5 Things To Do Before Bed Tonight To Lose Weight
Guess what? You can lose weight while you are sleeping! Your body is always hard at work, especially when it's asleep. Studies have shown that individuals that sleep less tend to be hungrier than people who get more shut-eye.
Obviously, you cannot expect just to sleep away the pounds. You also need to eat well, exercise, drink lots of water, limit your alcohol intake and just make good life choices all around. On top of all this, you also need a good nights sleep.
Here are 5 things to do before you go to bed to lose weight all while you're fast asleep. We're going to be trying them right along with you.
1. In the kitchen! Limit your food intake and watch what you eat and the pounds will melt off.
2. In the gym! Work your ass off in spin class, lift weights, run until the sweat drips into your eyes and your vision is impaired.
Although what you eat and exercising regularly is crucial to reaching your weight loss goals, the real work is done in the bedroom. No, not sexy time. Actual sleeping! Allowing your body to restore and rejuvenate. Trust us there is real science behind this! The Annals of Internal Medicine found that getting adequate amounts of sleep in addition to limiting calorie intake will allow you to retain lean muscle mass and lose fat.
To help you get on your way to your weight loss goals, here are 5 things to do before bed tonight to lose weight.
Photographers: Mak Mozza
Step One - Turn Down The Thermostat
Not only will you save money on your heating bill, but sleeping in slightly colder conditions will allow you to burn off unwanted fat stored in your belly. Turn the heat down to 65°F and you should be on your way to less brown fat. Interested in the science behind Thermoregulation? Learn more about here.
The Nest Thermostat learns the temperatures you like and will program itself in about a week.
Step Two Excercise Before Bed
Perform the following strength workout each night about a half an hour before bed. Spike your metabolism right before sleepy time in order to optimize your weight loss goals.
1. 60 bodyweight squats - see example here
2. 60 push ups - see example here
3. 60 mountain climbers - see example here
4. Plank for 60 seconds - the perfect plank here
5. 30 (each side) bodyweight split squats - see example here
6. 30 (each side) single leg hip rises - see example here
7. 60 burpees with a push up jack - see example here
8. 30 (each side) single leg toe touch - see example here
9. 30 leg raise sit ups - see example here
Photographers: Ricardo Estefânio
Step Three Make Yourself A Cup of Tea
There are several types of tea you can drink before bed to assist in your weight loss goals
1. Decaffinated Green Tea - Green tea contains high doses of antioxidant compounds called catechins that have been linked to heart health, weight loss and other benefits
2. Roobibos Tea - Has a powerful flavonoid called Aspalathin. This unique compound is known to reduce stress hormones that trigger hunger and fat storage.
3. White Tea - Not only is white tea is linked to anti-aging, but it will also prevent new fat cells from forming.
Photographers: Neven Krcmarek
Step Four Have A High Protein Snack
We have heard good things on intermittent fasting, but everyone has a different body type. For some us completely avoiding food before bedtime can be bad for weight loss. Feeling hungry before bed blows, and if you wake up hungry you're going to want to eat everything in sight. The trick is to eat a smart snack before bedtime. Here are 5 high protein snacks that will fuel you through the night.
1. Cottage Cheese- High in casein protein, but also contains tryptophan (same chemical found in turkey)
2. Hard Boiled Eggs
3. Turkey, avocado, salt pepper - make into little rolls
4. Protein Shake - 1/2 banana, protein, water, spinach (you can’t even taste the spinach and its so good for you)
5. Tuna made with avocado (or light mayo), mustard, onion on Wasa crackers
Photographers: Mariana Medvedeva
Step Five Take A Shower
Taking a shower before bed will help you relax and prep for sleepytime. If you feel clean, full and relaxed the more likely you are to have an amazing nights rest.
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Photo Source: Mariana Medvedeva