5 Things That Can Affect How Quickly You Lose Weight.

Setting a big weight-loss goal is great. But it’s important to be realistic, because it’s not like you’re going to shed 20 pounds in one week—or even five.

“I always remind my patients that they most likely didn’t gain all of their weight overnight, therefore it's unrealistic to expect that they’ll lose it overnight,” says Maya Feller, RD.

Making a lifestyle change—which is what lasting weight loss requires—takes time and effort, so setting small, realistic goals will help you avoid disappointment. “Instead of focusing on the end result—for example, losing 20 pounds—focus on losing a single pound. Next, focus on losing a another pound,” says Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet. “Success feeds success. The more successful you are with your goals, the more likely you will stay motivated.”

So what's that mean for your goals of fast weight loss? And how soon can you expect weight-loss success? Well, no two people lose weight at the same rate.

That’s why it’s important to be aware of all the things that can affect your fast weight loss—things you might not even initially think about in your excitement to start exercising and eating healthy. 

So before you get yourself psyched up to see a certain number on the scale, know that these factors could play a role in how quickly—or not—you can shed pounds.

Study Shows - Extra Sleep May Be Beneficial For Weight Loss

The best news: Sleeping longer may be the key to reaching your health and weight loss goals. According to a new study from researchers at King's College London, people who snooze for an extra hour or so could end up consuming fewer sugars and carbohydrates.

With 21 participants involved, the study was admittedly small; it was also a pilot, meaning more studies would be required to support its findings. Researchers recruited 42 people: half received a sleep consultation intended to up their time in bed by as many as 1.5 hours each night, while the other half proceeded with their bedtime habits as usual. Each person got an individualized set of instructions—no caffeine before bed; set a pre-sleep routine that promotes relaxation; don't go to bed too full or too hungry—and a suggested time to hit the hay.

 Related: Why You Need Sleep To Burn More Calories

Over the next week, participants wore motion sensors to bed and kept diaries detailing their sleep patterns and daily diets. The study found that 86 percent of those in the sleep-consultation group ended up spending more time in bed, and half of them slept longer: between 52 and 90 minutes longer, to be exact. That extra sleep may have been less restful, which researchers chalk up to it being a new habit. Among the control group, researchers saw no change.

Why You Need Sleep To Burn More Calories.

I'm sure you don't need a 10-page research paper from the journal Sleep to tell you that sleeping less leads to fatigue and a cranky attitude. (But in case you were wondering, there is one.) 

Pretty much everyone knows that lack of sleep causes fatigue and performance deficiencies, but the worst part is that you stop being aware of these ill-effects after a couple of days. You actually get used to functioning in a fatigued state, yet you don't realize that you're overtired and not performing at your best. Sleep-deprived fatigue becomes your new normal. 

Related: Tips To Improve Your Sleep and Boost Your Weight Loss

One of the biggest downsides to this fatigue is that it will make you burn fewer calories. This is because you'll tend to move less during the day and also because your body will become more conservative with the number of calories you burn overall. Both of these occurrences are a huge barrier to rapid fat loss, as they are the total opposite of what you need to happen. You need greater energy output, and you need your body to become more frivolous, not conservative, with the amount of calories that it burns each day.

What Is The Pioppi Diet?

Pioppi is a tiny fishing village in the south of Italy that has a cracking beach and a sea museum. It is also the spiritual home of the Mediterranean Diet and the inspiration for new book The Pioppi Diet by Dr Aseem Malhotra and Donal O’Neill, which aims to provide a simple 21-day lifestyle plan that the authors claim can transform your health forever.

This remarkable effect is achieved without drastically cutting calories or exercising every hour of the day. The Pioppi plan is based around avoiding added sugar and refined carbs, and instead building your diet around vegetables and fatty foods like oily fish and olive oil. The plan goes beyond your diet too, with recommended movements and stress-busting breathing exercises.

People will be talking about this book, so make sure you’re in the know. Here’s a bluffer’s guide to the key pillars of the 21-day Pioppi plan, as described in the book. 

6 Ways To Cut Calories Every Day

Some really simple tips but it all adds up. Let me know what you think?

Sleeping Beauty Diet? What Is It And Why Are People Doing It?

In the category of things you should never do to lose weight, this one tops the list. It’s called the Sleeping Beauty Diet, and it’s one heck of a dangerous way to shed pounds.

Women in online communities—particularly pro-anorexia communities—are encouraging each other to take a sedative like Xanax to sleep at least 10 hours a day in order to avoid eating, according to one report from Metro UK. Followers also encourage one another to exercise and “severely restrict” calories during the day.

The verdict: Don’t do it. Seriously.

Why You're Not Losing Weight Yet

Saw this video. Some really good advice. Check it out and let me know if you agree?

10 Tips To Losing Weight Even When You Are Feeling Lazy.

Losing weight takes a lot of sweat and discipline, but even when you're not powering through a treadmill interval workout or counting calories, there are a lot of simpler ways to see those pounds drop on the scale. Employing these 10 little tricks daily will help you lose weight, no gym or diet required.

1.     Always start a meal with a glass of water: You'll stay hydrated and feel fuller instantly, which can help you from overeating.

2.   Make a few simple swaps at every meal: Going for a vinaigrette dressing instead of a creamy dressing at lunch can save you 80 calories, while opting for fresh fruit instead of dried can save you dozens as well. 

8 Tips To Help To Curb Your Hunger To Boost Your Weight Loss.

Watching portions and cutting calories is one way people find success when trying to lose weight. Too bad hunger kicks into high gear, making eating less so miserable, many people just throw in the towel. It is possible to eat fewer calories and not feel hungry, so if you're trying to slim down, follow these tips.

1.     Eat enough: You total daily calories depend on your goal weight and your activity level, so while it's good to strictly count calories, make sure your total daily calories is enough and doesn't dip below 1,200. Keep your hunger in check all day by eating 300 to 400 calories at each meal, and throw in a 150-calorie snack or two between meals to satiate your hunger.

6 Things Preventing You Shifting Stubborn Belly Fat

You might hate the look of your belly, but there's another reason to slim down other than vanity. Carrying excess abdominal fat, particularly visceral fat which surrounds your organs, is associated with increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

If the belly pudge won't budge, despite watching what you eat and exercising, you could be making one of these five mistakes...

8 Tips To Help Stop Night Time Snacking.

Eating at night, often when you're not even hungry, can be a hard habit to break. Here are eight things you can do to help stop the snacking cycle.

1. Eat more during the day

If you tend to skip breakfast, grab lunch on the go, then over-eat at night, you might need to eat more during the day.

Make sure each meal contains plenty of fibre (found in vegetables and whole grains) and protein to fill you up and curb late night hunger-pangs. One study found that eating frequent high-protein meals reduced cravings by 60% and cut the desire to eat at night by half.

5 Morning Habits Making You Gain Weight.

We’ve all been there—you commit to shedding a few pounds, but they seem just as committed to sticking to you. You’ve done away with the obvious culprits—out-of-control portion sizes, fast food, happy hour—so what’s the problem?

"The biggest mistake people make when they’re trying to lose weight is getting their day off on the wrong foot," says Susan Peirce Thompson, PhD, president of the Institute for Sustainable Weight Loss. Those first waking moments lay the foundation for the choices you will make the rest of the day—and every day after—so it’s vital to establish good habits that you can fall back on when you’re still foggy-headed and bleary-eyed.

Here, we've got the common mistakes that can ruin more than just your morning, and how to adjust them.

5 Ways To Lose The Last 5 Pounds You Have Not Tried.

It hardly seems fair: The closer you get to your goal weight, the more difficult it is to make the scale budge. “The last five pounds are certainly the hardest to lose,” says Rebecca Blake, R.D.N., administrative director for the department of medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York. “You can blame the ‘thrifty gene,’ which is the idea that humans are genetically programmed to survive for long periods without food. ”

In other words, if you were, say, 30 pounds overweight, your body might be OK with letting those first 10 or 20 pounds go rather quickly once you started making some healthy changes. But those last 5–10 pounds? Your body is going to fight hard to hang onto those — thank you very much — just in case there’s a famine right around the corner.

10 Reasons Why You Feel Like You're Always Hungry.

10 Reasons Why You Feel Like You’re Always Hungry

Obviously if you haven’t eaten anything in four hours, you can probably guess why your tummy’s rumbling. But if you just finished lunch a few minutes ago and you’re already digging through the snack drawer, here are a few things that might be giving you that bottomless-pit feeling.

1. You’re not sleeping enough

If you regularly skimp on sleep — like one-third of adults do — it could be to blame for your endless snack attacks. Just one night of sleep deprivation can cause your ghrelin levels to spike, and sleep debt has been linked to higher BMIs and obesity-related metabolic disorders.

And when you’re running on fumes, your body will start looking for any fuel source to keep you going — like, say, that bag of corn chips in the pantry. Studies have shown that sleepy people tend to consume hundreds of extra calories in a day — so if you burned the midnight oil last night, don’t be surprised if you’re hungrier than usual today.

5 Morning Habits That May Affect Your Weight Loss

We’ve all been there—you commit to shedding a few pounds, but they seem just as committed to sticking to you. You’ve done away with the obvious culprits—out-of-control portion sizes, fast food, happy hour—so what’s the prob?

"The biggest mistake people make when they’re trying to lose weight is getting their day off on the wrong foot," says Susan Peirce Thompson, Ph.D., president of the Institute for Sustainable Weight Loss. Those first waking moments lay the foundation for the choices you will make the rest of the day—and every day after—so it’s vital to establish good habits that you can fall back on when you’re still foggy-headed and bleary-eyed.

Here, we've got the common mistakes that can ruin more than just your morning, and how to adjust them.

1. You Oversleep

We've all heard that a lack of shut-eye may cause weight gain, thanks to elevated levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone cortisol in the body. But turns out the opposite—getting too much sleep—might not be much better for you. One study in the journal PLOS One found that sleeping more than 10 hours a night also upped the risk of having a higher BMI compared to those who got seven to nine hours a night. So, hit that sleep sweet spot of seven to nine hours on the reg, and you'll be in good shape.   

2. You Get Ready in the Dark

If you keep the blinds closed after you wake up, you could be missing out on the weight-loss benefits of the sun, according to another study published in the journal PLOS One.

The study authors suggest that people who got some sun in the early morning had significantly lower BMIs than those who didn't, regardless of how much they ate. According to the study, just 20 to 30 minutes of daylight is enough to affect BMI, even when it’s overcast. That's because your body syncs up your internal clock—including your calorie-torching metabolism—using the blue light waves from the early morning sun as a guide.

3. You Don't Make Your Bed

A National Sleep Foundation survey found that bed-makers were 19 percent more likely to report getting a good night's sleep compared to those who didn't make their beds. And since sleeping soundly has been liked to a lower BMI, why wouldn't you pick this habit back up? This may sound silly, but Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, writes in his book that putting your bed back together in the morning can spawn other good behaviors, like packing a healthy lunch, perhaps. At the same time, Duhigg also writes that those who make their beds regularly are better at sticking to budgets—a demonstration of willpower that may carry over to keeping your calorie count in check.

4. You Skip the Scale

When Cornell University researchers tracked 162 overweight women and men for two years, they found that those who weighed themselves every day were more successful when it came to losing weight and keeping it off. And the best time to step to it is first thing in the a.m., when your weight is at its lowest, says Lisa Jones, R.D., spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Not only will the measurement be more accurate (after a night of metabolizing, you'll be carrying less water weight), you’ll be able to make adjustments if the number’s a bit higher than you expect.

5. You Skimp at Breakfast  

Researchers from Tel Aviv University found that low-cal dieters who ate a balanced breakfast that contained 600 calories of lean protein, carbohydrates, and a little something sweet reported less hunger and fewer cravings the rest of the day compared to those that ate a low-carb 300-calorie breakfast. They were also better at sticking to their calorie limits. What’s more, they had lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin after their meals. The researchers suggest that it's possible that satisfying your cravings first thing in the morning may help keep you from feeling deprived and going hog-wild later in the day. 

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Tips To Improve Your Sleep And Boost Your Weight Loss!

Getting a better night’s sleep is one of the easiest ways to lose weight. And, impressively, it’s one of the most effective. Case in point: In one Annals of Internal Medicine study, dieters who got 8.5 hours of sleep per night lost twice as much fat as those who scraped by on 5.5 hours—even though they all cut the same number of calories each day.

As you might have guessed, how you get ready for bed has a huge impact on whether or not your sleep results in weight loss. And no, we aren’t going to tell you to shut off your cell phone or reserve your bed for “sleep and sex.” We're sure you already follow those rules of good sleep hygiene, right? (Wink, wink.)

Add these six habits to your bedtime routine, and you’ll make your weight-loss journey sooo much easier:

A glass of milk, cup of Greek yogurt, or even a protein smoothie before bed can do more than fight the pre-bedtime belly growls. They also help you build more muscle while you sleep. That’s because dairy is chock-full of casein, a slow-to-digest form of protein that keeps exercisers’ muscles fueled with amino acids, so they can build lean mass all night long, according to research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Just a refresher: Building muscle is the No. 1 way to increase your metabolic rate and burn more calories every damn day.

Fine-tuning the thermostat a couple of hours before bed can make drifting off to dreamland (and actually staying in it) way easier. “We need our body temperature to drop in order to sleep through the night,” says Rebecca Scott, Ph.D., research assistant professor of neurology at the NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center—Sleep Center.

Plus, research published in Diabetes shows that when people sleep in rooms set to 66.2 degrees, they convert some of their calorie-storing white fat into calorie-burning brown fat. Why? Because brown fat’s in charge of heating your body, says board-certified family and bariatric physician Spencer Nadolsky, a doctor of osteopathic medicine.

“Winding down before bed can seem like a waste of time when most of us are rushing to get everything done right up until we get in bed,” says Scott. But it's actually better to take the 30 minutes before hitting the hay for yourself—even if that means going to sleep a little later, she says.

Do a relaxing activity that you truly enjoy, like reading. This helps protect your sleep and energy, he says. 

Even without a bedtime gadget habit, bright lights coming through your bedroom windows can cut down on your body’s production of sleepy-time melatonin, interfering with sleep quality, says Nadolsky.

That explains why, in one 2014 University of Oxford study, women who slept in the darkest rooms were 21 percent less likely to be obese than women who slept in the lightest rooms. But if you want to get the biggest benefit from “lights out,” you need to dim your indoor lights along with the setting sun. Think about it: If you spend your evening hours in a brightly lit living room, you’re missing out on a ton of melatonin that boosts your sleep, he says.

While intense exercise scheduled too close to bed can backfire by energizing you, performing some light stretching or yoga before (or even in) bed helps the body relax, says Nadolsky.

For even more relaxation, incorporate deep, diaphragmatic breathing into your moves. Here's how to do that: Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, focusing on taking slow, complete breaths that raise and lower your belly, rather than your chest. Doing so activates your “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system to reduce tension and help you fall asleep, he says.

It might help you drift off (errr, pass out?), but it won’t help you stay that way. “Alcohol consumed too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep quality in the second part of the night,” says Scott. That's because metabolizing the sugar in alcoholic beverages doesn't let your body actually rest, he says. That results in longer light sleep stages, decreased dream sleep, and more fragmented dream sleep. In one 2015 University of Melbourne study, researchers said that the disruptions in a sleeping brain’s wave patterns after a night of drinking are similar to those induced by mild electric shocks. Sounds like fun, right?

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How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need?

Enough Sleep? Who gets the chance? Here's the science. What do you think?

Ways To Lose Weight Even If You Don't Get Enough Sleep.

Getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night is clutch for weight loss. It regulates your hormones, keeps your from going into Cookie Monster mode when you spot treats in the break room, squashes stress hormones, and fuels your trips to the gym. But, TBH, getting a full eight hours is not always an option if you're clocking long hours at work. 

That doesn't mean your weight-loss goals are totally doomed though! You just need to make a few adjustments to your life to boost your energy and diminish the effects of a sucky sleep schedule. 

Try these tweaks and start losing weight no matter how little sleep you're getting. 

You know that high-intensity interval training burns serious calories, but they can backfire if you haven't been hitting the sack. These workouts can actually hinder fat loss because they increase the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your already stressed-out, sleep-deprived bod, says Erica Suter, C.S.C.S. What's more, since you need lots of energy to get through a HIIT workout, you'll get less out of it.

Instead, stick to less-taxing strength workouts, lifting moderate-to-heavy weight and taking breaks. Though you're not working as intensely, focusing on multi-join movements, like squats, deadlifts, pullups, pushups, dips, rows, and lunges will help you boost your metabolism and burn more calories, says Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S., co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab and Promix Nutrition advisor.

Let's be clear: If you swear by p.m. workouts, but caffeine keeps you up at night, skip this tip. But otherwise, a little caffeine before exercising gives you stamina, say Matheny. "It's also been shown to help make exercise feel easier, so you'll work out longer and harder," agrees Karen Ansel, R.D., author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging: Stay Younger, Live Longer.

 A 12-ounce cup of strong coffee delivers all the caffeine you need for a pre-workout boost; tea—whether green or black—doesn't have enough caffeine to make a difference. Skip the added sweeteners and milky espresso drinks, which can add back as many calories as you'll burn. Try experimenting on the timing to see what works best for you, says Ansel. You can start by sipping your coffee 30 minutes before your workout and work your way to five minutes before you work out to find your perfect timing.

Though some experts say that skipping exercise altogether while trying to lose weight can be okay, Alex Caspero, R.D encourages her clients to get at least 10 minutes of light to moderate activity (meaning you can speak a few sentences to a few words while working out). A short period of walking, jogging, or doing some light yoga can help you burn calories, improve your mood, and self-confidence. "Plus, you usually end up working out longer because it feels good," she says. "You can easily commit to 10 minutes."

Home cooking gives you control over what's going into each bite. And if you strategically stock your pantry, making your own meals isn't as exhausting as it sounds. Fill your kitchen with healthy, non-perishable staples like canned soup, frozen vegetables, frozen meat, and easy-to-cook whole grains, like brown rice and quinoa, says Caspero. You can easily turn those ingredients into a stir-fry or warm grain bowl in under 30 minutes, she says.

Research has shown that when we're tired we're much more likely to overeat, so choosing foods that keep you full between meals is key. So when you've got the munchies, grab a mix of high-quality protein, fat, and fiber, which slow digestion and give you a sustained energy boost, she says. Think almonds, walnuts, hardboiled eggs, and veggies dipped in hummus, says Isabel Smith, R.D.

Got to have something sweet? Reach for a whole piece of fruit. "The fiber from the fruit slows down the release of its sugars," says Ansel.

Spacing out your meals and snacks every two to four hours keeps your appetite and calories in check, says Ansel. "If you don't eat often enough, you're bound to get overly hungry and eat too much at your next meal," she says. "But if you're nibbling too frequently, it's hard to control calories."

Dehydration saps your mood and energy, making your feel tired and more prone to reach for comfort foods for a pick-me-up, says Ansel. What's more, downing a couple of glasses before a meal has been shown to help people eat less. Aim to drink at least 72 ounces of water every day, and another eight ounces for every 30 minutes you workout, she says.

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Weight Loss Tips For Shift Workers

Many people work overnight shifts. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 15 million Americans work full-time on evening shifts, night shifts, rotating shifts, or other irregular schedules. Unfortunately, shift work can make it harder to lose weight. But by taking steps to accommodate your erratic schedule, you can slim down successfully.

Shift work disrupts your circadian rhythms, which are the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle (think of it as a clock) within your body. Circadian rhythms are directed by environmental cues such as sunlight, darkness, and temperature. People who work night shifts often experience disruption of their circadian rhythms, which affects their sleeping and eating patterns. Because of circadian rhythm disorders, people who do shift work can have higher rates of heart disease and mental health conditions such as depression. Shift workers are also more likely than 9-5 workers to be overweight or obese.

Maintaining a healthy weight is a bit harder for shift workers for several reasons. Shift working requires you to sleep during the day and work during the night, forcing you to go against your body's natural rhythm. As a result, your metabolism can slow down, which reduces your body's calorie and fat burning potential. Shift workers may also eat more because their mealtimes get mixed up. And if they don't get enough sleep, exhaustion may negatively impact the action of their hunger and satiety hormones. It can also be more difficult for shift workers to get the exercise they need, and it may be harder for them to schedule stress-relief techniques into their daily life. If you're a shift worker, you can optimize your weight-loss success by taking these steps.

Watch your food intake

It's tempting to snack on sweets, chips, and other junk food, especially when you're up in the middle of the night working while most of the rest of the world is fast asleep. Try really hard to resist those temptations and stick with diet-approved meals and snacks. Pack meals and snacks at home, and take them to work in a cooler so you're not a prisoner of your environment, getting stuck trying to make healthy meals out of vending machine fare.

Schedule your meals

Eat breakfast within an hour of waking and eat dinner at least 3 hours before bed. An overnight worker may have breakfast at 2 p.m., lunch at 7 p.m., and dinner at 2 a.m., with snacks spread out in-between. Figure out the meal schedule that works best for you and stick to it every day, even if you're not working. And resist the urge to grab a big greasy breakfast after work! Not only will it pile on hundreds of excess calories, but it will also interfere with your sleep and slow down your metabolism.

Schedule your sleep

Do your best to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep at the same time every day. This can help minimize the impact of circadian rhythm disorder. Experts recommend sleeping during the day even on your days off in order to stick to a sleep schedule. This can be hard, because you end up missing social events and other things that go on during the day. But do your best to sleep at the same time each day and to get enough sleep, which is key.

Make a plan for exercise

The good news is that gyms tend to be less crowded during the day, when you're home from work. Try to exercise at about the same time each day, and for your best chance of serene, deep sleep, get the workout in at least a couple of hours before bed. Remember, exercise raises endorphin levels so it's likely that a workout will pump you up, interfering with a restful sleep experience.

Schedule relaxation

Whether you enjoy meditating, doing yoga, or engaging in other relaxation techniques, be sure to fit some kind of relaxation into each day.

Seek help if you need it

If you are having trouble sleeping or dealing with mood swings or have any other health problems related to your shift work, by all means, please see your doctor.

Adapted from Lose Your Final 15

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