Here is a great article by one of our clients and future trainers Diane Metz.
Did you know the smell of freshly baked brownies is more potent ‒ and physiologically harder to resist ‒after a night of tossing and turning?
A good night’s sleep is so critical to successful weight loss
A new study published this week found that lack of sleep actually INCREASES your appetite AND makes you more sensitive to food stimuli. So when it feels impossible to say “no” to candy, soda and chips when you’re sleep deprived, it’s NOT just all in your head!
And while it’s true that walking around like a zombie usually means low energy and a decrease in physical activity, researchers said increased calories and poor food choices associated with lack of sleep were the main culprits behind metabolic disturbances — specifically obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Obviously getting a good night’s sleep isn’t as easy as it sounds, or we would all be doing it! The connection between exercise, clean eating and quality zzz’s can’t be overstated.
Unfortunately we can’t cherry-pick components of overall health. Hitting it hard at the gym without enough rest isn’t sustainable. And that extra glass of wine before your head hits the pillow can interfere with REM or deep sleep.
Successful weight loss and overall health is a complete equation, a connection between quality input and quality output.
The good news is, once you get into a cycle that works, you’ll find your flow! A good night’s sleep —> energy and enthusiasm to exercise —> feeling of accomplishment, motivation to eat healthy —> improved digestive health, sustained energy throughout the day —> restorative, quality sleep.
It take me at least an hour to get ready to doze off. I put away the to-do list and resist the urge to “get just one more thing done.” That way, I have enough time to wind down and not feel cheated out of my quiet time (totally necessary when you’re raising two kids solo). What happens when I try to wedge my wind-down time into just 15 minutes? I end up snacking (and snacking, and snacking) to help me relax, every time.
What tricks or habits have you developed to make sure you get enough zzz’s? Do you consider sleep time as sacred, or is it the first thing you cut back on when you’re busy?