Gaining and Losing the Same Five Pounds?

After having my third daughter, I just can’t seem to lose and keep off that last five pounds of what I consider to be leftover baby weight (how long can I get away with calling it baby weight?).

After daughters number one and two, I had lost the extra pounds within six months. However, this third time around I seem to have clung on to an extra five pounds, sometimes losing two or three pounds of it and then putting it right back on. In the grand scheme of things, five pounds is probably not that big a deal and doesn’t prevent me from being at a healthy weight.

Most people tell me I’m silly to worry about this five pounds and even my own mom tells me to accept that I’m getting older and it’s here to stay (thanks mom)! As for me, well, I’m just not willing to give up yet. I look at the cute jeans, fitted tops and two piece swim suits I used to wear and I’m not ready to say goodbye. I decided to do a little research as to why this last give pounds could be lingering. After all, knowledge is power, right?

I was surprised at some of the reasons I found that I could be holding onto my last five pounds.

1. Lack of sleep: According to WebMD, I could be jeopardizing my weight loss by not getting enough sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body experiences physiological stress and, biochemically, you store fat more efficiently. I know I do not get the proper amount of sleep. When my girls go to bed at eight o clock it is my down time. I stay up for several hours doing the things that I enjoy, reading, blogging, watching television, enjoying a glass of wine and unwinding. WebMD recommends experimenting with adding increments of fifteen minutes to your bedtime to find the right amount of sleep for you.

2. Stress: I found through my research that stress can really wreak havoc on your metabolism and produces stress hormones such as cortisol that can really contribute to extra weight in your abdominal region. Anyone with the responsibility of raising children experiences stress and worry daily. Another way it could be contributing to weight gain is eating. Mindless eating is a common reaction to stress and can contribute extra calories to your diet daily.

3. Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism is another common reason for weight gain in women. This is a condition in which your body does not produce enough thyroid hormone and this can significantly slow your metabolism. This can be tested by your doctor with a simple blood test and can usually be corrected with medication. I am going to have my doctor test my thyroid though, because I am still at a healthy weight I do not think this is an issue for me.

4. Underestimating the amount of calories you are eating: Sometimes you are eating many more calories than you realize and this can add to weight gain or prevent you from losing unwanted weight. I’m not a big fan of counting calories but it would probably be beneficial for me to count calories for a few days to see if they are adding up to more than I am aware of. After counting for a few days you can get a better idea of what you’re eating and what it’s adding up to and cut back if necessary.

5. Drinking Calories: When counting calories you MUST include what you are drinking. That pink lemonade or sweetened tea that you’re enjoying poolside adds up. It’s best to drink water most of the day and to cut back sweetened drinks to once or twice a day. Coffee drinkers  (I am an addict) need to watch their cream and sugar intake.

These are just some of the ways that you could be gaining or having trouble getting rid of unwanted weight gain. Some of these ”reasons” are obvious but some have really surprised me.

I am going to make an effort to get to bed fifteen minutes earlier tonight!