Sleep is the royal road to weight loss. Many Americans seem to be missing out. According to a Gallup poll, 40% of Americans get six hours of sleep or less. One of the many side effects of sleep deprivation is weight gain.
Columbia University researchers found those who get fewer than seven hours of sleep gain more weight and have a difficult time losing it.
These days, you can get a good idea how well you sleep via a number of sleep monitoring devices. However, there is a simpler test: If you don’t feel well rested when you awaken, chances are high that you aren’t sleeping well, even if you don’t remember.
Here are three more reasons why you should take care of your sleep issues as your number one weight loss priority
1. Fat loss plans are not as effective without adequate sleep
You lose more fat when you sleep well. Researchers at the University of Chicago report that those who sleep longer lose more fat. They compared a group of dieters who underwent sleep schedule changes. During the week with more sleep (8.5 hours) they lost more more fat than those who slept less (5.5 hours). Sleeping less lead to higher protein loss.
The body burns fat more efficiently when it is well rested. Most weight loss efforts are really fat loss efforts. The body appears to burn fat more efficiently when well-rested.
2. When you’re sleeping, you’re not eating
Late night snacking is the Achilles heel of millions of dieters. They do well all day, then when night descends, it’s all over. The stress or boredom of not sleeping leads you straight into the pantry.
Most late night snacking consists of high calorie, high carbohydrate food. In just a few minutes of midnight indulgence, you can completely sabotage your entire disciplined day, throwing off the delicate caloric balance required to trim down.
If you have a problem with late night snacking, check out Dr. Mark Hyman’s tips to reduce it.
3. You burn more calories all day when well-rested
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that resting energy expenditure is higher when you’ve slept well. People who sleep well burn 5% more calories in general and 20% more after meals.
This is weight loss nirvana. The holy grail of fitness is to become a calorie burning machine. Higher metabolism is a good night’s sleep away.
If you’re a poor sleeper, fix that issue so that your weight loss efforts can pay off as they should. If you have a hard time turning your mind off at night, you should check out the iNLP Center program, Sleep Switch.
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