Gaining 19 lbs last week (total weight gain so far in a few weeks 40 lbs) has been disheartening, and a little scary too. I know there are has to be some logical reason for it and I know it’s not from the food I ate.

Here is a list of possible causes for unexplained weight gain:

Edema (fluid retention that builds up in the body, swelling that occurs in just a few days or weeks).   I know most of the reason for my weight gain has to be fluid - what I don’t know is the cause of the fluid retention.

Some possible causes could be heart failure, liver disease or kidney disease, Cushing Syndrome (an endocrine disorder caused by high levels of cortisol in the blood from a variety of causes), or polycystic ovary syndrome.

I had a hyterectomy when I was 20 years old, but I still have my ovaries. Several years ago I had (and still have) stabbing pains around where the ovaries are. I had a gyn check it out once and he told me I had polycystic ovaries but that they don’t hurt so I shouldn’t have any pain.  According to the article Hidden Causes of Weight Gain by Catherine Clifford “…many of the 7-10 percent of premenopausal women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often go for years unaware that their weight gain is in part due to this underdiagnosed condition, in which the ovaries and sometimes the adrenal glands, for unknown reasons, pump out too much male hormone, according to Andrea Dunaif, M.D., chief of endocrinology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and professor of metabolism and molecular medicine at Northwestern University Medical School.”

From the same article, The Weight of Water - “If someone’s retaining a lot of water — enough to add more than a couple of pounds — they’d better get to their physician very quickly to make sure they don’t have heart or kidney failure, both of which can cause edema, or swelling,” cautions Robert Berkowitz, M.D., medical director of the University of Pennsylvania Weight and Eating Disorders Program, though he adds that such problems are much more likely to afflict older women. ”

My past history with doctors though I don’t think I can emotionally deal with another visit about weight issues with my primary doctor any time soon. (For details of how it went at my last doctor visit in Nov. go here.)   I haven’t been to a gyn in years and I don’t any that I would even consider going to.  However, I will be going to my cardiologist over the next few weeks for a few tests (annual re-testing) with a followup visit near the end of March - if my weight hasn’t improved by then I’ll be able to know if it has anything to do with the heart and if she isn’ too busy perhaps I can discuss the problem with her.

There are other possible causes for unexplained weight gain - but these result in slower gains over a longer period of time (not huge jumps like my 19 lbs in one week):

These I know don’t apply to me:

  • Some medications such as corticosteroids, cyproheptadine, lithium, tranquilizers, phenothiazines, steroids, some antidepressants, oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy , nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants and diabetic medications are the most common ones that can cause weight-gain.  (I’m not on any medications.)
  • Emotional Eating - eating to cope with stress, depression, etc.  (I don’t binge and haven’t overeaten if over 90 weeks.)
  • High-carbohydrate, high-calorie diet (I keep my calories very low.)
  • Hypothyroidism - which actually only causes a few pounds to be gained slowly over time.  (I’ve had bloodwork done awhile ago, came back normal.)
  • Smoking cessation  (I don’t smoke.)
  • Alcohol use  (I don’t drink.)
  • Rare, but worth knowing about cause is organ enlargement such as ovarian tumors or benign cysts and obstruction of lymph fluid.  (I doubt that I have anything like this.)

These may be contributing factors to my difficulty in losing weight, but don’t explain gaining a large amount of weight in a short period of time:

  • Slower metabolism, which is normal with aging
  • Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency (I’m taking supplements to boost my omega 3 intake.)
  • Food Sensitivity Reactions can cause inflammation
  • Blood sugar imbalance, insulin resistance, leptin resistance.
  • Menopause - most women gain gradually gain about 10 to 15 lbs during while going through menopause because of the fluctuation in hormones which affect your appetite, metabolism adn fat storage. So even if you are eating right and exercising losing weight can become extremely difficult and almost impossible.

In a nutshell, I’m just going to continue eating healthy and taking my herbal supplements and vitamins. 

 Related Posts:  Weight Gain Research.

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