The weight loss journey can be a long process that requires commitment, willpower and, most important, time. But when it comes to weddings, time is potentially the most important resource. On the surface, it seems relatively straightforward – all it takes is reducing the calorie intake, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising routine. In reality, however, maintaining this approach in the long run, especially with a busy lifestyle, can be challenging. Therefore, in order to achieve weight loss results before a very important event like a wedding, additional lifestyle variables will also need to be considered to maximise the results in the smallest period of time.
However, in addition to having a balanced diet and exercise, your sleeping pattern has a significant impact on your weight loss progress. Some research suggests that it has as much impact on your weight loss as diets and exercising but in reality, about half of UK adults state they are not getting enough sleep.
Therefore, to explore the link between sleep and weight loss, read the following article which could help with maximising the weight loss as much as possible in a healthy and sustainable way for those who need to enjoy one of the most important days of their lives to the fullest.
What is the Connection?
Your sleeping pattern is one of the most important contributors to your wellbeing, both physical and psychological. For example, some research suggests that the rates of obesity and overweight diagnoses were increasing in correlation with the trend of deteriorating sleep quality over the last couple of decades. Furthermore, poor sleep quality is commonly linked to increased rates of weight gain as well as a risk of developing conditions like metabolic disorders as well as other chronic conditions. Whilst further research is needed to fully understand the intricate connection between sleep and weight, a number of theories provide convincing evidence.
The Effects of Sleep on Weight
Your Appetite
One of the key benefits of having sufficient sleep is the fact that it was observed that those with enough sleep have a much lower appetite and food cravings than those that are sleep deprived. This is due to the neurotransmitters ghrelin and leptin which are regulating the appetite. Therefore, during the day, our bodies produce those neurotransmitters in different quantities depending on the need for calories. Therefore, sufficient sleep helps regulate these neurochemicals and therefore make the appetite pattern more consistent compared to sleep deprivation.
Your Food Choices
Another finding related to the effects of sleep deprivation on weight gain/loss is the fact that food cravings and calorie needs may increase after a bad night’s sleep. For example, a recent study showed that participants of the study who were self deprived selected snacks that contained on average 50% calories compared to the rest of the sample.
In addition, another study found late-night snacking was more common in those starved of a good night’s sleep. Therefore it could be assumed that lack of sleep affects our decision-making process when it comes to selecting your food for the day, affecting your ability to resist temptation and therefore the calorie intake throughout the day which is essential for weight loss.
Your Physical Activity Levels
Due to the potential lack of energy and dips in motivation from sleep deprivation, it is less likely that you will maintain your physical activity levels as you would unusual. Furthermore, sleep deprivation affects your ability to ensure the safety of your exercise, potentially resulting in injuries, ability to concentrate, balance and other important variables.
Top Tips for Sleep To Aid Weight Loss
Now that you are aware of the implications of sleep deprivation on your weight loss journey, it is also important to know how to ensure that you maximise your sleep quality to ensure the best possible weight loss effects. The top tips for best quality sleep are:
• Maintaining Exercising Routine – ensuring that you get regular exercise can assist with consistent circadian rhythms, improving the quality of your sleep and make you less sleepy during the daytime while also assisting with having better nighttime sleep.
• Have a Consistent Sleeping Schedule – trying to compensate for lost hours of sleep during the weekends might not be the most optimal solution. Inconsistent sleep pattern (as well as waking up) affects and reduces the levels of insulin sensitivity as well as sugar levels and metabolism overall.
• Manage Your Stress Levels – easier said than done but the reduction of your stress levels can improve the weight loss results. For example, experiencing high levels of cortisol over the long run is connected to weight gain and is usually generated from coping with negative emotions caused by stress. There are many stress management techniques and solutions available that can improve your quality of life
• Try waking up early – a recently showed that early birds tend to make more progress with their weight loss compared to night owls due to their reduced calorie intake compared to later bedtimes. Furthermore, in addition to physical health benefits, waking up earlier also assists with mental wellbeing related to spending more time with the natural day compared to night hours as well as the ability to get more done within the day.
• Ensure that you sleep in a dark environment – using artificial light from sources like lamps and TVs are associated with an increased risk of gaining weight and being obese. Furthermore, using devices that emit artificial lights like laptops and mobile phones send signals to our brain that keep us more awake, affecting our internal body clock and therefore the quality of our sleep in the long run
• Sleep in a cool bedroom – another important variable of quality sleep is the temperature of your environment. Considering that our circadian rhythm is important and is directly affected by temperature, warm or hot rooms affect our ability to thermoregulate, whilst also causing fatigue. Therefore, warm environments make it harder for the body to relax and focus on sleeping, affecting the sleep cycles and quality of sleep in the long run. The best way to tackle this is to ensure that there is enough fresh breeze and sources of air for better quality sleep.
• Ensure that you have a sufficient intake of Vitamin D – during low light months, our intake of vitamin D is limited. This vitamin is required in order to avoid instances like higher risk of sleep disturbances, poorer sleep quality and reduced sleep duration. Taking Vitamin D supplements could improve the normal functioning of our body and help with better sleeping.
In addition to ensuring that you have sufficient sleep and good sleep quality, you can also try taking clinically proved, safe and effective weight loss treatments like Orlistat and Orlos which can be bought here. These treatments will assist you with your weight loss journey in addition to other efforts like a regular exercising routine, a healthy and varied diet and good quality sleep.
The combination of these factors can contribute to the weight loss journey in preparation for the wedding and ensure that this memorable day stays in memory forever without worries about things like weight concerns.