Lose Weight - Sleep Yourself Thin
It is predicted that by the year 2015, 75% of all Americans will be overweight and 40% of them will be classed as obese, it is no wonder millions of dollars are being spent each year on crash diet programs and diet foods, in peoples' desperate attempt to lose weight.
There is much discussion around the reasons why people are getting fatter and the main reasons given for this are that people are lacking in will power and eat too much junk food.
However, scientific research is now showing that this may not be the case at all and that our desire to over eat and consume the wrong types of food maybe due to an imbalance in our hormones and that by having the correct amount of sleep can balance the hormones that are responsible for our hunger and cravings.
The Hormones The first hormone is question is Ghrelin.
This hormone is produced by the stomach and is responsible for making us feel hungry.
Therefore, if like many people you go on a calorie- restricted diet the body increases the production of this hormone making you feel literally starving.
This then causes people to binge eat and gain even more weight hence the reason why calorie-restrictive diet programs have a low success rate in permanent weight loss.
The second hormone is Leptin.
This hormone is responsible for making us feel full.
When we restrict our calorie intake, the level of Leptin production reduces, resulting in cravings for the wrong foods such as high sugar candy and calorie rich junk food.
The Sleeping Part Research has shown that people who sleep 8 hours per night have 15% less Ghrelin and 15% more Leptin than people who only sleep 5 hours per night, therefore reducing the cravings for the wrong foods and making you feel full.
As a consequence, you are less likely to binge eat and gain weight, making your weight loss much easier.
From these findings, it shows that a poor sleep cycle drives Leptin down and increases Ghrelin.
This will make you feel less full after eating therefore making you crave even more food leading to eventual weight gain.
Further, if you continue to have a poor sleep cycle your body will no longer produce any Leptin which in turn stops the body's ability to use its fat stores, which will make weight loss almost impossible.
Turn Around If you are in this situation there is a way to resolve this by sleeping! The fact is that Melatonin, a chemical produced by the body when sleeping, can re-stimulate your body's production of Leptin and therefore restore your body's natural fat burning mechanisms.
Sleep Cycle Enhancing Tips: Following the information above these five tips may help you sleep better: 1.
Do not consume any caffeine after 5pm.
2.
Ensure that your bedroom is at the correct temperature: approx.
70 deg.
F 3.
Make your bedroom as dark as you possibly can.
4.
Make sure you eat your meals no sooner than 3 hours before you sleep.
5.
Only eat light meals before going to sleep that are low in carbohydrates.
Although this is an important part of losing weight, it is only a small part and it is important that you follow an effective weight loss program which will not only enhance your chances of reaching your desired weight, but will make the actual losing weight much easier.
There is much discussion around the reasons why people are getting fatter and the main reasons given for this are that people are lacking in will power and eat too much junk food.
However, scientific research is now showing that this may not be the case at all and that our desire to over eat and consume the wrong types of food maybe due to an imbalance in our hormones and that by having the correct amount of sleep can balance the hormones that are responsible for our hunger and cravings.
The Hormones The first hormone is question is Ghrelin.
This hormone is produced by the stomach and is responsible for making us feel hungry.
Therefore, if like many people you go on a calorie- restricted diet the body increases the production of this hormone making you feel literally starving.
This then causes people to binge eat and gain even more weight hence the reason why calorie-restrictive diet programs have a low success rate in permanent weight loss.
The second hormone is Leptin.
This hormone is responsible for making us feel full.
When we restrict our calorie intake, the level of Leptin production reduces, resulting in cravings for the wrong foods such as high sugar candy and calorie rich junk food.
The Sleeping Part Research has shown that people who sleep 8 hours per night have 15% less Ghrelin and 15% more Leptin than people who only sleep 5 hours per night, therefore reducing the cravings for the wrong foods and making you feel full.
As a consequence, you are less likely to binge eat and gain weight, making your weight loss much easier.
From these findings, it shows that a poor sleep cycle drives Leptin down and increases Ghrelin.
This will make you feel less full after eating therefore making you crave even more food leading to eventual weight gain.
Further, if you continue to have a poor sleep cycle your body will no longer produce any Leptin which in turn stops the body's ability to use its fat stores, which will make weight loss almost impossible.
Turn Around If you are in this situation there is a way to resolve this by sleeping! The fact is that Melatonin, a chemical produced by the body when sleeping, can re-stimulate your body's production of Leptin and therefore restore your body's natural fat burning mechanisms.
Sleep Cycle Enhancing Tips: Following the information above these five tips may help you sleep better: 1.
Do not consume any caffeine after 5pm.
2.
Ensure that your bedroom is at the correct temperature: approx.
70 deg.
F 3.
Make your bedroom as dark as you possibly can.
4.
Make sure you eat your meals no sooner than 3 hours before you sleep.
5.
Only eat light meals before going to sleep that are low in carbohydrates.
Although this is an important part of losing weight, it is only a small part and it is important that you follow an effective weight loss program which will not only enhance your chances of reaching your desired weight, but will make the actual losing weight much easier.
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