I am doing regularly walk about 4 km a day and taking a lot of salads but my weight keep on increasing. I am 102 kg now any help?

There are a number of factors that must be taken into account if you are gaining weight specially when being physically active and carefully watching your calories. It is possible that there may be a combination of many factors rather than one particular factor that is causing you to gain weight.

Some doctors are of the opinion that individuals gain weight because of lack of sleep. It is believed that the body functions optimally when it is well rested. Due to the lack of sleep and rest, the body undergoes physiological stress and biochemical changes that cause a disruption in the storage of fat in the body. If the individual is experiencing fatigue, daily stress and lack of rest, it could cause the individual to reach out for food as a coping mechanism. It is important to get approximately eight hours of sleep every night for your body to function at its best and to ensure that it cooperates along with your exercise and diet regime in weight loss.

Due to a hectic urban lifestyle most individuals are bogged down by stress that tends to affect their moods and emotions. Stress responses that include handling too many responsibilities or dealing with financial pressures triggers off a biochemical procedure in an individual that causes his or her body to go into survival mode. When the body stores fuel and slows down metabolism, obesity is likely to be caused in the abdominal region. One of the most common factors that cause increased weight in people is hypothyroidism which is a deficiency of the thyroid hormone in an individual's body. The lack of the thyroid hormones can bring down the metabolism of the food and can cause loss in appetite and bring about weight gain. If you suspect hypothyroidism as the reason behind your weight gain, it is extremely important that you visit your doctor for a complete diagnosis and prescribed treatment to treat the condition.

Sometimes weight gain is also linked to psychological factors and emotional problems. Women, especially, tend to undergo a wide range of emotions and may experience stress or depression leading to emotional eating thus causing weight gain. If you are under a specified treatment for any condition, your medication may also be a factor, causing the weight gain. Some medications that can cause weight gain include antidepressants, corticosteroids and in some cases oral contraceptive pills.

answered by G M

Taking walks and eating salads might just not be enough to lose weight many a times; you need to focus on other important aspects too. Weight loss should be a gradual process involving the combination of diet and exercise both. Keep the following tips in mind for the same:

• Don't think that you are on diet and punish yourself by just eating once or twice in a day. It is fine to eat at short intervals to avoid excess hunger which ultimately leads to binging at the dining table.
• Before starting a meal (lunch or dinner) have a full bowl of salad, but remember not to add any fat dressings like mayonnaise or cream to it. The only dressing which you can use is lemon, salt, pepper, black salt or vinegar. Also don't replace only salads with your main meals which should have different foods from all food groups to make it balanced.
• Eat slowly and chew each bite thoroughly before gulping it down. Take 20-25 minutes to finish your meal that gives our body time to tell us that it is full before we've eaten more than we need.
• Avoid simple sugars and processed or refined foods, junk foods, fried or oily preparations, carbonated beverages, sweetened drinks, chocolates, bakery products, colas and sodas.
• Exercise or physical activity you are already doing it. Make sure to speak less while walking and also your walks should be brisk enough. You can gradually increase the intensity and duration of the activity but make sure that it is continuous for at least 40-45 minutes for best results.

answered by Dr S