Unconventional Weight Loss Tips [Part 1]

We live in a world full of constant stimulation and busy-ness. This also leads to the desire to have everything RIGHT NOW …

Headache? Make it go away in 15 seconds flat.

Sleep? Who needs it! Find me a way to hack my way out of this vital activity.

Happiness? When I have the time, I’ll find it (but I’m hoping it finds me first).

In our haste to move through life we become numb to the simple stuff and start scoffing at its abilities. The “simple things” transform our life, but for some reason they get bypassed on the highway to self destruction.

So, we propose a new outlook altogether. Let’s strip away the haste and I’m-too-busy-to-care-for-myself mentality. Engaging in quick fixes and fads now is like running up the bill on a credit card with sky high interest: you get temporary relief, but you pay a HUGE price in the long run.

We get a lot of questions online and at our Curtis Park wellness studio in Sacramento about the “secret” to weight loss, so today begins a series where we share tried-and-true wellness principles that have been part of our programs for years. They all have a powerful cumulative effect; there is no one “cure all”. Rather it is multiple small things, consistently, that amount to BIG success.

Why do we consider these tips unconventional? Because they seek to uncover the root cause behind your inability to lose weight, not simply the generic “eat less and exercise more”. For many people, that approach is not enough and they must correct underlying issues first.

To start the series, today we’re talking about SLEEP! It is VITAL for performance. How does sleep impact your weight? Let us count the ways:

-Poor sleep can throw your hormones out of whack.
-Lack of sleep impacts your hunger and fullness hormones. Ghrelin tells your brain when you are feeling hungry and you should eat. When you are sleep deprived your body circulates more Ghrelin. Leptin signals to your body when you are full and to stop eating. Lack of sleep decreases the amount of Leptin produced.
-Lack of sleep makes you crave more food and you will likely overeat.
-Cortisol is a hormone linked to stress which causes your body to hold on to fat. Lack of sleep is extremely stressful on the body. Poor sleep quality leads to increased Cortisol production.

How To Get Better Sleep:
-Try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time each day.
-Unplug. Turn off all electronics a minimum of 30 minutes before bed.
-If your mind tends to race before bed, keep a pad of paper and pen on your bedside table so you can rest assured (pun intended) that those pertinent thoughts have been captured and can be tended to at a later date.
-Sleep and sex should be the only thing happening in your bedroom. Don’t keep a TV in your bedroom or do work.
-Wear a sleep mask to help block out light. Also, try to make the room as dark as possible.
-Listen to a relaxing meditation to help you fall asleep.
-No caffeine after 12pm. Caffeine has a long half life, which means half of it can still be in your system as you’re trying to unwind for the night.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the first post in our Unconventional Weight Loss Tips series. Stayed tuned for next week’s post about gut health!

Here’s To Some Good Shut Eye,

Sham & Christina
Inspired Wellness