unexplained regular weight gain

I am 5' 9, just turned 38 yrs old and have been gaining weight since March 2011.  I started gaining 2 pds weekly until May, and then a few pounds a month until now.  I have gained 37pds since then, and now weigh 231 pds.   I have had food testing done and no problems with wheat or such.  When I go off wheat or sugar I actually gain weight.  Last week was sick with flu and barely ate.....and gained 4 pounds.  I have kept track of my calories, get regular exercise, and eat quite healthily.  I do not eat fast food, I make my own everything, grass-fed beef, smoothies, raw milk.....
Help me please.

[blondie918]

I have the same problem.  A lot of it is genetics. Did get some tips from my nutritionist though. You're suppose to have 30 minutes of moderate exercise everyday. 5-9 servings of fruit and veggies a day (1/2 cup = 1 serving). Eat when you're hungry; just be careful of how much you eat. Don't keep track of calories, they'll just make you think about food more often. And honestly, no one wants to live their entire life counting calories.

[spinnergrrrl]

You might not be getting everything you need from your diet. I am the same age and found myself gaining weight because I was low on iron/anemic and losing muscle (which burns calories faster than fat.) Since I started taking iron and making sure I'm getting proper nutrition along with restricting my calories-- I feel much better and the weight is coming back off.

I will warn you for the first week or so taking iron suppliments I could have eaten a couch (granted I was up and moving around more than usual) so I had to compensate by eating a little extra protein and a LOT of low calorie high fiber food.

Also check with your doctor and see if you have a hormone imbalance or any other "hidden" physical problem. I feel really stupid for avoiding the doctors office for so long when the solution was so simple.

[gymdandee]

You should be doing Interval training!  
It will quickly raise your heart rate 8 times for very short bursts, with a cooling down period in between. Ideally you’ll be sprinting or cycling full throttle for 30 seconds with a 90 second cool down in between each outburst. This is the fastest way to lose fat and build muscle in the body. It will stimulate the growth hormone in the body. It is one of the best ways to exercise, especially considering the speed at which you can lose fat and build muscle.
What you eat after training does matter!  You do not eat sugar or carbohydrate for 2 hours after the exercise because these foods can impact the release of the growth hormone in the body. Figure your heart rate by this formula subtract your age from 220! So 220 minus 38= 182.  Your maximum heart rate is 182! you want to get your heart rate between 65% & 85% of your maximum heart rate. So 65% of 182=118 and 85% of 182=154. So for the first minute and a half you will exercise at an easy pace then for 30 seconds you will go all out as fast as you can to raise your heart rate between 118 & 154 then after 30 seconds go easy you do this for a total of 20 minutes every other day! I suggest buying an heart rate monitor that straps around your chest and the wrist band shows your heart rate. Cadio Sport makes a good monitor. I suggest talking to your doctor first!!  P.S. It might take a while till you're able to get your heart rate up to 65% and 85% of your max.