Lose Weight By Sleeping?

Sigh....I am about to show you something that is difficult for some to believe even when it is backed up by medical science. Yes! You can lose weight while you sleep. Disbelieve at your own peril.

Scientists and doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep. Some of these hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin can affect our appetite. Take a case in point. Have you ever experienced a sleepless night and then the next day, no matter what you ate you won't feel full and satisfied? Well, it is because of these hormones.


Ghrelin, stimulates your appetite and makes you hungry whereas Leptin, sends a signal to the brain to tell you that you are full during a meal. So one makes you hungry while the other makes you feel full.


So how do these 2 hormones correlate then? Well, lack of sleep will reduce leptin levels, which means that you will still feel hungry after a normal meal which will usually satisfy you. Having not enough sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you will eat more than you normally do and that spelled trouble if you want to lose fat. That means you will gain weight if you do not have enough sleep. Getting the drift now?


It is a known fact that those who sleep less are often overweight compared to those who enjoy blissful shut eyes.

In several scientific studies and researches showed invariable results test human participants whose sleep are controlled. Their leptin levels went down and ghrelin levels went up. Their appetite therefore increased proportionally. Their desire for high carbohydrate, calorie-dense foods increased by a whopping 45%. Can you beat that?


So the findings definitely suggest that if you are on a diet and a workout program with the aim of slimming down or losing weight, you must have enough sleep. Eight to nine hours a day is the normal recommendation.


Sleep not only recharges you, it helps you to lose weight, build muscles, repair tissues and boost immunity. So if this article bores you ....well....go ahead and sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

9 Simple Tips To Keeping Fit

Here they are. 9 tips for your fitness toolbox. Mix-n-match. Read one a day. Have fun!

Tip 1) TUMMY TONER

In addition to your workout regime, eat smaller portions. Your stomach is only about as large as your fist. So no need to stuff yourself with a large plate full of food.

Tip 2) TRY A TRAINER

Get advice or help from a trainer from time to time. Some online trainers are pretty affordable like around $2 week at eDiets.com. Or search your favorite online engine for free fitness forums and chat away.

Tip 3) PRACTICE YOUR POSTURE

Practice improving your posture daily, no matter whether you are sitting at your work desk, sitting at home in the family room or at the table, or standing and walking.

Stand up straight! Chest out and up. Shoulders back. Keep good posture.

Tip 4) VARIETY

Vary your routine during the week. Alternate days that you do cardio work on days when you don't do your other workouts.

Tip 5) ROUTINE

Also vary your routine. Research shows that a body can adapt to the same routine over a 4 to 6 week time frame. When you vary the routine, the body works harder, trying to adapt once again. At least increase the intensity or amount of sets you do. But "change" something.

Tip 6) WARMING UP & COOLING DOWN

Don't forget to warm up with some stretches before diving into your exercises in both cardio and strength training. You only need about 5 to 8 minutes. And target the muscle groups that you'll be using.

A warm-up period helps your body by passing along lots of blood, full of nutrients, to areas that are about to be exercised, resulting in the warming up of the muscles and the lubrication of the joints. No matter whether you are working out at home, in a fitness center or outdoors, regardless of weather, you need to warm up before beginning all exercise activities in order to prepare your body for your workout. So improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury with a warm-up period.

The period of 5 to 10 minutes at the end of your workout is the cool-down period. It allows time to lower your heart rate before you dash back off to work or other activities after your workout sessions, and reduces your risk of muscle soreness and injury that could come from your workout. This cool-down period should include 5 minutes of cardio exercise like stationary biking or walking, and should proceed at a reduced pace from your previous exercise activities. At the end, you should focus on about 5 minutes of slow, focused stretching, when your breathing goes back to where it was before your workout.

Tip 7) FOCUS

From Aesop to the old Kung-Fu movie, here's a tip: focus on the muscle group you are working on during your workout, Grasshopper. Look at a wall if necessary, to maintain your concentration and proceed slow and steady.

Tip 8) KEEP A JOURNAL

Keep a diary, journal or some type of record of your progress. Note which exercises you're using for which muscle groups, the number of repetitions and intensity. Track your diet here, too, if you'd like. Then set goals for yourself and update them regularly.

Tip 9) R&R

Don't forget that "All work and no play…" saying. Rest and relax. Work different muscle groups on alternate days.

Beginner’s Guide to Fitness

So you are finally ready to turn from your couch potato ways, and trade your T.V. remote in for a dumbbell! Congratulations, and welcome to the wonderful world of fitness! I commend you on your resolve to lose weight and get into shape! Now where do you begin? These days there sure is a lot of talk about diet and fitness, whether it is a new diet pill or piece of exercise equipment. It is enough to make your head spin, and certainly enough to confuse the beginner. Take a deep breath, and follow these simple tips to go from being a fitness beginner to a pro!

TIP #1: GET MOVING
The first thing you need to do, as a fitness beginner, is to start moving! I mean this literally. Get up, and walk out your front door. Now walk down the street. Now turn the corner. Keep going! Do you get the picture? Start introducing your body to fitness by going on walks. These walks will probably start out slow and short, but before you know it they will be brisk and long. Try to work up a sweat as you tour the neighborhood. Make it a habit to wake up early to go on your walk, or consistently go on a walk before you go to bed. These walks will get you to start burning calories each day, and will also begin to build your cardiovascular endurance.

TIP #2: STRETCH
Once you become a pro at walking, you will need to add something new to your routine. Stretch before and after your walks. Start by reaching down to touch your toes and holding it for 30 seconds. You will feel tightness on the backs of your legs, in your hamstrings. Now place your palm against a wall at chest level and turn your body away from it. As you hold this for 30 seconds you will feel a stretch in your chest. Most inactive people have tight hamstring and chest muscles due to prolonged sitting, so it should be your priority to stretch these muscles out. You will be pleasantly surprised at what this will do for your posture!

TIP #3: CLEAN YOUR DIET
Fitness professionals like to claim that 80% of what your body looks like is directly related to what you eat. In other words, if you are eating burgers and fries and visiting the gym everyday, you are still going to look like you are eating burgers and fries! It is time to clean up your diet, so you can continue on your fast track to fitness.

· Rule #1: No more fast food. Fast food is cheap, available, and quick, but it is far from healthy. You are better off avoiding it completely.
· Rule #2: Eat 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables everyday. Your body needs the nutrients found in these foods, and they will fill you up without empty calories.
· Rule #3: Eat 4-5 small meals a day, rather than 2 large ones. This will keep your metabolism high all day, and turn you into a calorie-burning machine!


TIP#4: JOIN A GYM
After you have mastered walking, stretching, and have started to clean up your diet, you are ready to join a gym. Don’t be intimidated or scared of this concept, the gym is a friendly place where people go to burn calories and build muscle! Find a local gym that has a convenient location near your home or work place. The key to making your gym membership worth its monthly dues is to use it consistently. Go to the gym no less than three times a week. While you are there begin a resistance training program as well as a cardiovascular program.

TIP #5: FIND A BUDDY
There is no better motivator to get you to the gym than knowing that someone is there waiting for you. If you find yourself slacking off in your workouts, or skipping the gym, a workout buddy might be just what you need. Find a friend with whom you share similar fitness goals, and become workout buddies. Agree to meet three times a week at the gym, and encourage each other throughout your workout. You will find that this makes workouts motivating and fun.

There you have it, all you need to know to get yourself up off the coach and into a healthy, fit lifestyle! Making the decision to get into shape will be the best one you make in your life, and I wish you all the best. To your health!