The human organism is an endlessly complex system, as mysterious to its inhabitants as it is mapped and tinkered with by medical professionals, and no two are entirely alike. Added to this inherent complexity are environmental factors, dietary differences, activity levels, and even psychological balance, all of which ultimately play a role in determining one’s weight and general health. Misalignment of any sort (even if brief in duration) is often sufficient to disrupt hormone production, metabolic rates, and energy levels, while maintaining said alignment often seems akin to wrestling with the wind.
These disruptions, which are invariably indifferent to the wishful thinking of those they disrupt, tend to impact bodyweight in ways which many find regrettable. Any concerns one might harbor when privately inquiring, “Why does my weight fluctuate?” should be muted by these reasons not to worry.
#1: Environment
The climates in which we Americans live, the weather patterns which characterize those climates, and the topography upon which we take our very steps vary considerably from state to state, from region to region. Differences in air quality and rain frequency, in temperature ranges and in snowfall, and in the number of daylight hours we have at our disposal collectively converge and act upon our organisms in ways both difficult to detect and often slow in the materializing.
A human body is subjected to innumerable external factors, not all of which are immediately apparent to those upon whom said factors take effect. A slight increase or decrease in one’s weight is often attributable to the body’s reaction when confronted with changes having little or nothing to do with diet or activity level. Remaining cognizant of the characteristics which shape one’s own environment and understanding how said characteristics might impinge upon one’s own weight loss goals is a wise countermeasure against the frustration which predictably accompanies unexplained weight fluctuations.
#2: Seasons
With one or perhaps two notable exceptions, a majority of American states are home to considerable seasonal change at various junctures throughout a given year. A mild autumn might give way to a harsh winter in the upper-Midwest (namely, Chicago), while elsewhere the pristine offerings a flawless spring might be swiftly trespassed upon by the relentless temperature highs of a brutal summer (specifically, Phoenix).
Such fluctuations manifest to varying degrees throughout the world and impact individual human organisms in ways both measurable and, often as not, lamentable. Taking inventory of one’s bodily response(s) when beset by seasonal flux is necessary in order that the aforementioned impact might be in some way anticipated, and subsequently mitigated. In any event, the first signs of unanticipated weight gain/loss should be not with anything in the way of panic, but with a calendar consultation. A seasonal transition may be as much at fault as is one’s most recent visit to the local chocolatier.
#3: Activity Levels
Human bodies, like all bodies, are subject to the laws of thermodynamics, a biological legislature of remarkably incorruptible consistency. Thermodynamic tenets cannot be bribed into ignoring their given charters, nor are they wont to suspend their maxims on account of holiday excursion or the like. Mass (in caloric form), therefore, tends to accumulate steadily within mammals when consumed in quantities greater than that which is burned (also in caloric form) via bodily exertion. This cornerstone of scientific precept is, by and large, understood by all who have waged war against an expanding waistline or a mocking bathroom scale.
The challenge, therefore, is not one of bypassing this precept (or attempting some other impossible feat), but in making time for calorie-burning activity—popularly known as exercise. Physical activity of any sort tends to yield caloric burn of the sort necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss aims; however, disruptions to one’s exercise regimen are often met with nigh immediate fluctuations in weight (those incorruptible laws, again). Recognize the need for a reliable activity routine and ready yourself for a bit of fluctuation should the routine find itself compromised.
#4: Mental Balance
Mind and body, that mysterious double-helix wrapped within a Rubik’s Cube of enigmatic curiosity. In other words, the two are essentially one, insofar as modern science is able to determine. Shapely musculature, a strong cardiovascular system, and a healthy body weight are worthy ends in and of themselves, but in the absence of a balanced mentality with respect to diet and fitness, one’s maintenance of any such worthy end is vulnerable to premature demise.
Keep things as well aligned on the psychological front as is possible, your organism will benefit greatly. That barbed inquiry, “Why does my weight fluctuate?” is far more likely to disrupt the balance than it is to safeguard it.
What You Need to Know About Weight Fluctuations
At the forefront of one’s mind should always sit the knowledge that human biochemistry is a dynamic stew of countless ingredients and few meddling cooks in the form of environment and seasonal change. Control that which can be controlled but recognize those larger forces at work when next your mentality is confronted with undue panic.
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