Basics & Grace Health & Nutrition

What it feels like to overcome food guilt 🤎

This is one of the most common roadblocks women experience when trying to lose weight…

Which is why I talk about it so much.

To come out of a holiday at peace with your food choices, even if they weren’t “perfect” is a feeling that’s hard to describe.

Learning to let the day be what it is and move on with your life is a SKILL.

You have to practice and experience measurement and photo changes while challenging perfectionism.

Proper nutrition + mindset change =

Long lasting results 🤎

If you think you’re doing everything right, there’s one factor you may not be considering…

The missing link may be SLEEP.

We busy ladies like hustle culture.

You work hard, but how much/how well are you sleeping?

6 fragmented hours is not going to cut it, sis.

In fact, one study showed that sleep deprivation reduced fat loss by 55% and increased muscle loss by a whopping 60%.

The conclusion: “Lack of sufficient sleep may compromise the efficacy of typical dietary interventions for weight loss and related metabolic risk reduction”

Study participants spent 8.5 hours in bed for 2 weeks.

Then 3 months later, they spent 5.5 hours in bed for 2 weeks.

There are other details, but we’ll keep it simple.

As a result of sleep restriction, participants experienced:
+ increased hunger
+ increased muscle loss
+ decreased fat loss
+ reduced calorie burn (by around 400 calories/day - calorie restriction for both conditions was nearly identical, meaning their bodies burned fewer calories solely because of the sleep deprivation)

Sleep is UNDERRATED for fat loss.

You’re not going to achieve the toned, lean look you want by sacrificing your sleep for the sake of working harder.

Here are 3 ways to optimize your sleep so you can see faster results:

1️⃣ Create a sleep routine

Dim the lights before bed. Light a candle and read a book for 20 minutes. Take a hot bath.

Pick one thing that helps calm you down and prepare your body for shleepy time.

2️⃣ Avoid electronics an hour before bed

Watching Netflix before you KO is not helping you.

Electronics emit blue light, which mimics sunlight. It stunts melatonin production, which makes it harder to fall asleep.

3️⃣ Reduce food, alcohol, and caffeine intake before bed (or after 12pm for caffeine)

Digestion takes a lot of work. It raises your body temperate and can cause disruptions in sleep due to heartburn, noise, and indigestion.

Alcohol also messes with your circadian rhythm by reducing restorative REM sleep, and caffeine is a stimulant, obvi.

The bottom line: PRIORITIZE YOUR SLEEP.

Shoot for 7-9 hours. And if you’re on the lower end of that spectrum, make sure your sleep quality is top notch 🤎