I’m a businesswoman with a busy social and work life. I have a healthy diet and exercise religiously – but my weight is sticking. I’m concerned that I may gain weight as my job has got even more busy and stressful. What am I doing wrong?
I’m not sure you are doing anything wrong, apart from possibly doing a little too much. Your schedule could be affecting your sleep patterns. Evidence suggests that quantity and quality of sleep can affect metabolism and weight loss. Lack of sleep hampers the secretion of cortisol, which regulates appetite, so individuals who lose sleep may eat enough food yet still feel hungry.
Sleep loss may also impair the body’s metabolism of carbohydrates, raising blood glucose levels, causing an overproduction of insulin, which can promote fat storage. Lack of restorative deep sleep has been known to contribute to a decrease in levels of growth hormone, which helps to regulate the body’s proportions of fat and muscle.
I suggest you apply the same good attention to your sleep as you do to your exercise and eating. Don’t go to bed hungry but avoid eating too big a meal right before bedtime. Get into a good pre-sleep ritual, such as soaking in a warm bath or reading. If you wake in the middle of the night and struggle to sleep again, try my Still Eyes exercise. When the mind races, your eyes also flicker. If you can still your eyes, you will still your mind. Lie face-up. Keeping eyes shut, cast them down towards your navel. Take five deep breaths as you keep them drawn towards that spot. Notice that, as your mind starts to wander, so does your eye-line. Try to keep the eyes focused on the navel; concentrate on letting them soften and fall away from your eyelids. All the time be aware of your breathing. If trouble persists, have a chat with your GP. Sleep tight.
· Joanna Hall is a fitness expert (joannahall.com). Send your exercise questions to: Weekend, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER ([email protected]).
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