Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying a diet that seems effective, but isn't working quite as well as you'd hoped? Is your weight loss pill doing a fantastic job, but something in the back of your mind is telling you that there's something else you can do? Is all that exercise you're doing cutting into the time that you should be spending asleep? Well, if recent studies and statistical data is to be believed, sleep ? in the right amounts ? might play a much larger role than you'd believe when one is going for maintainable weight loss over an extended period of time. Yes, sleep appears to be helpful in avoiding weight gain as well.
This is, like so many issues related to weight loss and personal fitness, a matter of balance. Not sleeping enough can slow down the metabolism, burning fewer calories even with the same sustained level of physical activity. However, sleeping too much can also slow down the metabolism since the body needs fewer nutrients to operate while in a sleeping state. Recently, there was a study on whether or not the right amount of sleep for keeping weight off existed, supposedly fueled by the problems related to preventing obesity.
According to the study, it appears that the number of hours slept did play a role in whether or not the person experienced weight loss or weight gain. The data showed that getting only six hours of sleep contributed to someone gaining or retaining weight. The effect was found to become more pronounced the less sleep the person got. The same appeared to apply for people who slept for about nine hours or more in a single night. The data was obtained by asking the people to alter their sleeping habits, rather than any other aspects of their daily life. The eight-hour range, which has long been the recommended amount of sleep that the average person should get, appears to contribute to the ability to not retain excess weight, though whether or not it might have more direct benefits for weight loss is unknown.
The study also found some interesting correlations. For example, the people that were the most active but slept the least had an increase of 58% in their chances of retaining excess weight. The ones that slept longer, despite maintaining a comparable level of physical activity, fared poorer, with an average of about 94% of them retaining and gaining weight. Energy intake and metabolic rates were noted to be similar throughout the whole group, thus minimizing the chances of certain biological factors corrupting the data one way or another. However, the study does have a few glaring flaws.
For example, there was no attempt to record whether or not any of the participants had any dietary or sleep-related disorders in the present or past. Such information could easily have had an effect on the outcome. There have also been questions regarding the number of test subjects, which has been cited as being too small to provide a viable source of data. However, it has prompted some researchers to take a closer look into the connection between weight loss, weight gain, and sleeping patterns.
In a way, I can't believe it. I know I've been eating more. But I guess I didn't realize how much.
For weeks, I've only been getting a couple of hours of sleep each night. When I'm sleep-deprived, I always reach for food to stay awake.
But I haven't needed to lose weight for years. What does that say about me that I've gained weight as soon as I've started a weight loss blog?
First, I now need to take my own advice. And I will. Starting today, the pounds come off.
Second, maybe I'm reading so many articles and blog posts about other people's weight loss struggles that I'm starting to feel like they're my own... even though many of you are winning a tougher battle than I did.
Does that make sense?
Of course, I don't mean that any of the articles or blogs I'm reading are responsible for my weight gain. But I'm beginning to think about food and weight 24 hours a day. Because now it's become my job in a way.
I'm also starting to feel some of the emotional insecurity that so many weight loss bloggers write about. Not that any of us have to look very far for that.
But it's one thing to feel another blogger's emotions, it's another to regain some of my own weight.
I have a question for anyone reading this. Have you ever regained lost pounds when you heard of another person's battle with weight? Do you start reliving your own weight loss problems?
Before starting my blog, my article topics varied. But even when I wrote about diets and dieting problems, my focus was positive.
I didn't gain an ounce even when writing about cheesecake, strawberry pie, and hot fudge sundaes.
But now I read the blogs of other people who aren't so positive all the time. My heart goes out to all of them.
I also have people writing to me about their weight loss battles. And I think I'm starting to internalize the fears and the struggles of the people I want to help.
I think writing every day on a blog about weight loss and related issues has me thinking about the subject all the time.
And obsessing about food - isn't that how many of us gained weight in the first place?
But I don't think it's about food. I don't even think it's about lack of sleep. I haven't slept well in almost 2 years. Why would I gain weight now?
I think it's about feeling the emotions. I'm starting to internalize the struggles of other bloggers. And it's affecting me so much, I'm eating more and gaining weight.
I guess it proves that you have to deal with the emotional side of weight loss as much as with the actual foods you eat.
And clearly, it's not healthy to think about food and weight loss 24 hours a day.
I thought of not writing this article.
For one thing, I'm ashamed to have to lose weight. Now of all times. It's ridiculous.
I could feel myself gaining weight. But I put off getting weighed.
Maybe I didn't want to believe I could gain again.
Now I know 9 pounds isn't even close to the type of struggle that many bloggers are facing. But it's a wake-up call for me.
I've often said that you have to be prepared to backslide. And you need to have an effective plan to deal with it.
But you should deal with it before it gets anywhere close to 9 pounds.
You should weigh yourself once a week after you reach your goal. But I haven't been doing that.
It's not that I thought I could never gain weight again. I guess other priorities took over in life.
My family has had a number of medical emergencies in recent months. I delayed starting my blog because of them.
But we've had medical emergencies before. I haven't gained an ounce.
So now comes the final question. Is blogging bad for your weight?
Both Harvey Ong & Debbie Fontana are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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