1. Sleep. Yeah it's boring and takes up a chunk of your time but it's necessary to sustain life and fat loss. I can tell you first hand when I'm sleep deprived all I want to eat are highly processed, sugary comfort foods. The trouble is that once you start to eat these foods you crave more. Simply put - you crave what you eat. Sugar is fast energy but when you're sleep deprived it's like bungee jumping without a harness. Your fat loss goals crash."A sleepless night makes us more likely to reach for doughnuts or pizza than for whole grains and leafy green vegetables, suggests a new study from UC Berkeley that examines the brain regions that control food choices."
In addition to the number it does on your brain, sleep deprivation messes up your hormones and metabolism.
"...when you're sleep deprived, you have too much ghrelin, too much go in you, which is telling you to eat, and not enough stop in you, which is telling you when you're full. So you end up overeating or eating more than you really need to ...Another thing we know about sleep deprivation is that your metabolism slows down. Well, if you have a slow metabolism, you're not burning fuel efficiently, so it's going into fat storage and fat deposits, and again, causing more weight gain.We also know with sleep deprivation, we have increased levels of cortisol. Well, that can be another problem which causes more appetite. Here's the most fascinating part about the research I think. All those other things aside, when you're sleep deprived, if I was to lay out a healthy snack for you, or a very non healthy, sugary snack for you, you'd gun for the sugary food. You would go for the less healthy food, so your food choice is even affected by sleep deprivation."
3. Know your triggers and break the patterns. Every time I go to my parents' home I want cookies. Often it's the end of the day on my way home from work to pick up the kids. Grandma's house always has cookies. How do I avoid a B line to the cookie jar? I have to remind myself before I even get there. I slow down. I try not to go hungry. I'll ask for an apple. Your mama wants to see you happy so she'll give you what you ask for. Don't ask for cookies. Do you mindlessly go through the cupboards during TV commercials? Do you head to the kitchen before bed? Do you sit at the kitchen table on your computer? A lot of our set patterns and habits lead to mindless eating. Be engaged and aware to determine what mindless actions need to be broken. When you see the pattern you can make the changes.
4. Work with a coach. If you struggle to stay accountable to yourself hire a coach. A coach will offer guidance, support and tough love when needed. Anyone can tell you what you want to hear but a good coach will tell you what you need to hear. Besides, it's not always fun to do things alone. Working with others whether in person, on-line, one-on-one or in a group, makes the process so much more enjoyable. Enjoy yourself in good health and fitness, Gena.
