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LIFESTYLE HABITS
A healthy diet and good habits are integral to long term weight management. Having a healthy lifestyle is the best long-term strategy to lose weight permanently and healthily. Looking after our physical health also has the added bonus of making us feel better – fitter, more relaxed and better able to cope with things.
Losing sleep while dieting can reduce the amount of weight lost and encourage overeating.
HOW SLEEP AFFECT WEIGHT LOSS
A lack of sleep may affect the body’s regulation of neurotransmitters, ghrelin and leptin and increase appetite. Ghrelin promotes hunger, and leptin contributes to feeling full. The body naturally increases and decreases the levels of these neurotransmitters throughout the day, signaling the need to consume calories.
Shown in a study:
Men who got 4 hours of sleep had increased ghrelin and decreased leptin compared to those who got 10 hours of sleep. This dysregulation of ghrelin and leptin may lead to increased appetite and diminished feelings of fullness in people who are sleep deprived.
HOW SLEEP AFFECT FOOD CHOICES
Insufficient sleep makes us more likely to eat unhealthy foods. Several studies have indicated that sleep deprivation can also affect food preferences. Excessive intake of these nutrients can increase risk of developing health issues like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Inadequate sleep can also affect the way you think and the likelihood of grabbing convenient foods and caffeine to “push through."
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