sleep to loose weight?

suziblues2000
suziblues2000 Posts: 515 Member
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Why does enough sleep aid in weight loss? I would think the opposite would be true because when you're awake you're burning more calories than when you're asleep.

Could somebody explain this to me?
THANK YOU

Replies

  • freeflower3
    freeflower3 Posts: 39 Member
    It has to do with 2 hormones leptin and ghrelin. These hormones are involved in appetite. See the link to the study:



    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535701/
  • suziblues2000
    suziblues2000 Posts: 515 Member
    Thank you Freeflower..I will look at the link.
    (I'm so lazy when it comes to doing my own research, especially when there are so many smart people on this site!)
  • irunwithscissors
    irunwithscissors Posts: 89 Member
    Its magic! I have always been curious as to why it happens too. Checking out the link.
  • StarryEyedGirl
    StarryEyedGirl Posts: 585
    great question Suziblues2000. reading article now.
  • vixey2906
    vixey2906 Posts: 30
    i was on the wiifit and it said you burn more calories when your asleep then if you were sat on your bum watching telly. Which although your not doing much I also would have thought being awake would use more energy!
  • sdirks
    sdirks Posts: 223 Member
    And it's different for men and women; we ladies pack on about 10 pounds from sleep deprivation, and even more from stress. For men, it's between 3 and 5 pounds. Increasing sleep won't produce as much weight loss for men--almost makes up for the way they can eat everything in sight and not gain a single pound. Almost. :grumble:
  • EKarma
    EKarma Posts: 594 Member
    I don't feel like I'm burning anything right now.. What a lazy Sunday....:yawn:
  • MattySparky
    MattySparky Posts: 771
    Rest is critical to body function. Think about it, if you are sleep deprived do you think your metabolism is going to be up? It will crash just like everything else. It's all relative. Same reason why it would be hard to build muscle without rest. Your body needs the recovery time. It's when the magic happens. You need sleep for everything, it's like breathing.
  • costil83
    costil83 Posts: 25
    Great to know! I should be burning calories like crazy then! Hahaha! All I ever want to do anymore is sleep lol
  • costil83
    costil83 Posts: 25
    Great to know! I should be burning calories like crazy then! Hahaha! All I ever want to do anymore is sleep lol
  • mamaturner
    mamaturner Posts: 2,447 Member
    And it's different for men and women; we ladies pack on about 10 pounds from sleep deprivation, and even more from stress. For men, it's between 3 and 5 pounds. Increasing sleep won't produce as much weight loss for men--almost makes up for the way they can eat everything in sight and not gain a single pound. Almost. :grumble:

    hehe, that made me giggle!
  • Jamie_Moy
    Jamie_Moy Posts: 40
    although the hormone thing is correct, it's not the whole reason...

    Here's a little of what I've been reading...

    When your watching tv, your rarely doing anything else... it's a mindless and lazy activity, that your body doesn't have to work to do anything for it, besides switching the channel changer back and forth.

    Sleep is very critical, it's what recharges us, just like a battery charger for your camera battery. And if you think about it that way, then you realize that it takes WORK to do so. You went through many hours throughout the day, working/exercising/problem solving...etc., and your body/organs and brain is able to restore your body, and sleep(preferably 8 hours) is what helps restore all that.

    Hope that makes sense!
  • LittleSister
    LittleSister Posts: 207 Member
    I absolutely KNOW this is true for me. Here's my cycle. I've gone through this soooo many times!

    Something happens or life is stressful or whatever, and I don't sleep well for a few nights.

    Being tired, I don't have the gumption to make food ahead of time to take to work, to chop vegetables, or to go to the store to get the right stuff. So I make do with what I have on hand, or go through drive throughs.

    I'm also cranky. Just the very thought of NOT being "allowed" to have the bag of chips from the vending machine at work or a candy bar is enough to make me eat it just to prove I can if I damn well please.

    And there's something biological about sleep deprivation that makes me want starchy carbs, like white pasta, bread, french fries, etc.

    And the LAST thing I feel like doing is exercising, because I'm too tired.

    If I'm going thru sleep deprivation mode, I put everything else off and make my first priority catching up on my sleep. When I'm sleep deprived, everything else in my life goes down the toilet.
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