| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/2/2006 9:46:31 AM | Hello everyone I just discovered this forum and i'ts been very helpful. This is my situation. I have been heavy all my life...but always fairly active and three times I lost 80 lbs through diet and exercise. This time I have a friend who is a trainer give me a program which I started last week. A few days before I met with him I started walking and cutting out junk and lost 8 lbs right away...but since I started his program on sunday...nothing.
The program inscludes eating small portions about every 3 hours and is low carb high protein and eating very clean. The working out involves 45 minutes of cardio....walking in my case at a good pace...and at night light weight training and stretches to increase strength in my back and toning with low weight and high reps.... every night.
I have been doing the food thing no problem. I am not hungry on this program. The workouts are challenging because I have done nothing physical on a regular basis for a year and a half but I have been doing it every single day and I can feel the muscle coming in already.
The part I am having the most problem with is getting enough sleep at night. The most I have been getting is 6 hours sometimes less but I often nap in the afternoon for a couple hours. The other problem I have is with routine. Doing my training and meals at the exactly same time is difficult.
So my question is...knowing I usually lose about 7 lbs the first week of a program...can I really be building that much muscle that I would not lose weight even with all these changes? Or...do sleep and routine really have that great an effect? If so can someone explain why that would be true?
Everyone says it's so simple..exercise more...and eat less than you are burning...but all these details can drive you crazy because everyone wants the best results for the time and effort they put out. Any information would be appreciated!  | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/2/2006 12:46:05 PM | | me personally I feel better when I get 6-7 hours of sleep then 8 or more. BUt everyone is different and there is no hard concrete # that every single person should go by. Some people need 10 hours and some need 4 and everything in between. I wouldn't worry about it unless you notice yourself feeling tired and if you absolutely have to take hours worth of naps during the day then yeah maybe you should try to sleep more at night. Weight loss upon starting a program is usually fast because you can lose alot of water weight and your body is adjusting to the new program. You gain muscle and loss fat very slowly and when your weight flucuates more or less 5lbs each day its most water weight. If your trainer gave you a sound program which it sounds like he has stick with it and little by little you'll notice changes in your body. Remember that you can be building up muscle and losing fat which would ideally keep you at the same weight. This won't last forever but in the begining you can lose alot of weight fast do to the adjustments your body has to make to the workouts. Instead of worrying about the actual weight focus more on losing fat and inches because the scale can be very decieving. Also, don't worry about timing your meals exactly. As long as you eat every 3 hours and try to get all your meals in I wouldn't stress if they are off a little since each day in life will throw things at you you cant do anything about. Just improvise if you have to. Its really about planning ahead. If I know I'm going somewhere and won't be able to eat for 3 hours I'll make sure to eat before I leave or take a protein shake with me or something similair. Its a pain in the a$$ but if you want results then thats the sacrafices you need to make. I always say if you want to look different then you have to do things different. It's easy to be "average" but hey what fun is that right? lol. good luck and keep at it though cause results will come as long as you stick with it... | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/2/2006 3:39:57 PM | @ JPItalian
Thanks so much for your reply..I was hoping to get your input as I have been following your posts and you really seem to know what you are talking about. My trainer said that unless you get 7-8 hours of sleep at a time it can be damaging...and I am someone who could use more sleep. I can see feeling tired and run down when you don't get enough..but why would it actually halt weight loss and muscle building if you are eating right and working out?
He also said that doing meals and training at the same time every day is important for your metabolism. I am not a routine person and being that regimented is what discourages me. I read what you said about carb rotation and that makes sense so why would it be harmful to your metabolism if workouts and meals are not the same every day?
You explained in a post why it's important to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach so you are burning the most fat and that is the kind of information I need. For example what is the difference if I do my weight training in the afternoon as opposed to the evening if I want to go out later? How important is the timing of when you eat certain foods and in what combination? For example I have a schedule where I get up around 10 am and am often up past 2 am. Is it bad to eat even protein late at night even if it's a few hours before I go to bed?
My trainer is helping me for free so I don't want to bother him with all these questions and make him think I am questioning his advice. He has a build exactly like you so he knows what works for him. How different should training even be for men and women? What would be the focus for a women who wants to lose a lot of weight versus a guy who just wants to put on lean muscle mass?
I am definitely going to be patient as I have been through this before...but information is power...and as I mentioned before...I just want to know the reasons behind why certain things work better as I want to maximize my results. Thanks again for your input and anyone else who can shed some light on this.. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/2/2006 3:57:43 PM | | dONT WORRY ABOUT TRAIING AT SET TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS LONG AS YOU GETIT IN THEN YOU SHOULD BE ALL RIGHT. aS FAR AS EATING PROTEIN AT 2 IN THE MORNIGN YOU SHOUDL BE ALRIGHT AS LONG AS YOU DONT GO OVERBOARD, JP MAKES EXCELLENT POINTS., SO IT WOULD BE WISE TO TAKE HIS ADVICE. AS FAR AS EATING THE SAME THINGS EVERYDAY IT CAN BECOME ALITTLE BORING SO SPICE IT UP A LITTLE, IF YOU WANT TO GO OUT ONE NIGHTGO OUT, JUST MAKE WISE FOOD DECESIONS. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/2/2006 4:02:02 PM | JpItalian made good points. Two things I will add is...gradually increase your cardio intensity. As you will get in the high intensity cardio you will burn more calories and it will elevate your body's metabolism.
Another thing is make sure to add 4 to 6 grams from good amounts of EFA (Essential Fatty Acids), also the important part that people tend to forget is to never take it with carbs. It's better if you can take them with protein shake, cottage cheese or by itself.
Keep up the good work...remember set your goals by the month and go one workout at a time.
Good Luck to you!!!
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/2/2006 4:31:48 PM | | because you also train at night you may simply be "too wired" in order to relax and have a good 8 hours of sleep, you may have to cut down on your afternoon nap time or not nap at all and do your weight workout then if you can. Consistency will be your key to success here, as long as you are consistant your body will do it's best to adapt, If you still train at night maybe up your intensity along with your weights just to tire yourself out more and if you are going to nap in the afternoon do it for the same amount of time each day to condition your body. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/2/2006 5:08:54 PM | | definitely agree with my above 3 posters in saying that actually doing the workout is far more important then the time of day. Is it better to burn fat if doing cardio on an empty stomach in the morning? who really knows but from my experience and reading it seems to work well for most who do it. Can you do it later in the day and still be ripped and in great shape of course. The key is just freaking do it! hehe. Also healthy fats are a must. people don't think about it when they talk about diet but a good oil like flaxseed or Udos choice (what I personally use) is invaluable for overall health. Too many good things come with healthy fats to be able to mention here. Also, like mysterious said training at night can be hard because trying to fall asleep maybe harder also your metabolism drops when you fall asleep so you lose some of the "after burn" from your metabolism being jacked up after a workout. Not a huge deal but think about it if you workout in the morning or early evening and lets say it equates to an extra 100 cals burned per day because of your metabolism firing at a higher rate then over time it adds up. Just little things like that help. I wouldn't say that you're damaging yourself if you don't get exactly 8 hours of sleep each night but again everyone is different. I don't sleep well and I can't tell you the last time I slept for more then lets say 4 hours at once without waking up to hit the bathroom or something. yet it hasnt affected my health or fitness level and I've been a light sleeper my whole life. What you body feels like and your experiences is a much better indicator of if what you're doing is working then my advice and anybody elses. I doubt it would halt your progress unless you're serioulsy sleep deprived as sleepis when your body grows and recovers. Go by how you feel, if you feel really tired alot if could be your diet, not getting the proper vitamins/minerals and also like scorp said not getting the good fats. Any one little thing out of place can make someone feel like crap. The sad part is most of us go to the Dr. when this happens and then you get some drug which does ten times more damage then if you just looked at your life and realized maybe you were dehydrated. Sounds dumb but if you don't feel good then its your body telling you you're doing something wrong. headaches and stuff like that don't happen for no reason. Sorry went off on a tanget there. But as far as routine I agree with the trainer that its better for the body to be routined with the meals as best as you can but this doesnt mean that eating at 2am is bad if your 2am is my 8pm. get it? The actual time of day isnt a big factor what is a problem is if you're not eating for 5-6 hours at a time and trying to cram 2 meals into 3 hours. Things like that mess up your metabolism because your body can only process so much food at once. Basically try to eat every 3 waking hours. Its simple yet takes planning. You say you hate being scheduled like that but there is no other way. You cant eat what you want when you want and look how you want. wow thats alot of wants. but you get the idea. lastly goals will play a big factor in the type of workout you do. If I'm trying to gain mass then I would stay away from alot of cardio, eat a ton and lift heavy weights. But, in your case trying to lose weight I would do ample amount of cardio since doing cardio is the only way to physically burn bodyfat during exercise (lifting weights and anything you run out of steam is using mostly glycogen or carbs.) and then lift weights to build and maintain muscle which will stimulate your metabolism even more and keep eating a healthy diet. If you do this on a consistent basis there is absolutely no reason why you can't look the way you want. It will take time and effort but you can do it. Its a matter of finding out what works for you but this is a starting point. hope this helps and sorry to everyone who got bored reading my long tedious posts. lol... | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/4/2006 6:31:38 PM | the eating meals at regular intervals is really important, it'll help stabalize your metabolism. also, make sure you do lengthy cardio at a low intensity, it's the best kind to burn off fat storage.
personally, i have never found that working out in the morning on an empty stomach is any more effective than working out in the evening. i'm working with a fitness competitor, and she told me to get in my workout whenever i could. working out in the morning would make little to no difference. plus, if i didn't eat before i worked out, i would be distracted by my stomach cramping up due to hunger. i refuse to work out hungry.
since starting my program, i've noticed weight loss, lots of toning up, and i'm lots happier.
do what works for you! just remember the basics - eat clean, get your workout in, and enjoy what you're doing! | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/5/2006 9:27:39 AM | Sleep is probably one of the most important things next to diet in losing weight. Just have to think of it this way. When you sleep, your body turns on the "furnace" so to speak which is when most of the calories are burned. To make this furnace burn more effectively, do roughly an equal amount of cardio, weights. When your starting out, its ok to do a little more of one or the other. However as you progress along, you may find that this wont work as well anymore. Reason being is people tend to overdue their cardio routines with not enough weight training. This directly causes the metabolism to drop, which can cause difficulty in losing weight. You'll just have to gauge it for yourself and find out when its right to equal everything out.
Another things to is water content. Keep yourself well hydrated. You can tell if your dehydrated by your cravings. If you find yourself snacking or wanting to snack on salty foods, chances are you dont have enough water in your system
Just a note about the high protein diet. Be careful on what proteins your ingesting. Some proteins are high in phosphorus like red meats, eggs, cheese, bacon, and to a lesser extent fish, but red meats being the highest. Phosphorus screws up calcium absorption which directly causes calcium to be extracted from the bones to make up for it. This in turn can cause osteoperosis down the road. If you can, things like chicken, turkey, protein powders, or any protein you get from veggies is ideal. Fish is ok because its alot better than red meats, eggs, and cheese. Eat those sparingly if you can. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/6/2006 9:24:03 AM | | Can't speak for everyone, just my own experience. Yes, you can build muscle mass fast enough for you to be smaller, but weigh the same. I go through it every spring when I can finally get back outside and moving again. My weight is never allowed to leave the 105-110 range, so it doesn't really change, but I can feel how differently my clothes fit. As far as sleep, drop the naps so you can get a REAL FULL block of sleep at night. After I became disabled, I could tell a major difference in energy, mobility, and pain levels if I had or had not had a full night's sleep. Your body uses this time to heal and rest. Even body builders suggest waiting 48 hours to work out again after and exceptionally stringent one, or if there is any chance of muscle strain or injury. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/6/2006 10:23:08 AM | | Sleep is your bodys way of recharging its batterys along with proper nutrition as well, I work with a guy who has only slept 3-4 hours a day for most of his adult life along with being a heavy drinker he is 51 and looks 70 atleast... rest and eating well are key. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/7/2006 7:07:26 PM | Personally I don't agree with the lengthy cardio at a low intensity...high intensity is much more efficient to burn more calories. It is very important to know your target heart rate (THR). This is a must, because if you're under your target heart rate, you're not doing much to get lean.
This is the THR for Bosslady...
Max Heart Rate 182
60-70% Max Heart Rate 109-127
75-80% Max Heart Rate 137-146
Low intensity cardio is very easy for your body to recover from, regardless of your body type and your goals. It has less negative impact on muscle loss and can help you burn calories for fat loss, but this is usually praticed by bodybuilders for pre-contest because of their phobia of muscle loss.
High intensity cardio is better for people who aren't in a fasted state (ex: pre-contest) and don't have to worry about every last once of muscle. It is also good for people who don't have hours a week to waste walking slowly on a treadmill. It also raises your metabolism for a long time even after your cardio is done.
To further boost the fat-burning effects of these workouts do them in the morning if possible, in a fasted state (before breakfast). Bodyfat is burned much faster up to 300% faster when you exercise in the morning as opposed to doing the same exercise in the afternoon.
Take these recommendations simply as advice, not as rules written in stone and feel free to experiment. You may find out that what actually works for you is exactly the opposite of what is written here!
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/13/2006 3:25:28 PM | Hello bosslady, I know about loosing weight, I am the living proof of a man that lost weight, I lost enough weight that I probably lost the same weight that you are at this moment, I lost 180 pounds my dear and I have the proof to show you, I use to be 415 pounds. They hung my picture at the gym to show the customers my before and after picture, but one problem about that picture, I did not loose it by going at the gym, you are hearing it from me.
I will tell you how I lost it and you take it from there, the prescription to losing weight starts with your mind, something has to trigger you to lose weight and sometimes the trigger hurts, if you can motivate yourself then I salute you. It starts by going home and emptying your fridge. Take all the fat stuff a get rid of it, no milk, no butter, no soft drinks. The only thing that I have in my fridge is water bottles; the fridge is full of water, nice cool water. Nothing else, I mean nothing, even the ketchup or the mayo and mustard.
Ounce you have nothing you can munch on at home you are ready to start.
Step No.1 you eat nothing for 4 day that means you start at 8:00 AM and at 8: AM the next morning counts for one day, you need 4 complete days of 24 hours, just water. This will take all the addiction chemicals in your body and flush them out; when I say addiction chemicals I mean the thing in you that temps you to eat.
Step No.2 you by your favorite cake and put it in the fridge and put a sign on it that says Poison, this is to test you’re mind if the chemical that convinces you to eat are gone. So if you are successful then you passed step No. 2.
Now that you read all the above and you checked your scale and noticed that your not hungry and your mind is controllable your next step is to ask me that you want to know more.
If there is anyone here that thinks I’m wrong about these methods then let me know, I can prove it can you? | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/13/2006 7:12:17 PM | | One thing I might add which I don't think anyone has mentioned is I don't think its a good idea to workout every day without any days off. That can lead to overtraining and eventually injury as well as raising cortisol levels which are very detrimental to building muscles and losing fat. Years back I ran into the problem of overtraining and not having any days off and I always had sore joints and felt tired and burned out and felt like I was headed for an injury, but when I changed my workout routine around and gave myself a couple days off per week I felt alot better and my joints were hardly sore at all anymore. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/13/2006 7:33:06 PM | If there is anyone here that thinks I’m wrong about these methods then let me know, I can prove it can you?
Your method sounds like it must have been a complete shock to your entires system, what about fibre, vitamins and minerals, protein and healthy carbohydrates during those 4 days of only water? Getting rid of all the fats and empty calories is a no brainer (atleast it should be) but I also guarantee that you lost valuable muscle during those 4 days of starving yourself and only supplying your body with water. That plan of attack sounds more of desperation so you throw out all your food because you didn't have the will power to even limit god food in your diet for the first 4 days and you just hoped you could get to day 5 where you hoped to find the strength to continue on a more sensible path.
but you're no longer here to defend your method,(second profile perhaps?) it's not the way I would do it that's for sure, if you're going to go on a 4 day fast there are many natural juice ones that would have been much healthier and I guarantee the results would have been better than just giving your body the element to survive on for 4 days.
Try to extend those 4 days into 14 and see how healthy you are, any weight loss program where you are purposely restricting vital minerals, fats, proteins, etc... isn't to bright. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/16/2006 3:26:15 PM | Yes mysterious is right, I lost already 190 pounds and now with this week another 10 with ladybugs method but mysterious is right because I started to have kidney problems, not enough iron and I did some damage. But I’m okay; I would have died if I stayed over 420 pounds. I may have done some damage but I’m alive.
The only side effects after loosing so much weight is that you need $10.000.00, after you lost all that weight you will wish you were dead anyways, you will need a tummy tuck to take of the left over skin that you cannot loose, believe me it is a nightmare, the embarrassment never stops, not very pleasant to look at. I tried everything and no exercise will get rid of it, becomes dead skin is the ugliest thing to look at. So if your going to loose that much weight be ready for a depression after you lost it, because the social aid won’t help you, so your only reward for all that weight is health, if you have just 20 pounds to loose it won’t show much, but anything over 20 pounds will start to hang down and the only way to get rid of it is surgery. You will be living with disappointment anyway because you will be more afraid to show your body with the dead weight then showing your body when you were fat, so you better have 10,000.00$ before you start your diet and work out. this is me, I did it, and this is how I feel. They don’t tell you that at any gym or doctors office, I almost saved up enough money to have the tummy tuck and other complications from the weight loss and I will be short 20,000.00 when I'm back to normal. I wish I could say good luck but I am not an info commercial that sells them self out and hide the side effects that we have to live with. We save the gouvernment all kinds of medication expencess by taking care of ourself and they toss us away when we need them most, they don't giva a crap about us. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 6/16/2006 3:36:07 PM | | Agree with mysterious, why anyone who go 4 days wihtout any nutrients, fibre, amino acids is beyond me. You DO NOT need 4 days of drinking water to cleanse your system, its ridiculous. Ive lost 30 lbs before by working my ass off in the gym and watching what i ate, its the only real way to do it. remeber its takin you so many years to gain the weight , so its not goiing to come of easy. | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 7/23/2006 12:45:41 PM | Hi there! According to delytful: "drop the naps so you can get a REAL FULL block of sleep at night. "
I agree partially. However, it's not necessarily true for everyone since we're all different. Studies have shown that taking power naps, 30 minutes daily is actually better. It revitalizes and gives you more energy to continue throughout the day without affecting your sleeping habits: students, professionals, and yes, even body builders do it! It's true also that you should never workout the same muscle groups everyday, that you should work it every other day: So 5 days on and 2 days or 4 days on 2 days off works great with some people; for me 3 days on and 2 days works great! Oh, and do NOT forget to include 10 minutes of cardio activities before workout to warm up, and another 20-30 to finish it off. This will send your metabolism on a frenzy to burn those calories. Another to remember, and this is very true, is to go to bed on an empty stomach. Drink water instead, if you feel the need to eat! This will aid you while you sleep because you actually burn and fast for 6-8 hours depending on how much sleep you need. I do real well on 5 1/2 hours.
However, the MOST important is not how much time you put in at your gym, actually no more than 1 hour and 20 minutes is great, and under 1 hour is even better, but how much calories you take in versus what you burn out for any fitness regime/program to be successful. You cannot consume 2500 calories per day and burn only 1500 and expect to see the results that you want. However, and this is the FUN part, you also need to take one day of the week whether its Sunday or whatever day you chose, to indulge in foods that you like; for example ice cream to reward yourself for the hard work you've put your body during the week...again moderation is important to remember!
I also would recommend a trainer, and yes for years, I didn't like any of them. But, they are worth the money, provided you find the right trainer. What you look for in a trainer is not necessarily how muscular they are, though it may help for your own confidence, but how they train other people. I have seen others who were just plain hum-drum without any energy--those are the lazy one's counting their $$ in their heads. Your trainer should motivate you, push you, and guide you towards your goals. I have seen some really great ones out there! So, it's a matter of just seeing for your own and asking questions.
Lastly, determination, motivation, and NEVER surrender attitude will determine how successful you will become. It's not a team sport, so your success is your greatest reward. By the way, you look marvelous dahlin'! Just wanted to add that...
Good-luck!  | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 7/23/2006 12:47:16 PM | Hi there! According to delytful: "drop the naps so you can get a REAL FULL block of sleep at night. "
I agree partially. However, it's not necessarily true for everyone since we're all different. Studies have shown that taking power naps, 30 minutes daily is actually better. It revitalizes and gives you more energy to continue throughout the day without affecting your sleeping habits: students, professionals, and yes, even body builders do it! It's true also that you should never workout the same muscle groups everyday, that you should work it every other day: So 5 days on and 2 days or 4 days on 2 days off works great with some people; for me 3 days on and 2 days works great! Oh, and do NOT forget to include 10 minutes of cardio activities before workout to warm up, and another 20-30 to finish it off. This will send your metabolism on a frenzy to burn those calories. Another to remember, and this is very true, is to go to bed on an empty stomach. Drink water instead, if you feel the need to eat! This will aid you while you sleep because you actually burn and fast for 6-8 hours depending on how much sleep you need. I do real well on 5 1/2 hours.
However, the MOST important is not how much time you put in at your gym, actually no more than 1 hour and 20 minutes is great, and under 1 hour is even better, but how much calories you take in versus what you burn out for any fitness regime/program to be successful. You cannot consume 2500 calories per day and burn only 1500 and expect to see the results that you want. However, and this is the FUN part, you also need to take one day of the week whether its Sunday or whatever day you chose, to indulge in foods that you like; for example ice cream to reward yourself for the hard work you've put your body during the week...again moderation is important to remember!
I also would recommend a trainer, and yes for years, I didn't like any of them. But, they are worth the money, provided you find the right trainer. What you look for in a trainer is not necessarily how muscular they are, though it may help for your own confidence, but how they train other people. I have seen others who were just plain hum-drum without any energy--those are the lazy one's counting their $$ in their heads. Your trainer should motivate you, push you, and guide you towards your goals. I have seen some really great ones out there! So, it's a matter of just seeing for your own and asking questions.
Lastly, determination, motivation, and NEVER surrender attitude will determine how successful you will become. It's not a team sport, so your success is your greatest reward. By the way, you look marvelous dahlin'! Just wanted to add that...
Good-luck! | |
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| How important is sleep and routine to a weight loss/ fitness program?
Posted: 8/11/2006 11:31:45 PM | I completely agree..although eliminating toxins and things like that are an excellent first step.
I do encourage all trying to lose weight to start a little less drastically.
I work for a company that has amazing products like attain fibrewise the access bar (patented to convert your fat to energy when exercising!) all natural ingredients as well.
all are welcome to give a shout if they want to know a little more..or at least find out where to get these amazing natural and very effective products.
good luck to all struggling with this. I myself got rid of my belly..it was getting out of control for the past 18 months!!! went from 145 pounds to 200 it freaked me out.
now am at my perfect healthy weight for my height and bones. (185 ish) yay!! lol
oh I also know of a website dieting program that is world class and costs less than all others out there...vfl.com it only costs 6 dollars a month! instead of 30+
ok cheers to all.
health4all@healthytree.net
Mark. | |
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