When you have no idea why you are adding on pounds, here’s what might be going on. Sometimes you don’t have to wonder why you’ve picked up those extra pounds, like when you’ve just come from that Tuesday night out where they had wings and brownies. Or when you had that busy week at work when you hardly had time to walk around due to the unusually heavy workload. These instances are very common and you actually don’t need to worry about small fluctuations in your weight.

However, there are some times that you just accumulate some extra weight and you have no clue why and you are even at a loss where those pounds came from. If you’ve added 5 pounds in just a matter of weeks, it’s time to take notice and see what’s going on.

Weight fluctuations of about five pounds or more is common among women, but not in men. If your weight has been stable for a number of months or years, what could be causing the sudden weight gain? Here are some things that could explain that.

There’s too much salt in your diet

Consuming sodium causes your body to retain water. Water has weight and volume, so if you eat a lot of salty food for several days in a row then you are likely to gain weight. Fast food is loaded with sodium, so eating takeout for consecutive days will account for the sudden influx of pounds. Keep in mind though that even some common household items have so much sodium in them. Items such as bread, sandwiches, cold cuts, and cured meat are top sources of sodium.

Taking new medication

There are a number of medications that might cause weight gain. In fact, about 15% of obesity cases are due to medication. Medications prescribed for depression and heart disease are two of the most common culprits. Others that cause a bum in weight are sleep-aids, painkillers, antihistamines, steroids, and testosterone-building supplements.

You are actually eating more than you know

Although this seems obvious, people don’t realize right away how quickly this can happen. If you have been boosting your calorie count for about a month or two, you will be surprised that you will have a five-to-ten-pound increase in your weight just like that. The changes can be subtle but you have to recognize them. Weekly happy hours, increasing your portion size because of a new dinnerware set you bought will have those extra pounds piling up.

Switched to a Higher Carbo Diet

If you adopt a low carb plan like keto then move to a diet that has more grain and starches, then you will definitely notice a difference in your weight.

You Lost Weight Recently

Body weight and fat are tightly regulated and our body is designed to create balance. Pounds that you drop will likely return even if you keep up your weight loss routines. So if you’ve recently lost some weight, expect to put some of it back on regardless of how often you exercise or how much you are eating.

You have an endocrine disorder

One in 5 adults has an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism and this can cause sudden or significant weight gain. Aside from this, another hormone disorder that can cause you to add on weight is Cushing’s disease. Aside from weight gain, you will also experience fatigue, weakness, headaches, depression and irritability if you suffer from any of these disorders.