Habits are behaviors that the brain has made automatic. We notice a cue (workout clothes), it triggers a behavior (go to the gym) and elicits a reward (endorphins) that makes us want to do it again. But since habits are so ingrained, we don’t even realize some of the ones that are sabotaging our good efforts. This can stall personal goals, including those around losing weight. Luckily, when we can identify the habits that are getting in the way of our progress, there are simple things we can do to change them. Slash these six habits and you’re likely to see the scale start moving.
6 Sleep Habits That Can Help You Lose Weight
1. You’re focusing on exercise more than food
It’s January 1 and you’re ready to hit the gym. That’s great for your health, but it’s not the most effective weight-loss strategy. People tend to overestimate how many calories they’ve burned exercising (calorie trackers aren’t always accurate) and then eat back the calories. Take the theory that you have to cut 500 calories per day to lose 1 pound per week:a 155-pound personburns about 300 calories running for 30 minutes. He or she would have to run almost one hour every day of the week to lose 1 pound per week, assuming no changes in diet. Talk about time-consuming, difficult and a recipe for hanger.
How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight
The percentage of calories burned exercising is also a small percentage of overall energy expenditure. Most calories burned in a day come frombasal metabolic rate (BMR)—the number of calories burned at rest. You’d be surprised how much energy your body uses simply to keep your heart pumping, lungs breathing and other internal organs working each day. Whilebuilding musclecan boost BMR to a degree, it’s not enough for lasting weight loss unless combined with changes in diet.
2. You’re eating too little
The calories in, calories out thinking oversimplifies the complicated science of weight loss and often backfires.Not eating enough during the dayis associated with overeating at night. Calorie restriction over time also slows your metabolism. If the body doesn’t have enough fuel for its basic functions, it works to conserve energy, not burn it.
“Although creating an energy deficit is an important component of healthy weight loss, the types of food you eat to get those calories is most important,” says Titilayo Ayanwola M.P.H., RD, LD, a registered dietitian atPlateful Of Yum. “From a metabolic perspective, all calories are not alike and our bodies also have ornate hormonal responses to the types of food eaten. The quality of the calories going in is important, and feeds information to your body to either store fat, or burn fat, promote good health or promote inflammation.”
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3. You’re counting calories
Anyone who’s counted calories knows you start to play games with yourself to get the numbers right, often losing sight of your hunger and satiety signals. For this reason, Ayanwola says toquit counting caloriesaltogether. “Most people who are preoccupied with tracking calories rarely take the time to savor their food or make conscious eating choices when it comes to food quality, and ignore many of the signals their body gives for hunger or fullness; because it all boils down to making the numbers work,” she says. “For sustainable weight loss you should look beyond calories when evaluating your food. Focus on the quality of your food choices and watch your portion sizes instead. You will also have better protection against oxidative stress and diseases with this method.”
4. You’re sacrificing sleep for exercise
Dragging yourself to the (home) gym in the morning? Don’t, says Megan Kober, RD, a registered dietitian atThe Nutrition Addiction. “The number one habit you should break to lose weight is sacrificing sleep for exercise,” says Kober. “Sleep is SO important for weight loss. If you go to bed at midnight and then get up at 5:30 for a workout, you’re actually might be doing more harm than good. This can put your body in a state of inflammation and mess with your hunger hormones and that is going to make you hangry. If you know you’re going to bed late, skip the morning workout. Try to squeeze one in later in the day and don’t worry if it’s something short.”
Research confirms that, indeed, lack of sleep throws leptin and ghrelin out of whack. Inone study, those who slept five hours per night had lower leptin levels and higher ghrelin (read: higher hunger), along with higher body mass indexes, compared to those who slept eight hours per night.
Body mass index(BMI) is a measure that’s often used in healthcare to determine a person’s body weight category such as overweight or obese, and therefore, chronic disease risk. However, it has limitations and does not account for individual factors that influence one’s health status, such as body composition, ethnicity, race, sex and age. This is why it shouldn’t be used as a comprehensive measure of someone’s health andcan be a source of body size stigma and bias.
Sleep deprivation also affects functioning of the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for decision making. The prefrontal cortex also doesn’t function properly after too much booze. In other words, fries are going to sound more appealing than salad after a sucky night’s sleep.
5. You’re mindlessly snacking
Whatever you choose to eat, start with the portion on the nutrition label, put it in a bowl, sit down at the table and savor the snack, paying attention to how satiated you feel. Still feel hungry afterward? Go back for more.
6. You’re drinking your calories
We love a good latte and anightly glass of red wine, but guzzle a grande mocha from Starbucks and you’ve added 290 calories and 35 grams of sugar to your day. Five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer and 1.5 ounces of liquor all have about 120 calories. But do you just drink 5 ounces? You don’t have to dump the drinks altogether to see the scale move. Ask for half the sugary syrup in your coffee and reduce the number of nights you drink each week. These are the exact small changes that can make losing weight and keeping it off simple and manageable.
Bottom line
Drastic diets aren’t necessary for weight loss. In fact, they may wreak havoc on your metabolism and lead to weight regain. Take the simple and more effective approach of changing your habits instead for weight loss that lasts.
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