Tired of gaining weight?
That’s a pretty dumb question. I mean I don’t know many people who enjoy stepping on a scale and seeing the number go up.
So you have to ask yourself. Why are you gaining weight? It’s a frustrating question many of us have asked ourselves over and over again.
Any change in your life circumstances can produce changes in eating and exercise, which leads to weight gain.
We all gain weight for different reasons. You often hear about one-size-fits-all weight loss solutions that take little or no consideration of how the extra weight piled up in the first place. To experience true weight loss it is important to understand why you gained weight in the first place.
Think back to the time in your life when your weight was just right. Were you in your teens? Your twenties? Or maybe your thirties? Picture yourself as you were at your ideal weight. Now when did things change? Was it a gradual addition of pounds that accumulated over a span of multiple years? Or did you gain it all at once?
Chances are you gained weight at a pivotal time in your life.
Marriage/committed relationship
There’s nothing like being comfortable with that special someone that encourages you to eat a barrage of calories. Your Late night comfort snacks are always more enjoyable when you have someone to share them with—and who better than the person who pledged to stick by your side through sickness and health?
Pregnancy
Talk about a great time to gain weight! And we’re not just talking about women here most men admit that they gained ‘sympathy’ pounds right along with their wife. Hormonal changes along with strong encouragement from everyone you know to indulge in anything their heart desires leave most pregnant women with a feeling of entitlement when it comes to food. Of course, you being the great husband/boyfriend you are you are right there with the wifey snacking on everything in sight.
Career
Unfortunately, most people sacrifice their health for wealth. you may not realize it, your career choice plays a major hand in your weight. Those who go from an active lifestyle to spending 8 hours a day behind a desk and another 2 hours commuting almost universally gain weight. Conversely, people who spend their 8 hours in constant motion find weight loss a natural byproduct of the job.
So what triggered your weight gain? Go back again and think of that time when you were at your fittest, rocking the little black dress, or ripping your shirt off at the beach. What changed?
Usually, the cause of weight gain is going to be related to one of two things that we mentioned above. You are moving less, or eating more.
Did your eating pattern change at this time in your life? If your weight gain occurred during marriage/relationship then maybe you went from eating small meals to fattening comfort food. Pregnancy brings on the perfect environment for a change in eating habits. You go from eating normally, to eating ‘for two’, to munching on your baby’s snacks right along with him! Your job can also dictate your eating schedule. Long hours and early meetings may cause you to grab a donut or chips from the vending machine.
Maybe your eating hasn’t changed but you aren’t moving which triggered the weight gain. what kind of exercise were you doing before your life changing event and how does it compare to your current exercise regime? Chances are good that you were doing more exercise before your weight gain began which means that you are doing less exercise today! Go ahead, think back to the exercises or physical activities that you used to do and compare them to your schedule today.
Once, you’ve figured out which fat trap in your life led to weight gain, and then narrowed down the exact behaviors that changed as a result, so this naturally leads us to a solution. It’s time to make a change.
Start off by diving into a couple of our other blogs
10 weight loss tips for busy moms
Healthy snacks for busy adults
If you’re feeling stuck and need some more help don’t hesitate to contact Dan at dan@sweatlab.ca. Or book in for a free consultation and see how Club Sweat can help you with your health and fitness goals.
