Mysterious Weight Gain

[Jackson7727]

My mother asked me to research her problem so here it is...She is 48 and very overweight. She has been working out and reducing her food intake for about 2 weeks now and is gaining weight, not slowly either. She has gained about 5 lbs so far. She only started gaining weight after she started exercising and reducing her food intake. Infact she noticed a slight weight loss before she started exercising and reducing her food intake.. so she did'nt start gaining untill she started trying to lose it...she is very frusterated! Her Doctor already checked her Thyroid and says it is fine. What else, if anything, should she be tested for. She has a disease that is associated with the "B Gene". Could that be associated with the weight gain?

[carly969]

Commenting on the mysterious weight gain.... my mum has been recently diagnosed with dilated cardio-myopathy, she is 39 (diagnosed at 37) and has gne from a size 12ish to over a twenty. she is very depressed because her energy levels are near nothing and because of her 'mysterious' weight gain, and mysterious it is. I understand she does little exercise, she simply cant she works full time which xhausts her, but she also eats very little and quite healthily? ive seen her live off very small portions and find herself putting on weight?? diets really dont work, she wants to try gastric band or balloon surgery as she is so so depressed. Will she be allowed? will it be of a high  risk?? and most importantly to her, will it be beneficial to her  condition???? please help

[James G Beckerman, M.D.]

If she is truly reducing food intake, I am surprised that she is gaining weight.  Sometimes when we are exercising and eating healthier, we inadvertently consumer more calories than we were previously because our body's needs are greater (because of exercise).  In some situations when a person is gaining significant muscle mass (unlikely in a two week period), they could gain a small amount of weight.  But rest assured that your mom seems to be making healthy choices - I would concentrate less on the number on the scale and more on the good things she is doing for her body.  Take care.