Losing weight demands a lot of attention and dedication from those who are in the pursuit of health. Desperate attempts at burning as many calories as possible are made, literally sweating it out in the gym. When you are young, you do have sufficient stamina to go on and on. When you are in your middle age or crossing over to more mature age, these activities seem rather daunting. That is when you start looking at all the alternative ways possible through which you can burn calories. A lot of eyebrows will naturally be raised when we say that you can actually burn many calories even in your sleep! But it is true.
Factors that Affect Weight Loss
While you are on a weight loss regimen, all you wish for is to see results as soon as possible. You are sufficiently motivated; you stick to your routine of healthy foods and exercise quite religiously. But, then you seem to have hit a plateau, and you don't make any further progress. That is when you lose confidence and give it all up. However, the fact that needs to be remembered here is that weight loss does not only depend on the total calorie intake and calorie burnt, but various factors have a direct impact on it. Some factors that really affect your weight loss are:
- Age
- Sex
- Metabolic output
- Physical activity
- Calorie intake
- Stress factor
- Hormonal status
- The body type
- Heredity
- Medical history
Burn Calories While You Sleep
There are some habits which, when incorporated in your daily routine, helps you lose weight as your body repairs itself while you are lost in some dream world. They are:
- Have Dinner 3 Hours Before Bedtime: If you have your dinner just before going to bed, the process of digestion does not complete and the system gets sluggish. This will not only add up more fat to your body, but will also harm the digestive system, causing problems like constipation and acidity. Having your dinner early will ensure proper digestion and will help maintain a good digestive system as well as metabolic rate while you are resting.
- Take a Walk After Dinner: Taking a short slow or medium-paced walk after dinner. This helps the digestive system to function better, as well as keep the metabolism high during the sleeping hours. The quality of your sleep also improves considerably by doing this.
- Take Strength Training During the Day: People who lift weight during the day burn more fat throughout the workout session, the entire day, and even at night. Strength training helps in raising the overall metabolic rate of the body and burns more calories when the body is resting.
- Turn Off the Heater: The natural defense mechanism of the body is built in such a way that if you feel cold or are shivering, the body spends more calories to keep itself warm. Therefore, when your intention is to lose weight, find your warmth inside, not from outside sources like covering up or using the room heater.
- Drink Green Tea or Lukewarm Lemon Water Before Sleeping: The function of an antioxidant is to protect the body against the damage caused by free-radicals (that cause the metabolic rate to drop). Drinking these beverages also flush the waste out of the body, making you feel fresh and energetic all day long.
- Try to Sleep for at Least 7 to 8 Hours: The importance of sufficient and quality sleep can never be overemphasized. Research has proven evidence that a good night's sleep is vital for overall well being of an individual. Those who are sleep deprived have a sluggish metabolism during the day and tend to gain weight. On the other hand, when your sleep requirement is fulfilled, you have a better metabolism during the day as well as night. The proper wear and tear of the cells while sleeping reduces stress and rejuvenates the body.
- Relax and Meditate Before You Sleep: If you are someone who takes all your worries and tension to bed, you will end up hurting your mental and physical well-being. To prevent this from happening, learn some meditation or relaxation techniques and practice them just before going to bed to keep your worries and excess weight at bay. Once again, good sleep leads to good health!
Those who "work smart" are more successful in this world than those who "work hard." This rule applies to weight loss techniques too. Slogging away long hours at the gym and then doing some foolish thing like hitting the bed as soon as you eat a heavy meal totally washes out your efforts at the gym. Therefore, along with having a regular exercise regimen, incorporate some habits like these to make your efforts a success.
