Will Getting Enough Sleep Help Me Lose Weight?

Maybe you have recently wondered, if I get enough sleep will that help me lose weight? It would seem counterintuitive, but it is true that getting adequate rest can actually help you shed pounds. The reason that many of us lack sleep is due to a lifestyle that is jam-packed with activities. Even though some of those activities are healthy, such as exercise and taking time to invest in family and friends, rest may be one of the most underrated aspects to successful diet for weight loss. Sleep Depravation Diet Program: Sugar Sins that Stem from Sleepless Nights One of the biggest reasons that not getting enough rest can affect your weight is that when your energy is low your body tends to crave sugar. This is because your body is sending signals that it needs energy and unless you have reprogrammed your mind to think sprouted grains and healthy carbohydrates found in organic fruits and veggies when it feels sluggish--sugar is the most common resort. If you are feeding your body sugar on a daily basis, there are two things you need to know about the aftereffects. First, giving your body sugar when it is running low on energy will only further exhaust your system. Sugar will give you a temporary burst in energy but will come to a crashing halt mere hours later. This false sense of energy depletes your body’s natural ability to take healthy food choices and convert them into energy since it is preoccupied flushing out the toxins from the sugar. Keep in mind that sugar isn’t created equal. White sugar in any form is the type you should avoid like the plague. Fructose, which naturally occurs in fruits and some vegetables like sweet potatoes, is a natural energy booster that you should welcome into your diet with open arms. Hormone Hub: Why Lack of Sleep Can Cause Weight Gain and Ruin Healthy Meal Plans for Weight Loss Another downside to lacking enough sleep is the hormonal effects it has on your system. If you’ve never heard of the hormone grehlin, you should know that levels of it are greatly increased when you are sleep deprived and it causes a spike in appetite. In addition to your appetite increasing, sleepless nights will also decrease your amount of leptin- which is another hormone produced by the body which tells your body when it is full. If you are getting signals from your body to eat more, but your body cant tell you when to stop eating, you will have a recipe for weight gain disaster. Since you may not be aware of what is going on inside your body when you are sleep deprived, you will find your self gaining weight consistently and not being able to figure out why. This type of cycle causes frustration workouts and binge eating to flare up, both of which will deplete your emotional and physical energy when you need them the most. So don’t underestimate the power of good night’s sleep. Out bodies are designed to get rest and plenty of it, if that means you need to skip a couple of workouts and clean up your diet--be sure to extricate false energy boosters from sugar and too much caffeine--and you will being to notice that your weight is not longer stubborn and your fat store will begin to shrink.