Lose Weight While You Sleep
Losing weight can be hard. For some people, it’s a constant struggle. But Nick Nicholson, M.D., a bariatric surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano and medical director of the weight loss surgery program at Baylor Plano, offers a secret weapon: Get some sleep.
Studies have shown that just by gaining an extra hour of sleep, people can increase their weight loss. How does that work? While studies haven’t been conclusive on the reasons behind this connection, Dr. Nicholson offers some food for thought.
Less snacking. “If you’re awake for an extra hour, it’s either that you’re going to bed an hour later or getting up an hour earlier,” he says. “For most of us, it means going to bed later. What do you do with that extra hour?” Some of us, he says, are likely to sit on the couch, watch television, maybe make some popcorn or have a bowl of ice cream. “Weight loss is a basic calories-in, calories-out equation,” Dr. Nicholson explains. And going to bed earlier can help you reduce the calories in.
Less emotional eating. “When people are tired, that has a direct correlation with feeling depressed,” Dr. Nicholson says. Depression can lead to emotional eating—using food as a means to feel better—or a tendency to turn to higher-calorie foods for an energy fix.
Burn more calories. “If you have a lack of sleep,” Dr. Nicholson says, “what are the odds you’re going to feel like exercising—or even just going for a walk?” By getting the right amount of sleep, you’re more likely to have the energy to burn more calories. To help with your weight-loss efforts, he suggests following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation of 10,000 steps a day.
For more information on weight-loss surgery, attend a free informational session at Baylor Plano. Click here to register.