Sleep Your Way Thin!

When you are working out, do you ever hit a wall and you just can’t go any further? It’s not that your muscles are giving out and becoming fatigued, but your mind and body just want to fall on the floor and take a nap right then and there? This has happened to me several times. It’s because of lack of sleep. Sleep is important to our everyday lives and to our workouts and weight loss. You won’t lose those pounds unless you are getting quality sleep. I have been watching my “bedtime” and finding great results. So I am not preaching what I am not practicing.

Studies have been done for years on sleep patterns; the effects of good sleep and the side effects of bad sleep. Here are a few things that I have learned and am passing on to you.

Leptin and Ghrelin are hormones that affect our sleep, appetite, and metabolism. These work together to control your feelings of being full or satisfied. When not working properly, you feel hungry and feel a need to snack. This next statement is taken from Jillian Michaels’ book, Making the Cut. I like how she states this: “Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while Leptin produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you're full. When sleep is restricted Leptin levels go down and Ghrelin levels go up.”  So if you don’t get enough sleep these two can’t balance each other or work properly. Your brain won’t know the following day when your stomach is full and will just keep on wanting snacks. But in turn your body doesn’t always know the difference between what it wants or what it needs. In several other university studies, the subjects that were found to have slept the least, carried the highest percentage of body fat and weighed more than those with proper sleep.

Human Growth Hormone or HGH is produced during that deepest realm of sleep. The majority of us don't go to this level. Our lifestyles are too busy for sleep. But growth hormone, in adults, is a protein hormone, which regulates your fat and muscle proportions and is very important to a healthy lifestyle. This will help stabilize your fat loss and muscle growth if you are getting a good deep sleep.

So how much sleep do you need, you ask? You should be getting NO LESS than eight (8) hours of sleep a night. 8-10 would be best. I have read several articles in fitness magazines, during the training process for fitness competitions, our favorite contestants will sleep around 12 hours a night. Since the majority of us aren’t just sleeping, eating and working out, so this may not be feasible.  But just proves again how beneficial it can be to our weight loss.

I have always been one that loves a great afternoon catnap. This is a great way to “catch up” on sleep. Contrary to what you may have heard, you can catch up, or make your brain think that you have. I have a harder time with the shorter naps. But during the day I sink down in my chair at my work desk and take a 15 min. power nap.

Now if you are a stay at home mom, you should be napping when your children do. I know your thinking; this is your time for laundry/house work without the kids bugging. But at some point in your life you have to make time for yourself and this is the perfect time.  I have one day off from my full time job and I take a good long nap in the afternoon. I try not to make myself feel guilty, that I should be doing something else, but remember it’s just implementing another step into great fitness and weight loss. 

Continue to make sure you are hydrated. You will actually have a better nights sleep if you hydrated. Your body dehydrates when you sleep naturally so if you aren’t making up for that during the day you just can’t get a deep sleep. Your organs won’t be functioning properly.

Try and read for about a half hour or so before bed or use this time to journal. The motion of your eyes, back and forth across a book, signals to your brain to slow down and that’s why you can get so tired reading. If you watch an action movie before bed, you be wound up and not ready to fall asleep causing you to stay up later. Read a book, preferably on health and fitness to gain more knowledge, and slow your brain.

Try and get some sleep for faster weight loss and muscle gain.

Good night my fitness heroes, good night! Angie Taylor

Sandalwood Soap Giveaway

Sandalwood Soap Giveaway:

I am going to tell you something that is going to make you fall out of your seat and right on the floor. I do NOT have internet at my house. Can you believe it? I didn't think so. YHH has been running on a laptop in various locations for almost a year. Library, coffee shop, bookstore, friends' house, family's house, anywhere my laptop would pick up Wifi. (Thanks to all those who let me hang out on your computer and use your internet. Love ya!).

But thanks to my perseverance, I finally found a company who will run internet back to my house. My husband and I live about 650 feet off the main road. And the main road is not like most of you are used to, I am sure. We are back in the woods. I love the peace and quiet but modern day life is just reaching us now. After several phone calls to several companies for about two years (perseverance), an internet company has agreed to run cable back to my house for a normal installation fee. Praise God!

But this brought me to thinking of this word, Perseverance.

Wikepedia says: Perseverance is a term for human endurance. Dictionary.com's explanation is: steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

This relates to everything in our lives but to me it's working out. I want to persevere and conquer my goals. I want to have the endurance I need to reach my weight and physical goals. I want to continue to reach my goals no matter the obstacles or difficulties in making time for my workouts. If I miss a day, I don't get down on myself. I just make time the next day and then the next. Being healthy to me is a way of life, not some 90 day diet. I want to encourage all of you to persevere and reach your goals. No matter if it takes 6 months or 2 years. Keep going until you reach your goal. Then, make another one.

So in celebration of the internet being hooked up at the end of this next month, I have picked up several organic Sandalwood Soaps made in China from a local organic store. (I know what your thinking. Everything is made in China. But these are authentic organic soaps. Believe me, you won't be able to read the label; that's how made in China they are.)

I would like to give these soaps away to three individuals. All you have to do to enter is:

#1 Be a subscriber or subscribe today. (Once you are a subscriber you are automatically entered in all YHH giveaways for the life of your subscription.)

#2 Be a follower for a second change to win.

# 3 Leave me a comment on how much weight you have lost and how you feel. If it's 5 pounds or 50, each of us has a story. (Or how much weight you plan on losing). I want to hear stories of perseverance.
Contest ends on April 6th at midnight. Good Luck!

Coming in May: YHH is going to start posting more giveaways, recipes, slide shows of proper form when lifting weights, workout routines, and much much more. So subscribe today, if your not, and be a part of an incredible group of people who are changing the way they look at themselves and are making an effort everyday to have a Happy Heart.

Blessings, Angie Taylor

NuMetrex Giveaway Part #2

This is what you have all been waiting for! The NuMetrex giveaway. But first I want to share a few more things with you about this fab company and the benefits of heart rate monitors.

I mentioned in Part #1 I have a Polar watch with chest strap. My strap is all one piece and once it's on, the transmitter starts sending out the signal to your watch or gym equipment. Several of the higher quality Polar watches come with what they call a "WearLink" chest strap.
(See Below)
It's a bit different in design as the transmitter snaps on and off much like the NuMetrex transmitter and is made of a softer material. It has the same woven-in threads as in the NuMetrex garments. (This is the style that my husband sports). Since the WearLink transmitter is similar to the NuMetrex transmitter, it can easily be snapped into a NuMetrex garment and an additional NuMetrex transmitter is not needed. (See below)
For those of you who have the WearLink, then you are all set and can be connected with any of the garments that NuMetrex has to offer. If not, the additional NuMetrex transmitter can be purchased for your new NuMetrex garment.

I am also proud to tell you, on behalf of NuMetrex, they have been acquired by Adidas. Adidas loved their heart rate monitor system and wanted to offer it to their clients as well. They felt this would be the most comfortable way for their customers to benefit from a heart rate monitor system. This says a lot about NuMetrex when a company like Adidas is on board. When you purchase any garments from NuMetrex you know you are getting quality. When you register for this great giveaway, you will also receive a 20% off coupon via email that you can use on your next purchase. Can't beat that!

So what do you have to do to register for this giveaway to win one of these great garments and NuMetrex heart rate monitoring systems? It's so easy. Only two simple steps.

#1 Leave me a comment on why you would love to use this system and let me know if you are a subscriber. (If not, subscribe and join the thousands of other fitness junkies on YHH.)

#2 Click on the word NuMetrex or the photo below to register your email for this great giveaway and a 20% off coupon. I am so excited NuMetrex is giving my readers this opportunity to win. Contest to run 03/25 - 04/01.

Good Luck! As always, keep working out, work hard, and don't quit until you reach your goals.
Angie Taylor and Your Happy Hearts.com