Did you know that lack of sleep can make you fat? Neither did I. I had mistakenly thought it might even help my weight loss plan to stay up late. After all you are using more calories when you up and about than when you are sleeping aren't you?
But recent studies indicate that lack of sleep can actually make you fat. So if you think sleep is a waste of time and you would like to shed a few pounds read on.
Two large studies have shown that those who sleep less are more likely to be overweight or obese.
Eve Van Cauter, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Chicago School of Medicine, and the lead investigator on one of the new studies says that sleep deprivation activates a small part of the hypothalamus, the region of the brain that is involved in appetite regulation.
The hormone that causes hunger is called ghrelin and when it is low you feel hungry. Its opposite, leptin, is secreted when you are not hungry.
In a long term study researchers at the University of Wisconsin and Stanford University tracked 1,024 people ages 30 to 60. It was found that those who regularly slept for only 5 hours a night had higher ghrelin and lower leptin levels and they were more likely to be overweight or obese.
Other recent studies show the same connection, including one from Columbia University in New York. They studied data on over 6000 people to compare sleep patterns and obesity.
This is what they found:
Average Hours of Sleep
Obesity compared with those who slept 7 to 9 hours
2 to 4
73% more likely
5 to 7 hours
50% more likely
6 hours
23 % more likely
10 or more hours
11% less likely
IIt seems that sleep deprived people feel hungrier (leptin is low) and because they are awake for longer they have more time to eat. Not only that but sleep deprived people are stressed and need a pick-me-up. Their pick-me-up of choice is high calorie fatty or sugary snacks, real comfort foods. To add to all this night owls are not spending their extra hours on the treadmill. No, they are sitting around watching TV or reading. This all contributes to their being more likely to be obese or overweight.
So now you know, you really do need your beauty sleep.
Hi folks. I made this affirmations movie for you. Actually I made it for me, but I thought it was pretty cool so I am sharing it with you. The idea is that you watch it often and this helps you to lose weight. Affirmations work if you keep at it. Check it out now.
Learn about affirmations - lots of books about it on Amazon. Try "Affirmations–Your Passport to Happiness" by Anne Marie Evers for starters. Another is "Weight Wisdom: Affirmations to Free You from Food and Body Concerns", by K.Kingsbury also "Daily Affirmations for Compulsive Eaters", by Susan Ward. I haven't read these but they seem to have good reviews.
Affirmations can simply be spoken of course, and usually are. But the idea of watching a movie is that it is easier and more fun, so you do it more often. Doing it often is the key.
Here is a diet that I think all of those who are looking for a healthy weight loss plan will absolutely love. Strip That Fat is a pleasant relief from the fad diets that can be so tempting when looking for fast fat loss.
I have posted a review of it today so check it out an dif you buy it please come back and leave your comments
If you want to get into some exercise to lose weight you might consider using home exercise DVDs. I have 4 of the Dummies DVDs which I find absolutely perfect for exercising at home. Here are the ones that I have tried and liked. These are basic home exercises for weight loss and health, not intended for gym bunnies and other super fit people.
The "15 Minute Workouts For Dummies" DVD is great for short daily strength training sessions. You do strength training on a different part of your body for 15 minutes each day and although it is quite vigorous its OK because it doesn't last long. Because it is every day it makes it much easier to form a habit and habits help when you are trying to get fit and lose fat. You simply decide on a good time and you will soon find I just becomes part of your daily routine. I use this DVD myself and I can reccomend it.
"Shaping Up With Weights for Dummies" This is a really good strength training workout DVD for beginners because it shows you how to get the correct form. It is important to do strength training exercises correctly to get the most out of your workout and so that you do not injure yourself.
This workout is 45 minutes long but it is quite leisurely. The instructor stops between each set and explains how to do it. You don't get up much of a sweat, but its very good for beginners or the older user. I think you would need to progress to something a bit more challenging after a few weeks. I certainly found that to be the case.
"Fat Burning For Dummies" For cardio exercise you can't beat this one. One of the reviewers on Amazon said she found it tricky to follow. I didn't, I loved this workout. Anything new that isn't so easy that its deadly boring requires a little bit of learning the first few times and this is no exception. You soon get the hang of it and it gives you a great endorphin high because it has you really moving. This is my favorite of all the Dummies weight loss DVDs.
"Fat to Firm Fitness Ball Workout" Here is yet another option in the Dummies weight loss DVD series. It is good to have a few of these workouts so that you don't get bored. I have this one and like it. You can have a really good workout using the ball and yet its gentle. The fitness balls are not expensive, you can get one at Amazon when you order the DVD.
I can recommend all of these weight loss workouts as I have used them myself. I have put the Dummies Weight Loss and fitness DVDs with links on the top right so that you can easily check them out.
The great thing about starting off your exercise at home is that you can put the pause button on when you need to and you needn't worry about how you think you look or about how co-ordinated you are!
Losing weight requires exercise, especially strength training exercise, and this is a great way to get into it. I highly recommend the Dummies Weight Loss workout DVDs.
I was doing the Fat loss 4 Idiots diet when I wrote the review of it here. I just wanted to update my progress on it. You do 11 days with 3 days off between each diet phase. I did the first 11 days and lost 3 kg (6.6 lbs). You should take 3 days off and start again.
I started the second 11 day period but only did 7 days of it on which I lost an additional 1.5 kg. Why did I stop when I was doing so well? I couldn't keep it up. Its not a very pleasant way to eat and and my weight loss wasn't as dramatic as the first time.
When I stopped I did put some weight back on, 1.5kg to be precise. Altogether I lost 3kg. which I have kept off.
I do not want to give the impression that this is a sensible diet! It isn't one you would want to stay on probably more than the first 11 days. Then you should move to a more healthy and sustainable weight loss plan. But it did give me a good kick start.
Hi I just posted some general information about low carb high protein diets such as Atkins. If you have heard that they are unhealthy you should read it.
Have you tried Atkins or another low carb diet? If so have you had success with it. Leave a comment and let us know whether it worked for you.
I have had this in my PC for a while. Someone sent it to me years ago and I kept it because it is so bang on for many of us, including me. Let us hope that this time we do not let this happen.
Do you have any diet stories? If so do leave your comments below.
I have checked out quite a few sites that advertise themselves as diet review or weight loss review sites and I am a bit shocked. They often seem to be there just to sell you the diet. One that I went to was really doing nothing except giving you a link to the site where you get sold the diet they purported to be reviewing for you. It was completely obvious that they had put no work into it at all.
Still if it is so obvious I guess no one will be taken in! I promise you won't find rubbish reviews like that here! I have studied the diets reviewed and checked them against research on weight loss.
The most recent research is saying that low carbohydrate diets are more effective than low fat ot high carb diets. This is what we all knew before about 1970 when the low fat high carb people got rather loud and drowned out the rest of us! (Yes I was old enough to worry about weight in 1970, but I didn't need to back then!) We jolly well knew that bread and potatoes were fattening and we turned out to be right. And no, it isn't just because of the butter we put on top of them.
I started this site because I, like so many of us, am always looking for a better, yes easier and faster, way to lose weight. Actually it isn't losing weight that we all want is it? We want to lose fat, and only fat. Losing weight can mean we lose muscle mass and no one wants that.
So since I have read and often tried so many diets I think I am as much of an expert on them as anyone. I am also a registered nurse and so I do have a pretty good handle on what is a healthy way to lose fat. As well I am female and over 50 years old, which gives me a double handicap when it comes to losing fat. On the other hand I have had 30 years of experience in how to lose it. (And how to gain it!)
I must be totally honest and say that I do not always abide by the healthy aspect in my own efforts to lose fat, or stay slim, whichever applies for the moment! Sometimes, for example for a holiday that is rapidly approaching, I might take more drastic short term methods of fat loss than I would advise anyone else to do. So as usual it is do what I say not what I do :-).
That said it is much safer to lose fat than to keep it, so any diet that gets it off is worth considering as long as it is not positively dangerous.
With that said I will be giving my honest opinion on the fat loss diets reviewed here. I hope that you will give your views too, in the comments section that is available after every diet review or in the posts sections below. Just click on the word "comments".
The reviews so far added are "Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle" and "Fat Loss 4 Idiots". I have used both these diets so you are getting an honest review.
Did you know that lack of sleep can make you fat? Neither did I. I had mistakenly thought it might even help my weight loss plan to stay up late. After all you are using more calories when you up and about than when you are sleeping aren't you? 
