What causes weight gain - other than the obvious?

Is there anything else that can cause you to put on weight other than eating too much or eating the wrong foods? Like any .... not diseases .... I can't think of the word.

The reason I ask, my daughter goes to her dad's 6 days a month (3 out of 4 weekends). The days that she is home with me she exercises a minimum of 30 mins a day and eats 2 wheet bix for breakfast, tuna or multigran sandwich and fruit for meals and snacks during the day and meat and veg for dinner (not large sizes) and she is still putting on 200-300grams per week. She says that she is trying to do the right thing at her dad's and I am trying not to grill her too much, so I don't know exactly what she is eating, but she is losing weight during the week when she is home and then putting it back on, plus more, each weekend. I really don't think, unless she sat in one spot and ate cake all weekend, that this is normal. Perhaps she has something wrong???

I am considering going to my GP, but wanted to get some advice first to see if anyone has had any experience or heard of this before.

Thanks!!

There are certain thyroid or other hormonal conditions that can lead to weight gain. I would recommend starting her on a food/exercise diary and see if either of you can spot any bad habits that might be in there. It certainly wouldn't hurt to take her to the GP if you, and she, are concerned that the weight gain is not a normal reflection of her age/growth patterns, diet and lifestyle.

I answered in your other thread that puberty and the hormonal changes it brings can cause weight gain.

I have to say, without wanting to offend you, it concerns me you know how much she is putting on each week to the gram. Do you weigh her??? I am not sure that is a good thing for a young teenage girl.

Hi,

I understand that you're concerned, but I do not think it is normal or healthy to focus on a young girls weight with weekly weigh-ins. Or is it daily, since you say she's gaining over the weekned and losing midweek?

Does she look like a healthy weight? Does she have any other signs or symptoms which suggest there might be something wrong? Please don't allow your own concern to cause her to develop an unhealthy obsession on her weight.

I also answered in your other thread too.

Perhaps you should see a GP without your DD first to express your concerns and see what they suggest.

It also concerns me regarding the gram count that's going on. It would be horrific if she had an eating disorder because she is 'trying to do the right thing' by you. Teenage girls have enough peer pressure to be thin without being told they've gained 200g.

I understand you are concerned but I think you may need to take a step back and think about the message you are sending her sub consciously. Are you over weight or struggled with weight? Do you monitor your own weight like this too?

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There are certain thyroid or other hormonal conditions that can lead to weight gain. I would recommend starting her on a food/exercise diary and see if either of you can spot any bad habits that might be in there. It certainly wouldn't hurt to take her to the GP if you, and she, are concerned that the weight gain is not a normal reflection of her age/growth patterns, diet and lifestyle.

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Thank you for that advice. That is a great idea.

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I answered in your other thread that puberty and the hormonal changes it brings can cause weight gain.

I have to say, without wanting to offend you, it concerns me you know how much she is putting on each week to the gram. Do you weigh her??? I am not sure that is a good thing for a young teenage girl.

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Hi,

I understand that you're concerned, but I do not think it is normal or healthy to focus on a young girls weight with weekly weigh-ins. Or is it daily, since you say she's gaining over the weekned and losing midweek?

Does she look like a healthy weight? Does she have any other signs or symptoms which suggest there might be something wrong? Please don't allow your own concern to cause her to develop an unhealthy obsession on her weight.

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:

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I also answered in your other thread too.

Perhaps you should see a GP without your DD first to express your concerns and see what they suggest.

It also concerns me regarding the gram count that's going on. It would be horrific if she had an eating disorder because she is 'trying to do the right thing' by you. Teenage girls have enough peer pressure to be thin without being told they've gained 200g.

I understand you are concerned but I think you may need to take a step back and think about the message you are sending her sub consciously. Are you over weight or struggled with weight? Do you monitor your own weight like this too?

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No, I am not overweight myself, never have been. I don't really struggle with my weight, but I compete in triathlons, so I am always training (6 days a week) and am very aware of what I eat, and how it affects my weight.

Yes, she weighs herself on Monday and Friday. I know it sounds harsh. But her weight has been an issue for years and years. This way she is able to see the consequence of her unhealthy choices ... and that's the way we talk about it, health. Her Dad's family has several heath issues (diabetes, heart issues, arthritis) all of which can be connected back to their lifestyle. And when we talk about her weight, it is always about getting healthy, not skinny. I don't want her to end up with a health issue later in life because I didn't do everything in my power to help her.

Maybe she's growing more at the weekends when she's resting? Extra sleep = growth. Or maybe the food there is saltier and she's retaining water more.

I too am worried about the regular and obsessive weighing. It's actually normal for teenagers to grow and get heavier. Or maybe there are some really unhealthy food choices at Dad's and she's bingeing there because she can. I would eat/overeat secretly if my mother was weighing me all the time and on my back about healthy food all the time.

If she is actually overweight or gaining weight very fast it could be a good idea to see a dr and get an assessment and a referral to someone who will provide some psychological support along with diet/exercise measures. I'm much more concerned about the unhealthy psychology/potentially disordered eating that's going on than the weight gain. But I think maybe you need some help and support looking at the total picture to get the best possible health outcomes for your DD.

Hope everything is ok and you've found some answers

Thanks. We're not focusing on it much anymore. But I recon she's about 60 kg and she seems to be sitting there. Still over weight and more than I would like, but I'm just buying my tongue. I'll see how she is next week when she comes back from a week at her dad's though!

She's in year 9 this year and she started getting a bit lazy with her school work and her grades dropped a little, so I'm on top of her about that, which has done wonders cause she's only gotten one C this term so far, so I don't want to hassle hey about her weight as well!

Fingers crossed she won't get too over weight, but I really think that it's just going to be one of those things she struggles to maintain in life. :rolleyes:

Thanks for everyones help & support. Xo

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