by Mario Carini

Created on: March 25, 2010   Last Updated: May 26, 2010

If weight gain was a simple matter of eating fewer calories than what is burned off, we'd all see a lot of happy, trim and fit people.  Unfortunately, there are many reasons beyond just the diet that causes weight gain.

Your body is a unique functioning organism. It comes with many checks and balances to insure that you stay healthy for as long as possible. When it comes to food, what it doesn't use up, it stores for later use.

While diet plays a great part in weight gain, it's not the only reason that causes you to pack on the pounds. But many people spend a  great deal of time, money and effort to get slim by changing their diet, when there are other factors that keep them fat.So if you're striving to lose weight, take a look at some of those other causes. Eliminating them and not changing your diet may be all you need to lose weight.

Of course what you eat and how you eat it are important. Eating fewer calories do help, but often you're eating the wrong food.  Highly processed and refined foods are easily digested and lead to weight gain. Switching to a wholesome, natural diet of wholesome food untainted by chemicals may be just what you need to get into shape. Your eating habits are just as important. Many people gulp down their food. They don't chew properly and allow the saliva to mix with the food before it is swallowed. Saliva helps for better digestion and neutralizes the stomach acids that lead to acid reflux that so many experience after a heavy meal. Chewing food thoroughly requires time. The stomach requires twenty minutes to signal the brain that it is full. Chewing food slowly means you eat less and give your stomach the chance to tell you you've had enough.

We live a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity, whether weight lifting or aerobics helps improve blood circulation as well as strengthen the stomach muscles to better digest food. The best part of exercise is that you don't have to do a lot of it to get benefits. Muscles need glucose for energy. The less you exercise, the less you burn off and the more you store in your fatty tissues.

Through the years of life everyone accumulates habits, both good and bad. If you smoke a pack a day, drink to excess and live in a state of constant stress, your body will not be able to perform at its optimum best. Considering the poor diet of many people, combined with poor sleeping habits, it's not surprising that so many people can't lose weight no matter how hard they try. If your

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