Thread: Losing weight?

I know the opposite of this. I become heavier when I get a lot of sleep because my body don't burn calories while sleeping. But if this is true then it would help a lot of people lose weight just by sleeping.

It is not really that you lose weight while you sleep, but that if you are getting enough sleep then your body works better and you metabolize faster which helps you burn calories and lose weight.

Thanks sleepwalker. I am sure I have heard people talking about losing during their sleep. I have a physical today and I'm going to ask the doctor. I do get enough sleep most nights so maybe that is what it's all about.

What about the opposite, do we gain weight if ever we don't have enough sleep? How do I know how much sleeping I need in order to lose weight?

Good question there Leo. I think it is possible that we can gain weight when we lack sleep. I tend to eat more when I don't sleep well so I also get more fats stored in my body.

This is a theory I need to test myself. I have been gaining weight and at the same time I'm not having enough sleep. I thought that we lose weight if don't get enough rest in which it is opposite from what this topic is all about.

This is an intereesting discussion being raised here as it touches on a lot of different issues. With regards weight loss as someone has previously said your metabolism works more effectively when you have slept for a sufficient amount of time. With regards weight gain aside from the increase consumption of snacks etc that goes alongside being awake for longer periods, the body has little time to recover the metabolic process. Also generally people who do stay awake for longer periods are not being active in that time so there is little potential benefit for weight loss.

Originally Posted by sleepwalker

It is not really that you lose weight while you sleep, but that if you are getting enough sleep then your body works better and you metabolize faster which helps you burn calories and lose weight.

This is true, just sleeping will not help you lose weight. In order to lose weight you need to eat well and exercise also. Sleeping properly will just help the prcoess speed up as your metabolism rate will increase leading to burning body calories faster! If that was the case all people would do is sleep and not exercise or eat healthy...