Thank you for sharing this story. I also experienced a mysterious weight gain in my early-20s. All of my panels — lipids, sugar, thyroid, etc.—were perfectly fine. No unusual ovarian issues, fantastic blood pressure. On paper, everything about me was very healthy… except my weight. I visited tons of doctors, and none could figure it out. I was even told by a cardiologist that my diet was “ideal,” and a nutritionist confirmed that I wasn’t overeating. I’m still not 100% sure what caused the weight gain for me, but in time (while not as drastic as yours), I eventually gained 25% of my initial adult weight.

And then I moved to China at age 28. I lost all of that weight. In just 5 months. Not even trying. And eating WORSE than ever before: way more white starches, way more grease, and so on. Wasn’t walking or exercising more. It just disappeared. And stayed off. Yet again, no real explanation for it.

There is so much about weight gain and weight loss — and women’s bodies!!!—that medicine still doesn’t understand. But my hope is that, as we share our stories, the perceptive professionals in the fields of science and medicine will have new eureka! moments… and that others who suffer the same as us will understand that they aren’t alone and it’s not their fault.