You’re eating healthy. You’re exercising. But still, you aren’t seeing the weight coming off as you would expect. Instead of sprinting to your goals, you feel like you’re crawling.
If you feel sluggish, tired, and having a hard time losing weight, you may be one of the 1 in 3 American adults who aren’t getting at least 6 hours of sleep at night. Studies show that lack of sleep is a reason many people struggle with obesity and weight loss.
At our weight loss clinic, we see how a lack of sleep and weight gain can become a vicious cycle. People gain more weight because they are tired, and gaining weight makes them even more tired.
It’s a cycle that can be hard to escape.
Luckily, our team knows how to get you back on track, so you start losing weight and reach your goals. If you want to speed up your results, be sure you are getting enough at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Here are some reasons why not getting enough sleep can slow down your results.

It Causes Overeating

Research has proven that those who are sleep deprived have increased appetites. This is due to sleep having an impact on the hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin. Ghrelin is secreted in the stomach and tells the brain you’re full. Leptin, on the other hand, suppresses hunger and tells the brain you’re full.
When you don’t get enough sleep, you end up making less leptin and more ghrelin—meaning you are hungrier and feel less full. This hormone imbalance makes you feel hungry, causing you to consume more calories than needed.

Makes it Difficult to Fight Cravings

Not getting enough sleep can have a huge impact on your cravings and your decision making abilities. Getting to bed early can help you make healthier decisions and have more self-control.
This means when you are tired, and you get a craving for something sweet, it becomes harder to resist, and you end up giving in to the craving. Moreover, when you do indulge in that sweet treat, it stimulates the reward center of your brain even more than if you were rested… making that treat seem even tastier, which just makes us want more.
What a recipe for a binge!

Can Prevent You From Gaining Fat-Burning Muscle

Saying that muscle is vital to your body is an understatement. When you gain muscle, that muscle helps you burn more calories. Therefore, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day. This is great if you’re trying to lose weight.
We gain muscle by being active.
When you don’t get the rest you need, you are less motivated to be active, and you begin to lose muscle. Unfortunately, dieters who are sleep deprived tend to lose more muscle than fat. Not getting enough sleep slows down the number of calories you are burning every day.
*Always check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Get Some Sleep to Lose More Weight

Not getting enough sleep can have an impact on the amount of weight you lose and how long it takes you to lose it. Be sure to get to bed early to ensure you get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. If you are having trouble getting to sleep, try creating a nightly routine for yourself, cutting off caffeine intake early, and shutting down all electronics at least minutes before bedtime. This will help you fall asleep quicker.
If you are ready to finally lose the weight once and for all, stop into one of our weight loss clinics and talk to one of our health steps support team. Healthy Steps can provide you with the tools you need to lose more weight faster than you thought possible. Plus, we teach you the healthy habits you need to keep the weight off for good.