Gaining Weight? Get Some Sleep!

This is the kind of advice people like to hear!

As anyone who trains with me knows there are many aspects involved in achieving good health and a desirable bodyshape.

Sure what you eat and the exercise you do play a major role.

However, there are various lifestyle factors that may contribute to you achieving your goals more than you think.

One factor often overlooked is the amount and the quality of your sleep.

In essence sleep gives the body a chance to regenerate.

Much of the research associates good quality sleep with cognitive restoration.

However, poor quality sleep has an effect on basic metabolic functions such as processing and storing of carbohydrates and regulating of hormones.

What does this mean to you???

Put it this way sleeping poorly on a regular occasion will make you store more fat around you middle and make you appear older!

It is also worth noting that when sleep deprived your body secretes more of the hormone Grehlin into the body, which makes you want to eat more. It also reduces the amount of Leptin (also a hormone!), which reduces a person’s appetite and lets them know they are full.

Therefore when sleep deprived your body will tell you that you are hungrier and not tell you when you are full!

All in all a bad combination!