In the following sections, we’ll outline complementary approaches that may help lose weight. The below strategies are not meant to replace your standard medical treatment. Make sure to consult with your doctor before making any significant changes to your day-to-day routine.
Lifestyle
Sleep
Correct Sleep Schedule
Research over the past few decades has recognized the importance of circadian biology in obesity. Scientists think that circadian biology may have a massive influence on energy balance and metabolism [R].
In lab settings, mice who ate at the wrong time (when it’s dark for humans) gained more weight, despite the absence of any significant differences in calorie intake or activity over the course of the experiment. The authors suspect that their metabolism shifted [R].
According to another theory, a disrupted circadian rhythm may be why shift workers seem to be at an increased risk of obesity [R].
Quantity of Sleep
Short sleep duration has been associated with weight gain in many studies. A meta-analysis of 30 studies and over 630,000 people associated short sleep duration with a 55% higher incidence of obesity in adults and 89% in children [R, R, R].
Poor sleep can increase hunger and cravings and disrupt hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin [R, R].
Take Care of Your Biological Clock (Circadian Rhythm)
Researchers over the past few decades have recognized the importance of circadian biology in obesity. It turns out that circadian biology may have a massive influence on energy balance and metabolism [R].
Both shift work and being exposed to bright light at night have been linked to an increased risk of obesity [R, R].
What’s the best way to shirt your biological clock?
Start by going outside in the morning [R, R]. A study in 54 people found that getting exposed to lots of light earlier in the day was associated with a lower BMI [R].
There are several other ways to improve and shift your circadian rhythm, including:
- eating earlier in the morning and restricting food at night
- getting more sunlight during the day [R, R, R, R]
- avoiding bright light at night and wearing blue blocking glasses at night [R, R, R]
- going to
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