My poor husband and friends have been listening to me complain about my recent (truthfully, over the last couple years) twelve pound weight gain. I have had thyroid level tests, hormone tests, a C-Reactive Protein (a marker for inflammation) test, etc., and, by the grace of God, I am healthy except for the hormonal changes brought on my breast cancer surgeries and, gulp, my age… I know… TMI! With the exception of some nervous/bored tortilla chip eating, and a love of wine, I am an extremely clean eater. I gave up fast food somewhere around 1998, I gave up processed, packaged junk food and sweets after my cancer diagnosis in 2013, and was even vegan for 2 1/2 years. I have tried eating less calories, eating more calories, and changing my macros (protein/fat/carb ratio). I am a regular exerciser; I do lots of cardio, lift weights and/or do Pilates, walk, do yoga… but, here’s the thing – once I started to gain weight, there was nothing I could do to slow it down… or so I thought!
I recently started getting up early in the morning to work out (see “Rise and Grind” for more on that). When I did that, I actually got TIRED! You’re probably thinking, “Duh, Lisa, getting up at 4:45 a.m. would make anyone tired!), but honestly, prior to that, I was seldom tired, even at bed time. I’m getting to a point here, I promise.
I’ve read so much over the years about the importance of sleep, but until I had this recent total early morning reset, I didn’t actually get how my lack of sleep was impacting my weight.Since I have been going to bed earlier and sleeping more, I am FINALLY starting to slowly drop the weight I have gained. So, if you are frustrated, and feel like you’ve tried everything short of starvation to lose weight, maybe try to get more sleep (preferably 7-8 hours.) I’m not a medical professional, but I think the trick is to do this for a sustained period of time. A prolonged lack of sleep puts our bodies in a “fight or flight” mode which releases stress hormones which cause our bodies to hold onto excess weight as a means of protecting ourselves. Sleep is also crucial for proper immune function, protection against dementia, etc. So, if you are struggling with weight, anxiety, frequent illnesses, try to get more sleep. I think it will really make a difference for you. Please message me if you have questions. -LM💗
Lisa Melora 