Why am I Gaining Weight on a Plant Based Diet?

Weight Gain. I have been struggling with this for roughly the last 4 years (since 2019). This is definitely not a topic I feel 100% comfortable sharing but I do think it is important to speak about. So why am I gaining weight on a plant based diet?

I am 20lbs Heavier

You read that correctly. Something that I have struggled with for awhile. But these days I am starting to embrace my new size. Now before we go on, I want to be clear that this is not about me stating that we all need to be a “certain” size. This is about me being uncomfortable, me being much larger than my normal or average weight, and it’s about my health.

To be honest it’s much more than just being heavier. The issues I’m dealing with are puffy face, stomach bloating, and overall swelling in the body. Now let’s get into each issue so that you can have a better understanding of my frustration.

Issue #1 Puffy Face

Puffy face. This is not the same as someone whose face is enlarged due to weight gain. My issue seems to be different in that, my face will get swollen or puffy at times and other times it will look normal. It is a symptom that fluctuates day by day or sometimes by the hour. At times my face appears slimmer and you are actually able to see my cheekbones or jawline. Other times it blows up and my whole entire face swells. It can get so puffy that my eye shape will even change and I will literally look completely different.

Issue #2 Stomach Bloating

Stomach Bloating. This has been an issue even way before I began this Medical Medium lifestyle. I remember even in my most fit days, my waist would tend to be on the thicker side and it would stick out like I ate too much. My stomach has always been an issue even when I was my at my normal weight. And just like my puffy face this is something that fluctuates. Sometimes my stomach will be flatter while other times it can expand and look like I’m 5 months pregnant. Which just so you know, can be terribly painful and very very uncomfortable at times.

Issue #3 Body Swelling

Body swelling. Again this is a symptom that comes and goes. It is noticeable in my hands, wrists, and feet. There have been times where my hands would swell so much that it was difficult to make a fist. I remember a couple of times the skin on my hands would feel like they were being stretched to their limits. At times my wedding ring would be so tight around my finger, yet when the swelling goes down it is completely loose. The same thing happens with my shoes. One moment shoes fit comfortably while other times I feel as though I’m wearing a half size too small.

So What is Really Happening?

Well before I begin, I must state that this is just my opinion of my own personal experiences. By no means am I saying this is the cause of your weight gain nor am I making any diagnoses or recommendations. This is purely just me telling you my story, my experiences, and sharing my opinion. I am only choosing to share my experiences to keep hope alive, to get you to ask yourself questions that you may not have thought of, and to encourage you to have healthy conversations with your doctors.

Okay so what is happening with me? First off let me say that, it’s not my hormones, I don’t have a thyroid issue, and my choice of diet. It is caused by a combination of issues: my overburdened liver, my overworked adrenals, and my clogged lymphatic system.

Let’s talk About the Liver

The liver is the largest internal organ and is the second largest organ of the body. It is responsible for filtering our blood, metabolizing fat, and detoxing our bodies to name a few of its 100 tasks. Click here for more information on that.

So for about 4-5 years now, I have been focusing on taking care of my liver. I’ve been doing things like eating healing foods, omitting foods that the liver would have to work hard to detox, and also did some liver cleanses. By doing this I have allowed my liver to have a break. It can now work on releasing old layers of toxins, fat, heavy metals, pathogens, etc. that it has been holding on to.

The Overburdened Liver

Think of the liver as an employee. The employee has his/her daily work duties that they were hired to do and are responsible for. But then the boss starts to delegate more work on top of that. Each day, each hour new work is being passed on to the employee, which becomes overwhelming and stressful making it difficult for the employee to complete tasks. With work piling up the employee now has to pick and choose which task is more important. And this stressful chaotic work environment continues unless the boss stops delegating more work so that the employee can have some time to catch up on other projects.

My liver is like the employee is overworked and stressed and has way too much on its plate, and is in need of a break. Which is the reason why I chose to focus on my liver. I’m allowing my liver to work on detoxing old layers of toxins that had been trapped there over the years. These toxins could not previously be released due to it working on filtering out fat and toxins from the food I was eating. Once I lowered and even temporarily removed that at times, my liver was now able to begin to focus on letting go of old layers of toxins. You can read all about this process here.

What Happens When the Liver Detoxes?

When these toxins, fat, heavy metals, pathogens, etc. are released they don’t necessarily leave quietly. Basically they leave kicking and screaming causing all sorts of ruckus as they exit the body. What ends up happening is symptoms will intensify, resurface, or even new one will show up. Watch this video and listen to this podcast for more details.

These toxins can also create congestion in the blood, causing it to thicken. When this happens the body uses its second filter, the lymphatic system, to help clean the blood so it is safe for the body. But if the lymphatic system is already backed up (overworked like the liver), it will use fluid to help thin out the blood, to get the toxins out of the body. This fluid is the actually extra weight that I have slowly gained over that last 4-5 years. For more information on the lymphatic system, this weight, and swelling click here.

How Do I Know This is the Reason?

After living on this Medical Medium Lifestyle for about 7 years now, it’s easier for me to knock off the different factors and get rid of the many “what ifs”. Why is this possible? Well it’s due to the lifestyle I choose to live. I do my best to eliminate my exposure to toxins in my life. I am constantly supporting my body with healing foods. And I choose to omit foods that could compromise my organs or systems. Less factors, means there are less things to think about when searching for the root cause of my issues.

Well if you made it this far I applaud you because surely that was a long post! Again, this is just my opinion about my unique experiences. I’m only sharing to offer hope if you are struggling with stubborn weight gain and to share another approach to this symptom. Trust me, I know how frustrating it can feel when you are eating well, exercising regularly and have done numerous cleanse but still continue to see your weight increase. Sometimes I swear I’ve gained a pound by just looking at food. So I genuinely get it and I am committed to finding a way to return back to my normal weight in a healthy healing way.

Stay Tuned for updates!