Hello Dear One,
Too little sleep is no bueno for the body for MANY reasons, but it is ALSO not helpful in the waistline effort.
Main concerns:
– compromises thyroid and metabolism
– certain hormones get reset that support thyroid after 7 hours of sleep.
– our thyroid is the thing that supports our metabolism, NOT eating many small meals a day 😬
– raises levels of the hormones cortisol (stress hormone), insulin (stores belly fat) , & ghrelin (hungrier, less satisfied w more food).
– lowers levels of leptin (releases fat, more satisfied with less food), and testosterone (muscle mass, libido, energy, confidence, focus).
Ok, crap!
However there are ways to minimize the damage of hormonal disruption and what those hormones cause a body to want to do.
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#3. LESS SLEEP, MORE HUNGER
Ever noticed that the morning after you pull an all nighter, or get WAY less sleep than you really wanted, that you happen to be WAY hungrier than usual too??
When we get 6 or less hours of sleep hormones get WIGGY!
In particular Leptin, Ghrelin, Cortisol & Insulin.
Leptin is a weight loss hormone and actually helps support healthy functioning of the Thyroid (which is responsible for our METABOLISM!).
Leptin gets reset when we get 7 plus hours of sleep, and it helps us to be less hungry and more satisfied with less food.
When we get less than 6 hours of sleep Leptin levels decrease, & simultaneously Ghrelin levels increase.
Ghrelin essentially has the opposite effect of Leptin – increasing hunger and making us less satisfied with more food 😫.
Additionally when we’re lacking in the sleep department Cortisol levels rise which reinforces a sugar burning mode (fight or flight = needs quickly accessed fuel = glucose).
This elevates our blood sugar, which also elevates Insulin (stores fat).
Especially around the midsection. 😭
Booooooo.
BUT if you are in this scenario – hopefully being forewarned makes you forearmed.
Meaning now you know WHY you might be hungrier, and can make a few decisions that could help.
For instance:
– DRINK WATER FIRST.
Thirst mimics hunger, so start there to eliminate that possibility.
– Have some SUGAR!
Seriously?? Yes. Your body is calling out for the stuff.
(Learn about a program that actually uses sugar to aid in Leptin resetting and the weight loss process here.)
So instead of either pretending it’s not & eating a full meal only to buckle just after and finally get what you’ve been wanting OR going for broke carb wise right from the start…
Have a little of something high glycemic (honey works well for me, chocolate is good as a second) amidst a solid and supportive meal (which includes protein and fat) .
That way:
– That sugar will be buffered (won’t spike blood sugar as high) by the food at the start of your meal.
– Eating it in the middle will satisfy that craving and give you a truer read on if you’re actually still hungry, or if you just needed that macronutrient.
– You can finish your meal eating just as much as you need.
To getting you clearer on how the body works, & how to make it work for you.
xox, M