For years, the debate regarding the best weight loss routine has revolved around dieting, nutrition, and fitness. Meeting your weight loss goals is not as simple as you may think; there are hidden factors that truly affect our bodies without garnering much attention. These small things that people often forget can have large impacts on the way your body works together with your gastric balloon. An important hidden facet of your routine is your sleep. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), only 30% of adults are getting the right amount of sleep. Are you?
The right amount of sleep
Recent research has shown that 7 hours of sleep is normal for adults. If you aren’t getting the correct amount of sleep, you may be subtracting from all the hard work of dieting and working out. In a study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine, subjects were put on different sleep schedules to determine the effects on weight loss. The results will blow you away – those who slept the necessary amount would lose 50% more excess body fat, while those who were not sleeping properly had a 55% reduction in weight loss. Therefore, without the proper sleep schedule, you can be completely erasing your diet and fitness routine!
The Science of Poor Sleep
We all know what happens after a few nights of poor sleep; we end up confused, exhausted, even lazy. It turns out that these symptoms are not only felt by our bodies, rather they are affecting our fat cells too. According to the University of Chicago researchers, without proper sleep your fat cells end up in a state of “metabolic grogginess”. Just after a few days without necessary sleep your body struggles to use insulin; more precisely your body’s insulin sensitivity drops by 30%. This is highly important because when your body is using insulin properly it removes fatty acids from your bloodstream to prevent fat build-up. However, when we do not get the right amount of sleep, we tend to build up fat at a faster rate which can lead to obesity and other diseases such as diabetes.
Do I eat more without proper sleep?
In addition to the build-up of fat within your bloodstream, lacking sleep can also make you hungrier than usual. Our bodily function of being hungry is controlled by two different hormones – Ghrelin and Leptin. These hormones, when not controlled, will make you feel hungrier and can actually increase the amount of fat being stored by your body. In order to control these hormones, the right amount of sleep is essential. Therefore, when we are lacking sleep we are making it almost impossible to control our weight loss. In addition, without proper sleep, we are increasing our cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone and it is commonly associated with weight gain; in fact, high cortisol levels will actually make you want to eat more, meaning you will be negatively affecting your weight loss goals. Overall, it is clear that sleep is heavily important for your ability to lose weight.
What Can I Do?
Now that the importance of a good night’s sleep is clear, how do I make sure I am getting the right amount? It turns out there is no “one size fits all” in terms of proper sleep. However, research shows that receiving between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night is healthy. Additionally, it is super important to make sure you do not have consecutive nights of poor sleep. By getting the right amount of sleep, you can make sure your dieting and fitness efforts aren’t being negatively affected, and your weight loss balloon is getting the treatment it deserves. So, make sure you’re sleeping well tonight because healthy weight loss starts with healthy sleep.
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