Popular opinion has always associated sleep with weight gain; but in recent years scientific research by exercise scientists has in fact shown that the opposite is true : we need sufficient sleep in order to lose weight and burn fat ! Here are a few reasons why:  

Firstly, lack of sleep interferes with your body’s natural mechanisms of recuperation and recovery from a workout. It has been found that at certain hours during sleep, the body releases growth hormones to rebuild and repair muscle tissue. Thus, if one cuts out a couple of hours of rest, one is essentially cheating oneself of the benefits of the earlier workout .

Secondly, and more importantly, lack of sleep can also adversely affect the function of hormones that regulate metabolism and fat storage. Studies have shown that sleeping less than 5 hours a night can reduce bloodstream leptin levels ( thereby slowing down metabolism) and increase ghrelin (which in turn increase appetite).

Lack of sleep will also inevitably make you less motivated to hit the gym because of fatigue! Thus it becomes another excuse not to work out on a given day. As such, a vicious cycle forms : insufficient sleep= skipped workout= little/no calories burned = weight gain !!! 

In a nutshell, PLEASE do get enough sleep if you are serious about dropping those excess pounds!

Stripping body fat off your body is definitely more than just exercise and cardio !

About The Author:

Rick Wong is a Singapore-based Fitness Coach, Exercise Professional and Personal Consultant. Besides providing professional fitness services to discerning clients, Rick is also involved in mentoring many up-and-coming Fitness Professionals in starting-up their own fitness businesses and in formulating successful marketing strategies. Rick can be contacted at http://www.body-by-rick.com