SLEEP MORE TO LOSE WEIGHT!

Quite a few research articles have shown recently that lack of sleep can actually make you gain weight, or at least prevent you from losing the weight you want to lose.

How could this be? Although many factors may be involved, one of the main reasons is that sleep affects the hormones ghrelin (which stimulates appetite) and leptin (which sends a signal to the brain when you are full).

When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food.

The two combined can lead to overeating & weight gain.

However, we know that for many people, getting more sleep is easier said than done. Here are some of our tips, please read them over & then click on "comments" to post your own tips, ideas or simply to share your experience.

1. Make sleep a priority. It seems simple, but changing your attitude really is the first step. We need to think of sleep as just as important to our health & well being as good nutrition & regular exercis

2. Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, even on the weekends. Sticking to a schedule helps reinforce your body's sleep-wake cycle and can help you fall asleep more easily at night.

3. Don't eat or drink large amounts before bedtime. Eat a light dinner at least two hours before sleeping.

4. Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, can help you fall asleep faster and make your sleep more restful. However, for some people, exercising right before bed may make getting to sleep more difficult.

5. Start a relaxing bedtime routine. Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to wind down. This may include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music. Relaxing activities done with lowered lights can help ease the transition between wakefulness and sleepiness.

Now it's your turn. Please share your tips, thoughts or experiences about sleep.

LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT DIETING!

Studies show that after losing weight, the majority of dieters gain the weight back, and sometimes even more than when they started! This is because when the human body suddenly takes in fewer calories and less fat, it goes into panic mode, telling the brain that it needs more food. As fat storage drops, so does the level of a hormone in the blood called leptin. When leptin dips below a certain level, it triggers an increase in appetite. If you're on a restrictive diet, your body feels threatened and will work against you.

So how can you lose weight if you're not supposed to "go on a diet"?

1. Eat the correct number of calories. When you joined All About You! Wellness BootCamp, we calculated your safe calorie intake for weight loss. Stay in the range to lose weight safely , effectively and permanently. Don't fool yourself into thinking that if you starve yourself by eating 500 fewer calories than we recommend that you'll lose the weight faster. It will backfire! On the other hand, you can't go over your calorie limit on a consistent basis either, or you'll end up gaining weight.

2. Listen to your body's internal cues. If you slow down and really listen to your body, you can learn to eat the right amount of food. Don't eat just because it's there or just because other people are eating. Eat slowly enough that your brain will recognize when you are satisfied. Stop when you know you've had enough.

3. Get full on fewer calories. Eat tons of vegetables and fruit, which will fill you up with very few calories, but make sure they're part of an overall healthy diet, including whole grains and lean protein.

4. Exercise 5-6 times a week. Studies show that people who lose weight and keep it off exercsie at least 5 days a week. When they start to slack off by even one day a week, they stop making progress, or even start to gain weight back. Exercise is not a temporary weight loss tool. It is a lifestyle that you must maintain throughout your life for optimum health & well being. Strength training is especially important since it helps you preserve your muscle as you lose weight. Muscle is biologically active tissue that burns lots of calories and keeps your metabolism strong.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: Tell us about your weight loss successes or struggles so that others can learn from your experience.