It is well known that weight loss involves a balance of eating less and exercising more, so it may seem surprising to think that cutting calories could actually result in weight gain instead of loss. However, weight gain and loss are more complex, and multiple factors can influence your weight. It is possible to gain weight even if you cut calories, depending on these other factors.
Enough Calories
It is important not to cut your calorie intake too much. According to Shirley A. Kindrick, Ph.D. of Ohio State University, your body can enter starvation mode when you consume too few calories. You do not need to be literally starving to enter this state, but it can happen when you eat less than half of the amount of total calories you need. This can cause your metabolism to slow down and conserve, rather than burn, the calories you do consume.
Gaining Muscle
Muscle weighs more than fat, so it is possible that you could gain weight while cutting calories if you are also engaging in muscle-building exercises. This may be more likely to happen if you begin a weight-training program if you are not also doing a far greater proportion of aerobic exercise, which burns more calories.
Food Choices
Although all calories are considered equal, it matters what kind of food you eat. For example, you can eat 1300 calories in one fast food meal and have no other meals in the whole day, and still gain weight compared to eating a comparable number of calories from healthy fruits, vegetables and lean meat. High sodium foods can also cause water retention, which increases your body weight.
Medications
Many medications cause weight gain and water retention, which can make it very difficult to lose weight. According to Dr. Lawrence Cheskin at the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, some medications can even cause weight gain of up to 100 lbs. Some of the medicines that can cause weight gain or water retention include birth control pills, corticosteroids and antidepressants.
Cautions
Keep a food log of all of the foods and drinks you consume to make sure you are not consuming more calories than you realize. According to the University of Arkansas, people tend to significantly underestimate calories, particularly in restaurant meals. University researchers Scot Burton and Betsy Creyer discovered that study participants estimated that a large hamburger and French fries had 777 calories, when in fact the meal actually had 1240 calories. In addition, soft drinks and coffee drinks can easily add hundreds of calories to your daily intake.
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