No sleep=no weight loss?

[somethingnew987]

I was wondering if anyone knew how exactly sleep affects weight loss. I know I have been in a calorie deficit for the past week and a half, but I have stayed at the same weight. Since I am fairly overweight and just recently started dieting again, I know this is not normal. I have not been sleeping well lately, sometimes getting 2-4 hours a night (this is due to multiple reasons....i'm working on fixing it). I feel okay during the day, but I was wondering if this could stunt weight loss?

I'm just trying to figure out whats going on because it is very discouraging. I am eating very healthily and I get some physical activity in everyday, so I should be losing.

My other thought is that my menstrual cycle has been really out of whack ever since I switched pills. I was on my period for about a month, it stopped finally, and two weeks later I started again....and am still on it almost two weeks later. So maybe this is why I have not lost? Can I be retaining water for 2 weeks?

lol I guess I would love for someone to tell me something I want to hear....that the lack of weight loss is due to one of these factors. But feel free to tell me what you know and think. I appreciate it.

 

[Trevor10]

Not enough sleep can have a huge factor on weight loss and you need even more of it now that you exercise. The body needs to rest after a full days function and without that it can lead to lack of exercise, not to mention you will feel very drained. I'm not going to say thats the only reason you aren't losing weight, but in reality lack of sleep will catch up to ya and you wont feel like exercising. Some even tend to pick up old eating habits because your up for so much longer throughout the day, hence more calorie consumption.

 

[maleficent]

OH I'm quite the nag today...

Are you still taking Phentermine? One of the lesser side effects of it is insomnia..

perhaps you you reduce your dosage


there's been a lot of info i've seen over the past year or so on the importance of sleep and weight loss... getting a few hours of sleep a night (I average between 4 and 5) never hurt anyone if you are used to it... but if you're not - it can be detrimental to you long term...

 

[Jillzy_2008]

I have read that not getting enough sleep can lead to weight gain, but then again you cant always believe what you read...

is there a doctor in the house?

 

[maleficent]

I have read that not getting enough sleep can lead to weight gain, but then again you cant always believe what you read...

is there a doctor in the house?

I think Trevor's response is more reality...

but in reality lack of sleep will catch up to ya and you wont feel like exercising. Some even tend to pick up old eating habits because your up for so much longer throughout the day, hence more calorie consumption.

i know i tried to blame my weight on my insomnia - but honesty - i don't sleep any better than I did 20 months ago -and my weight sure has changed...

 

[somethingnew987]

Mal: yes, lol, I am still taking Phentermine. But I think my lack of sleep is due more to issues like anxiety that I have been dealing with for the past few months. Since I got back to school it's just been worse....due to added stress. That and I also have bad habits when it comes to studying and watching tv. So I think Phentermine could have some input, but there are some nights where I sleep just fine. Lately I've just been having a lot more bad sleeping nights than good.

Before this I LOVED to sleep lol. I would average 8-10 hours a night and feel drained if I had less than that. Now I feel ok with 4-5, but when I only have 2-3 hours I get twitchy and my eyes do weird things during the day lol. So my sleeping habits have changed a lot.

I'm not really focusing on exercising right now...when I do, it will just be walking, at least for a little while. So the lack of sleep hasn't affected that. But I do live further off campus now so I cover a lot more distance in a day just doing my normal stuff.

Eating wise, the tiredness may be making me crave food a little bit more, but it hasn't been bad at all. The Phentermine is still doing wonderfully in that respect. I haven't been keeping a food journal because I figured I had counted calories for so long I could just keep an idea in my head for the day, but I think I will count them for the next week and see what I'm actually eating. Normally in a day I'll eat a fiber 1 bar, some cashews, low fat yogurt, a little 100 calorie pack of something sweet or salty (or both), an apple, a banana, and some veggies. I just kind of munch little bits throughout the day since I don't eat in the cafeteria anymore.

There are a couple things I know I need to start doing. I need to get more fiber/protein in each day. I need to take a multi-vitamin, and I need to start doing ritualized exercise.

I just want to see the numbers drop again!

Hopefully by the end of this week I will know if it is my whacked out period doing this to me, because hopefully this time it will end quicker than a month!

 

[Caterpillar1]

Lack of sleep can cause water retention. I think it's because Cortisol is released at much higher levels when you are asleep than during the day, and cortisol affects the permability of your blood vessels but don't quote me on that.
Also, lack of sleep causes increased ghrelin release which is a hormone that stimulates hunger; and reduces leptin release which signals satiety.
And definitely menstrual irregularities could be causing water retention.

 

[somethingnew987]

Lack of sleep can cause water retention. I think it's because Cortisol is released at much higher levels when you are asleep than during the day, and cortisol affects the permability of your blood vessels but don't quote me on that.
Also, lack of sleep causes increased ghrelin release which is a hormone that stimulates hunger; and reduces leptin release which signals satiety.
And definitely menstrual irregularities could be causing water retention.

Thanks! I should have googled first, but I just did and one website said lack of sleep is one of the three major causes of water retention. There were also plenty of other websites that said pretty much the same thing.

I don't want to automatically assume this explains everything, but it does relieve me a little bit.

 

[somethingnew987]

Just wanted to update. I'm fairly certain it was water retention from something because I lost 3lbs since yesterday. I'm thinking it has more to do with my whacked out hormones than the sleep because I haven't yet been able to start sleeping more, but I am getting near the end of my cycle.