Sleep more to lose weight

When comes to the word 'weight', CQ thinks it is one of the most dreaded word to be linked to most, if not all women on earth. LOL.

Losing weight or at least to shed some pounds off the body figure does require a lot of work, right? Many may have gone to slimming centers, going for diet and weight loss programs, crash dieting, working out at the gym with a personal trainer or even going on hunger pangs for days, weeks or even months. Results may vary with different people.

Anyway, few nights ago, CQ had read an article in a magazine that says "Lose 10lbs just by sleeping more." Sounds dubious, isn't it?

How is this possible? Well, it is said that studies have shown that people tend to weigh more if they sleep less. Meaning you are not resting enough.

So what exactly is the sleep-weight connection? Science says - not CQ - that sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on the hormones that control appetite, cravings and metobolism of fat. How not so cool.

Sleep more, eat less

• Have you ever notice that you proabbly eat more when you are tired? When you are deprived of sleep, you have an increase in ghrelin (a 'go' hormone because it makes you want to eat more). You will then have a drop in leptin (the 'stop' hormone that tells you to stop when you are full).
• When you are sleep-deprived, not only will you tend to eat more but also you want junkier food - a simple carbs food for quick energy. That is disastrous!

Sleep more, store less food

• Now how does this explains? During sleep, your brain excretes a large amount of growth hormone which tells your body how to break down fat and fuel.
• When your body is deprieved of deep sleep, extra calories will be stored up as fats because there isn't enough growth hormone to break it down. Therefore your body will take the shortest way and storing it away in your butt, thighs, belly or wherever you tend to put on weight.

Sleep more, have more energy

• When you have enough rest, you will feel less tired. When you are less tired, you will have more energy. You will enjoy doing more rigourous activities than your usual veg out days.
• Your perception as to whether exercise is hard or easy is directly affected by how sleep-deprived you are.

Are you ready - especially ladies - to conquer some hurdles in a simpler way to lose weight? You don't even have to change your diet and exercises. All you have to do is have a good eight hours of sleep at night. But remember - the minimum hours is 7.5 hours for weight loss ...more than that does not help you drop in more pounds.

Why not start the sleep-diet tonight. Here are some tips to help you along with the new habit..

• Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
• Start a bedtime routine.
• Watch your caffeine habits.
• Experiment with exactly how much sleep you need.

Through personal experience about four years ago, when CQ left the workforce, CQ dropped 6kgs in three weeks! Yes! This could have been the little extra hours of sleep that CQ had - for not waking up so early in the morning. But now ...hmmm :p

Okay! CQ wants to try out this sleep-diet thing. Good luck if you are trying too :)