Lose weight while you sleep. Sounds like a dream diet – literally! Well before you decide this sounds “too good to be true” it’s worth noting that more and more studies support this theory so it really may be a good idea to get some decent shut-eye to keep yourself trim.
Think about, if you’re feeling sleepy at work, you’ll reach for that chocolate bar at work for a quick energy boost, you’ll then avoid the gym at all costs because you have no energy and then pop into the local take-away to grab some food because you are too tired to cook. And by the time you slump into bed, you’re too wound up to go to sleep and the viscous cycle continues.
Experts say that when you have sleep deprivation and are running on low energy you automatically go for comfort food. The ultimate result is unwanted pounds thanks to the poor choice of food coupled with lack of exercise could inevitable lead to obesity.
But to put this into context, it’s not so much that if you sleep you will lose weight, but if you are sleep deprived, your metabolism will not function properly.
Exactly how lack of sleep affects our ability to lose weight has a lot to do with our hormones. The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is the hormone that tells you what to eat and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin. Leptin on the other hand tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived you have less leptin.
So the maths is quite simple. Make sure you get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night. Get to bed at a reasonable hour and make sure that the quality of sleep you get is good. Unwind by having a bath and a milky drink and try not to watch tv or jump on social network sites just before bed. Catching up on your zzzz’s will help you on your road to having a healthy mind body and soul!
Sabi
My name is Sabi and I am Fitlass. I am a freelance journalist and have written and worked for the Sunday Mirror, The Sun, Mail on Sunday, Daily Express, Sunday Times, Metro, Daily Mail, BBC, ITV Meridian and Daybreak – formerly known as GMTV, and a number of national magazines. Recently I have started to focus my writing towards keeping fit and healthy. Having had a weight problem in the past myself, I kind of know what I’m writing about!
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