Being chubby despite eating little can stem from a slow metabolism (due to severe restriction), poor food quality (processed foods), sedentary lifestyle, stress/poor sleep, dehydration, water retention, or underlying issues like hormonal imbalances (hypothyroidism, PCOS) or medications, all making your body hold onto fat or store it inefficiently. Your body might enter "survival mode," slowing metabolism to conserve energy, or you might unknowingly consume high-calorie, processed items, or retain water.
People become fat without eating too much because they have a high body mass index. This is a measure of weight in relation to the height of a person. One of the main causes is overeating. Another cause for obesity is overeating in response to feeling stressed. The body stores more fat than it does energy.
A Slower Metabolic Rate
Eating too few calories can cause your metabolic rate to slow down, meaning you may gain weight more easily.
Short answer: Yes -- under specific biological and behavioral circumstances, eating too little can lead to gaining body fat or making weight distribution worsen, even if scale weight falls or stays the same. Metabolic adaptation: Prolonged calorie restriction lowers resting metabolic rate (adaptive thermogenesis).
Many women notice an increase in belly fat as they get older even if they don't gain weight. This is likely due to a lower level of estrogen because estrogen seems to have an effect on where fat is located in the body. Genes can contribute to an individual's chances of being overweight or obese too.
The 3-3-3 rule for weight loss is a simple, habit-based method focusing on three key areas: 3 balanced meals a day, 3 bottles (or ~1.5L) of water by 3 PM, and 3 hours of physical activity per week, aiming for consistency over complex diets. It simplifies fat loss by establishing rhythm through consistent eating, adequate hydration to support metabolism, and regular movement, promoting sustainable health without intense calorie counting or restrictive rules, says Five Diamond Fitness and Wellness, Joon Medical Wellness & Aesthetics, and EatingWell.
It's no surprise that the best one-two punch for reducing visceral fat is a combination of exercise and a healthy diet. However, the type of exercise matters, as does how you adjust your diet. “To fuel belly fat burning, you need to build muscle mass, which means increasing resistance exercise,” says Dr. Apovian.
Do resistance training and high-intensity workouts – Lifting weights and doing exercises that use resistance weights or the weight of the body helps build muscle. Muscle mass has a higher metabolic rate than fat, which means that muscle mass requires more energy to preserve and may increase your metabolism.
Other symptoms
Weighing weekly helps you manage your weight
A systematic review of 12 studies found participants who weighed themselves weekly or daily over several months lost 1–3 BMI (body mass index) units more and regained less weight than participants who didn't weight themselves frequently.
Your most consistent and "true" weight is generally in the morning, after using the bathroom and before eating or drinking anything. This provides the most accurate baseline because your body has processed the previous day's food and fluids overnight, resulting in less fluctuation from digestion, water intake, and daily activities. Weighing at the same time, in the same minimal clothing, and under consistent conditions (like in the morning) helps track trends better than weighing at night or randomly.
Gaining weight on a diet of less than 1,000 calories may be due to three reasons: Metabolic slowdown: Severely restricting calories can prompt the body to conserve energy, thereby slowing your metabolism. Muscle loss: Loss of muscle mass, which is a consequence of extreme calorie deficits, can also impact weight.
Fluid retention
The amount of fluid in your body changes throughout the day. It's totally normal for your weight to change up to four pounds in a single day, based on your fluid levels. Fluid retention, or edema, is when a lot of fluid builds up in the body. This can cause a sudden weight gain of 15 or more pounds.
Body Shapes with the Highest Risk of Health Problems
Apple and pear body shapes tend to have the highest risk. Apples tend to be at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and strokes because they hold a larger amount of tummy fat.
People naturally lose muscle after 40, especially women after menopause. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, this can slow down your metabolism and make it harder to shake those stubborn pounds.
In short, you burn less calories at the end of the day putting you at risk for increased weight gain. When we skip meals, we often “make up” for it later in the day. If you skip breakfast, you may have a bigger lunch because you are starving by the time lunch comes around.
Understanding the 3-3-3 Rule
Specifically, the rule suggests: Three balanced meals per day. Three hours between each meal. Three hours of movement per week.
When you eat too few calories, your body can react in ways that might cause weight gain instead of loss. 1. Stress Hormones: Low calorie diets can increase stress hormones like cortisol. High levels of cortisol might make your body hold onto fat rather than burn it.
What are the signs your body is in starvation mode?
22:2 fasting, also known as the OMAD (One Meal A Day) diet, is a form of intermittent fasting where you fast for 22 hours and eat all your daily calories within a compact 2-hour window, focusing on nutrient-dense foods to support weight loss, improve digestion, and boost mental clarity, though research on its long-term safety and effectiveness is limited. It's an intense, restrictive schedule that helps reduce overall calorie intake and may trigger autophagy (cellular cleanup), but requires careful attention to nutrition during the eating window to avoid deficiencies.
Foods and Drinks to Naturally Boost Your Metabolism
Fortunately, lifestyle changes and addressing underlying causes can help to speed up the metabolism.
During this process, you might notice your body feels a bit softer or "jiggly." This can happen because your skin and tissues are adjusting to the shrinking fat cells, and sometimes your body retains a little extra water as it adapts. It's all part of the transition to a leaner, stronger version of you!
Instead, walking helps burn calories and lower overall body fat, which in turn can lead to changes in abdominal fat over time. For those aiming to slim down, achieving about 10,000 to 12,500 steps per day can be effective, especially when paired with a balanced, calorie-conscious diet.
The most well-known is ghrelin, the 'hunger hormone', which is mainly secreted by the stomach. If you don't sleep enough, levels of that hormone will be higher, and you will feel hungrier and consume more calories. Over the long term, this leads to weight gain.