Reducing stress and getting the right amount of sleep may help one lose weight.
Reducing stress and getting the right amount of sleep may help one lose weight. A new study has found that people trying to lose at least 10 pounds were more likely to reach that goal if they had lower stress levels and slept more than six hours but not more than eight hours a night.
To study the impact of stress and sleep on weight loss, American researchers conducted a two-step trial on 472 obese adults. The study involved two phases: during the first phase, participants were asked to lose at least 10 pounds over six months. If they succeeded, they moved to the second year-long phase of the study, which tested a complementary acupressure technique against more traditional weight-maintenance strategies.
During the study's first phase, they were first counseled about lifestyle changes over a 26-week period. Recommendations included cutting 500 calories a day, eating a low-fat, low-sugar diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and exercising at least three hours a week. In addition to this, the researchers asked the participants questions about sleep time, depression, insomnia, television viewing and computer screen time and stress.
During this part of the trial, the participants lost an average of almost 14 pounds. People who kept more food records and attended more meetings were more likely to lose weight during this phase of the trial. The research team found that sleep and stress levels were good predictors of weight loss, but depression and screen time were not. People with the lowest stress levels who also got more than six hours, but not more than eight hours, of sleep were most likely to lose at least 10 pounds. In fact, nearly three-quarters of this group moved on to the second phase of the trial, and were twice as likely to be successful as those who reported the highest stress levels and got six or fewer hours of sleep per night. Findings from phase two are not yet available.
This study suggests that when people are trying to lose weight, they should try to get the right amount of sleep and reduce their stress. Some people may just need to cut back on their schedules and get to bed earlier. Others may find that exercise can reduce stress and help them sleep. For some people, mind / body techniques such as meditation also might be helpful.
To study the impact of stress and sleep on weight loss, American researchers conducted a two-step trial on 472 obese adults. The study involved two phases: during the first phase, participants were asked to lose at least 10 pounds over six months. If they succeeded, they moved to the second year-long phase of the study, which tested a complementary acupressure technique against more traditional weight-maintenance strategies.
During the study's first phase, they were first counseled about lifestyle changes over a 26-week period. Recommendations included cutting 500 calories a day, eating a low-fat, low-sugar diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and exercising at least three hours a week. In addition to this, the researchers asked the participants questions about sleep time, depression, insomnia, television viewing and computer screen time and stress.
During this part of the trial, the participants lost an average of almost 14 pounds. People who kept more food records and attended more meetings were more likely to lose weight during this phase of the trial. The research team found that sleep and stress levels were good predictors of weight loss, but depression and screen time were not. People with the lowest stress levels who also got more than six hours, but not more than eight hours, of sleep were most likely to lose at least 10 pounds. In fact, nearly three-quarters of this group moved on to the second phase of the trial, and were twice as likely to be successful as those who reported the highest stress levels and got six or fewer hours of sleep per night. Findings from phase two are not yet available.
This study suggests that when people are trying to lose weight, they should try to get the right amount of sleep and reduce their stress. Some people may just need to cut back on their schedules and get to bed earlier. Others may find that exercise can reduce stress and help them sleep. For some people, mind / body techniques such as meditation also might be helpful.
COMMENT
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
