How sleep affects fat loss

We know that the only thing that directly affects fat/weight loss is being in a caloric deficit. Everything else (types of diets, meal timing, exercise, etc.) is secondary and only serves to help you achieve a calorie deficit.

Following this theme, I will add something else to worry about: sleep.

We know the government’s recommendations. They say that we should get at least 7 hours for optimal health. Lack of sleep affects many aspects of our lives. Sleep helps regulate our bodies, emotions, and mental health. You are more likely to stick to your meal and fitness plan when these things are regulated.

Nowadays, the lack of sleep is applauded and associated with being a hard worker. Well, if you want to put in meaningful and intense work at the gym, which is necessary for muscle growth, you must be alert and well-rested.

Being alert at the gym means that you are less likely to get injured. Injuries occur when you don’t warm up, have bad form, are exhausted, and are not alert. If you are not alert but still feel like going to the gym, I offer two solutions. First, you can take a healthy amount of caffeine. If you have not been abusing caffeine, then the effects will be noticeable and effective. The other thing you can try is to take a nap. Although it seems obvious, taking a 20-minute nap before the gym can get you back the necessary alertness to complete a workout. Notice I said 20 minutes and no more. When you take a nap, you must “recover” from it. A 20-minute nap offers a good amount of recovery while not needing a great deal of recovery from feeling groggy or tired.

When you first wake up, your appetite is not as strong as if you had been awake for a while. As a person who is often sleep-deprived due to work, school, and a baby, I often find myself eating over my allotted number of calories especially when I am the most tired. This study confirms my anecdote and also links sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality with diseases like diabetes and obesity.

Chicken and waffles from Distilled, in Maryland. I still enjoy my favorites when losing weight. Photo by Janiel Suren

Action items:

1. Prioritize good sleep. No phones in bed, no eating or drinking water close to bedtime.
2. Avoid alcohol. Passing out from drinking is not the same as sleeping.
3. Skip the gym if you are sleep-deprived. One missed session is not going to kill your progress.
4. If you must eat during periods of sleep deprivation, choose low-calorie, high-volume foods.
5. Learn to take short naps strategically to get short boosts of energy.