Unexplained & rapid weight gain - please help

[MuckyStudent]

6 weeks ago I weighed 10st 2lbs. I then started a 6 week nursing placement where I'm on my feet for around 7 hours a day and kept relatively busy. I'm eating less (because I used to just graze all day before the placement started) and obviously exercising more.

Since I started my weight has began to rapidly increase and I have no idea why!! by my 2nd week I weighed 10st 6lbs, by my 4th week I weighed 10st 8lbs and today I'm topping the scales at 10st 12lbs!!!! I'm going to be 11 stone before I know it.

It's REALLY stressing me out because before long, none of my clothes will fit me and I'm going on holiday in the summer and this is really knocking my confidence.
My stomach has ballooned right out and today I look around 6 months pregnant.

I went to the doctors on Friday and he said I have IBS and I've not had a poo for around a week but this has been going on for 6 weeks now and it's just going up and up. Everytime I step on the scales I'm heavier!

What is going on??? I'm going to have to an Atkins/no carbs blitz but if that doesn't work I know what will happen - I'll be driven to starve myself

Actually 6 months pregnant?

No I'm definitely not pregnant.

The weird thing is, my weight decreases slightly over the weekend - even if I eat more and do less. And since this all started when I first started my placement I can't help but connect the two. However it makes no sense because I don't eat at work! I get half an hour lunch break in which I have time to eat a bowl of cous cous and a yogurt and that's it until dinner time.

I replied on your other thread but seeing the additional response here has made me wonder. As you are no longer grazing and eating little and oftenm has your body's metabloism shifted slightly and your body is now trying to conserve more of the nutition it receives by turning it to stores/ fat. I been reading Paul Mckenna ( not a particular health scientist I admit) recently and he describes it as a famine type situation when you reduce what you eat drastically so the body starts storing as much as it can, so you cut back further as you are not losing weight and so on. It may be worth a read (I think it's called think yourself thin).

Hi muckystudent - have you had blood tests? - underactive thyroid can cause rapid weight gain, - mine had gone up by about 2 stone before I could convince anyone it wasn't just me eating to many pies! So I would definitely ask for a test because the less weight you put on the easier it will be to shift.

If it's not that then have your eating habits changed with the changes to your working life - its sounds as if you are eating very little during the day - does that mean you eat more at night because you are hungry - maybe write down exactly what and when you are eating on a typical day, - then at least you can show it to the Doc.

Other than that - I guess there are several medical problems that could be causing it. But insist on the tests because if you have something like underactive thyroid, dieting will do absolutely nothing for you.

I'm due blood tests next tuesday because I am getting a few of the other symptoms of hypothyroidism such as headaches, feeling cold and tiredness as well as a lack of appetite.

I've just entered my food intake into myfitnesspal for today and I ate 1150 calories today. No where near enough to pile on so much weight.

MS

You need blood tests done, I am glad these are being done for you next week.

I would think that there is an imbalance with your thyroid gland as you have other symptoms associated with an underactive thyroid as well.

Some useful information for you re blood test for the thyroid gland:-

www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testing/thyroid_blood_tests.html

I'm glad you are getting the tests. If you have got underactive thyroid, once they get you on the medication, you'll feel loads better