To lose weight you need sleep.  Sounds simple, but it is actually quite complicated. 

Sleep has a natural rhythm in harmony with the light and dark patterns of each day.

We have an inbuilt circadian clock that is set by sunrise and sunset.  The sunset gives a signal for our body to wind down, start to feel sleepy and gracefully transition into sleep.

This natural rhythm has unfortunately been disrupted by the invention of the light bulb which artificially extends the hours of light long past sunset.

Add to that our use of digital devices – television screens, computers, mobiles, ipads etc – which, when used after dark, suppress the release of melatonin – the hormone that makes us feel sleepy.

There is more.  Getting carried away with video games, feeling the urge to get on top of our emails or binge watching Netflix also has the effect of releasing cortisol to give us a “second wind” so that we can stay awake.  Chronically elevated evening cortisol can bind with the appetite receptors in the brain and trigger you to consume high-calorie foods.  Are you starting to get the idea this is a downward spiral?

Nights filled with this kind of digital stimulation paired with the result of consistently getting insufficient sleep can make you insulin resistant – so you are more likely to store what you eat as fat. (Oh no!)  And you will crave sugar because you are not accessing and burning your internal energy stores in the efficient way your body is designed to operate when everything is optimal. (Even worse!)

The seasons have a rhythm too. During the long bright days of summer we are programmed to eat extra carbs and store them as fat to see us through the winter.  In line with natural light patterns we will sleep much more during the short days and long nights of winter and need less sleep during the long summer days. However, artificially lengthened days have tricked our body into thinking it is summer all the time. So we are perpetually in fat storing mode.

What to do?

• Turn down the lights – after sunset use candles or lamps in preference to room lights and install blue light blockers on your digital devices. Have blackout curtains in your bedroom.
• Create an evening ritual to prepare for sleep. Shut off all devices, have a warm bath, change into your pyjamas.
• Timing is everything. Try to go to bed at the same time each night. Ideally, wake up naturally around sunrise, without the need for an alarm clock.  Getting to bed late and sleeping in does not work, even if you get the same number of hours of sleep. Your cycle is mis-aligned with your natural circadian rhythm and you will not experience enough of the deep restorative sleep your body needs.

So to assist your weight loss efforts, it is important to get into the right sleep rhythm.  I hope this article helps you along on your weight loss journey.

What happens when you reach your weight loss goal? How do you maintain your ideal weight?

Unfortunately only 20% of people who lose weight keep it off long term (definition: lose at least 10% of body weight and keep it off for a minimum of one year). The majority yo-yo between weight loss and weight gain, and usually gain back more weight than they lost (oops).

To avoid this happening to you, in addition to having a strong reason why you want to lose weight in the first place, you will need to set up a supportive
• food environment,
• lifestyle, and
• social circle.

Starting at the beginning of your weight loss journey, make small incremental changes in these three areas so that by the time you reach your goal you will be set up to maintain your ideal weight (yay!).

Food Environment
Have only healthy foods available – purge processed foods from your home, or store them where you can’t see them and they are not readily accessible. Then place the fresh produce and healthy food choices front and centre. Make healthy food and snacks at home and plan ahead so that you take good food with you to work and when travelling.

Lifestyle and habits
Have a think about your work schedule, family life and activity levels and make incremental changes over time to support your weight loss goals. Try to build exercise into your day naturally, or begin an activity that is fun or includes a social element.

Social Circle
Share your goals with close friends and family and ask for their support. Find others on the same path and encourage each other. Join a community of people (it can be online) who will inspire you and give you great ideas and strategies to help you along.

Plan ahead and set yourself up for long-term success.

There is no one right way.

We are all unique individuals, so what works for one person will not necessarily work for another.

And what works for you at one stage in your life may not be as effective at another stage. Believe me, things change as you get older and weight loss gets harder.

There are lots of strategies for weight loss, some good and some not-so-good. Some are expensive and some relatively cheap.

Which one should you pick?

I am not very directive with my clients. I have some strategies that I’m using. They work for me, so I’m happy with that. But I realise they may not be right for you.

The most important thing is to DO something. So I ask my clients what they are prepared to do, and run with that.

Most of us actually know WHAT to do, but we don’t actually do it.

No strategy will work unless you implement it.

What I find is the key to weight loss for my clients is winning the mental game. This, along with some encouragement and accountability, makes all the difference. Then you will find that whatever strategy you use WORKS!

That’s why it makes so much sense to have a life coach. If this interests you, contact me.

Too much social media is bad for our mental health. “When we derive a sense of worth based on how we are doing relative to others, we place our happiness in a variable that is completely beyond our control,” says Dr Tim Bono, author of When Likes Aren’t Enough.*

On social media everyone puts up only the best of their photos, using special angles and lighting. It is often photo shopped or filtered, to get the perfect effect. And even though we know that is so, we still compare ourselves with what we see and feel dissatisfied with how we look.

In media and advertising, being thin is associated with wealth, success, popularity and sex appeal.

But you don’t have to look like a magazine model to be healthy and happy.

HEALTHY: I believe that health is our real wealth, and should be our number one focus. If you have any health issues, it would be wise to address them as a priority.

Also, love the body you are in. If you do this, you will lovingly feed it nourishing foods and take whatever other steps are necessary to ensure you feel great physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

HAPPY: Happiness is an inside job. It is a choice, a state of mind, and based on gratitude and self-love.

Happiness will never come from conforming to the media’s ideal body image. If you want to lose weight and it comes from a feeling of lack or not being good enough, you may find that you still feel that way once you’ve lost the weight. Amazing, but true.

So make sure your focus is on being healthy and happy.