What Losing Weight in Your 20’s Is Like

Your 20s is the time when you can finally find the courage (and perhaps the job) to move out of your parent’s home, make your way up the corporate ladder and have the license to drink as many margaritas as your body allows.

True enough, it is in your 20s where you get to enjoy utter freedom. And it’s a liberating feeling to be free after you’ve been restrained by all the house rules your parents set up for you.

But while you’re enjoying vodka tonics on weekends and fast-food takeaways on weekdays because hey, mom’s not there to cook for you, your body is taking it all in in the form of calories.

And that explains why on some days fitting into your pair of skinny jeans has become a challenge.

It has been said that women gain approximately 0.9kg every year when they reach their 20s. You can just imagine how much weight you’ll gain by the time you’re in your 30s.

It simply means you could gain an extra 9kg or jump to two-dress size bigger.

Why Do You Gain Weight?

According to Caroline George, a dietitian for a weight loss company called EatFitFood says, “Your 20s are full of life transitions, moving out of home, sitting at a desk and having a hectic social life all contribute to weight gain.”

Regardless of age, weight loss is truly difficult to achieve if you do not know what is causing you to gain weight. That is why it is important to take a closer look at your lifestyle and identify the factors that are making you fat.

Booze

It is in your 20s where your social circle starts to expand. You’ll meet different people at work, at meetings, at social events and the like, people who would probably invite you for beers after work or booze to cap the week off.

Typically, if you want to gain more connections (for your career’s sake) you’ll almost always say yes to these invitations.

Well, it’s safe to say that the more invites you get, the more likely you’ll end up drinking a bottle or two in each occasion and that alone can make you gain weight.

The solution: You can say yes and accept invitations for courtesy but it doesn’t mean you’ll force yourself to drink booze. You can perhaps order a glass of wine or make up an excuse that you’re taking medications.

You don’t have to drink to blend in. As long as you can hold interesting conversations then you can still enjoy the night even when sober.

Sleep

Sleep is a scarcity when you are in your 20s. It is in this generation where you don’t want to miss out on anything.

You work overtime on weeknights so you can bag that promotion and when you come home from work you catch up on those late-night reruns that you’ve missed while you were busy burying your nose in work and presentations.

Well, according to the European Centre for Taste Sciences research, the lack of sleep could be causing you to overeat.

According to Dr. Laurent Brondel, “Skipping sleep increases the hunger- promoting hormone ghrelin.” She adds, “People who have four instead of eight hours sleep increase their kJ consumption by 22 per cent.” Even an extra hour in bed helps; women who sleep six hours a night are 23 per cent more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. “Turn your phone off for uninterrupted kip”

The solution: Realize that you can’t be anywhere and you can’t do anything all at once.

Understand that if you want to lose weight and be healthy you need to allocate enough sleep in your schedule because if you keep at it, sooner or later your lack of sleep will take a toll on your health and it’s going to affect your work.

A simple solution is time management. Work on what you can finish for the day and balance it with leisure when you come home but follow your bedtime schedule.

Hormones

Did you know that women in their 20s have more testosterone compared to women in their 40s? Although this could mean that your sex drive is skyrocketing, it could also mean you’ll likely gain weight and it puts you at risk for PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome.

According to Dr. John Eden, an Associate Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of NSW, “Fat is hormonally reactive, the more fat you store, the more insulin your body produces. This throws your hormones out of whack, so you produce more testosterone, which can result in PCOS.”

She adds, “It’s a vicious cycle, the more weight you gain, the higher your testosterone surges. The higher it surges, the more weight you gain.”

The solution: Talk to your doctor about your situation. If the reason why you are gaining weight is because of hormonal imbalance then they can prescribe you with the right supplements.

If you are diagnosed with PCOS the best way to deal with weight gain caused by this condition is to combine a low-GI diet with lots of exercise. This drastic change in lifestyle can significantly make you lose weight in just 30 days.

Final Take

Take advantage of your freedom but also know your limits. Your 20s is the perfect opportunity for you to explore the world and enjoy it but never forget to look after your health.

Make smart choices so you can stay healthy and in shape as you age.

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