3 Surprising Reasons You’re Not Getting Slim
Let’s face it. Sometimes you may feel like no matter how much you exercise and watch what you’re eating, you just can’t seem to lose weight. Plateaus can be devastating to your self-confidence, and even cause many people to give up on their weight loss plans altogether. Rather than abandon ship right away, let’s take a look at three surprising factors that may be affecting your success.
1. Cranking Up The Air Conditioner
Did you know that saving energy could possibly save your shape, too? A recent study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior had some surprising findings.
When women in the study experienced temperatures above the “thermoneutral zone”—the artificially cool climate we create with air conditioning—they had a decrease in both appetite and amount of food eaten.
“At a slightly uncomfortable 81 degrees, the women in the study experienced a 20 percent decrease in appetite and ate 10 percent less than at 72 degrees,” says lead author Margriet S. Westerterp-Plantenga, Ph.D., a professor at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
How To Fix It: Instead of turning up the air conditioner every time the outside temperature goes above 80, think about saving the environment and losing that belly fat. Wouldn’t it be worth feeling a little uncomfortable if you experienced more weight loss?
2. Working Out Early In The Morning, No Matter What.
Now, it is true that you can burn up to three times as much fat if you exercise in the morning, on an empty stomach. But that morning workout can be hazardous to your waistline if it’s making you get less than seven hours of sleep a night.
A recent study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showing a clear link between lack of sleep and tendency to gain weight.
Those who slept only six hours a night were 12% more likely to gain weight. How much? An average of 33 pounds over the course of 16 years!
The super sleep-deprived ladies who got only five hours had a 32% chance of gaining 30 or more pounds!
Lack of sleep also has a negative effect on your levels of the appetite-regulating hormones ghrelin and leptin. People sleeping less produce less leptin, which makes you feel full, and they produce more ghrelin, which makes you hungry.
How To Fix It: Don’t sacrifice your sleep! And don’t think that taking a power nap later on will make up for it. Scientists who study sleep and circadian rhythms agree that with short naps, you don’t get into the “deep-sleep” stage that truly restores your body. Maybe you should only work out early in the morning every other day, instead.
3. Drinking All Your Water.
I know, you may be thinking, “What’s wrong with that?” It’s true that drinking lots of water is important for your success, but eating water in your food can be very useful also.
In a recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, obese women ages 20 to 60 were given a choice of reducing their fat intake or increasing their intake of water-rich foods, like fruits and vegetables. The results were interesting: Women in the water-rich group ate more. But the foods they chose were more filling, and had fewer calories. They actually lost 33 percent more weight in the first six months than the women that were trying to reduce fat in their diets.
How To Fix It: In addition to drinking lots of water, make water-rich food choices. Fruits and vegetables are great choices, obviously, but you can also add water to your diet with broth-based, low-salt soups, oatmeal and other grains, and beans, too.
So, how did you do? Make sure you reply to this article if you discovered that any of these habits might be keeping you from losing weight.
Remember, those who get involved will be eligible to win $50 in GNS Supplements each week. To get your FREE SBC account so you can post, visit the link below: http://www.slimbodycoach.com/register.php
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I didn’t realize you had written this and I just posted one with the same stuff! That is kinda cool!
Very good info. Thanks for sharing!
Have a good one!
Big HUGS!
Chrisie: LOL Great minds think alike
Bette Jo: You are very welcome! thanks for reading it
Sorry, just reading this now! There is a lot of great info on here! I love the one about losing the belly fat instead of cranking up the Air conditioning, that made me chuckle! Thanks for posting this!