Yesterday we talked about how moving more helps
you increase your calorie burn. Today we talk about
the little considered factor when it comes to losing
weight...and that's sleep!
Now first of all - lack of sleep will not make you fat.
Now first of all - lack of sleep will not make you fat.
You can still lose weight on 2 hours of sleep a night.
It just makes it harder.
You should be getting 6-8 hours of good quality sleep a night.
Sleep deprivation has tons of negative effects
Cortisol, a stress hormone, increases when you are sleep
deprived.
Cortisol, when it's elevated all the time, has a
muscle breakdown effect - meaning you'll be losing the
precious muscle that you need for your riding.
As well as this cortisol increase fat storage - meaning your body
holds on to body fat for as long as possible in case it 'needs it'
for energy in an emergency.
When insulin is released it decreases cortisol. Cortisol is
spiked when you eat sugar...this means you'll often find you
have increased cravings when you are sleep deprived making
it harder to have the willpower to say no to that pint...or that
chocolate biscuit!
Finally you are tired (duh) when you are sleep deprived. This makes it
harder to train and harder to put your all into your training sessions.
To make your weightloss as simple as possible...sleep more!
And increase the quality.
You'll be surprised the difference it makes and how much
easier it makes losing weight!
Matt Mooney
Matt Mooney