Unfortunately, unexpected weight gain makes its appearance from time to time. If you haven’t made any changes to your usual habits, but notice that you’ve put weight on it can be especially disconcerting. Your health, especially if it leads to a physical change to your appearance, is nothing to ignore.
Regardless of the number on the scale, the most important piece is how you feel. While you’re pinpointing the cause of unexpected weight gain, your clothes can help give you an extra boost of confidence. Whether you’re going to work, brunch with friends, or just running errands, there are times when you just feel better about yourself because of your clothes. So grab your favorite tee, dress, or heels and take on the world. And, if you’re wearing a curve-hugging dress a body shaper can help smooth and shape. At the end of the day, we often feel the best when we’re comfortable.
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The Usual Suspects
Oftentimes, weight gain can be an unwelcome byproduct of a change in lifestyle. If you are spending too much time resting on your rear in front of the computer or television, chances are, sooner or later, it will catch up with you. Stop and think about how you spend your time outside of work and whether that can be accountable for your added cuddle factor. Maybe you’ve got a new project to deal with that keeps you tied to the computer instead of outside gardening or hitting the gym as much as you normally do. It is best to recognize these changes in order to modify your activities to allow getting your work done and keeping your physical activity from suffering so drastically.
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Changes
Maybe you are taking steps to improve your health by quitting smoking or your doctor has put you on new meds to help you control anxiety or depression. Whereas both are important changes that will benefit your overall health in the long-run, you have to also consider the likelihood of these modifications causing you to gain weight.
Weight gain when you quit smoking is somewhat expected. Look into other things you can do to occupy yourself that don’t involve eating everything in sight. More often than not, to try to stop craving cigarettes, people will substitute a smoke with a lollipop or other sweet treat. If you already have a workout routine, look to increase the intensity to counterbalance the effects of not having the stimulus in nicotine.
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Improvements
Sometimes gaining weight can be a wake-up call to evaluate how well you are taking care of yourself. Having an insurmountable amount of stress can be blamed for putting on extra pounds. The same applies to not getting enough sleep or taking time to relax.
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Corrective Action
If you are unhappy with your weight gain, make changes that will keep additional pounds from finding their way to you. Are you out every weekend, partying with your friends? Too much social time can lead to a big increase in your consumption of unhealthy fats, processed foods and alcohol. Instead of hitting the bars with the guys or girls, find another activity you can do together that will be fun and active without the added sugar and fat.
Pay attention to how much water you drink. Chances are, you aren't drinking nearly what you should. People often confuse the need to hydrate with being hungry, which causes you to eat when your body wants a tall glass of refreshing water.
If you are one of those people who are being pulled in several directions and you find that your days are never long enough, chances are you inhale your food. Eating too quickly can cause weight gain; take smaller bites and chew longer. Allow your brain to tell you you’re no longer hungry.
Whatever the reason for the weight gain, rest assured with a few small realizations and changes to your everyday life, you can easily get a handle on those love-handles.
