This is a guest post by Dr. Kal from Dr. Kal’s Weight Loss Tips.
After reading about John’s recent diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and his new Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Machine, I thought about how hard he is going to have to work to cure his OSA. One of the only ways to cure OSA is to lose weight. However, to lose weight you must get a good night sleep. Obviously, getting a good night sleep is difficult when you have OSA.
Weight Loss
The old weight loss equation was simple. If you wanted to lose weight, all you would have to do is consume fewer calories and burn more calories. Unfortunately, 98 percent of Americans, who tried to lose weight and keep it off, were unable to do so with that equation.
My new weight loss equation is a little more complex, but still simple. If you want to lose weight and keep it off you must:
- Eat less
- Move more
- Stress less
- Sleep more
Sleep
63% of Americans sleep fewer than 7 hours every night. That statistic is surprisingly similar to the stat that 67% of Americans are either overweight or obese.
Obviously, sleep deprivation is not the only factor in the United States’ obesity epidemic, but it is a significant contributor. Sleep deprivation causes weight gain and inhibits weight loss. Lack of sleep does this by:
- Creating imbalances with your hormones
- Increasing your stress levels
- Slowing your metabolism
- Decreasing your energy levels
- Increasing the time you have available to eat
Hormonal Imbalances
Lack of sleep creates imbalances in hormones that are essential to obtaining and maintaining a healthy weight.
Sleep deprivation increases your levels of:
- Ghrelin – One of the hormones that increases your appetite
- Cortisol – One of the hormones that signals stress
Sleep deprivation also decreases your levels of:
- Leptin – One of the hormones that decreases your appetite
- Growth hormone – One of the hormones that encourage fat burning and muscle growth
- Serotonin and Dopamine – Two hormones that encourage the consumption of unhealthy carbohydrates
Sleep deprivation boosts your stress levels and increases your appetite for all foods especially unhealthy foods. Lack of sleep also discourages fat burning and muscle growth. Who knew that losing a few hours of ‘shut-eye’ could be so bad for you?
Stress and Energy
Lack of sleep causes fatigue. Fatigue increases stress levels. Increased stress levels causes overeating. Fatigue will also decrease the productivity of your work-outs. If you are tired, you will not work out.
Fatigue encourages you to eat more and work-out less. That is the anti-weight loss formula.
Metabolism
Lack of sleep slows your metabolism by preventing muscle growth and fat burning. This slowing of your metabolism will decrease your body’s ability to burn calories all day.
Sleep is essential to permanent weight loss. So, get your required seven to nine hours of sleep and achieve your weight loss goals.
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