"If you're not feeling this if your lower abdominal, scoot down."
We crunch ...We kick. We climb ... and we count calories -- all in an effort to lose those stubborn ten pounds.
But now a new study finds getting more zzz's could help you lose those extra lb's. "If we have a big task to do we know that if we're not well rested, if we're distracted, if we're stressed, we're less likely to succeed," says Charles Elder, m.d., affiliate investigator at kaiser permanente.
Researchers at Kaiser Permanente challenged nearly five hundred people to lose ten pounds over six months.
They told participants to follow a low calorie diet and exercise at least 3 hours a week. They also kept a record of their sleep habits and stress levels. "Participants who slept between six and eight hours and had low stress levels were more successful at losing weight," says Elder.
Experts say you should keep your weight loss expectations in check -- and focus on losing weight as a health issue rather than a cosmetic one. "Most important way to lose is the first 10 to 15 pounds -- that improves your health, last 10-15 pounds doesn't hurt your health," says Louis Aronne, m.d., director of the comprehensive weight control program at NY Presbyterian, Weill Cornell.
But if a little rest and relaxation can help you get there -- I'm in!
The participants in the study were highly motivated -- and most had a college degree -- but researchers suspect the results can apply to everyone.
Two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are either overweight or obese.
The average weight loss was 14 pounds. The researchers also looked at the effects depression and "screen time," - or time spent watching tv or on the computer - had on weight loss, but found very little correlation.
Participants who successfully lost more than 10 pounds were invited to join phase two of the study, which looked at finding successful techniques for keeping the weight off. Those results are expected at the end of the year.
