Diet and Weight Loss - Are You Gaining From Sleep Loss?

Weight loss and sleep have a relation to one anotherimprovement when they slept by 10pm and received
and believe it or not the impact sleep loss has on yourthe full dose of physical recovery circadian rhythm.
weight loss success is massive.She has also witnessed her own clients, friends and
Within a weeks time many people will be, if they aren'tcolleagues become consistently sharper when they
already, trying to get rid of the extra pounds they putwere well rested and received the required mental and
on over the holidays. They may also find themselvesphysical recovery rhythms.
desperate to catch up on sleep due to the demandingPretty much everyone in society today will tell you that
parties, gatherings, social events, and fundraisers weas much as they would love to get the required 8
find ourselves involved in over the holiday season.hours of sleep the body and mind need, it simply isn't
It is important that you try and catch up on missedpossible with the demands of life, kids, and career
sleep, especially if you are also trying to lose the extrahave on the average person. So here are some tips
weight the holidays brought. Why you ask?on how you can get a good night's sleep, especially if
If your looking to lose weight, a little or a lot, or youryou are REALLY not able to get 8 hours, it is essential
fighting the battle of the bulge, consider that sleep lossthat the hours you are able to get are solid sleeping
could be the missing link to your success, or, could behours.
holding you back from losing the amount of weight youWays To Improve Your Sleep
should or could be losing. Here is why.- Instead of watching TV before bed try reading a
1. Feeling tired makes a person lazy. They are lessbook or magazine. Consider a book that will take you
likely to cook a meal and more likely to order take outaway from this world and hurl you into another. This
or fast food, or go for whatever is in the fridge. It iswill help you forget the days events and help prevent
also less likely that you will take the time to putyou stressing about tomorrow. Fiction is ideal to read
together a healthy meal if you do cook. For manybecause it stimulates the imagination and prepares the
people, when they are tired, they are more likely tobody to dream. I have personally tried this and it has
gobble down chocolate, cookies and other junk foods.made a huge difference. I was an avid TV watcher
Blood sugar highs and lows then make you more tired,before bed. Now, I only watch TV til a certain time, at
irritable and cranky then you were prior to eating thewhich point the TV goes off, or I go into a different
sweets.room and read until it's bed time.
2. Lets look at the scientific end of things. Links have- Choose your caffeine time carefully. Even an
been found by researchers that show two hormonesafternoon coffee or tea can have a racing effect on
that influence a persons eating behavior. One of theyour brain and can disturb your ability to get a good
hormones is Ghrelin, which is responsible for the feelingnight sleep. Once you catch up on lost sleep, or start
of hunger. The other is Leptin, which tells the braingetting a good nights rest, you will find you do not need
when it is time to stop eating.the afternoon caffeine fix. Having any caffeine in the
When a person is lacking the required sleep, Gherlinevening is a huge mistake. This includes beverages
levels increase and Leptin levels decrease, giving thesuch as alcohol and soda pop.
result of an increased desire for food and not feeling- Stay away from nightly sugar intake. If you are on
full. If you are trying to stay on the wagon with athe weight loss road you should be avoiding sugar
healthy diet, or following a weight loss plan, then thisanyway, but if your not dieting make sure you avoid
hormonal disaster is one you don't want! Feeling hungrysugar in the evenings. This includes soda pop and
and having cravings at the same time is a horriblealcohol. Sugar at night causes blood sugar lows, which
feeling particularly when you are fighting to lose weightcauses a person to wake in the middle of the night,
or stay on a path to healthy eating.which usually leads to a midnight snack.
3. It is through your circadian rhythms and the amount- Do not do office work, or study at least 2 hours
of sunlight outside that the body adjusts itself. Thesebefore bed. Working and studying before bed will have
rhythms and light tell your body when to physicallyyour mind racing, increase stress levels, and for many
recover and mentally recover. Physical recovery ispeople causes the munchies.
between the hours of 10pm and 2am. Mental recoverySleep loss, not getting the required amount of sleep or
is between 2am and 6am. These timings aremissing circadian rhythm recovery timings will stand in
approximate. So if you are going to bed later thanthe way of your diet for weight loss being less
10pm you are missing out on important physicaleffective and you may not be losing the weight you
recovery time. The same for mental recovery. Thecould be losing. Get to bed by 10pm with a good book,
result? Aches and pains that don't seem to improve. Astay away from heavy reading before bedtime and
bad back and aching joints is the most common offollow the few rules for getting a good nights sleep.
these complaints.This small effort toward weight loss could increase the
Nutritionist and founder of The Diet Solutio, Isabel Depounds you drop and make your weight loss road a
Los Rios has put this research to the test and saysshorter one.
her clients with back and joint aches showed immense