The Importance of Rest

Hey guys,

Today is technically speaking the end of my second week on the plan. I should be having my “off day” (good – eat what I want and no gym; bad – measurements) but I volunteered to keep going till the weekend. It is much easier (socially) to have my off day on Saturday or Sunday.

My day wasn’t great but I did my best under the circumstances. To begin with, work is hectic. I was up till 4am last might working on a deadline and caffeine is what kept me going for most of the day. I made a sad attempt at gym – my interval cardio routine, but at only three hours of sleep, I wasn’t functioning at my best. I survived 15 minutes (out of the planned 20) but simply collapsed after that. Later on I managed to “steal” a 2-hour nap and then went for a walk with my dogs to make up for it…

On the eating front things were better (if you don’t count the caffeine) but I think it’s because my disrupted schedule somehow confused my appetite and I didn’t feel hungry at all. Just tired.

I had oats in the morning, with some cottage cheese and a peach. Then for lunch I had some skinless chicken with greens and the same for dinner. When it was time for my first snack, I had a meal replacement shake and when it was time for my second one – I was sleep…

The strange thing is how much a single all-nighter set me back. It really surprised me! What happened to the days when we used to go clubbing all night and back to work in the morning? I have to go sleep now…

Cheers,

Melissa

Jeni:
Mel, I am proud of you!
Honestly, I don’t know many people who would work all night, go to the office the next day and still try to hit the gym. Your motivation is outstanding and this is what will make you a winner in the losing game!

Now, on the subject of sleep, rest and weight loss, here is the science:

Adequate rest could play an important role in shedding pounds. It might seem like one more thing added to the long to-do list for losing weight, but paying attention to sleep patterns and getting the recommended amount of shuteye might help with reducing the number on the scale.

Sleep deprivation influences two hormones that play a major role in appetite. Ghrelin is a hormone that is responsible for increasing appetite. Leptin is a hormone that lets the brain know when the body is full, therefore decreasing appetite.
When sleep deprivation occurs there is a decrease in leptin (the full hormone) and an increase ghrelin (the appetite hormone). This leads to an increase in appetite overall. It appears that this can result in hunger and increased food intake the day following a night of too little sleep.
Keeping food intake and hunger in check to lose weight is difficult to begin with. When hormones are involved, due to lack of rest, weight loss success might be reduced because of the desire to increase food intake.

Bottom line: establish a good daily routine – one involving (ideally) 8 hours of sleep, daily exercise and clean diet and stick to it. The pounds will melt off. Just stick with the plan and give it time.

Good luck!
Jeni