Category: Lose Weight

Lack of Sleep Triggers Weight Gain! How to Fix That!

Yikes! Are You at Risk of Gaining Two Pounds a Week?

 

The simplest way to avoid weight gain and/or start losing weight may be a good night’s sleep — because yes, lack of sleep triggers weight gain!

For years researchers and the fitness industry have known that adults who get less than five or six hours of sleep per night are at higher risk of weight gain and struggle more with weight loss.  However, a recent study performed by the University of Colorado and published by the New York Times found that participants restricted to five hours of sleep per night gained an average of two pounds by the end of one week.  Yikes!

What were some of the reasons for the immediate weight gain?  Light sleepers not only consumed more calories while they were awake,  they also shifted what and how they were eating.  Researchers found that the sleep deprived participants overate carbohydrates (causing water retention); ate smaller breakfasts; and snacked a lot more after dinner. In fact, they ended up eating more calories during after-dinner snacking than any other meal of the day!

How do you know you’re getting enough sleep?

 

While the amount of sleep an individual needs can vary from person to person, the average adult needs approximately 7-9 hours of sleep per night to remain productive, healthy, and happy.

Eight tips for getting a better night’s sleep:

 

1)  Exercise!  Studies have shown that 30 minutes of moderate exercise (like brisk walking) per day can help you sleep better.

2)  Ban the blue light!  Turn off or cover any blue displays in the bedroom.  Short waves of blue light may interfere with your sleep.

3)  Eliminate the back pain. Back pain may not wake you up at night, but it can impact the quality of your sleep. Place a pillow between your knees when sleeping on your side to stabilize the hips and ease back pain. If you are a back sleeper, place a pillow under your knees.

4)  Watch the caffeine! Coffee in the morning is fine for most people, but caffeine after noon can interrupt the deep stages of sleep.  If you know that’s you, give yourself a cut-off time for caffeinated drinks.

5)  Snack wisely! Per Web MD, complex carbs and dairy are sleep inducing foods. Choose snacks like cereal and milk or cheese and crackers if you are eating before bedtime. Just make sure to stick to single servings and finish your snack an hour before bedtime says Web MD.

6)  Get a night light! Put a night light in your bathroom just in case you need to get up and use it in the middle of the night. Avoiding the bright light will help you get back to sleep easier.

7)  Wind down. With all of the stimulation we’re exposed to throughout the day, it’s no wonder people have a tough time getting to sleep. Try things like reading, praying, meditating, listening to music, stretching, or taking a hot bath an hour before bedtime to help you get the zzz’s you need.

Not sure you can spare an hour?  Start with a ten minute “wind down”  period before bed. Even ten minutes can help!

8)  Schedule a check up. Some medical conditions can affect your sleep. So if sleeplessness persists, make sure to schedule a check up and discuss the lack of sleep with your doctor.  Then the two of you can come up with a plan to help you get the healthy amount of sleep you need.

Getting good sleep is a simple yet critical step to avoid weight gain and keep you on track with your weight loss goals!

Have a question or a comment?  Please leave it below for me in the “comment” section.  I love to hear from you!

To your good health!

Jennifer

 

 

 

Lose Weight With These Easy Portion Control Tips

Did you know that the average restaurant meal is now four times larger than a meal in the 1950’s?  It’s no wonder that the average adult is 26 pounds heavier than sixty years ago!

You can lose weight with portion control. That’s one of the most important secrets behind weight loss.  When you cut back on portion sizes and take a balanced approach to healthy eating, you will see your weight drop.

Unlike restrictive diets which can lead to binging, portion control teaches you how to eat the foods you like in moderation. You may be asking how to control portion sizes without scales and various other measuring tools, or what to do when you eat out. Great questions!

Five Simple Tips for Portion Control:

1)  Read the fine print!  Yes! The labels will tell you how many calories, but make sure you read how many servings are in that bag of chips, energy drink, soda, box of crackers, etc.  Most snack size bags are actually two servings — not one!

2)  Are your plates super sized? Over the years it’s become fashionable to have large plates. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to get new dishes! However, a plate that is smaller will appear fuller and may satisfy you more.

If you feel like you need the extra visual help, you can purchase plates that have the portion sizes built into them. Everything from plastic to china. Another way I combat the empty looking plate is to use bowls. They appear fuller and I am able to scoop out the proper portion sizes with a ladle.

3)  Develop a simple visual system. Not all plates are created equal. so it’s helpful to know what a proper serving is. Here are some visual cues/examples to help you with portion size:

  1. Vegetables or fruit: about the size of your fist.
  2. Carbohydrates like pasta, rice, and starchy vegetables: A single serving is 1/2 cup or the size of a cupcake wrapper.
  3. Meat, fish, or poultry: the size of a deck of cards or the size of your palm (minus the fingers).
  4. Snacks such as pretzels and chips: about the size of a cupped handful.
  5. Apple: the size of a baseball.
  6. Potato: the size of a computer mouse.
  7. Bagel: the size of a hockey puck.
  8. Pancakes or lunch meat: the size of a compact disc.
  9. Cheese: the size of a pair of dice or the size of your whole thumb (from the tip to the base).
  10. A tablespoon of food such as peanut butter, salad dressing, hummus:  The size of your whole thumb.

4)  It’s okay to go back for seconds! Try serving from the kitchen counter to avoid reaching mindlessly for a second helping. If after 20 minutes you are still hungry, then go back and load up on veggies or a 1/4 to 1/2 second serving.

Eating out?  No problem. Ask your server about the portion sizes. Start with one or two dishes and then decide if you want more. The kitchen will still be there!

5)  You do not have to finish everything on your plate!  Many of us were raised not to waste. This was a really important thing to teach us as children, and I am grateful for that up-bringing. Unfortunately, this has been linked to overeating in adults.

I give you full permission to leave food on your plate. You will not be sent to your room! That may sound silly. However, so much of our childhood training affects the way we look at food. If you are like me and really dislike wasting food, then simply place whatever is left in a small container. You can have it as a snack or combine it with your lunch.

So there you go! These strategies can be implemented right away to help you with weight loss. Portion control is one of the best ways to begin cutting back on unnecessary calories without depriving yourself.

Have questions or tricks to share?  I’d love to hear from you below!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer

 

How to Get Enough Water, Even If You Hate Water

Everyone tells you to drink more water– and  it’s life threatening if you don’t get enough.

But what if you really hate to drink water?

First of all, I get it.  Some people really don’t like drinking water.  It’s normally not because they “hate” the taste of water. It’s usually because water doesn’t have any taste at all.  Simply put, water by itself can be boring!

However, not only is it important to stay hydrated for health reasons, being properly hydrated also helps you lose weight.  

Let me explain.

Water does help you lose weight! Here’s how:

  • Two glasses of water prior to a meal helped middle aged and older adults feel full longer, research studies found.
  • Water cuts out a ton of calories when you replace your regular beverage with water!
  • Guess what? A hydrated body looks leaner. Why? Because when you’re dehydrated, you retain water. Yikes!
  • I bet the magazine rack has at least one headline screaming “Rev up your metabolism with this one trick!” Well, here’s a good one. Just drink enough and your body will be able to metabolize properly. When you’re dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. We all know what that means for weight loss!

So how much water should you be drinking?

It depends.  The suggested guidelines for water consumption used to be sixty-four ounces per day.  While it is still a good amount of water for some, others may need more. Here are some guidelines to help you decide:

Drink more fluids when you are in situations where your body loses water:

  • in warmer climates,
  • during more intense exercise,
  • at high altitudes.

Try to be more aware of your water intake:

  • if you’re the type of person who usually doesn’t notice thirst; or
  • when you are very busy and likely to forget to drink.
  • If you talk for a living.  Water is lost though saliva.

Five tips to increase your fluid intake:

1) Try naturally flavored waters.  Flavored water and various other “hydrating” drinks usually have some type of sugar in them, pay attention to the calories on the label.

An alternative to buying flavored waters would be making your own.  The possibilities are endless.  Cucumber, mint, ginger, lemon, lime, strawberries, and raspberries are all examples of natural foods and herbs you can flavor your water with.

2) Eat food that’s mostly water.  Choose foods high in water like oranges, watermelon, yoghurt, grapefruit, pineapples, and broth-based soups.

(3) Replace still water with sparkling water.  If you discover sparkling water  works for you, consider getting an in home soda machine. They take up very little counter space. You also save money and there are less bottles to recycle. This helped my husband Matthew go from not liking water to drinking plenty of it!

4)  Coffe and tea can help.  Coffee and tea count as fluids, but the caffeine is a diuretic which can leave you dehydrated if you don’t follow up with other non-caffeinated beverages.  Choosing naturally caffeine free herbal teas and decaf coffees will help you get the fluids without losing as much water.

5) Have a hydrating beverage with every meal.  Tacking a new goal on to an established habit is usually less daunting than trying to develop a new habit on it’s own.  For example setting a goal of drinking a glass of sparkling water at dinner seems more manageable than a goal to drink 64 oz. of water every day.

How do you know when you’re getting enough water?

  • The best way to tell if you are hydrated is the color of your urine.  Clear to pale yellow is ideal. Yellow to dark yellow means you need water, and if it looks like tea or beer you are dehydrated!  Supplements can also cause urine to be dark yellow. So keep that in consideration.
  • Avoid allowing yourself to get “thirsty”.  If you are getting a thirst signal then the body is already too low on water!

At first it may seem like you have to go to the bathroom a lot. This is normal when you up your water consumption. It is not uncommon to have to use the restroom every hour.

If you sit at a desk, this will encourage you to get up and move every hour. It also allows you to monitor your progress!

Here is a fun recipe for Raspberry water courtesy of Face Magic in Albany, CA.

Raspberry Water

  • 1 Pitcher of Water
  • 1 bag of Frozen Organic Raspberries
  • Place the raspberries in the water and allow it to turn the water a pinkish red color.  Pour in nice glasses and enjoy!

Have a question or a comment?  Leave a note for me below.  I love to hear from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer Ledford