Weight Loss and Sleep

Is there really a connection between weight loss and sleep? You may be surprised to know that getting at least seven hours of restful sleep each night will make it much easier for you to lose weight. There are also many other reasons to make sure you sleep a sufficient amount of hours each night.

Sleep is good for your heart because it interacts with your blood vessels. Seven to nine hours of sleep each night is recommended for heart health.

Melatonin is thought to suppress the growth of tumors. Melatonin is a hormone that makes us sleepy, so keep your bedroom dark to help you produce as much as possible.

Sleep reduces stress and reduces your risk for depression.

Sleep reduces inflammation, which is thought to be one of the causes of the deterioration of your body as you age.

Getting enough sleep makes you feel energized and alert the following day.

Sleep helps you to produce more protein to repair harmful damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposures. These protein molecules form the building blocks for your cells, allowing them to repair the damage.

Lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones in your body that affect your appetite. The hormones ghrelin and leptin, important in the regulation of appetite, are found to be disrupted by a regular loss of sleep.

You’ll lose more weight and be able to exercise more effectively when you get enough sleep.

* Eating Sensibly And Exercising At Hotels

My weight loss journey continues after a month of travel and being preoccupied with other things. I’ve discovered that when I am at a hotel it is pretty easy to hit the gym every day. The difficult part is eating sensibly during this time.

The hotel and other restaurants offer foods that are very tempting, so my way of dealing with this is to make sure I eat oatmeal or cereal with fruit for breakfast, and to not eat after about seven in the evening each night. That means that lunch and dinner, and perhaps an afternoon snack, are the only times I must be aware of what I am eating. I was carrying protein bars with me on my trips, but I found that I was eating them in addition to my meals, thereby adding several hundred calories to my total each day. Instead, I get an apple or banana with my breakfast and then have that to snack on as I get hungry throughout the day.

Eating right and exercising are now a part of my life, even though I still must make a conscious effort to do what is best for me each day. I am tempted by anything sweet, and fresh fruit seems to be the only thing that can satisfy my cravings.

I also find that going for a brisk walk, whether it’s outside or around the hotel, first thing in the morning each day makes me feel much better overall.

* Losing Weight While Travelling

It’s tough to lose weight while traveling. My business requires me to travel about once every four to six weeks, and this last time was a struggle for me. It wasn’t until I started this weight loss journey to fitness that I realized just how difficult it is to eat well and exercise while you are at a hotel in another city.

Even though I brought some of my own food, such as Real Food bars, fruit, and fiber crackers, the food available at the hotel left a lot to be desired. Eating is also a social event, so finally I just decided to order at the restaurant and eat very small portions.

Exercise while you are traveling is another issue. This hotel had a nice gym, but is was small and crowded. I ended up walking on the treadmill and lifting some small weights. I was very tired from the event I was attending, so I didn’t put my heart into these workouts like I do when I’m at my own gym.