Sleep and Weight Loss
Did you know that sleep loss can increase hunger and affect your metabolism in a way that makes weight loss even harder than it is? Therefore, you might want to add better sleep
These are some of the top reasons we lose sleep, see if any of them pertain to you:
1. Caffeine
2. Light
3. Noise
4. Eating too close to bed time
5. Illness
6. Stress or anxiety
7. Alcohol
8. Depression
9. Hectic schedule
10. Stimulant medications ( diet pills, allergy or cold remedies etc.)
Most people don’t consider sleep and weight loss a factor when they’re trying to lose weight simply because it isn’t mentioned like dieting and exercise is. We all know that large portions, too much junk food and not enough activity are major contributions due to all the attention placed on these issues. With this new found knowledge you need to make an effort to find out the reasons you lose sleep and do something about it.
So far we’ve talked about what not to do. Now let’s find out what we CAN do. First of all it should be a no brainer but here you go: Eat a healthy diet
Not enough sleep could be why so many Americans are over weight. Getting enough sleep is not the only answer, but it is part of the solution along with healthy eating and a fitness program. Most people need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep, some more some less, but few of us get the minimum 7. For best results we should prepare ahead of time and set a regular time to go to bed.
Of course, there will be times you can’t get to bed early and you’ll lose sleep. You just can’t let it become a habit, sleep and weight loss are related so you need to commit to a nightly sleep routine no matter what. This might be the way that you lose the weight
Fat Burning Exercises
If you want to lose weight it will benefit you to do fat burning exercises. If you have good muscle tone you burn more calories. Therefore, if you really want to lose weight you want more muscle. However, you can’t just gain muscle to lose weight.
In fact, you need these three things to lose weight and keep it off permanently:
1. You need some form of resistance training whether it be bands, your own body weight or weight training which would be machines and or free weights.
2. You need cardio and this can be in the form of cycling, elliptical, treadmill, aerobic workout videos, swimming or anything that keeps your heart rate up for 25-30 minutes.
3. You need to eat less calories preferably 1500 or less, but no less than 1200 or you may eat too little and your body will go into starvation mode then your metabolism slows down and you don’t want that because it’s very hard to get it back up.
There is no reason why you can’t make up your own program. All you do it get a calorie chart so you can keep track of all you eat and drink (write it down). Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. Then you decide which type of cardio appeals to you the most so that you will do it on a consistent basis. If you enjoy it you will do it more.
If you can also do some form of weight training you will lose faster. You don’t need heavy weights just a few dumb bells or invest in a Power Block. You can go to youtube and see what that is. Or you can purchase a set of elastic bands they’re very easy to use.
These are great tips, but if you’re REALLY serious check out Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle it’s currently the top weight loss product out on the market and it has a solid structure that if followed guarantees results. CLICK HERE to learn more about it…
Walking and Weight Loss
If you like to take walks and wonder if walking can help you lose weight the answer is YES! Walking is fun, easy and FREE, you don’t have to pay to walk. You can go to the mall, the park, around the block or wherever you want. Walking and weight loss 
You might be wondering how much you have to walk to lose weight. If you walk 60 minutes a day you can shed a few unwanted pounds. You may need to start out easy and work your way up and that’s Ok. I started with 20 minute walks at a comfortable pace and gradually increased and within 30 days I was up to the full hour. If you like you can split it up 30 minutes in the a.m. and 30 in the p.m.
Another way to get in walk time is to park a little further away from your destination like when you go shopping. Every day I find myself looking for opportunities to walk no matter where I am or what I’m doing. And you can too.
Now, let’s look at what you need to prepare for your walk. First of all make sure you have proper shoes and comfortable clothing. The shoes need to fit well and be a half size larger than your dress shoes so that your feet can expand. A comfortable running shoe would be ideal. Similarly, your clothing should be loose fitting and in layers so that you can shed some if need be. Also be sure to invest in some high tech fiber socks to keep your feet dry and blister free. This is NOT a no pain, no gain form of exercise.
We don’t want pain we want results right? Would you like a motivational tip on how to really step up your walking and weight loss results? Get ready this is it: WALK UPHILL! If you have a treadmill that has an incline feature use it or go outside and find a few hills. Walking uphill can increase your calorie burn by 10% for each degree of incline. That’s a Wow!
Want another good tip? Well, here it is. If you have joint problems, walk slower, a slow to moderate pace is easier on the joints than a fast paced beat the pavement walk. The bottom line is just walk, get out there and do it and do it consistently. Walking and weight loss has to become a lifestyle for it to work. It can’t be a hit and miss thing. No excuses now go for it!
DO YOU HAVE PROPER SHOES FOR WALKING?
At Home Fitness
When you think of at home fitness it brings to mind people who have treadmills, stationary bikes or maybe even a mini-gym in a spare room or basement. While this may be true in some cases, however, there are people who need to workout from home for various reasons who don’t have any equipment.
If you find yourself needing to do at home fitness then you’re not alone. Whether it’s due to no transportation, bad weather or you just simply can’t afford it there’s always the old stand by exercises that everyone knows how to do. Here’s the list just in case you forgot:
* Push ups
* Squats
* Lunges
*Step ups
* Crunches
* Plank
* Chair dips
* Leg raises
You can do these at home fitness exercises in any order you choose and do them as a routine. Do at least 8-12 repetitions of each one. If you want to you can also do several sets and start at the beginning to make it a circuit routine. You can do the circuit as many times as you are able.
There should always be a brief warm up to prevent injury and get circulation pumping. You can do this by jogging in place or around the house. If you have stairs use those and pretend you’re Sylvester Stallone in the movie Rocky.
It’s a good idea to do the at home fitness routine or circuit at least 3 days a week with one day off in between for muscles to develop and avoid burn out.
Some other ideas for at home fitness is buy a few small pieces of equipment to vary the routine. Like an exercise ball, Power Block, jump rope, mini-trampoline, exercise mat and a few workout videos. I have some favorite picks here on the blog to your right.