6 Reasons Why I Gained Weight Overnight!

Have you ever stepped over the scale one morning and was disappointed to find you’ve gained extra weight?

In practice, this is very common - however, the process of magically gaining weight overnight is reversible and can even be controlled if you understand the causes of this sudden weight gain.

Why did I gain weight overnight?

1- Eating Too Much Salt in your meals

Snacking on Chips, putting too much pickles, and eating readymade meals rich in salt can cause water retention and will make you feel bloated and heavy. The problem is with ‘sodium’ content in these foods, for example canned foods in the supermarket are often packed with sodium which make it easier for the body to retain more water in the body.

2- Hormonal Profile Disturbance

If you have been dieting for so long and still not losing weight, you must check your hormonal profile with an endocrinologist to make sure your hormones aren't causing the problem. For instance, PCOS and Thyroid imbalances are the most common hormonal disturbance for women that lead to unexplainable weight gain.

3- Taking New OTC Medication (e.g. for sleep or depression)

One of the most common dangerous practices I come across daily is people starting new medications like sleeping pills or SSRIs without consulting their physician. I urge you to read the brochure carefully before administration of any of these drugs to understand exactly the side effects which might include gaining weight, disturbing lipid profile and or sleep cycle.

On the other side, you cannot refrain from taking your medications unless you’ve talked through this with your doctor.

4- Too Much Stress

An emotionally stressful day might also lead to overnight weight gain. Increased stress gives way to more cortisol which is how the fat starts storing in the body. It's known that, as cortisol increases, insulin goes up as well, leading to drop of body's sugar levels. This way, a person craves more sugar and fatty foods which translates into weight gain. In addition, both stress and cortisol cause imbalance in water balancing hormones of the body.

5- Your period is coming

As your monthly period (menstrual cycle) approaches, hormonal disturbances take place which often lead to bloating, gases, fatigue and weight gain.

6- You're following a too restrictive diet

Restrictive diets may succeed in making you lose sudden extreme weight count, but it's not to be kept - since our bodies enter the survival mode & try to keep as much fat as possible to keep our bodies safe so you find yourself either not losing extra weight or worse by gaining weight.

It is suggested that you follow with a professional dietitian to make sure you're not being too restrictive & to avoid skipping essential food groups or nutrients from your diet.

How to get rid of overnight weight gain?

You have to understand that the amount of weight that can be gained in a day is relatively very low, and might not even be true or have lasting effects.

Even if you’re moving on a super clean diet plan, you may retain water weight for a day or two; so it’s crucial that you don’t get burdened every time you gain weight on the scale.

1- Stay Hydrated

Keeping yourself hydrated by drinking enough water makes it easier for your kidneys to flush away toxins and prevents it from reabsorbing unnecessary liquids from all over your bodies.

2- Go Low on Sodium

Since, the more sodium you take the more water your body retains

3- Eat appropriate amounts of Carbohydrates

Eating too much carbs, cause more water storing in the body. No wonder we look puffier the next day we eat carbs rich night meal. That's why it's common for people who switch to low carb diets to see immediate weight loss.

4- Stay away from stress

Unfortunately, sometimes stress factors cannot be skipped. However, being aware of what causes your stress can be a way to almost stress-free life.

Finally, it's important not to stress every time you gain weight, it's often recommended to include other factors other than the number on the scale, factors such as body measurements and exercise goals.