We’ve all heard the same diatribe over and over again when it comes to losing weight -- eat less, move more.
And, at its core, that’s pretty much what’s required in order to lose fat and get results.
But, there are a few other tips and tricks you can implement to accelerate your results that also don’t require lots of added effort or time!
3 Weight Loss Strategies That Work While You Sleep
Go to Bed at the Same Time (and Avoid the SNOOZE Button)
Quite possibly the most important sleep “hack” as well as the tip that can help you also lose weight more effectively is to set a time to go to bed each night (and stick to it).
We schedule so many other aspects of our lives (times to wake up, meetings, workouts, etc.), yet many individuals take a laissez faire approach with their sleep hygiene.
What’s more, sleep deprivation is known to run counter to fat loss goals for a number of reasons, including:
- Increased feelings of hunger
- Reduced feelings of satiety
- Reduced energy expenditure
- Decreased motivation to exercise
- Increased cortisol levels
- Reduced fat oxidation
- Disrupted carbohydrate metabolism
- Increased storage of belly fat
- Impaired athletic performance (which reduces calorie burning!)
Basically, if you’re looking to improve sleep quality all the while enhancing your weight loss results, you’d be wise to start prioritizing sleep. And, the easiest way to do that is to schedule it into your day just like you would any other important task.
Scheduling your sleep can also help address one of the many issues people have with sleep -- getting to sleep in the first place.
By setting a specific time to go to sleep at night, you’re telling your body that it is time to wind down and unplug for the day.
Some additional tips to consider if you need help getting better quality sleep each night, include:
- Limiting blue light exposure 2 hours before bed (laptops, TV, tablets, phones, etc.)
- Avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bed
- Avoiding sources of stress (work emails, texts, social media, news) before bed
- Not eating too close to bedtime
- Keeping your room cool and dark
- Wearing loose fitting clothing
- Journaling and/or meditating
If you’re having a particularly difficult time unwinding after a stressful day, you can also try using a nighttime relaxation and recovery aid, such as our men’s and women’s sleep aids, Recharge PM and Beauty Dream PM.
Recharge PM and Beauty Dream PM contain natural, non-habit forming ingredients that promote feelings of calm while soothing a hyperactive CNS to help busy individuals unwind and achieve the deep restorative sleep they need to stay healthy and fit.
Have a Protein Shake Before Bed
Consuming adequate protein is an essential part of any diet, especially if you’re looking to lose body fat or build muscle. The reason for this is that protein provides the building blocks your muscles need to repair, recover, and grow.
But, that’s not all.
Protein also requires more energy to digest than either carbs or fats, which means your body expends more calories breaking them down (thereby promoting weight loss). To top it off, protein is also highly satiating, meaning it helps you feel fuller for longer, and thus, less likely to go looking for snacks near bedtime.
Research also shows that consuming protein before bed does NOT inhibit fat oxidation and it actually enhances muscle protein synthesis rates during sleep, further improving muscle recovery.[1]
This is a huge win for individuals who want something sweet before bed time as you can have a protein shake (made with 1UP Whey Protein) before bed to satisfy your sweet tooth all the while supporting your weight loss goals!
And, if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or lactose-sensitive, don’t worry, you can always opt for a plant-based protein shake before bed, such as 1UP Organic Vegan Protein.
Drink Tea
Tea is one of the most popular beverages on the planet.
And, while you might think it’s odd to see the suggestion to drink tea as a means to improve sleep, it’s not that off-base when you consider the following:
Chamomile and other herbal teas have a long history of use as a natural nighttime relaxation and sleep aid.
Furthermore, recent research has found that oolong tea may also improve sleep.
Now, what’s particularly interesting about this, is that oolong tea contains caffeine, which is known to disrupt sleep.
However, studies have found that consuming Oolong tea twice per day (at breakfast and at lunch) increased fat oxidation (fat burning) by about 20%without affecting sleep quality![2]
While drinking tea supports weight loss, it’s important to remember that consuming caffeine too close to bed can interfere with sleep, which in turn can hurt your weight loss efforts. As such, feel free to drink tea during the day, and if you want a cup of tea at night, make sure it’s a caffeine-free herbal tea such as chamomile or peppermint tea.
Takeaway
The key to long-term sustainable weight loss is developing healthy lifestyle habits that you can do day in and day out, such as eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Do these three things consistently and you will get the results you want during your transformation challenge.
And, if you’re looking to further boost your results and streamline your journey, try some of the tips and tricks we’ve outlined above as well as check out our line of weight loss support aids, including 1UP Appetite Suppressant, Make Her Lean Max, and Pro Ripped Max.
References
- Snijders, T., Trommelen, J., Kouw, I. W. K., Holwerda, A. M., Verdijk, L. B., & van Loon, L. J. C. (2019). The Impact of Pre-sleep Protein Ingestion on the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Exercise in Humans: An Update . In Frontiers in Nutrition (Vol. 6, p. 17). https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnut.2019.00017
- Zhang S, Takano J, Murayama N, Tominaga M, Abe T, Park I, Seol J, Ishihara A, Tanaka Y, Yajima K, Suzuki Y, Suzuki C, Fukusumi S, Yanagisawa M, Kokubo T, Tokuyama K. Subacute Ingestion of Caffeine and Oolong Tea Increases Fat Oxidation without Affecting Energy Expenditure and Sleep Architecture: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blinded Cross-Over Trial. Nutrients. 2020; 12(12):3671. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123671
