Weight gain is always a hot topic. Fad diets and exercises dominate the internet as people work to combat their increasing weight. Here we’ll review 5 reasons why you continue to gain weight and what you can do about it to achieve a healthier you.   We are all busy and schedules are tight. If you’re looking to cut corners, do it elsewhere. Sleep is an essential for your body to function properly. This includes weight management, not to mention the fact that people who aren’t sleeping enough are obviously awake for additional number of hours each day. And the more hours you are awake, the more you will eat. Get into a sleep routine and attempt to go to bed at the same time every night. Also, ignore the caffeine late after 5pm and let your body fall asleep naturally.   2. You’re Constantly Starting Diets Diets shouldn’t be temporary fixes to drop a few pounds. When you halt the diet you will quickly gain weight again. Instead, focus on actually altering your eating habits. Consistently make smarter food choices and you will find that the weight will stay off. Listen to your body when it tells you it is hungry. Eat food slowly. And wait for your body to tell you when it’s full.   3. You’re Not Getting Any Younger As we grow older, metabolism is directly affected and muscle mass drops. The fact is, the larger your number in years, the slower your metabolism becomes and you become physically weaker. To combat this you must eat less and exercise more. It is that simple. As you grow older, eat more lean proteins and avoid too many carbs. Couple this with some sort of exercise regimen and you can effectively keep unnecessary pounds off.   4. Your Diet is Lacking Essential Nutrients Feeling tired and unmotivated? It may be directly related to a lack of nutrients. Low levels in vitamins, magnesium and iron can really alter your metabolism. Make sure your diet is diverse enough to get all of the essentials your body needs. Lean-meats, fruits and vegetables all will contribute to a healthy diet to help keep weight off.   5. You’re Too Stressed Stress is hard to avoid, I know. However, making conscious decisions to fight stress at work or the office will go a long way to assist your weight management regimen. If you are having trouble dealing with stress, therapy may be a viable option. Take a load off and get a massage or do activities that you enjoy. Just do what you have to do to keep stress levels lower and your pounds will follow suit.   These aren’t the only factors to help attack weight gain, but they’re great ways to start your assault! Be aware of what you are putting into your body, but also be aware of your lifestyle choices. Strategic decisions will work to keep weight off and contribute to a healthy life!   By Pat DeRiso Sources: webmd.com, prevention.com