Sleep, Weight Loss and the Hormone Leptin

Research has shown that leptin, a hormone which regulates appetite, can be affected by lack of sleep. When levels of leptin are high, they trigger a feeling of fullness; Once leptin decreases, you start to feel hungry again. Experts suggest that the lower hormone levels of leptin can be caused by sleep deprivation leading to overeating, which can then put on weight.

Though the amount of sleep may be different among us, but most adults seem to do best when they get between 7-8 hours a night.

Missing sleep occasionally usually is not the problem. Consistently having sleep deprivation may be harmful to your health. Increasing your nighttime rest may have a positive effect on your weight and weight loss efforts. If you have better control of the hormone, leptin, you may also be able to control your appetite. This can avoid unwanted snacking at night that can lead to weight gain.
Here are some great sleep tips to help you control your weight:

Try to avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol in the evening. Though probably no caffeine should be taken after 2-3PM in afternoon. Nicotine and alcohol is not something I can talk about because I really don’t know the time frame.

Exercise regularly, but probably not 2-3 hours before you sleep. Though exercising can drain you physically, mentally you could be wide awake.

Routines help us deal with our daily life. Try and sleep the same time every night.

Your bed should be associated with sleeping. Read and do whatever you want before you get into bed.

If turning on music to get to sleep works, then do it. Leaving the TV on or watching TV can keep you awake. If you need a night light, then use.

Remember, sleep can help you stay awake, being happier during the day and burn your fat at night

Sleep and Losing Weight Go Hand in Hand

Trying to fit exercise in our life can be quite challenging Our jobs and our family can interrupt our sleep pattern. You wind up going to sleep later and getting less sleep per night. You try and arrange for your gym or activity early in the morning, and yet you feel like you are dragging yourself. Maybe you just don’t feel like exercising because you are too tired. Not getting enough sleep is a big mistake.

When you get enough sleep, your body produces leptin, Leptin is called the fullness hormone, What we want less is of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. By getting enough sleep, you can decrease anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression, as you know, in a lot of people, trigger emotional eating.

Skimping on sleep may make you more prone to clumsiness. It appears that your brain processes information much more slowly. Accidents can occur when you are driving or riding a bicycle.

So get enough sleep.

Micronutrients that can burn fat

There are certain micronutrients that activates cells to release your 99% of the trapped fats.
New research that reveals foods that automatically can melt that stubborn fat quickly.

Scientists have considered fat cells should be just a bit more, then physiologically and active storage places that act just for those extra calories. Recently there has been research at Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania and other places that the body fat is a slightly complex active organ that release dozens of chemical messengers including leptin and ghrelin, which is an appetite controlling hormone and estrogen which is a fat regulating hormone.

This may sound very strange that body fat can play a very powerful role in helping and permanent weight loss

The key is to make body fat as a slimming organ, rather than that of a fat organ. Unfortunately, when this imbalance is interrupts this, the result can prove to you having a sluggish metabolism and much more.

More to come…What can we do to make body fat a slimming organ.

menopause and weight gain

What causes menopause weight gain?

Women between the ages of 35 and 55 will soon experience menopause. It is not a disease but rather a phase in life where the female will no longer be able to conceive a child. One of the symptoms associated with this phase is weight gain. In fact, 90% of women will gain a few extra pounds which are not a direct result of overeating but rather a shift in your hormones.
Females have four hormones namely androgen, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The first one namely androgen is the one that puts that excess weight around your abdomen. This happens because when you reach androgen, your body produces more of this hormone causing you to gain weight here rather than your hips, thigh or rear.
The areas where you will see a physical change will be in the abdomen thus making you look fat when you look at yourself in the mirror. Again, this is not your fault but a fact of life because there are also already fluctuations in your hormones.
To explain this further, you have to understand that hormones do not only affect our behavior but also have a direct impact on our appetite, fat storage and metabolism.
Other factors that may cause weight gain during menopause could be attributed to insulin resistance and stress. Insulin resistance occurs when the body converts every calorie into fat. Stress can also make this happen as the body stores calories instead of burning as its way of saving on energy. So how will you be able to reduce menopausal weight gain?

A lot of experts believe that this will be difficult but not impossible. The most obvious is eating a balanced diet. You will have to give up food products that contain refined sugars and switch it to fruits and vegetables. You should also cut back on alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.

hormonal changes and menopause

Hormonal Changes and Menopausal Weight Gain

Women between the ages of 35 and 55 will soon experience menopause. It is not a disease but rather a phase in life where the female will no longer be able to conceive a child. One of the symptoms associated with this phase is weight gain. In fact, 90% of women will gain a few extra pounds which are not a direct result of overeating but rather a shift in your hormones.
Those who are already going through with menopause will probably notice a change in their physical body shape. Majority will gain between 10 to 15 pounds but this will not happen overnight. It will happen gradually like one or two pounds per year during premenopause and a little faster for those who are in early and surgical menopause.
Estrogen is the hormone responsible for your monthly ovulation. When you reach menopausal age, the level of estrogen that is produced by the body decreases. Because of this, your ovaries need a source of estrogen so it taps your fat cells that have the ability to make this happen. This forces the body to convert calories into fat but since your fat cells are unable to burn calories like your muscles do when you work out, this also causes you pack a few extra pounds.
To explain this further, you have to understand that hormones do not only affect our behavior but also have a direct impact on our appetite, fat storage and metabolism.
As much as possible try to stay active by exercising regularly. Examples of these could be weightlifting, yoga, cycling, jogging, running and walking that will increase muscle mass and the prevention of osteoporosis.