Summary:

I’m Dr. Ankit Nagpal, and in my years of treating endometriosis, the question I hear most after “Will this pain ever stop?” is “Why am I gaining weight?” The disease itself doesn’t pile on fat, but the hormones, meds, pain, and constant inflammation can absolutely nudge the scale upward. Here’s the straight talk from my clinic—plus the exact steps my patients use to take back control.

Let me tell you about Rhea. She was 32, a marathon runner, and suddenly couldn’t button her jeans. “Dr. Ankit, I’m eating salad and still up 7 kilos,” she said, half-laughing, half-crying. I’ve had that same conversation with teachers, CEOs, new moms—hundreds of women. Can endometriosis cause weight gain? Not in the way a donuts does, but yes, in ways that sneak up on you. I being the best dietitian in Ludhiana is writing this like I’m sitting across from you in my OPD, charts open, coffee cooling, because you deserve the full picture—no jargon, no fluff.

What Exactly Is Endometriosis Doing Inside You?

Picture your uterus lining as a monthly tenant that packs up and leaves every period. In endometriosis, that tenant squats on your ovaries, intestines, even your diaphragm. Every cycle, it bleeds where it shouldn’t, glues organs together with scar tissue, and sets off a fire alarm of inflammation. That fire doesn’t stay in your pelvis—it spreads.

The Estrogen Party That Won’t End

I check hormone panels on every new patient. Eight out of ten show sky-high estrogen and progesterone that’s barely whispering. Extra estrogen tells your body, “Store fat for winter—even if it’s 40°C outside.” I had a patient, Shalini, whose estrogen was double the upper limit. We balanced it; she dropped 5 kg without changing her plate.

Inflammation: Your Metabolism’s Worst Friend

Think of cytokines as angry text messages flying between cells: “Attack! Swell! Hoard calories!” They make insulin lazy and leptin (the “I’m full” signal) go deaf. Endometriosis cause weight gain this way more than any late-night ice cream ever could.