Weight Loss and Sleep - Their Interconnected Relationship

Easy ways to lose weight fast

Weight Loss and Sleep - Their Interconnected Relationship
It is observed that even when you are following a rigorous weight loss program or you are dieting, poor pattern of sleep or lack of sleep may defeat you. Scientific studies show that one of the reasons for weight gain can be lack of sleep. Experts are not quite sure why this happens. There are many reasons being advanced and discussed by the experts.

Cortisol is one of the hormones that regulates appetite. It is secreted by the adrenal gland. Both adrenaline and cortisol are released by the body as a normal daily hormonal cycle. Adrenaline increases your metabolism and makes you alert and energetic, Adrenaline helps release of energy by fat cells. Cortisol boosts effectiveness of your body at producing glucose from proteins; thus in times of stress, it helps quickly increase the body’s energy.

In times of stress – whether physical or emotional – the body may trigger the adrenal gland to release adrenaline as well as cortisol. This will affect your metabolism by making you feel hungry when you really are not. Lack of sleep could start such an action which will result in weight gain.
It is also observed that when you do not get enough sleep, you are depressed and you do not move around much; consequently you do not burn enough fat. This also causes you to gain weight and not lose weight.
The mechanism of adrenal fatigue also may be partly responsible for weight gain when you have not had restful sleep. In case of Adrenal Fatigue the brain receives the pick-me-up signal, causing a craving for sugar or carbohydrate snacks, resulting in causing excess of calories to the body.
A good restful sleep has the ability to de-stress the mind and body. On the contrary lack of sleep tends to cause a constant state of stress. This will cause production of excess cortisol. Cortisol stimulates glucose production which due to its being in excess is converted into fat.
When you are trying to lose weight, getting enough sleep is very essential. Poor sleep affects you physically as well as mentally. You tend to be confused, short tempered and depressed when you lack proper sleep.

Follow a natural weight loss routine, treat going to bed at the same time each night as a priority item in your activity schedule. Try to get about 7 to 8 hours sleep. Bed time routines such as washing your face, removing makeup, applying a face mask or some routines of this nature will help you unwind before going to bed. A calm, pleasant frame of mind is very essential for getting good, restful sleep.

Easy ways to lose weight fast

The Many Benefits of Weight Lifting

The Highest Quality for Weight Loss

Most people, especially women, discard weight lifting as a good form of exercise because they think that weight lifting will actually make their bodies look like a man. If you are one of those people, then you might be surprised to know that this is not true. The hormones of man and woman are not the same. The hormone testosterone plays a major role in muscular development. Because women have very little of this hormone, they tend not to "bulk-up" with weight training.
Researches also demonstrate that resistance exercise, also called strength training, like weight training and weight lifting, has profound effects on the musculoskeletal system, contributes to the maintenance of functional abilities, and prevents osteoporosis, sarcopenia (loss of body mass), lower-back pain, and other disabilities.
Weight lifting also contributes to muscle conditioning. Muscle conditioning is important for the overall stability and strength of the body. It is beneficial until the end of life if well maintained. Muscle conditioning is good for the bones because bones grow stronger and denser with stresses put on the muscles around them.
Moreover, weight lifting makes the muscles, connective tissues and tendons stronger.
The way you sit and stand are influenced by the health of a network of neck, shoulder, back, hip and abdominal muscles. Stronger muscles can help you stand and sit straighter and more comfortably. You may notice improved balance and stability.
As you begin to notice the positive physical changes in your body and develop a regular exercise routine, your ability to handle stress effectively will improve. Weight training allows you to sleep better, i.e., fall asleep quicker and sleep deeper. Clinical studies have shown regular exercise to be one of the three best tools for effective stress management.
Weight lifting, like most forms of exercise also raises metabolism thus causing the body to burn more calories. This helps in the maintenance of our desirable weight. Boosted metabolism (which means burning more calories when at rest) with reduced body fat. Your overall weight may not change, but you will gain muscle and lose fat. Over time you should notice decreases in waist measurements and body fat measurement.
Remember the adage “something is better than nothing.” Start improving your health. A little start like lifting those grocery bags and rocking your baby to sleep may mean a decrease on your risk of muscle loss on later years.
Consult with your doctor if you want to make weight lifting a daily part of your fitness regimen.

The Highest Quality for Weight Loss

The No Carbs after 5PM Diet

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Carbohydrates seem to be one of the banes of our existence. Sure they take away the nasty feeling of hunger that makes us reach out for foods that we should not eat, but they’re still on the list of most wanted culprits in many cases of big bellies and fat thighs. Small wonder that many diets focus directly on cutting off the access to carbohydrates. These are called low-carbs diets and are among the most successful diets around when the principle is applied correctly. So let’s discuss another low-carbs diet and how good is it for your health.
The “No Carbs after 5 PM” diet, also known as the Carbs Curfew diet among the aficionados, is based on the idea that you don’t have to try all that hard to lose weight. Simply cutting off all carbohydrates after 5 PM is supposed to be enough for weight loss purposes. Not eating any carbohydrates after 5 PM serves to lower the overall intake of calories for the day, while eating more protein than usual helps make you feel full in a healthy way. this is a simple eating plan that can be understood by anybody in no time. No complex formulae here.
The eating plan is spread across 28 days and lets the user exercise his or her choices regarding the breakfast, lunch and Carb Curfew Meal every day. Snacks are restricted to fruits and vegetables and there’s one mandatory pint (that’s about half a liter) of skimmed or semi-skimmed milk to be had every day. The eating plan comes with an exercise plan designed to help the weight loss process with long walks and exercising of the abdominal muscles. There are a lot of food recipes to choose from, which makes it all the easier to stick to the program.
This diet has nice potential. People who have trouble sticking to harsher low-carbs diets will appreciate the fact that the breakfast and lunch can be as rich in carbs as the users like. Not to mention that they don’t have to spend time counting every last unit of carbs or proteins, they don’t have to bother with blood sugar levels, glycemic index values or circadian rhythms. As long as you can remember that carbs are not allowed after 5 PM, you’re bound to succeed. On the negative side, however, it doesn’t take a lot of dieting experience to see that this diet may be slower than others. Also there is no minimum weight lost promise, so be careful when setting your target weight.

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How many calories a day to lose weight?

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The bio-mathematics of weight loss

If you are an overweight or obese adult, you probably eat too much i.e. more than you actually need. As a matter of fact, your body needs a certain amount of calories to keep itself functional and active, and if you eat or drink more than that, you will likely gain weight. Likewise, if you consume fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight.

So, the question is, what number of calories you actually need to consume daily to lose weight?

If you are one of those billions around the globe who are trying their best to get or maintain an ideal body weight and minimize extra body fat, this is the first and the most vital aspect you should consider.

The answer:
Your recommended per day calorie intake primarily depends on your age. If you are an adult man with average height and built, you need to take 2,500 calories / day. Similarly, if you a woman with average weight and height, you will need to take 2,000 calories daily. Do remember; however, that these calories should come from cumulative sources i.e. you should eat a healthy, balanced diet consisting of foods from all major groups e.g. proteins, carbohydrates, fats, nutrients and minerals.

If you are eager to lose weight, a good rule of thumb is that a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories leads to a weight loss of approximately one pound. Therefore, you could begin by taking five hundred less calories day, providing you are taking a healthy, well-balanced diet and performing your physical activity / exercises regularly. Simply saying, to get rid of one pound per week, you need to reduce your calories by 500 per day. There are two simple ways of doing this; eat / drink 250 lesser calories daily and burn additional 250 calories by performing physical exercise (e.g. walking or jogging for 2 to 3 miles daily).

Another way to cut back on calories is to watch your portion sizes. Go for relatively smaller, leaner, pieces of meats, perhaps. Eat as much vegetables as possible as they are low in calories but contain higher quantities of vitamins and nutrients) and avoid deep fried food (cheese burgers, fried chicken, French fries etc.). Doing these easy things will have a dynamic impact on your weight.

It’s important to remember that you don't have to starve yourself to lower your calorie consumption. As mentioned above, just take smaller portions of the foods you currently enjoy. If you need to burn those extra calories, again, you do not necessarily need to run miles a day or join a fitness club. Just remember to use the stairs, or park your car away from the door when going to work.

Last but not least, calories - knowing how to find them, how to count them and how to cut them, are key to lose weight on your own. By doing simple mathematics and implementing your diet and exercise plan accordingly, you can successfully lose your weight and maintain it for long term.

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