MY TOP 3 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS
You may be wondering why I have featured my dog Homer while talking about weight loss?
Well its because we can all learn something from Homer, He has life sussed!
He celebrated his 15th birthday in December! A great age for a Labrador. He’s a great sleeper, totally chilled & un-stressed, gets quality sleep & eats well (he would say not enough, but that’s Labs for you!)
Be more like Homer!
Here’s why:
MY TOP 3 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS
#1 SLEEP
Quality Sleep is key to health & weight loss. In fact, I would say it’s my #1 weight loss weapon! If you aren’t getting enough sleep – 8 hours per night – your weight loss efforts will be hindered.
Why? because 2 important hormones are affected – Leptin & Ghrelin – these control appetite & hunger signalling. Poor sleep affects the balance of these hormones which results in:
a) eating when you are not hungry
b) cravings for high-calorie energy-dense foods i.e. fat & sugar!
Prioritise your sleep for enhanced weight loss & well-being benefits.
#2 STRESS
Chronic ongoing stress with no release results in high levels of circulating cortisol – the stress hormone.
With this, comes increased levels of fat & sugar in the blood – in anticipation of an immediate energy requirement (fight or flight response). When this doesn’t happen, that fat & sugar is deposited around your middle, close to your liver, so that it can quickly be converted back again if needed!
Stress is the weight loss enemy!
If you cannot remove the stress. Find ways to offset it! Practice meditation for 15 mins a day & feel the benefits. Get outside for a walk in nature, take a bath, do whatever you can do to help you relax.
All of these will help tip the balance more in your favour & reduce that cortisol/glucose surge.
#3 EAT IN A 12 HOUR WINDOW
This is known as TMR – Time-Restricted Eating
If you eat your breakfast at 7:30 am, then eat your last meal at 7:30 pm.
This will prompt you to eat 3 meals throughout the day & possibly include a snack or 2 depending on your activity levels.
The 12-hour fasting period allows your body to rest & repair & do some housekeeping – which it can’t do when its constantly digesting food! Give it a break & reap the benefits in weight loss & improved BMI and well being.
This can also be stretched out to a 16 hour fast, known as intermittent fasting, for even more benefits! Research shows considerable improvements in blood glucose control, inflammatory conditions, improved digestion.
