Sunday, May 4, 2008

sleep yourself thin

staying in shape is really tough. i try to watch what i eat and exercise three times a week. for me maintaining my weight and losing weight (as needed) is really tough. ive done weight watchers, where i reached my goal weight, but it was really tough. though age can effect ones metabolism, i dont really think thats my problem. i clearly recall at 24 having to watch myself like a hawk to prevent weight gain.
over the past few years sleep deprivation has been a hot topic in books and magazines. sleeping less than 5 or 6 hrs a night has been linked to weight gain as well as contributing to other health maladies. though ive tried to get enough sleep over the past few years, its been a real struggle.
recently i was chatting with a co-worker about sleep deprivation and weight gain. apparently, she had suffered with this very issue and when she got more sleep she lost weight.
i know that when i stay up too late i tend to keep eating, so if id get to sleep earlier id probably lose weight just because i would have less hours id be eating!
over pesach i made sure to get at least 8 hrs of sleep. i usually gain 5 lbs over pesach which i never lose over the year. this year, although i did not lose any weight over the holiday, i did not gain any weight either. to me this is a real victory.
so far this week ive stayed the same, and ive been making a real effort to get at least 7 hrs of sleep. wish me luck . ill keep you posted as to my progress...

1 comment:

frumskeptic said...

sleep, really?? Maybe thats my problem... I mean, I'm not really watching my weight, its just that this semester i've had an average of like 4-5 hours of sleep, i eat the same amount as usual, and I gained weight...so I guess thats true.

But..I heard of a diet, supposedly my relative lost alot of weight. She went from a size 24 to a size 8. She had 4 "cups" of lemon juice after every meal she ate. What she did was, she had a third of her cup with warm water, and she would fill the rest of the cup with lemon juice. She said that she continued eating like usual. Just that the lemon juice naturally makes you lose your appetite.

No idea if its true. My mom is planning on trying, and it can't be that bad, can it?

Good luck getting sleep :)!