Tag Archives: weight gain

Hashimoto’s Disease

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease when I was ten years old. My mother’s first indication there might be an imbalance came when she noticed I was starting to put on a little weight. (Her actual words were, “Your arm is getting squishy.”) Because she herself has a thyroid condition, and thyroid conditions are hereditary, she took me in to get me diagnosed right away. A blood test later, it was confirmed that my thyroid levels were indeed low. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is the disease which most commonly causes hypothyroidism (low functioning thyroid.) It goes by many names: Hashimoto’s Disease, autoimmune … Continue reading →

The Biggest Challenges to Marriage

You may think I’ll bring up the marriage debates, but in my opinion it’s not related to the greatest challenges facing a successful marriage and successful interactions between the couples that are married. The challenges I want to talk about here are the challenges that can leave your relationship precarious and potentially lead to the dissolution of your marriage if you and your spouse aren’t equipped to handle the challenges. I like to call these challenges the final five, because when you and your spouse are capable of overcoming these challenges, then you are usually in a stronger place in … Continue reading →

Is Your Marriage Making You Fat?

Your marriage is not making you fat. However, circumstances within your marriage can lead to weight gain. Cooking for your spouse and perhaps other family members can tempt you to eat more. You taste things as you cook, you want to eat the food you spent time and trouble to prepare, and it’s just easier to eat more when delicious aromas are floating through the air. It may also be more tempting to eat those comfort foods we all enjoy so much. As you cook your Mom’s or his or her mom’s favorite recipes, it just feels good. All that … Continue reading →

The Dangers of Excessive Weight Gain

Most pregnant women spend time worrying about weight gain. For many women, body image and the fear of not being able to lose the weight later are the main reason for worry. Several recent studies have shown there are more dangers associated with gaining too much weight during pregnancy. Many of the dangers of excessive weight gain are well known. Gaining too much weight puts the pregnant woman at risk for complications such as gestational diabetes and pre eclampsia. Pre term labor may be the result of these conditions, which can endanger the baby. A Harvard study showed that women … Continue reading →

Weight Training During Pregnancy

Women who train with weights prior to becoming pregnant may wonder if it’s safe to continue the routine during pregnancy. For most women, working out with weights is safe during pregnancy. This can depend on your overall physical health, so be sure to ask your doctor or midwife before working out with weights. Ask your health care provider about your specific routine. Some may not be familiar with weight training. It’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with a certified personal trainer or exercise physiologist early in pregnancy. Be sure to choose someone with training and experience working with … Continue reading →

Women’s Fitness: Time Marches On

When it comes to getting in shape, we’ve often said that women are different from men. But how they are different is very specific. How are they different? Let’s talk about that today. First and foremost, sometime around the age of 25, women who do not exercise begin to lose an average of 7 pounds of muscle every decade and gain about 15 pounds of fat. This continues until we’re in our 40s and 50s. Then comes menopause – after menopause those numbers double. If that isn’t a frightening set of numbers, I don’t know what is. We call it … Continue reading →

When You Can’t Gain Enough Weight

For many women, gaining weight is synonymous with pregnancy. However, not all women gain so easily. For some women, gaining enough weight is very difficult. There are many reasons for this: morning sickness, a fast metabolism, lack of appetite, nausea and a fear of gaining weight. Healthy weight gain is important during pregnancy. It’s important for the baby’s development as well as the mother’s health. The weight you gain nourishes the baby during the pregnancy and is stored for producing breast milk after the baby is born. Not gaining enough weight can be very dangerous. Low birth weight and preterm … Continue reading →

Have You Heard of the freshman 15?

The Freshman 15 refers to the weight gain phenomenon that happens to students in their freshman year at college. These are pounds students’ gain due to excess, stress and workload in their first year at the college level. Many University dining halls are all you can eat and many freshmen are caught up in the novelty of being away from home, flooded by new classes and learning to balance their needs versus their stress and desires. How to Cope with the freshman 15 First and foremost, freshmen need to learn to moderate their eating habits. Don’t just grab the first … Continue reading →

The United Fat States of America?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimate that the United States spent more than seventy-five billion dollars in health care relating to obesity. An incredibly large portion of the American population can be considered overweight — having a body mass index of twenty five or more. Some of the worst offenders are in the south: Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Experts believe that a lack of access to healthy food is a huge contributing factor in obesity. The inability to obtain healthy, safe food on a regular basis is a common factor in many of the states showing up on … Continue reading →

What is Failure to Thrive Syndrome?

Failure to thrive is exactly what it sounds like: your infant, for whatever reason is not gaining enough weight and ‘thriving‘. Perhaps your baby is missing developmental markers as well, such as rolling over, smiling, and/or cooing. Failure to thrive can have so many causes that it may take awhile to diagnose exactly why your infant may not be gaining weight. Failure to Thrive and Weight Gain If you have been blessed with a particularly large baby, eventually your baby will slow down in his rate of growth. My son was in the 95th percentile until about age 2. Slowly … Continue reading →