6 Reasons You Are Losing Weight & How to Regain

Unintentional weight loss can be a red flag. Excess weight is a problem for most people, but losing weight unexpectedly also indicates serious health problems. According to the National Institute on Aging, around 27 out of 100 people suffer from Wolffian weight loss syndrome in their senior years, which results in poor immunity and feeble muscle function.

A report cited in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that 1 out of 20 adults experience significant unrestricted weight loss yearly. (Source: American Medical Association) If you are one of those people, this post is for you to understand the primary reasons for weight gain and the best ways to get rid of it.

What are the Reasons for Sudden Weight Loss?

1. Medical Health Problems

A few serious medical problems can disrupt the body’s normal functioning, resulting in weight loss.

• Hyperthyroidism: Your thyroid works and functions at an exceeding level. As the metabolism works faster, the body burns calories fast, which causes you to lose weight significantly.
• Unregulated Diabetes: This illness causes increased urination and muscle breakdown, which leads to weight loss.
• Gastrointestinal Illnesses: Crohn’s or celiac disease coupled with irritable bowels tend to disrupt the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. As a result, you become malnourished.
• Cancer: If you face a sudden weight loss of 10 pounds (lb) or more, it can indicate cancer. (Source: American Cancer Society) The abnormal cells increase in number at a fast pace, causing inflammation. When undergoing Cancer treatment, the body goes through muscle wasting increases and appetite-controlling hormones get disrupted. Also, it increases resting energy expenditure (REE).
• Mental Health Disorders: Lack of enthusiasm and anxiety can lower one’s appetite, making it difficult to follow a healthy diet.

2. Chronic Stress and Loss of Appetite

Stress impacts the body in many ways, one of them being starving oneself involuntarily. During stress, your cortisol level increases, and this hormone can block your hunger signals. While some people eat to cope with their anxiety, others have the opposite reaction, which leads to consuming very little food. With time, chronically losing weight is due to an energy deficit, weaker immunity, and even the loss of specific muscles.

3. Malabsorption of Nutrients

If your body isn’t adequately absorbing nutrients, you may be losing weight while eating a regular diet. Conditions that cause an enzyme deficiency, gut infections, or are called imbalanced gut bacteria. These bacteria are all reasons for malabsorption issues. Getting essential vitamins and minerals is impossible if your body does not go through proper digestion. This eventually leads to a lack of strength. It can lead to low or ill feelings and a weaker immune system.

4. Increased Physical Activity Without Proper Nutrition

A sudden increase in physical activity without adjusting food intake will create a calorie deficit. This deficit may cause weight loss. Also, high-intensity workouts, endurance training, excessive cardio, or excessive exercise may cause the body to burn more calories than it takes in. If your body doesn’t use energy with sufficient healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates, the body undergoes muscle breakdown. Thus, leading to a depletion of both fat and muscle mass.

5. Age-Related Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia)

Aging comes with natural muscle loss – “Sarcopenia.” Postage thirty, there is a gradual decline in muscle mass. Muscle mass loss leads to lower body weight at the expense of strength, flexibility, and ease of movement. Without proper protein and resistance exercises, the body will likely start burning muscle tissue for energy, leading to unhealthy weight loss.

6. Medications and Treatments

Some medications can indeed cause weight loss as a side effect. Antidepressants and chemotherapy, along with high blood pressure and diabetes medications, can result in low appetite, nausea, and even malabsorption of nutrients. Therefore, you should consult your doctor if you’ve recently been taking a new medication and have significant weight loss.

How to Regain Weight Safely?

Your method of regaining weight depends somewhat on the factors causing the weight loss. However, for all the reasons, inadequate nutrition is the causa proxima (immediately preceding cause). So, you will need to find ways to fill this nutrition gap and here are some of the natural ways you can:

1. Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods

Instead of consuming calories in food with minimal nutritional value, think of mineral-rich foods. These include foods rich in healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and olive oil. For complex carbohydrates, eat whole grains, high-quality pulled meats, fish and dried beans. It ensures you gain weight without jeopardizing your health.

2. Simply Eat More Times a Day

If eating large portions at once is strenuous, break down your meals into five or six smaller portions throughout the day. It helps the body to get an accurate caloric intake. You can also add in-between meals-rich snacks like yoghurt, nuts, and cheese to stave off energy-low phases and provide weight gain.

3. Increase Protein Consumption

Protein is vital to rebuild muscle. It keeps body weight in check. Include eggs, dairy products, chicken meat, tofu, lentils, and other protein sources in your meals. If you do not reach the daily recommended protein intake, protein shakes can also help you obtain it efficiently.

4. Meal Supplement Shakes

Meal supplement shakes for weight gain are the most beneficial for those with weak digestion or facing weight loss due to diabetic conditions. If you are recovering from a major illness, surgery, or tummy issues, you could have a weak digestive system. Meal-substitute shakes are a perfect solution to counter weak digestion.

Meal supplements that feature a low-calorie formula designed to address digestive problems are perfect as:

• Low-calorie nutrition means it is safe to consume even if you have type 2 diabetes.
• It can contain Prebiotic Fibre (FOS), which improves digestion and helps your body absorb all the nutrients the supplement offers.

If you are recovering from a major illness, your body’s natural immune system also takes a hit. Supplements like Complete Nutrition from MamaCare contain Shiitake mushroom and Panax ginseng, which help build immunity.

5. Relax, Sleep Well and Manage Stress

Chronic stress or lack of sleep can elevate muscle weight loss. Worrying more about eating can draw attention to relaxation techniques, be it meditation, deep breath exercises, or even yoga. These techniques work well for muscles and appetite. Sleeping for at least 7 – 9 hours will aid in muscle restoration and gaining weight.

6. Add Strength Training

The use of resistance training helps to maintain muscles and healthily gain weight. Doing weightlifting, bodyweight, and strength training exercises helps people regain lost muscle. Along with this, it improves metabolic rate and body strength.

Reverse Involuntary Weight Loss with Ease

A healthy and happy life often results from a healthy digestive system and diet. However, a few circumstances, health issues, or simply lifestyle choices can usually create conditions of involuntary weight loss. Nutritional supplements and a good diet plan, with supporting physical activity, can help you recover your health faster.

However, always remember that nutritional supplements do not substitute for regular meals, regardless of how good they are. So, you still need your regular intake of adequate fruits, veggies, meat, and fish.