Surprising Ways To Lose Weight In Your Sleep
How many meals did you eat yesterday?
However you answered the above question, chances are that you actually ate far more frequently than you recall. The majority of us now pack several mini-meals into our each day, according to a study at The Salk Institute. And the longer we stay up, the more calories we consume.
The scientists speculated that the best way to cut down on calorie intake might be simply to get more sleep, so they asked people who ate over the course of 14 hours each day to cut their grazing times to no more than 11 hours a day and to sleep more of the time. After 16 weeks, subjects lost an average of 3.5 percent of their excess body weight just by going to bed earlier.
That means that just a few simple tweaks to your p.m. routine can mean serious weight loss success. So open your eyes: Here are science-backed suggestions to lose while you snooze.
Banish Electronics From The Bedroom
To lose weight overnight, all blue light devices laptop, tablet and/or smartphone need to go. Studies have shown that nighttime exposure to the blue light they all emit disrupts the production of the melatonin the body needs to promote sleep. In addition, a study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University reported that blue light exposure at night increases hunger and insulin resistance, which can, of course, lead to weight gain and not just the disruption of the body’s fat-burning power.
May Help You Avoid Weight Gain Associated With Short Sleep
Short sleep usually defined as fewer than 67 hours has been repeatedly linked to a higher body mass index and weight gain.
One analysis of 20 studies including 300,000 people found a 41% increased obesity risk among adults who slept fewer than 7 hours per night. In contrast, sleep was not a factor in the development of obesity in adults who slept longer .
Another study found short sleep duration to be significantly associated with greater waist circumference, which is an indicator of the accumulation of belly fat (
Studies have also found similar associations in children and adolescents.
In a recent review of 33 observational and intervention studies, short sleep duration was associated with an increased risk of obesity. Interestingly, for every additional hour of sleep, BMI scores decreased .
Another review of many observational studies found short sleep duration was associated with a significantly higher risk of obesity in these different age groups (
- Early childhood: 57% increased risk
- Middle childhood: 123% increased risk
- Adolescence: 30% increased risk
One major review found that short sleep duration increased the likelihood of obesity in children by 3045% .
Though lack of sleep is only one factor in the development of obesity, research suggests it negatively affects hunger levels, influencing a person to consume more calories from high fat and high sugar foods.
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Cut Back On The Cocktails
At night, your body burns the most calories during REM sleep. But if you imbibe too much, too close to bedtime, your body will focus on metabolizing the alcohol and prevent you from spending as much time in the sleep state of REM. And thats just part of the problem. Our brain would rather burn carbohydrates, just like the rest of the body, and alcohol is basically made from fermented sugars, explains Michael Jay Nusbaum, MD, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at Morristown Medical Center and Surgical Director of the Metabolic Medicine and Weight Control Center for Atlantic Health. Guess what happens to those alcohol sugars in your body? They tie up the liver, which now has to detoxify the alcohol, and stops the body from converting the fat cells to ketones, in the fat-burning process. Plus, he explains, when the alcohol breaks down, its byproducts are high in calories. The bottom line: A glass of wine with dinner is OK, but you should stop drinking a few hours before bedtime.
Ways Sleep Can Help You Lose Weight
If you’ve ever needed a reason to sleep in, this is it.
This article was written by Julia Merz and repurposed with permission from Fitbie.com.
Well, this is upsetting: Forty percent of Americans get just six hours of sleep or fewer per night, according to a recent Gallup poll. And groggy mornings and a cranky attitude aren’t the only side effects of insufficient shut-eye, eithermissing out on sleep can also lead to weight gain. In fact, an analysis by researchers at Columbia University found that people who sleep less than seven hours per night are heavier, gain more weight over time, and have a harder time losing weight!
If you’re trying to slim down or shape up, hitting the sack is just as important as sweating at the gym. These six reasons are your best excuses to hit the snooze button and get more sleep.
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It Stops Late-Night SnackingThe longer youre awake, the more likely you are to consume calories you dont need, which can cause you to gain up to two pounds a week, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of seven days, they found that sleep-restricted subjects gained more weight than their well-rested counterparts , mostly because they ate 550 calories from 11 p.m. to 4 p.m., a time that the other group spent in bed asleep.
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Don’t Be A Cardio Junky
Cardio is great, and there are lots of good reasons it should be a part of an overall fitness plan. But strength training should be, too, especially for anyone who wants to take advantage of nocturnal weight loss. This is because strength training continues to burn calories after the session is over. A stop at the gym after work, or even a simple at-home strength workout can keep the body in calorie-burning mode all night long, even after bedtime.
Keeping a pair of dumbbells or a resistance band next to your bed is a good visual reminder to add in full-body strength training at least three times a week. Work the larger muscles, like the glutes and legs, as well as the arms, back and core.
The Link Between Sleep And Weight Loss
Hows your sleep? Do you generally wake up refreshed, energized, and excited to start your day, or do you grumpily crawl out of bed cursing the alarm clock and wishing you could sleep for another hour or two? If you answered the latter and youre trying to lose weight, rather than following the latest fad diet, you may need to spend more time in bed.
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Plan Ahead By Getting Your Veggie Chopping And Meal Prepping Done Before You’re Hungry
When we’re hungry, it can be hard to say no to processed foods, which are bad for your waistline and may cause cancer.
Ewoldt says having a daily plan “makes healthy eating a heckuva lot more attainable.”
He packs his lunch for work at least four days a week, and picks out foods that will keep him satisfied for hours. He stocks up on chicken patties, crunchy vegetables and hummus, as well as guacamole spreads to stay full during the workday.
Don’t Drink Before Bed
Bogan suggested limiting your intake of alcohol and other substances as they can cause sleep disruption . An evening cocktail may sound like it would be super relaxing, but even one alcoholic drink too close to bedtime can impede the body’s ability to burn calories. This is because instead of focusing on burning fat as it should, the body is busy trying to metabolize the alcohol instead. So while a glass of wine with dinner is OK, leave it at that.
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What Meals Help Lose Weight Faster
There are many different healthy meal ideas that can help you to lose weight faster! Most experts recommend having smaller, more frequent meals and snacks throughout the day and plenty of protein and fiber. For example: an apple with cheese or celery sticks and peanut butter with an omelet for breakfast baked beans on toast for lunch hummus and veggies for a snack chicken with quinoa for dinner.
/7lifts Weight Late At Night
Lifting weight can boost your metabolism for up to 16 hours. The findings of the study are published in a paper titled “The effect of morning vs evening exercise training on glycaemic control and serum metabolites in overweight/obese men: a randomised trial”. Low nocturnal glucose levels were observed in participants who trained in the evening.
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Work Out In The Morning
Studies have shown that people who work out in the morning on an empty stomach can burn up to 2 per cent more body fat during their workouts, since they have to use more stored-up fat as fuel.
Some evidence suggests that exercising on an empty stomach won’t increase your appetite .
The benefits of regular workouts don’t end at our waistlines. Exercise has also been shown to provide a wonderful smorgasbord of health benefits: it can help stave off depression and keep your heart, lungs, and mind healthy to a ripe old age.
Sleep Habits That Can Help You Lose Weight
When it comes to losing weight, sleep can be just as important as exercise and nutrition. Here are six changes to make for better sleep and weight loss.
Diet and exercise are two key aspects of successful weight loss, but there’s another important factor that tends to get neglected-sleep! Adults need an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night, yet the CDC estimates that at least one-third of U.S. adults log less than seven hours.
When it comes to weight loss, the effects of not getting enough shuteye go way beyond being a little tired or less productive. Inadequate sleep triggers metabolic and hormonal changes, which increase appetite and cravings and decrease insulin sensitivity. These effects are so significant that inadequate sleep is considered to be a risk factor for weight gain and obesity.
Additionally, a lack of sleep can make it even more difficult to stick to healthy food choices since mental health, mood and thought patterns are also impacted. So, what can you do to make your snoozing longer and more restful? Here are six small changes for better sleep to support weight loss.
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Give Yourself A Bedtime
It is recommended to have 7-8 hours of sleep, as this will help in burning more calories throughout the day, even while you are inactive. A noted study found that in people who rest well, their energy expenditure was found to be 5 percent higher than that of their tired peers. These people burnt more calories which is about 20 percent after eating. Another research found that the lack of sleep makes fat cells less sensitive to insulin.
Women Who Sleep Less And Eat Less Still Gain
The researchers looked at exercise habits to determine if they could account, in part, for the findings. But they didn’t discover any differences in exercise levels or physical activity that would explain why the women who slept less weighed more.
Were the women who were getting less sleep also eating more? The answer was no. In fact, the opposite was true.
“Prior studies have shown that after just a few days of sleep restriction, the hormones that control appetite cause people to become hungrier, so we thought that women who slept less might eat more,” Patel says. “But, in fact, they ate less. That suggests that appetite and diet are not accounting for the weight gain in women who sleep less.”
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Sleep In A Cooler And Darker Environment
According to a small study published in the journal Diabetes, people who keep their bedrooms at a steady temperature of 66 degrees for one month increased the amount of calorie burning brown fat in their bodies by up to 42% and boosted their metabolism by 10%. A room that is too warm can also prevent you from falling or staying asleep. Bogan recommended setting your thermostat to 65 degrees.
To lose weight during sleep, try getting rid of that night light, too. Research suggests that light before bedtime can suppress melatonin and sleeping with a light on appears to affect the circadian regulation of metabolism, increasing the risk of weight gain, according to the Sleep Foundation. So, turn off your TV, phone and any bedside lights, and consider investing in blackout curtains to block light from outside.
Potential Benefits For Your Metabolism
Getting enough sleep may help you avoid decreases in metabolism that can happen when you havent gotten enough sleep.
Your resting metabolic rate is the number of calories your body burns when at rest. Its affected by many factors, such as:
- age
Therefore, more research is needed to determine whether and how sleep loss affects metabolism.
Lack of sleep may also suppress fat oxidation, which is the breakdown of fat cells into energy.
One study found that sleep deprivation resulted in significantly lower basal fat oxidation in people of different ages, sexes, and body composition. However, RMR was not affected .
It also seems that poor quality sleep may decrease muscle synthesis, which may lower RMR.
One small study showed muscle synthesis decreased significantly by 18% and plasma testosterone by 24% after one night of poor sleep. Additionally, cortisol significantly increased by 21%. Collectively, these conditions contribute to the breakdown of muscle .
However, this study was small and only 1 day long, which are major limitations. Furthermore, other studies suggest that sleep deprivation doesnt affect muscle repair and growth. Thus, longer and larger studies are needed (
It may also increase your risk of injury and delay recovery.
Ultimately, getting enough sleep is key to staying active.
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Savor Sunday Dinner With Family
Most experts warn against diet cheat days feast on junk food, and you can easily consume 2,000 to 3,000 extra calories, warns Sarah Dolven, MD, an endocrinologist in Charleston, S.C. However, one cheat meal over the weekend wont kill you and it may actually help keep you sane, Ciccone says. During this meal, allow yourself to have your home-cooked favorites. Even though youre cheating, manage the splurge by limiting yourself to smaller portions and eating sensibly the rest of the day.
/7drink A Casein Protein Shake
The slow-release protein is gradually digested over eight hours and keeps your metabolic fires burning through the night.
Casein is a slow-digesting dairy protein that is consumed as a supplement. It releases amino acids slowly and people take it before bed to help with recovery and reduce muscle breakdown while sleeping.
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How To Boost Your Metabolism To Burn Calories Lose Weight And Promote A Healthy Lifestyle
The good news is, there are natural strategies that can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories at rest.
Its important to note that there isnt any magic fix guaranteed to boost your metabolism. However, making small changes to your diet and lifestyle can certainly help.
Run Saturday Errands Healthfully
Turn your Saturday shopping spree into a weekend weight-loss workout. Park far away from the entrance and build a few extra, calorie-burning steps into your day. Visit stores on different levels and take the stairs, not the escalator . If you must hit the food court at lunchtime, look for places that offer healthy choices, where you can get a lean protein thats grilled, not fried, and a salad with dressing on the side and without high-calorie toppings, Dobbins says. If you know youll be out for hours, pack a few healthy snacks so youre not starved and tempted to splurge at the ice cream or bagel shops.
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Hydrate Early In The Day
Keeping the body hydrated is key for weight loss, and apparently also for getting adequate sleep! A 2018 study found that individuals who got six hours of sleep or less were much more likely to be inadequately hydrated, compared to those who slept seven to nine hours. However, getting up several times a night to go to the bathroom could disrupt your overall sleep, so how do you hydrate to support weight loss and sleep without a full bladder waking you up during the night?
Weight Loss Tip: Determine your daily water goal spread those ounces out through the day and emphasize getting most of it by mid-afternoon. To make it easy, I carry a water bottle and aim to consume 75 to 80 percent of my goal by 3 or 4 p.m. This way I get adequate hydration while still allowing my body plenty of time to absorb and excrete it. You can still have water and other fluids after that just don’t use the late afternoon and evening hours to get the majority of your daily hydration.
Eat Breakfast Every Morning
When you wake up in the morning your body is exhausted after 6 or more hours without any food. You need to start refueling as soon as possible, so make sure you eat breakfast every morning before anything else even if that means waking up early! Your whole day will go much smoother when you do this.
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