 | |
| |
 |
Weight Loss Information |
|
|
|
Are You Overweight Because Youre Not Sleeping Enough?
If you're like me, you probably wish that there was a way for you to lose weight without having to put in much effort, right? Everyone knows the importance of exercise and how it helps us with weight loss, but on some days don't we all wish we can just sleep in bed and lose weight at the same time? Well, I've got some great news for you... Sleep is a critical part of your weight loss program! This is a little-known fact, but did you know that sleep can affect your weight? Rather, it's the lack of sleep that can make you put on unnecessary weight. You may actually lose more weight if only you were to sleep more every day. What an intriguing thought, isn't it? In a review of several studies examining the impact of sleep on the regulation of metabolism, Dr. Eve Van Cauter, Professor and Research Associate at the University of Chicago, noted that the association between hormones and sleep was identified more than 30 years ago when it was reported that adult men secrete growth hormone during the early phase of sleep. Since then, research has indicated a harmful effect of sleep loss on the endocrine system and glucose modulation. One study examined the effect of sleep debt and sleep recovery on hormone concentrations and glucose tolerance in healthy males ages 18-27. One week of sleep restriction produced dramatic results: a 30 percent slower response to both the glucose tolerance test and acute insulin response compared with results in rested subjects. Sleep deprivation also raised the 24-hour cortisol profile. Another study found that sleep deprivation resulted in 30 percent lower levels of leptin. Amazingly, the effect is similar to that observed with caloric restriction (3,000 calories over 3 days), signaling a negative energy balance. A more recent study examined the effect of 10 vs. 4 hours of sleep on appetite. Subjects who slept 4 hours were always hungry and craved starchy, sweet, and salty foods. These results suggest that sleep deprivation produces a signal mimicking negative energy balance, inducing people to eat and thereby predisposing to obesity. These results indicate an association between sleep debt and obesity. Sleep deprivation would affect glucose tolerance and leptin levels and increase the appetite for unhealthy foods. She noted that sleep restriction would have greater impact on obese individuals, who have higher leptin levels to begin with, and on older adults. Dr. Van Cauter also noted that the studies were performed in males only. Because females have higher baseline levels of some hormones (e.g. leptin), sleep restriction might have worse effects in women than in men. Hey, did you notice the groups which were mentioned specifically in the last 2 paragraphs that may be more severely affected by sleep deprivation? I'll recap them here again: (1) obese individuals, (2) older adults, and (3) women. That's really crucial for us because this means if you're a woman over 40, not getting enough sleep will probably make you feel hungry constantly and crave for all the unhealthy foods even more as compared to other people. And the more overweight you are, the more you may be affected by the lack of sleep. Not surprisingly, another study has indeed found an inverse relationship between increased body mass index (BMI) and sleep duration in women. That is, women who do not sleep enough tend to be more overweight than women who get sufficient sleep. And just in case you still believe in the myth that "Oh, it's alright because I'll catch up on my sleep on the weekends", you should note that Dr. Van Cauter also made the following observation: Sleep debt is generally not paid back fully by weekend sleep. I suppose this is kind of like the saying "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away" -- eating 7 apples on Sunday instead of 1 a day just isn't going to give you the same results! Now, I'm _not_ saying that you don't have to exercise and all you have to do to lose weight is to sleep it off. Exercise, strength training and physical activities in general are vital components of a permanent weight loss program. It's simply that if you don't sleep enough, you'll just be making it more difficult for yourself to lose the extra weight. There's no point in sabotaging your chances of weight loss success if it's a simple matter of making sure you get enough sleep every night, right? I mean, how much easier can it get? According to William Dement, Stanford University sleep researcher, adults need about 8 hours of sleep a night. Try your best to get this amount every day, and you'll reduce one more obstacle in your path to attaining your desired ideal weight. Simple idea, isn't it? Copyright 2005 Tracy Lee Tracy Lee is the owner of the "Weight Loss for Women Over 40" site. Get the latest news, tips & tricks that can help women over 40 to lose weight safely and permanently, and your complimentary copy of our Special Report "9 Little-Known Insider Weight Loss Secrets To Help Women Over 40 Make Those Extra Pounds Disappear" instantly here: http://www.weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/insidersecrets/ This article is available for reprint in your ezine, website or e-book. You MUST agree not to make any changes to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included WITH A LIVE LINK back to our website. Otherwise reprint is prohibited.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Lose Weight Quickly And Easily - Weight Loss Information For people that are obese, losing weight quickly can seem like a dream that will never come true. The fact is that if you want to lose weight quickly you must dramatically reduce the amount of fat and calories you consume. Calculate Your BMI - Do You Need to Lose Weight? There are a few different ways to determine if you are overweight. Underwater weighing, computerized topography and measurement of skin folds with calipers can be the most accurate ways to measure fat. Diet Information - Dieting and Weight Loss Myths That Will Keep You From Losing Weight You've heard them before and may even have believed some of them, but there are some dieting myths that are sure to hinder your weight loss efforts. Keep in mind the following facts when embarking on your weight loss journey: Some hard-core dieters will swear that drastically cutting calories will produce fast weight loss. Weight Loss Success -- The Most Important Determinant Adherence to diet for one year, not the specific diet plan, is the most important determinant of successful weight loss. According to the results of a randomized trial published in the January 2005 issue of JAMA. Heel Pain and Obesity: The Chicken or the Egg? A new survey has found that heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis, a problem affecting almost a third of people who are overweight, often limits exercise and therefore makes it difficult for people to lose weight. The survey of 381 adult Americans, conducted by Heeling Solutions LLC, (www. How To Avoid Common Diet Scams As our country gains weight at an alarming rate, we are spending more each year on products that promise us easy, effortless weight loss. Each year in the United States, an estimated 35 billion dollars is spent each year on weight loss products. Plot Your Weight Loss Course I'm sure you already know that weight loss and improved fitness don't happen overnight. But did you know that there are steps that you can take to improve your chances of weight loss success before you even start your healthier eating and exercise plan?There are five distinct stages of behavioral change. The Tao of Weight Watchers Part One Weight Watchers inspired me to change my eating habits, lose weight, exercise and, indirectly, learn to cook healthy and incredibly delicious food.Now, I'm not affiliated in any way to the organisation, and I am not in their payroll. Resistance Training First; Fat Burning Second for Weight Loss Most men and women that I have trained over the years that were interested in weight loss, before meeting me their routine always included the bike or treadmill for 15-20 minutes or so, then proceeding on to the weights for some resistance training. Approximately one out of ten did both, and most either did one or the other. A Warning of the Complications of Gastric Bypass Surgery Gastric bypass surgery involves stapling the stomach to make it smaller and reattaching the small intestine to bypass a portion responsible for the majority of calorie and nutrient absorption.The procedure is only available to the morbidly obese (more than 100 pounds overweight) who have been obese for more than 5 years and shown a serious effort to lose their excess weight through not surgical methods such as diet and exercise. The Best Weight Loss Exercise Is * Not walking on a treadmill everyday for 45 minutes* Its not swimming a lot of laps * And its' definitely not running 5 miles everydayThe best weight loss exercise is?* Something that you like (love) to do* Something that you can do everyday for 30-60 minutes* Something that can at least make you break a little sweatSo that rules out watching TV, reading and sleeping. Just think about something that you enjoy doing that requires you to move. Move, Move, Move for Greater Weight Loss The loss of fat comes from fat cells all over the body, not from one or more specific area's so spot reduction of a certain area is not possible. The main priority of this article is to show you the quickest and safest way to lose fat from the body. The Diet Demons As the dieting phenomenon grows, with a new "diet guru" announcing "THE SOLUTION" almost weekly, so do the waste lines of America expand. Obesity is now a strong and gaining second to cigarettes as a preventable cause of death or disease. Can Quick Weight Loss Really Work? Quick weight loss is promised by diets all the time. "Lose 10 pounds over night," the ads will scream. Fake Weight Loss Programs and Pills: Is Your Weight Loss Program Safe and Effective? In this age being ignorant is like committing a crime. With so much of knowledge around you, following a trend blindly doesn't confirm the fact that you are intelligent. Tips for Weight Loss For a healthy body, it is very important to have ideal body weight. Try to reduce your weight gradually. Online Weight Loss - Fact or Farce? Over the past 5 years, online weight loss programs have become increasingly popular. One such Internet-only weight loss program claims to have over 1. Weight Loss and Dieting Secrets - What You DONT Want to Know! Some of you will not like what I have to say, even though it is the truth. And that may be where the problem of American's health problems lies. Remembering The Titanic: Top Ten Weight Loss Mistakes Others Make But We Can Avoid Patrick Henry once said, "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I have no way of judging the future but by the past. Obesity - How it Affects Your Health 1. Carrying around excess body fat will decrease your energy level.
|
