Put on half a stone!

A sudden increase in weight can be due to a number of reasons and it is most likely solvable. It may be that as you’ve suddenly increased your exercise intensity that you have gained some more muscle mass which would cause a small amount of weight gain. Have you taken your measurements? The effects of toning and tightening on the muscles would see you become smaller in size, but wouldn’t show up on the scales. However you would need to be doing some strength work using weights on a weekly basis to see these results.

You may have developed some inflammation in your system because your body is finding some foods hard to process which can cause constipation, diarrhoea, water retention and a swollen mid-section. In order to help reduce inflammation you should avoid eating wheat, gluten and processed foods. The most obvious foods containing wheat and gluten are bread, pasta, cakes, pies, pizza and biscuits. You can buy wheat and gluten-free products which are a good alternative.

The other aspect to take into consideration is that with the increase in exercise load, you could be eating and drinking more than you realise, in particular in the evening when your body is winding down. A couple of glasses of wine in the evening can add up to 400 extra calories per day which would amount to roughly 2000 calories a week give or take, which is 8000 calories a month. Add this up over a couple of months and, if you’re not burning the extra calories off, you’ll notice an increase in weight.

The solution is to reduce your wine intake to at least half and you will notice a reduction in weight over the same period of time. Try to keep your evening meal relatively small compared to your lunch as your body is less in need of the calories in the evening. Eating too much at night can place a strain on your digestive system. You should also be aware that there are some medications that can cause inflammation in your body. If you have recently started to take a new medication, in particular a contraceptive pill, then you should return to your GP and express your concerns.