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Are you surprised that sleep is on the list of possible reasons why fat loss diets are not working for you? Most people do not realize how vital a good night’s rest is to overall health and in fact weight loss. Studies are now being done to determine exactly why weight loss is affected by lack of sleep. Some studies show that lack of sleep affects your metabolism, this is the mechanism that determines how many calories you burn and at what rate. In addition to this, sleep affects the amount of cortisol released; this is the hormone that regulates appetite.

Few would argue with the fact that when you are not properly rested, you get cranky and even depressed. Depression can lead to overeating and that in turn leads to weight gain not weight loss! Researchers agree that the average human should get at least eight hours of sleep per night and this on a regular schedule. Try to go to bed around the same time each night to put your body on schedule. This will alleviate stress and balance your metabolism.

Stress

When you are extremely stressed, the body manufactures cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that regulates appetite, over production causes overeating and weight gain around the midsection. If you are noticing, an increase in fat stores around your abdomen cortisol could be the culprit.

Find some relaxation techniques that work for you. Meditation is a good place to start, as is exercise and a long soak in the tub. Do whatever it takes for you to feel more at ease and reduce stress.

Medical Issues

You have probably heard someone say that his or her weight gain is a result of a thyroid problem. You may have even chuckled a bit because the term has become somewhat of a joke over the years. However, you should never discount the possibility; there are a number of symptoms and risks you should consider.

1) Radiation exposure

2) Family history of thyroid disorder

3) Family history of autoimmune disorder

4) Fatigue

5) Fast weight gain or an inability to lose weight

6) Memory loss

This is but a sample of 33 distinct symptoms and risk factors is you have any of the above you should have your thyroid evaluated. In fact, the first thing you should do when trying to lose weight is see your doctor.

Plateau

This is a place many people are familiar with; you have done everything right and lost some weight. Then all of a sudden no matter how hard you try you cannot lose another ounce. You have hit a plateau. This can occur for many reasons, you have dropped your caloric intake to low or you are exercising too much in response to both of these the body will slow your metabolism so that you do not burn as many calories.

If you have hit a plateau, you can take various steps to overcome it. Below are a few weight loss tips:

1) Keep your caloric intake just below maintenance this will prevent the metabolic slow down

2) Change your exercise routine, do not allow the body to get used to one set routine

3) Increase lean muscle mass, lean muscle burns more calories than fat.

Conclusion

Cover all your bases before you decide that you will never be able to lose weight. Cut yourself some slack and explore some of these possible conditions. You could be on your way to significant weight loss in no time.

Green Tea In Liquid Or Capsule May Aid In Weight Loss

Previous animal studies showed that green tea extract increased thermogenesis, which is the generation of body heat that occurs as a result of normal digestion, absorption, and metabolization of food. In previous human studies, the authors showed that consumption of green tea increased thermogenesis as well as energy expenditure and fat loss in healthy men, suggesting that green tea in liquid or capsule form may be an effective way to aid weight loss.

In the new study, conducted by Abdul Dulloo, from the Institute of Physiology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, researchers exposed a particular type of fatty tissue from rats to caffeine and to green tea extract containing small concentrations of caffeine.

Green Tea Containing Caffeine Can Raise Metabolism

Green tea containing caffeine significantly increased thermogenesis by 28% to 77%, depending on dose, whereas caffeine alone resulted in no significant increase. When the stimulant ephedrine was added to green tea with caffeine, the increase was even more significant compared with caffeine alone and ephedrine alone. Caffeine and ephedrine are used together in some herbal weight loss preparations, but there are many safety concerns regarding ephedrine because it raises heart rate and blood pressure.

Dulloo and colleagues also tested the plant compound EGCG found in green tea. They found that the stimulant ephedrine alone had no effect on thermogenesis, but that caffeine plus ephedrine resulted in an 84% increase. However, adding EGCG to the caffeine plus ephedrine mix increased thermogenesis even further.

“Our studies … raise the possibility that the therapeutic potential of the green tea extract, or indeed a combination of EGCG and caffeine, may be extended to the management of obesity,” Dulloo and co-authors write.

A researcher who reviewed the study for WebMD says that while the work is interesting and extends this group’s previous findings by showing that compounds in green tea other than caffeine are involved in thermogenesis, caution should be used in interpreting animal data and applying it to humans.

“They used [a particular type of fatty tissue] from rats and we don’t really know how significant that tissue is in humans or if it is different in obese vs. non-obese people,” says Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr, PhD. “It doesn’t rule out the significance of the findings, and it is a good model to use to look at the effects of caffeine and the combination of caffeine and the [plant] compounds that are present in green tea, but until better clinical trials are done in humans, it’s hard to say what the physiological significance of this actually may be.”

Zidenberg-Cherr, who is an associate professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, also points out that thermogenesis plays only a very small role in energy expenditure in adults. Most of the energy expended is used to maintain basic body functions such as breathing and the flow of blood throughout the body.

She says green tea may have many health benefits due to its plant compounds, but cautions that it is not the answer to weight-loss woes. “Green tea can’t be used, and it shouldn’t be used, as a ‘magic bullet’ for weight loss,” she tells WebMD. “You’ve got to combine it with other changes, including increasing physical activity and reducing a high-calorie diet.”