Did you know that LACK OF SLEEP may be getting in your way of 
WEIGHT LOSS?! by Lila Ojeda

Did you know that NOT getting enough sleep can contribute to weight gain and/or lack of successful weight loss? Recent medical research has discovered that sleep-deprived individuals have higher levels of a hormone called ghrelin and lower amounts of another hormone called leptin. So what does this mean? Ghrelin is an appetite-stimulating hormone (i.e., makes people feel hungry!).  More of it means more hunger even after you have eaten.  The hormone, leptin, does the opposite. While high levels tell the brain it feels full, low levels (as found in those not getting enough sleep) make the body crave more food. Thus, lack of sleep doesn’t just make you tired, cranky and feel “off”, but does something similar to your hormones as well.

Another study, the Nurses Health Study (of nearly 70,000 women), found women sleeping 5 or fewer hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (33 lb+) and 15% more likely to become obese during the 16-year study period than the women who slept at least 7 hours per night. Yes, our bodies do need 7-9 hours of sleep/night - restful sleep! This is not easy to do without the necessary know-how tools, and also in a society that seems to pride ourselves on getting less and less sleep, and getting more and more done.

However, it’s not as easy as just “getting more sleep” because it’s not just the hormone imbalance that may be getting in your way of successful weight loss, or causing more and more weight gain?  Lack of sleep is contributing to your food choices too.  Ever notice how lack of sleep makes you crave more sweets, especially carbohydrates like cookies and muffins? This is because these will give you quick energy to keep you going – short term!  In about ½ hour or so you’ll either bonk or crave and eat more sweets to keep you going, creating a vicious cycle.  When you’re tired, you may also feel too overwhelmed to make conscious, healthy choices, and not have the energy necessary to pre-plan or even think about your next meal or snack, creating a LACK in Mindful Eating and awareness.  Lila recommends “Preventative Eating” for weight loss success. Read more about that topic here under 2008 newsletters: http://lo-solutions.com/newsletters

So, what are you to do if you’ve been trying and trying to get more sleep and it’s just not working? Give me a call because together we can BREAK this cycle by creating a personalized eating plan and sleeping routine that will work this time! Changes do not occur overnight (pun intended), but with the correct knowledge and support (and patience), they WILL happen. Call me to set up your initial consult! Mention this article for $25 off. **NOTE: Information on sleep and how it relates to weight loss and healthy eating (and YOUR personal RYHTHM) WILL be covered in the seminar series II in October (see flyer below).

For 10 Sleep Tips: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/healthy-sleep-tips