8 Ways to Lose Weight While You Sleep
(Photo by Getty Images)
What’s the best place in the world to lose weight?
The gym! say the muscle-bound personal trainers, raising their hands (but not really getting that far because their deltoids get in the way).
The (huff!) track (puff!) say the distance runners, bicyclists, triathletes, and other types trucking along with sweat in their eyes and numbers stuck on their chests.
The kitchen! say the nutritionists, dieticians, organic produce purveyors, and washed-up chefs slinging faux diet plans to the masses.
But they’re all wrong.
Because real, successful, sustainable weight loss comes from achieving excellence in a completely unexpected realm: the bedroom.
No, you can’t lovemake your way to lean. (Although if you want to try, check out our steamy story on 8 Libido-Boosting Superfoods.) But you can absolutely sleep your way to slender. In fact, no matter how many pounds you press, how many miles you log, how much kohlrabi you crunch, it won’t get you anywhere near your weight-loss goals unless you’re also getting enough quality sleep. A recent study found sub-par sleep could undermine weight loss by as much as 55 percent! The good news is just a few simple tweaks to your p.m. routine can mean serious weight loss success. So open your eyes: Here are eight science-backed suggestions to lose while you snooze.
Try your sleep switch.
Don’t count sheep, eat lamb! (Or better yet, a bit of turkey.) Tryptophan, an amino acid found in most meats, has demonstrated powerful sleep-inducing effects. A recent study among insomniacs found that just 1/4 gram—about what you’ll find in a skinless chicken drumstick or three ounces of lean turkey meat—was enough to significantly increase hours of deep sleep. And that can can translate into easy weight loss. Researchers from the University of Colorado found that dieters consumed 6 percent fewer calories when they got enough sleep. For someone on a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s 120 calories per day, which could amount to nearly a one-pound weight loss in a month! The National Sleep Foundation suggests seven to eight hours of sleep for most adults. (Bonus: Keep insomnia at bay with the 7 Ways to Eat Your Way to Better Sleep.)
1. Set strict kitchen hours
Nighttime fasting—aka closing the kitchen early—may help you lose more weight, even if you eat more food throughout the day, according to a study in the journal Cell Metabolism. Researchers put groups of mice on a high-fat, high-calorie diet for 100 days. Half of them were allowed to nibble throughout the night and day on a healthy, controlled diet, while the others only had access to food for eight hours, but could eat whatever they wanted. The result of the 16-hour food ban? The fasting mice stayed lean, while the mice who noshed ‘round the clock became obese—even though both groups consumed the same amount of calories!
2. Shake things up
Having a protein shake before hitting the sack may boost your metabolism, according to one Florida State University study. Researchers found that men who consumed an evening snack that included 30 g of either whey or casein protein had a higher resting metabolic rate the next morning than when eating nothing. Protein is more thermogenic than carbs or fat, meaning your body burns more calories digesting it. (Secret nutrition tip: Add flax seeds and coconut oil to your smoothie—they’re just two of the 8 New Superfoods You Should Eat Every Day!)
3. Make a mint
Certain scents can make your mouth water, and others can actually suppress your appetite. One study published in the Journal of Neurological and Orthopaedic Medicine found that people who sniffed peppermint every two hours lost an average of 5 pounds a month! Banana, green apple, and vanilla had similar effects. Consider burning a minty candle until you head to bed to fill the room with slimming smells. If you don’t want to bother with blowing out candles before you turn down the covers, try adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your pillow.
4. Let in the cold
A striking new study published in the journal Diabetes suggests that simply blasting the air conditioner or turning down the heat in winter may help us attack belly fat while we sleep. Colder temperatures subtly enhance the effectiveness of our stores of brown fat—fat keeps you warm by helping you burn through the fat stored in your belly. Participants spent a few weeks sleeping in bedrooms with varying temperatures: a neutral 75 degrees, a cool 66 degrees, and a balmy 81 degrees. After four weeks of sleeping at 66 degrees, the subjects had almost doubled their volumes of brown fat. (And yes, that means they lost belly fat.)
Learn how you can make your fat help you lose fat with our new Eat This, Not That! science-backed special report: “Fifty Shades of Fat.”)
5. Throw out the night light
Exposure to light at night doesn’t just interrupt your chances of a great night’s sleep, it may also result in weight gain according to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Study subjects who slept in the darkest rooms were 21 percent less likely to be obese than those sleeping in the lightest rooms.
6. Get the night-time blues
There’s a reason why McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s all have the same red-and-yellow theme colors. Those tones supposedly send us subliminal messages that help make us hungry. Does the same trick work at home? An experiment published in the interior design magazine Contract presented partygoers with three identical venues painted different colors: red, yellow and blue. Participants reported the red and yellow rooms to be equally appetizing (and ate the most in the yellow room), but found the food in the blue room only half as appealing. (Discover how colors aid weight loss with the Best Fruits For Fat Loss.)
7. Hide the iPad
Research suggests that the more electronics we bring into the bedroom, the fatter we get — especially among children. A study in the Pediatric Obesity journal found that kids who bask in the nighttime glow of a TV or computer don’t get enough rest and suffer from poor lifestyle habits. Researchers found that students with access to one electronic device were 1.47 times as likely to be overweight as kids with no devices in the bedroom. That increased to 2.57 times for kids with three devices. Leave your iPad in the living room.
8. And switch off the tube, too
Did you know lean people watch less TV? It’s one of our clinically proven 7 Laws of Leanness to help you look, feel and live better than ever!
SAVE $$$ AND CALORIES NOW! For the latest food swaps and weight-loss tips, visit the all-new Eat This, Not That! and sign up for our free newsletter full of diet tricks, menu hacks, and easy ways to a healthier, happier you.
More from Eat This, Not That
7 Foods That Ward Off Winter Illness
The 10 Best Nutrition Tips Ever
7 Healthy Drinks for Instant Energy
Join our Eat This, Not That! community here on Facebook and Twitter now!
