tired, stressed, or irritable. This typically leads to drinking caffeine and eating poorly to offset those emotions.

6. Being Around Fat People

It is sad to say, but people have a bit of a ‘herd’ mentality. We copy what the group does to fit in. If you hang out with a lot of obese people then more than likely you will be exposed to their eating and exercise (or lack thereof) habits.

7. Alcohol

A beer or a glass of wine is fine in a day. Every now and again having a few drinks is okay as well. But regular intake of beer, wine, or hard liquor will help add on pounds. Along with the calories they also act as diuretics and flush out water and useful nutrients. On top of that you are more likely to over indulge on food when your judgment is impaired. For some reason greasy and friend foods sounds delicious after drinking a bit.

8. Being Lazy

Again this seems obvious but being lazy about little things everyday will add up. Parking as close as possible to any destination, always taking the elevator instead of the stairs, or skipping anything that might burn a calorie is a sure fire way to gain weight.

9. Eating Out

People who are on the road a lot or regularly eat out for lunch typically take in too many calories and too much fat. Try getting a power juice for lunch or packing your own instead of hitting happy hour for 1000 calories you don’t need.

10. Socializing instead of working out

How often do you see people at the gym just talking or doing cardio side by side at a sedate pace? When you only have so much time spent exercising you need to use it effectively. If you were at the gym doing cardio for an hour but only burned 100 calories then you are missing the point of going if your goal is to lose weight.

Hopefully not doing these things will help as much as workout tips allowing you to attack your fitness goals from both sides!

Author’s Bio:

Ben Sanderson is an author and fitness expert for Nutribomb Discount Sports Nutrition. At Nutribomb, our goal is to provide the best supplement information on the internet.

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