Let's talk about sleep

We all know sleep is important, but how important is it truly? Can you still reach your goals without it? Can you get very little and still be okay? Well let's see...

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THE BRAIN

Lack of sleep dampens the frontal cortex, meaning you will make poorer decisions.

HORMONES

Getting little sleep will increase Ghrelin (hunger), decrease Leptin (fullness), increase cortisol (fat storage), and decrease insulin sensitivity.

YOUR REACTION

You'll find yourself choosing high caffeine sodas and drinks late in the day to stay awake. High sugar foods and drinks are also prevalent. You'll be so "tired" mentally you'll want to just go home and take a nap and skip the exercise.

FAT GAIN

So, if none of that made any sense, this will. Getting little to no sleep messes with your hormones.....you will not be able to recover from the day before properly, especially if you're running and weight lifting. Increased cortisol and decreased insulin sensitivity means you'll store fat easier, and the poor decisions you make trying to stay awake will just make it that much easier to gain some extra pounds.

CONCLUSION

I've worked with a lot of people, and I'd say the two biggest problems I see with trouble to lose weight is, #1 not knowing how many calories they consume a day, and #2 lack of sleep. Without sleep, you're not going to go very far on your fat loss journey. You might do good at first, but you HAVE TO get adequate amounts of sleep in order to see consistent results!