We’re often asked some serious health headscratchers — so we did some supersleuthing and got the answers to your most puzzling body questions. Case closed.

MYSTERY#1
Help! Why have I put on a few kilos since I started my new exercise programme?

SOLVED! You might be surprised, but this could be a good sign. You’re probably replacing fat with muscle, which weighs more than fat but takes up about 30 per cent less space, so you’ll actually look trimmer — even if the scale moves up. This means that a muscular 65 kg woman will look more toned and may even be a dress size or two smaller than a 65 kg couch addict of the same height. Rather than judge your progress by what the scale says, go by how your clothes fit. After a few weeks, your jeans should feel roomier — especially around the waist and hips. If they don’t, take an honest look at your eating and exercise habits. A study found that most dieters overreport their exercise by 51 per cent — and under-report their eating by 47 per cent.

MYSTERY#2
Why do I have a supercharged sex drive at certain times of the month but not others?

SOLVED! Women tend to be sexy right before ovulation [about two weeks before they get their period], when levels of the sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone are at their highest. After ovulation, oestrogen and testosterone levels plunge,and the hormone progesterone kicks in — which can leave women feeling tired, cranky and libidoless. But never fear: A few days before your period, you experience increased blood flow in the pelvic region, which many women find increases their desire.

MYSTERY#3
Sometimes I can’t find my keys or remember what I was going to say at an important meeting. What’s the deal?

SOLVED! The most frequent cause of memory loss in young women is information overload. When your brain is trying to balance too many things at once, it can’t process it all and you become forgetful. If you’re harried like this for a long period of time, stress hormones such as cortisol affect your brain chemistry, which can impede long-term memory. The good news: These effects are temporary and reversible, so taking a few deep breaths and really focusing on a task can help banish a case of forgetfulness. Another memory-boosting tip: Eat breakfast. Research has consistently shown that breakfast eaters have better memory and concentration than those who skip their morning meal. Go for foods low on the glycaemic index, meaning they don’t trigger a rapid rise in blood sugar. A study found that subjects who consumed a low-glycaemic-index breakfast (such as cantaloupe, an omelette or some branrich cereals) had better memory and performance than those who chose highglycaemic foods (like doughnuts).

MYSTERY#4
I do 100 crunches a day. Why do I still have a poochy belly?

SOLVED! All the crunches in the world won’t get rid of your gut unless you also do some fat-blasting cardio. Aim for at least three 30- to 45-minute sessions of aerobic activity (such as biking, running, swimming) a week. Also realize that not all ab exercises are created equal. When some experts reviewed the most and least effective ab exercises, crunches were found to be close to the bottom of the list. (The best move? The bicycle manoeuvre.) And while doing 100 crunches is admirable, be careful that you’re not doing them wrong. You could get away with far fewer if you perfected your technique. The biggest mistake: pulling your head forward with your hands to help you up rather than using only your ab muscles to lift and slowly lower.

MYSTERY#5
Why is it that every time I regain weight, it gets harder to take off again?

SOLVED! For years, researchers suspected that rapidly losing kilos and then regaining them sabotaged future dieting by slowing metabolism — the rate at which your body burns calories. But several recent major studies have shown that yoyo dieting doesn’t affect your metabolic rate after all. More likely, your rebounding weight is a mental issue. Research has shown that repeat dieters get more depressed and discouraged each time they start a new programme, which means they’re more likely to fall off the wagon. All the more reason to avoid fad diets that promise quick weight loss, because if the plan doesn’t work (and these types of diets rarely do), you’ll likely give up hope. One study found that women who lost smaller amounts (10 to 12 per cent of their total body weight) kept all the kilos off a year later, while those who lost about 25 per cent of their body weight actually regained half of it by year’s end. Lose kilos slowly to see results that stick.

MYSTERY#6
Why can I drink 600 calories and still feel hungry but get stuffed from a 600-calorie sandwich?

SOLVED! Researchers recently found that people who sipped several hundred calories’ worth of fluids (in this case, soda) didn’t compensate for the extra calories by eating less at other meals. But when they ate a several-hundred-calorie solid-food snack, they all did cut back. The reason? Some experts believe the act of chewing sends signals to your brain that nutrients are on the way, which in turn curbs appetite, while drinking fluids does not. Another theory is that most drinks contain only carbohydrates, which are less satiating than protein, fat and fibre. One exception: Semi-solid beverages, like smoothies, caused people to eat only slightly more food (and overall calories) than they would after a solid snack.

MYSTERY#7
I can eat and drink like crazy on vacation and not gain a kilo. How is that possible?

SOLVED!Chances are, you’re much more active than you are at home — and burn hundreds more calories without realizing it. Think about it: Instead of sitting in front of your computer at work, you may be traipsing around sightseeing, which can easily mean walking several extra miles a day. Even if you’re bumming on a beach, the calories you burn swimming or taking sunset walks do add up. And if you’re travelling outdoors, you’re probably consuming much smaller portions.

MYSTERY#8
I have virtually no fat in my diet. So why can’t I seem to lose any weight?

SOLVED!The problem may be that you’re not eating enough fat. Researchers found that people on a very lean diet (only 20 per cent of their daily calories came from fat) actually gained three kilos, while those on a moderate-fat diet (35 per cent of their daily calories came from fat) lost five kilos. The higher-fat dieters actually ate fewer calories overall because they felt more satisfied. Low-fat diets, on the other hand, tend to be high in carbs, which aren’t as filling as protein or fat. As a result, women tend to overeat foods like fat-free cookies. So indulge a little! Go for foods that contain heart-healthy poly- and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, olive oil and nuts. The kilos may just melt away like buttah.