Is Lack of Sleep Making You Fat? + Fruit Leathers
Hey guys!
Happy weekend! How was your week? Mine was so crazy! If you’ve been following me on Snapchat, you probably saw that I’ve been to the doctor for checkups and blood tests. No nothing is really “wrong” with me, I just began to get really curious about my health and just see if I am taking of myself correctly. I saw a Western medicine doctor last week and an Eastern medicine doctor this week.
Western medicine tends to target a problem and find a way to fix that specific problem, whereas, in Eastern, it’s more about holistic healing and regaining overall balance. I’m getting tests done (blood tests, hormone tests) to see if my diet and exercises are working for my body in the most optimal way.
Why? Well to tell you the truth, I’ve been really hitting the gym extra hard and eating super well for video shoots and photo shoots but I’ve noticed that my progress is slower compared to before. I know, scary!! So I was getting a tad concerned.
The one thing that kept coming up with both doctors was my sleep! This, I know. But I don’t apply it. Guilty as charged!! I go to sleep everyday around 2 or 3 am. Of course I know that a clean diet, being active, and sleeping adequately (to give your muscles time to recover) are all VERY IMPORTANT components of living a healthy lifestyle. If you’re looking to transform your physique effectively as well, all three must be on point or you may not see the changes you want to see.
Because I am usually super happy and energetic (I also do not drink any coffee either) I didn’t really think about how all the late nights working may be affecting me. I tried to put up a little argument with the doc saying “but I love what I do!” and she said that it doesn’t matter, stress is still stress even if you think you’re emotionally fine. So that’s why I am getting my adrenal glands tested to see if my hormones are all in check.
One thing I learned yesterday at Dr. Sandy Lee’s office that I want to share with you is the link between cortisol (the steroid hormone produced by your adrenal glands) and belly fat. Cortisol is your “fight or flight” response that can get you ready to fight against danger or run for your life! We’re not living in caveman times anymore where we would have to run away from saber-toothed tigers and fight other hunters, but our cortisol levels can still increase in response to chronic, everyday stress. When cortisol levels stay really high for really long, it actually can increase your belly fat too a.k.a. visceral fat.
Hmmm….
So is that why my arms are looking good and my lower belly is being very stubborn?
Most likely…yes.
This info kind of shocked me. Wow, so I could be killing it in the gym, eating on point, and working really hard in life but not seeing results I want? To me, I don’t want it to make sense. I’m like, the more work you put in, the more results you’re going to see. For most of my life, this has rung true. But it seems that my body is rebelling. It wants it’s rest. It needs balance.
So my doctor prescribed me this: SLEEP. Go to bed preferably at 10 pm and wake up early if you need to get work done.
As silly as this sounds…I am terrified of going to sleep early. I always feel like…ugh…but I could be getting so much more done! No please, please, not behind the bars of bed!
She could sense the terror in my eyes and said, ok…just 30 min earlier each day. Just TRY before 12am for starters.
For me, I think not getting enough sleep is the biggest perpetrator of my lower belly fat. But if you’re also observing something similar and it’s not your sleep, try this:
– Don’t stretch yourself too thin
– Avoid people that stress you out or ask for too much
– Make time for fun things you enjoy doing
– Spend time with people that make you happy
One thing that always calms me down when I am stressed is cooking! It is super relaxing for me. So if you’re looking for a way to chill out, you should try out my new Fruit Leathers recipe on Cheap Clean Eats!
HOMEMADE FRUIT LEATHERS
– 2 cups frozen cherries, thawed
– 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
– 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
– 2 tablespoons Truvia
– Parchment paper
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Blend everything until smooth.
3. Pour onto a parchment lined jelly roll pan and spread out very thinly and evenly. Use two pans, if needed, to make extra.
4. Bake for 2 ½ – 3 hours or until completely cooked and no longer soft.
5. Remove to cool. Use scissors to cut long strips and roll, or use a pizza cutter and slice long strips and roll up.
Based on 6 roll-ups
MACROS per each:
44 cals | 1g protein | 8g net carbs | 0g fat | 2.6g fiber
Ok guys. As a part of your training routine, I encourage you to make time for sleep just like how you make time for the gym! Are any of you experiencing the lack of sleep –> whole stress –> lower belly fat phenomenon?
Love ya!
Cassey
124 thoughts on “Is Lack of Sleep Making You Fat? + Fruit Leathers”
There are 124 comments posted by our users.
After much research, i have come to know that Getting too much sleep can be bad for your health, and doctors also says that you should not sleep more than 8 hours a day. but to get 8 hours of sleep, you need a good pillow and a good mattress.
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Oh gosh… I know this to be true. I don’t know why but the earliest I usually got to sleep is 10pm and the normal is 12am. I don’t know why this happens….
Also, this quarter for college I have TWO night classes from 6-10pm! Ugh. HOWEVER! I made a schedule for myself where I could sleep more during these time. The next morning I have no work or school so I can get some sleep and work out in the morning too! I REALLY hope these 11 weeks of school don’t drive me stress-crazy as I have my 2nd assessment to check my talent and choose my focus for my career. Also, my friends and I are working on a side project and starting a company. ALSO, I need to focus on myself by trying to become more healthy and relax by doing things I enjoy on the side.
Is there enough time in the world?? Well, I at least hope my sleep gets better… at least in the beginning of this quarter as I’m sure towards the end I won’t be getting sleep…
I feel like that is my main problem. Sleep. I have been forcing myself to go to bed at 11:00 because I’m usually up until 12:00 at night. Lately I’ve pushed it to 10:30 but I still need more sleep because I wake up at 6:40 but I still wake up tired!! Just yesterday though I was exhausted and fell asleep at 8:30. On a friday!
I know sleep is important, but being in nursing school it seems almost impossible to get 7 – 8 hours of sleep. And even when I sleep for 8 hours, I wake up feeling tired. My husband tells me that I grind my teeth and snore A LOT during sleep. What can I do? Stress is and will be a part of my life, I know that, but what have you guys tried to relax? My classmates recommend to go on a Spa Day, but we’re on a low budget. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
This post explains everything!
I really love sleeping but i can’t fall asleep before 1am..That wasn’t a problem during summer,cause i could wake up anytime.That would usually be around 12 in the afternoon,which meant I had 11 full hours of sleep!I’d follow your monthly calendars and eat as healthy as i can.I lost 16 pounds in 4 months and i was so happy with myself,as i had actually reached my ideal weight.
….And then school happened.
I am a highschool student which means i have to wake up really early in the morning,every morning.That is probably around 7am.Considering the fact that i go to bed after 1am,i actually sleep for about 6 hours.Since the beginning of the school year i have gained 5 pounds( during the first 2 weeks of school) although i ate clean and worked out daily!To this day,i still haven’t managed to lose this weight, and I am so upset about it..I kinda stopped believing that i can do it.
But after reading this,i understood what is going wrong!
I’ll try to sleep more.I hope it works.
thank you so much Cassey:)<3!
I sleep around 9pm and wake around 6am, have breakfast, do a workout, go to college, have lunch, come home, do another workout then have dinner, chill and repeat 😀 <3 #DailyRoutineeee x
Thank you sooooo much, because as odd as this may sound, that sounds like nearly the perfect rutine for me!!!! Thank you so much:)
I so enjoy your blog,videos, calendar, recipes, and overall happy positive energy. Thanks for sharing.
I am very interested in getting certified to teach POPilates.
As a females professional wrestler for 15 years you are such an inspiration. Also LOVE BodyPOP.
i LOVE THIS POST! I so agree it’s so difficult to get the right amount of sleep but it’s so important! I love all your videos and plans so much Cassey, i find them so easy to follow and the results are amazing – they are literally perfect 🙂 You’ve help me so much to reach all of my goals and made me realise the importance of being strong which i think most people my age don’t realise (i’m only 17) and think more people my age need to realise rather than just focussing on weight! Through you’re workouts i’ve decided to make a blog to keep track and keep me and others motivated: http://danslesillage.blogspot.co.uk Thanks for all your videos Cassey x
No matter how much sleep or exercise I get, the weight just seems to stick. It’s the most frustrating feeling in the world. I’m a college student and at 5’7 I weight 156 pounds. Before school, I danced 6 hours a day 5 days a week for almost 10 years, and then stopped. The weight piled on almost immediately. I have serious clinical depression and anxiety, and the weight gain seems to have amplified it. I have tried to eat healthy, but at school on a meal plan, it makes it very difficult when everything in the dining hall comes frozen or is processed into oblivion.I work out 3 times a week but nothing seems to help. It all just seems hopeless, I wish I had someone to give me guidance on how to make some progress.
Hey Emma!
I know exactly how you feel! I have the same exact problem! I used to dance a lot during the week back home and there would be no junk food around my house to tempt me. Freshman year, what with the new schedule and moving to a different country I hardly danced. I probably went to 3 or four classes the whole year… I went home over the summer, got on a diet and danced the weight off. And it worked! But as soon as I came here I was once again surrounded by junk food and desserts and I just can’t find the motivation to work out besides dance classes (which are nothing compared to the work I did before) even though I know I need it. I have began cooking a bit, instead of going to the dining hall or buying snacks but it is a hassle having to move everything to the common room kitchen. And the weight keeps going up. Anyway…. I guess my point is that you are not the only one going through this and I understand how you feel. Sorry I can’t provide you with guidance. I hope we both find a solution!
That’s not rocket science…it is for us insomniacs. I’ve never slept well. I would love to, but can’t imagine ever being able to. No Drs been able to fix that 🙁
I’m an entrepreneur and I HATE going to sleep too. It is a fight to go to sleep, a fight! I always make bargains with myself “just fifteen more minutes” and before I know it, it’s midnight and later. And with a 1 and 3 year old at home, I have to get up by 6 a.m. daily b/c that’s when they get up! =)
I completely empathize with you.
Luckily, I have a tic that develops (so attractive) when I don’t sleep enough so whenever that physically manifests itself, I go to bed by 11 p.m. and within a week, it goes away. So, I guess I should feel thankful for that ‘tell’ that forces me to get to bed =)
Good luck on getting to bed earlier. I’m sure you can do it! =)
I’ve noticed (and I’m sure a number of other Popsters have as well) that you seem to have lost quite a bit of weight recently. Your cheeks look sunken in and the way you shirts fit makes it seem like your ribs are overly visible. The amount of food you ate in your “What I Eat in a Day” video certainly didn’t seem like enough for your stats and activity level, either. All of that (along with sleep) are probably why you’re experiencing these problems. Please stay safe and know that so many people see you as a role model!
I am so thankful for your efforts Cassey. You take care so much of not only yourself but also about your subbies 🙂 I will try your and the doctors advice. I ALWAYSSSS go to sleep at least 1 hour after Midnight. I am only 15 years old. I always thought it was normal for teenagers to go to sleep late because of social media and other internet activities. I recently found out that none of my friends consider it normal to go to-bed so late…. I always need coffee in the morning and always have under-eye bags. I know I have a problem.. but I can never get my self to sleep early…
xoxo Hadia
Hey Hadia!
I used to fight sleep when I was your age too….someone who is 15 needs nearly 9 hours of sleep a night! http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep
I don’t know if you have tried anything to help you get to sleep earlier, but here’s what most experts recommend:
-Have a routine: whether it’s washing up, changing clothes, reading, etc….do the same things every night before you got to bed. This will prepare your mind and body to sleep.
-Go to sleep and wake up the same time EVERY DAY: Even if it’s not a school day =D
-NO ELECTRONICS IN BED: Not only is it a distraction, but the backlit screens tell your mind to stay awake.
-No caffeine/sugar after 5pm: Your body won’t have enough time to wind down and be tired.
-MAKE YOURSELF TIRED! So if you’re a student and on here doing Pilates, you should be making yourself tired enough to want to sleep, but just make sure you are wearing yourself out enough to be ready for bed time on those days you don’t work out.
I know that some of these might seem super crazy and I am sure as a teenager you don’t want to miss a thing going on, and you want to stay up late and sleep in, but try a few of these things and see what a difference it makes to your mind body and spirit! You will only be a teenager for a short time, but you will have this body for the rest of your life and what you do with it now will stay with you for years to come. Take care!
Nic
Hehe before I opened the email link I tried to guess what the answer would be. My guess was sleep, stress or hormonal change 😛
Good to remind myself that this can be the case as I am stressed now but not losing weight the same way as I would be normally.
Amen! Thanks for writing about this Cassey. The fight or flight response also stops the entire digestive system. Adrenal fatigue will suppress your thyroid’s function, even if you don’t have hypothyroidism. Both of which will effect your metabolism. I’ve dealt with this all of my life and have only recently begun to resolve it.
I think the silver lining is that once you resolve this with your doctors, you’ll (seemingly) magically have more energy and be slim without extra effort.
Tai Chi is amazing for reducing stress. I’m all for bodily strength, but think it’s also important to let your body be without tension when not exercising.
I also want to say constantly,trying to lose weight and dieting ,also causes stress !
And undereating causes sleeping problems ,so I think we would do much better if we stopped worrying about our bodies and how we look as much and instead concentrated on other things .
Hey Cassey, I have a wonderful tip for you. Instead of *making* yourself go to bed earlier, make bed time more inviting so you *want* to go to sleep and dream wonderful dreams : ) I found my issue was the color of my room. It was bright yellow and thus very energizing. Changing it to a kind-of soft beige/pink, almost like a skin color you could say, was an instant “ahhhh” when I walked into my room. Any bright pops of color stimulates the mind and keeps it going when, really, you want the mind to slow down. Another helpful tip is to have a notepad and pencil handy in a drawer or nightstand so if you have any “Oh, I have to make sure I don’t forget….” moments just as your drifting to sleep, it can literally take it off your mind knowing it’s right there for you to see in the morning. : ) Hope this helps!
I’m kinda shocked that you didn’t know this. As someone with a really hectic work schedule, commute and personal responsibilities, I’m aware that lack of sleep (4 hours max) a day is the main culprit. You keep telling everyone that all you need is to work hard and eat right and everything “will fall into place.” This is not true for a lot of us that stress out over life issues (finances/work) + working out + trying to eat right + exhausted, and not seeing any results is highly demoralizing.
I work from 3am to 9am and I find it hard to get the sleep I need at night. When I get home in the morning sometimes I take a nap before I do my shopping, housework, etc… I would have to go to bed at 7 pm to get 7 hours sleep and that’s not going happen. I’m still doing the things I need to do at 7pm. I know I need more sleep but I just can’t do it. I have totally noticed that my belly is not getting any smaller. In fact it seems line it’s getting bigger, while the rest of my body is in shape. What can I do?
Thank you! Sometimes you just need someone who reminds you that it´s ok to rest ^^,
Hi Cassey,
Working in hospitality means alot of night and graveyard shifts, I usually don’t get into bed earlier than 4am, but when I do sleep, I sleep for around 8 hours or more. So I am technically getting enough sleep, just not at the normal hours. In fact I probably sleep more than most people, but does sleeping at the wrong hours stop me from getting into shape faster? I have not slept before 12am since probably high school and yes, the thought actually really scares me :S Is there any other way.
I also wonder all the time about how important the hours you sleep in matter or is it just how MANY hours you sleep?
I wanna know!
Hey,
You should ideally have around 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
Yeah….when you sleep is also extremely important: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/night-shift-sleep?page=2
The National Sleep Foundation even says that your body will never adjust and you will always feel sleepy during a NOC shift.
Blackout curtains, eye masks, and essential oils made all the difference for me!!! Also, I took Melatonin, a natural chemical your body produces to make you go to bed.
Cassey, it’s true that cortisol is released when we are stressed, but it might be worthwhile to note that adrenaline (epinephrine) is also associated with the ‘fight or flight’ response, as are other catecholamines. Not everyone has knowledge of biology like you do, so the more facts available for us POPsters, the better! 🙂
Hey Cassey. My sleeping changes constantly & I could definitely see that being a cause for my issues lately too. I’ve put on 8+ pounds, after working months to lose 8 pounds & then gained it back. I found out though too that my iron is low & has been low for a year now. That can also slow your metabolism from things I read, so if anyone is having issues that aren’t from sleep, it could be iron. I’m trying to take iron supplements, hoping it helps, ’cause I still workout six days a week & eating cleanly as much as I can on a budget & haven’t been seeing results, besides getting bigger. And it’s a huge upset since I was thinning down before & getting lean & toned which is ultimate what I want. Do you think that my iron could be the cause Cassey along with the weird sleep schedule?
It’s good that you went to your two doctors to check on yourself. I’ve always been lean and thought that my quasi-recent tummy bulge was just something that happens with age, since everyone tends to say that it’s inevitable. Exercise was having a positive effect on everything EXCEPT this one area. Meanwhile, started taking medicine for acid reflux (at the orders of my doctor) for some other symptoms I was having (occasional shortness of breath and a mild burning feeling at the back of my throat). Within a week of taking the reflux meds my “pooch” has gone away. I’m convinced that there’s a correlation (reflux can cause bloating, among other things). I’m going to find out from my doctor after I finish this course of treatment.
Hi Cassey,
Any suggestions for an extremely stressed out doctoral student? This article is very helpful and I’m pretty certain my stomach “fluff” is associated with cortisol levels related to stress, but advice such as “don’t stretch yourself too thin; avoid people that stress you out or ask for too much; and make time for fun things you enjoy doing” has actually proven to be a lot harder than it sounds.
Thanks!!!
I’m like you Cassey: I get my best work done at night and I feel if I go to bed “early” then I am wasting precious time to get work done! But since I’ve joined your blog and my Isagenix diet in the summer I’ve seen great results, especially in that first month! I noticed since I’ve been back at school, the weight loss has decreased. This could be a reason, since I am getting far less sleep than I did in summer. I appreciate the effort in getting the word out, and I will strive to continue my journey here with you and get more sleep (NOT going to bed at 2-3am)! Let’s work harder together to reach our life goals and not let our stubbornness deter us! Thanks Cassey, you’re an inspiration!
That’s incredible info. That’s probably my problem cause I always go to bed around midnight, 1, 2, its NOThealthy. Stop Holly stop! This was very informative. Thank you!!
Thanks Cassey for this blog post! Couldn’t thank you enough! I have noticed that since school’s started my abs have dissipated and my stomach was bloating easier. I was going to bed the same time as I was over the summer, at like 12:00 or later. But now I realize that I’m waking up earlier and im only getting 5-6 hours of sleep each night!! My goa is to go to bed tonight at 10 and really go to bed, so I won’t go on my phone. That way I’ll get 8 hours of sleep, 3 hours more than I’m used to!!! Thanks again, love you and all my fellow POPsters!!!
Yes! I found this to be so true with all the late study nights, when heading back to university this year. No matter how clean I would seem to eat, I definitely noticed this a lot. Thank you for pointing this out! It definitely serves as good reminder to us all, on achieving a balanced life, rather than just hhitting the gym and eating clean on its own.
So how much sugar is in these? Bc i noticed that i didnt start losing weight until i cut out most of the carbs except for veggies kept the sugar low and avoided fatty processed foods. I make a point that if i crave a burger to go my favorite bar and pub who has the best food. So its one or two meals a week. Not days. Meals. And i use ur beginner wo plan since im tight on time wnd just make it more intense. Works for me. But could you do a thing for kidneys? Even though ive dropped 15 pounds and am exercising im going through a bunch of tests for possible kidney problems n
Cassey this doesnt make sense. So is it lack of sleep or stress? Because you can lack sleep and not be stressed out just tired.
Stress is more than just the mental and emotional toll you feel. Lack of sleep puts physical stress on the body, which needs 6-8 hours (varies person to person) of recovery per night in order to function optimally. So basically, it’s both.
Exactly. Lack of sleep physically stresses your body even though you may not be emotionally stressed. Many hormone levels show diurnal variation (meaning the time of day affects their production). If your sleep schedule is all messed up, your diurnal hormones can also get messed up and hormone levels play an important role in metabolism.
I’m really glad you shared this because it’s something a LOT of us women suffer from. For me personally, it’s really really really frustrating to know that I have to have all of these factors on point in order to get the body I want. It’s an extremely hard balance when you have so many other things going on in your life. I recently got a job and am trying to weave working out into my daily schedule again. After reading this I have to ask myself “now I have to work adequate sleep in to?!”
It sucks. It’s for the greater good of our body, but damn. It’s a hard balance
As fitness instructor myself, I don’t understand how your workouts revolve around your body and how you look. This is not what fitness is about and clearly you’re missing some key components of health! There’s more to putting work into work into fitness than just seeing aesthetic results. Stop telling young girls that they have to put so much work into what they look like! How about the fact that great fitness habits reduce so many horrible chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Cassey, what do you mean by “don’t stretch yourself too thin”? I’m not a native speaker, so this is why I might have a problem understanding what you mean…do you mean like, don’t stretch you belly skin so that it starts to sag?
This expression means don’t stress yourself out. It’s another way to say don’t overexert yourself by making too many commitments.
No, it means don’t tell yourself to do so much and push yourself too hard so that you start to get really frustrated.
I am definitely guilty of this!
I suffer from anxiety and even though the rest of me is fine, the belly fat is such a problem. I am going to a counsellor once a week to try to get rid of problem but it is definitely triggered by having too busy a schedule, not having enough sleep and being around people/situations that make you feel stressed! Last April, I started with Blogilates and started feeling absolutely incredible, I had more energy, I was seriously happy and I was loving my life! In just one month I saw serious results and was on my way to my dream body! Unfortunately, at the end of that month, my Gran passed away. I was so, so depressed and anxious that I couldn’t fall asleep at night. I’d sleep for around 5hrs a night then get up to work out and go to work every day, then come home and go to the gym most nights. But there were no results, no happy feelings, I was doing all I could and seeing no changes. Eventually, I gave up working out and eating clean because I realised I needed to do something to help myself recover and save energy, but honestly I had never felt so numb, so apathetic in all my life. I wasn’t even happy that I’d almost reached my dream body – I just didnt feel anything. Since then I have been trying to get back into that lifestyle again but i just can’t – I keep getting bouts of insomnia, and the anxiety is all over the place. One day I hope I will be free of it and I can finally get rid of this horrible muffin top! People are telling me I should just ‘accept my body’ and not worry about it for now. I don’t want to though, I want to reach my goals, but I know they are probably right because right now it’s probably adding to the anxiety. If anyone else has had similar problems I would love to hear back from you!! xxx
Hey Lana,
I definitely understand where you are coming from with anxiety issues. I worked really hard to balance my mind, body, and soul when I started blogilates and clean eating with serious intent. I had been really struggling with generalized anxiety and felt depressed about the way I was fitting or not fitting into my clothes as I completed an accelerated nursing school. I did great when I was required to do a lifestyle change as a project for school and got back to my original weight (although I honestly think we should all just go off of our body types and how our clothes are fitting – it’s way more accurate). I was happy. Then I had graduating, getting married and moving to a completely new place several hours away from mine and my husband’s family and it has been really tough. I’m anxiously awaiting to take a huge test to become a full fledged nurse and they are taking so long to get my ID to test that I have ‘let myself go.’ But you know what? I saw your post today and realized I’m not the only person struggling. We are all fighting our demons over something and you have inspired me to not only write back to you, but to work hard again. Even if it’s only 20 minutes of HIIT a day. We can do this. Keep your head up. I’m going to accept what I have now – but I’m going to gently nudge it in the right direction. If I keep trying I’ll get there. Slow and steady wins the race!
Hey Lana, you may not believe it now, but things will get better!
I have faced the same problem three years ago. I tried to support myself, working 20 hours a week, while studying full time, dealing with shifts within the family, a bad break-up and the death of my grandma. I could not sleep, lived off Snikers, bread and coffee and felt that I have to work more in order to be grown-up and independent.
Eventually, I numbed so much that I did not see how bad I felt and that I could not manage the load anymore. I did sport, but not for the love of it, it just kept me from thinking. As soon as I lay in bed my mind kept racing. After about a year, my health was at a low. I was constantly sick with colds, I blacked out a couple of times and even doing my hobbies with friends seemed pointless.
I would love to say that I made up my mind and just started to change my life, but that is not how change happened.
I knew that I was wrecking myself and worrying a lot of people, but I was too tired to change a thing. What changed was that I was so tired of keeping all these demon inside myself that one day on a jog I called my best friend and I broke down in tears. She gave me the best advice, she could: Talk it out and stop thinking that you have to do it yourself.
It took me three years and three countries to get to know myself better, and accept not just my body, but especially my inner needs. And it is still a work in progress. I still get overly anxious and I still have a harder time sleeping when I am stressed. But now, I know the signals and how I can stop midway.
Sorry for the long ramble, but if I have learned one thing I wish to pass on:
Listen to yourself. Take time to listen to how you really feel, why you feel that way and what you (and your body) want right now. Not what you should or are supposed to. Focus on what will make you feel good, and then better, and don’t be shocked if might not be your dream body. Controlling the body is just so much easier than understanding the mind.
I need time-outs and ever since I started Yoga and Zen meditation, I feel better. My friends find it weird, but I need these calm moments.
Take time and allow yourself to come into terms with whatever is troubling you. And work on one thing at a time. You deserve all that time. 🙂
A big thank you Cassey! I needed to read your blog today. I am a newbie popster and loving it. In the two months i have seen a massive body change but my emotional and physical strength that wowing me the most, but my lower belly pooch is driving me bonkers. Soooo frustrating! I’m going to give myself a break, look at the journey as marathon and not a race and give myself the time too rest and Recuperate .
I suffer from chronic anxiety so I’m pretty sure all my stress hormones are always through the roof 🙁
Hi Cassie, I think you’re on to something with this post! As someone who struggles with a mild sleep disorder, I’ve become pretty familiar with the effects of sleep on my mind/body. There are a lot of philosophies out there but what I’ve personally found to be true is that a person needs to figure out their sleep cycle (the amount of time it takes for you to go from REM to deep sleep and back up again) and then time their sleep to increments of that amount. For example, mine is a pretty standard 1 1/2 hour cycle, so I know to shoot for 6 hrs OR 7 1/2 in order to wake up easily and feel refreshed. If I try to get 6 1/2 hrs, I wake up hating the alarm (and the world) and feel off all day. Aside from dietary/fitness effects, sleep really affects my short-term memory, stress levels, and overall mental health. Sorry for the essay but I hope this might help someone! There are apps to help you figure out/monitor your sleep cycle for those who are interested.
Also, I’m a big fan of your work and your positive fan base, Cassie. I’m one of those who falls off the fitness wagon pretty often, just because I stink at keeping up a routine, but you are so encouraging and no-judgement about it that it feels very easy to jump back in. I really appreciate that!!
Please dont get too skinny because you look perfect like you are right now. Girls need a few curves
Can somebody please help me out? Because I think this is the problem with me too, since I do eat healthy and work out regularly, but my belly fat just won’t go away. I do feel like I sleep enough, but my sleep rythm is very bad. One day I’ll go to bed at 10 pm and wake up at 6. The other day I’ll go to sleep at 3/4 am and wake up at 1 pm… so I do sleep enough, but my sleep rythm is bad. Could this increase my cortisol level and could this be reason why my belly fat is being stubborn too?
Please help!
Thanks!!
I read somewhere that sleep b/t 10 pm – 2 am is best for the liver to recover, look younger, etc. I heard someone saying the sleep at that period actually counts as twice the time of sleeping at other times…(Not that I think sleeping 10 pm – 2 am will count as for 8 hours of sleep, though). I do notice that if I make myself sleep longer than usual, weight loss will follow.. 🙂
I heard that keeping a notebook and pen by your bed helps. Leave your phone out of the room. So if you can’t sleep, write down what is keeping you awake to get it out of your head. I used to stay up late but now I go to sleep early and wake up early. It took a while-morning workouts helped my internal clock. I have a lot more energy and focus now on my new schedule. Hope this helps!
Guilty as well. A few days ago I came out of a doctor’s office with a stomach ulcer. I told them that I was in college and I didn’t really have a choice in my schedule but they quickly shut me down on that. Stress is stress and it took a toll on my stomach. PLEASE get some rest and don’t get an ulcer like me. Trust me; it really hurts and you don’t want to eat or do anything!
Oh Cassey…. I’ve been wanting to mention abt this since the first time I read your ramblings on how very few hours you sleep each day but I did not want to come as a nosey parker. I’m glad and happy that you had finally realized it though. Hope your body is much happier after this and thanks you for stopping the stress you’ve been putting it through. Love you bubbly gal!!!
Oh this could be! I mean in the holidays and weekends I sleep a lot but when I have school not so much. And I do have problems with belly fat. So maybe I should try to sleep enough even when I have school.
I think it’s true.
“Avoid people that stress you out”.
Too bad the main person that does that is my mother. -.-
Wait… You have belly fat?? Where?! Lol
I absolutely agree that sleep is essential to good health, in many ways above and beyond the chance that because it might make you skinnier. Lack of sleep increases your risk of developing chronic disease like heart disease and diabetes, worsens depression, weakens your ability to concentrate and can even lead to premature death. In the short term, it can weaken your immunity (flu season is just around the corner!) and just make you grumpy. For students who are concerned about getting enough done, you may find that you work more efficiently getting enough sleep and don’t need as many all-nighters.
I think it’s great Cassey that you are bringing up sleep and working on getting enough of it yourself but it is way beyond a cure for belly fat ( of which you seem to have none). I hope getting more sleep makes you feel better all around. Also, I’m surprised you say that you aren’t getting results because beyond the innumerable benefits of exercise and eating well that you enjoy, you also look “fit.” As you have said yourself it’s not about a specific body. It’s about taking care of your body the best you can, and however it looks when you are doing that is beautiful. And the fact that you so do so much to encourage others to be healthy, wow, what an incredible result that is!
I learned from one of my professors in exercise biology that if you do not get proper rest following a workout (no matter how intense or long), then you have essentially “wasted” that workout. Adequate rest and recovery is crucial to get the maximum value of a workout because muscles adapt to workload during your rest cycle.
I try to sleep early but my family usually eat late (around 8:30) so sometimes I finish dinner around 9 pm. I heard it’s better to sleep at least 2 to three hours after you eat so sometimes I end u[ sleeping around 10:30 to 11 pm even though I get up at 6 am. Is sleeping on a full stomach such a bad thing? If so, what can I do? D:
My dad always tells me it’s bad to sleep on a full stomach cause that food just sits there for hours since you aren’t dong anything. I’ve been told it’s bad but I’m really not sure- all I can really tell you is to really communicate to your family that you would like to eat earlier so you could get on a more healthy sleeping schedule. I know that might not help, but it’s all I can say for you to do.
Your body doesn’t stop digesting when you’re sleeping, so that’s not quite the issue. It’s more that if you’re trying to relax and recharge your whole body when you sleep, but your digestive system is still working hard, your sleep might be a little more restless, and you won’t wake up feeling as refreshed as you would have otherwise. In any case, leaving that gap between dinner and bedtime does help many people!
My family eats late as well and jokes about it being “European” dinnertime. Anyways, i go to bed at 10 to wake up at 6 and feel fine. I work out early in the day and feel like eating late and going to bed early gives my body time to rest and focus only on digestion. I don’t know if it really works that way but I definately don’t snack at night if I eat a late dinner compared to eating the same amount of calories earlier. So it works out better for me.
i appreciate this post so much. i love to workout super early in the mornings but when i got to bed after 12 and get up to hit the gym regardless at 5 my tummy is usually super duper bloated. just like you said, everything else looks great (arms, legs, etc) but my mid-section… NO. doesn’t even feel good on the inside either. after 7 or 8 hours of sleep i wake up with a super flat tummy. no coincidence there as i eat pretty much the same things every day. thank you for sharing.
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Hey Cassey!
Sleep is crucial!!! I take health psychology and we learn all about how stress can “present” itself in the form of belly fat. And the most dangerous part to accumulate fat is around your abdominal area because that’s an indicator of stress. So yeah you can have toned arms and lean legs, but that belly area will stay the same and you’ feel bloated so long as you don’t get enough sleep and experience lots of stress during the day.
It definitely sucks, but as a student… it’s hard to go to bed before 12 =( How can you maintain good grades and a healthy body at the same time? Sometimes’s it’s just hard =(
But thank for sharing! it’s good to read all the comments, knowing that I am not the only one experiencing this! =’)
Hi, Cassey ! I hope you will see this, and I know it is not related to the post..but, somehow..
It is this one thing that is really bothering me..BLOATING. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.. I am eating clean (it’s been 18 days since I’ve touched any type of sweets, chocolate, cake, soda, etc 😀 ) and drinking plenty of water and green tea. As soon as I wake up I drink a big glass of water with lemon and I am still very bloated, which makes me feel pretty sad, because I feel like all my hard work doesn’t show up.. even though I know it is somewhere underneath the bloated belly…
So, can you tell me/us a few tricks/things about bloating, how to treat and prevent, pretty pretty please 🙁 ?
I’ve searched all over the Internet and nothing seems to work 🙁 I don’t really know what to do anymore..it’s been more than a week..
Did you read the post? It may be cause you need more sleep, I don’t know when you go to sleep or when you wake up, but maybe try going to bed earlier, cause according to Cassey and a few comments sleep is more important as well in a healthy life style.
As someone who is conscious of an overall mind-body health, I can kind of sense imbalance and even physically see it in others. Reading your tumblr posts, my biggest concern for you for the longest time was on the very fact that you lacked sleep! I remembered some posts you mentioned about negative people commenting about your physical appearance. While I completely disagreed with their comments, I could see there was an imbalance resulting from not getting enough sleep.
Reading your tumblr post, I was already predicting what both your doctors were going to say. SLEEP! I was like “I KNEW ITTTTT!” I’m glad you’re finally addressing it! It’s so important for your mental and physical health. Yes, you’re very active and you want to get as much things done but imagine how much better you would get things done and feel after 7-8 hours of sleep. Also, oversleeping is just as bad as under-sleeping. This from research and personal experience.
Can’t wait to attempt this recipe.
Hey Cassey!!!! OMG yes, I can totally relate to you on the sleeping front. I can get so stressed with school that I’d go to sleep past 12, wake up at 5 and try to do it all over again. As much I loved the extra-curriculars i was doing it does have an effect and I’m starting to see it more now that I’m trying to pull back, then when I was right in the middle of it pushing myself hard for all the things i wanted to do. I’m trying really hard to make sleep a priority again. Btw I did your playlist today and I noticed that you had a Thanksgiving video in there and I was wondering if that was a hidden shoutout to the Canadians who are having their Thanksgiving this weekend 😉
So true…I am a nurse, and I am awake every 4. night (when my shifts are normal), and that completely messes my bioritam!!! But when I’m on a vacation everything is OK 🙂
I eat about 5 times a day, workout every day and sleep every night at least 7 hours…
Sometimes I’m jealous on people that have a 9-5 job , but only sometimes 🙂
I know that i’m gonna melt that body fat away,no matter when, just have to stay focused :))
I TOTALLY struggle with this – I can never seem to be able to lose that last little section of fat below my belly button – and I am the exact same way with regards to sleep. I’ve never been able to explain it to anyone, but I think you’ve hit the nail on the head when you say that you’re afraid of going to sleep early. I’m a little bit obsessive-compulsive/Type A so I always feel like I should be doing more, or like I’m somehow “missing out” if I go to bed early, even if there is absolutely nothing going on/everyone else in my house is also asleep! After reading this, I’m going to try to make it a bigger priority 🙂
This is the one thing I always rock at on the healthy checklist. I ALWAYS get enough sleep. Sometimes it might not be the most restful sleep but I know I always get enough when it comes down to it. Stress affects me in other ways (severe headaches).
I TOTALLY feel the same way! I’ve been exercising so regularly and eating well, but I think the late night sleeping is what is making me feel bloated still. I was actually just thinking about how I need to aim to sleep around 10pm (because that way I know I will actually sleep by 11 or 12pm). Here I am, writing this at 2am… Hearing it from someone else and not just myself that “sleep is important” (at a decent hour) helps 🙂
Really great for me as I am trying to lose weight! Much love from http://devilreturnsprada.wordpress.com/
Great post for me as I am acutally trying to lose weight! Much love from http://devilreturnsprada.wordpress.com/
So That’s why even if the scale tells me I’am 3kg lighter iam physically bloated esp. on the lower belly as my friends tells me i look a little thick. so that’s the reason! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS I MUST DEFINITELY HIT THE SACK EARLIER! 🙂 Love you girl! 🙂
I’ve been super stressed for the past few months and my sleeping has SUCKED as a result, and my belly has been feeling more bloaty and stuff than usual … maybe there is a connection.
Okay I know this is totally off the subject but I really need help with the Blgilates app. I have been subscribing to the monthly calendars with my Android phone since last year when the app came out and so the problem is this, I purchased an iPhone and now I can’t seem to subscribe to the Blogilates app. I’m always asked to pay but I really really don’t want to pay again. Help please ! Thanks
email blogialtesapp@veam.co! They will help!
I work 24 hour shifts for my job and I’m only allowed 5 hours of sleep on the job from midnight till 5 in the morning? Any suggestions for weight loss? Also, if I am awake at night should I eat anything?
I’m guilty of that too…I normally go to sleep around 1 am- 2. I’m always so busy during the day that when I finally get to relax and either watch tv, read, or play some video games I end up cutting into my sleep. Though I dont feel like it affects me, since I’m not tired during the day, I continue doing it. But I have seen that my tummy is the hardest thing to get rid of……I’ll try it with you! going to sleep 30 min earlier and aiming for before 12am!!! Best of luck to us both!!!
That was some trivia. Thank you so much for sharing. Just like you I’ve been looking at my progress and it really did seem slower and to think that its because of sleep! OMG! Since its sem break, I’m really trying to catch on some. I hope you do too. 🙂
Thank you for sharing! I get to bed earlier than that but I have a feeling I may need to go to bed even earlier. I don’t think I am stressed but people around me often comment how I am. I’ve been working out like crazier and eating healthier than I use to (still need to improve though) but while everything on my body is changing…that annoying belly “pouch” never budges. Time for some sleep!
Thanks for writing this Cassey! It’s really helped me!
No wonder my results were so slow… I had felt like no matter what i was doing, I wasn’t able to change at all because i could barely see any results.
Comparing my progress during my summer holidays and during school, I difference was huge!! During the summer holidays I was able to freely get 10 hours of sleep and plenty of rest, without worrying about the work I should be doing and I also had time to do the things I love. I found that I was losing weight just by eating healthier, without needing to exercise much.
But during school I only get around 5-7 hours of sleep. I still eat clean too, actually, probably cleaner and healthier than what I was eating during my holidays. I exercised and moved around more, but my results were coming significantly slower in comparison. I felt like giving up, I felt like changing was impossible.
But yeah, now I’m going to try to sleep more and hopefully i get some results!
ive been suffering from insomnia since im very young due to PTSD… i work hard, i eat clean, i put my heart and soul in my fitness lifestyle, and this struck me. ive been stagnant for a few months now, and this might just be the reason. but sleeping on medecine is never as good as sleeping the right way. i might just need to get happy on how far ive been, and t want to go too far in my body transformation. its not like PTSD goes away anyways.
I’m really glad you posted about this. As someone who helps with a family business and is dealing with honor classes in high school, I rarely ever get the right number of hours of sleep that I should be getting. I always knew that sleep was necessary but your post has really helped explain why I’ve been seeing limited results compared to when I was on summer break. I’ll start to see If I can do the 30 min earlier or try before 12. Thank you!!!
I feel like when I go to sleep earlier or sleep in I stress myself out even more because I just keep thinking about what I need to be doing. But I am seeing how getting no sleep is effecting me, thanks for posting this, it forces me to see how important sleeping is!
Cassey, I love this blog post! It is so true! I think it would be awesome if you added a sleep log to the calender as a reminder!
Where do you people come from? lol I love my sleep!
Hahaha! You are so right! Where do you people come from?! Sleep is the BEST! 🙂
It’s impossible for me to get more than 6 1/2 hours a sleep at night. I would have very little time after work to eat before having to go to bed. Which I heard eating right before you go to sleep is bad too.
I actually get to bed really late and pull all nighters to finish my papers in college and I’ve definitely noticed I eat a lot more when I stay up late BUT because I’m in college I have the luxury of still getting my 8-9 hours sleep a day, usually split in one 3 and one 5hr interval. I feel like I can’t really escape the stress and try to keep calm. But yeah sleep is so important!
I would love it if you made acai bowls for cheap clean eats! I would also love a healthy BLT. That would be challenging 🙂
Hi Cassey! This is really a dilemma for me because I am a medstudent and I have a lot of paperworks and a lot of studying to do and having ling sleeps just won’t do. What do you suggest? 🙂 thank you so much!
Oh my gosh, this will be so relevant for me soon!
“I am terrified of going to sleep early. I always feel like…ugh…but I could be getting so much more done!” This is me to a T. I’ve often told others I hate sleep because I’d rather be doing other things (though I function best on 6-7 hours of sleep). Lately I’ve been trying to combat my stress level by going to bed early, even though it’s a slow process.
Thanks for writing such an informative and honest post Cassey! It is so easy to relate to you and get motivated by you!
This is so true. I gained literally like 10 lbs last fall when I was doing my master’s thesis and not sleeping plus just generally being really stressed. I also found out that caffeine (which of course I used all the time to help stay AWAKE) can actually make it even worse. When I stopped drinking so much coffee and started getting more sleep I immediately stopped gaining weight and it went back down a bit. I’m trying to remember this now bc my job requires me to sometimes go into work at 6:45 am and sometimes work evenings until 12 am (in the same week!), so I’m constantly changing sleep schedules, which makes it tough to get enough sleep.
Hi Dena,
I had a very similar experience to yours with my master’s, and I’m going through it now again. There is just no getting around work sometimes, and I think that for women the stress does go straight to the belly. I feel stress generate directly from my lower belly because this is the area where my frustration begins to express itself, like a hard, tight knot. Hopefully, one day in the future I will catch up on the last 10 years of lost sleep. It is so vital for health and mental balance.
True words girl! So get to bed and sleep!
That’s what I’m doing actually. Semester just started last week and strangly my friend and I have noticed that this time we feel already very tired and exhausted. Maybe because we spent summer working on our bachelor thesis or (in her case) doing an archaeological excavation. Anyway, we feel like wanting to sleep the whole day and we both agreed that we just can’t go on like we used to be, but moving on a bit slower. I quit a class yesterday because I recognized that it was not meant for me and would cause me too much stress. I told the librarian that the best thing of my day at college is working with him at library.
I hope you get better soon, Cassey. Just give your body the time it needs. I know it’s hard to go to bed early if you’re used to do differently, but it will work out fine. Take one step after another 😉
Good luck to you all guys! Stress isn’t easy to get rid of. The trick is to not let it dominate you!
Kathy
Glad you got checked out – and if you ever need help on how to sleep I am the girl – now thats something I master lol 😉
So true! Sleep is very important to our health. As far as the belly fat, I too have been struggling with that. I remember when I was teeny weeny there, now no so much. Just wait til you get old like me–55, lol it is impossible to get rid of it, even with all the exercise I do…Monday through Friday, swimming/water walking a mile each day and treading water for about an hr each day. Three days a week yoga, and two days a week Pilates. I feel good, but the gut is still there 😛
Cassey will you come to New Zealand!? We love you here! 🙂
You have summed up one of my biggest problems.
This is so true, Cassey. I always notice that when times are stressful and I start losing sleep, my body responds by gaining weight–especially on my thighs and stomach. It doesn’t help that being exhausted makes me crave sugar (and I don’t even have a sweet tooth!) Definitely need to find some ways to relax and regain balance… We can do it!
I have been dealing with the same problem. I was so worried because my belly used to be flat and just recently I began noticing I was gaining a lot of fat in that area. I had been exercising the same, if not even more and eating healthy. I’ve been really stressed with college and I haven’t been getting enough sleep. Everything makes so much sense now though! Thanks Cassey!
True dat! Guilty as well.
But in a way though, it’s relieving to see I’m not the only one staying up until 2-3AM. Been promising myself for so long this will be the day I go to bed early but.. Never happened. Maybe today? 🙂
Totally agree with this Cassey!! I just learned about cortisol in my stress, health and coping psychology class! It’s so interesting to see the link between stress and exercise. I myself don’t go to bed that early either.. I’ll be in bed by 10:30-11:00pm but will spend at least an hour on my phone between twitter, youtube, instagram ah but it’s so hard! I believe we can do this if we set our mind to it.. baby steps, baby steps! Love you Cassey xoxoxo
I completely understand. I’m the opposite. I’m usually in bed by 10pm (that’s a late night for me) but I’ve been waking up for work at 4:30 every morning. It’s been increasingly harder for me to wake up in the morning because I get so little sleep. My job requires a lot of walking and according to my fitbit I walk 10,000 before i leave work then I try to work out as much as possible and eat healthier and the number on the scale just keeps going up.
Not that I can sleep any early this days. I work, study and do my trainning. I don’t have the time to sleep and if I was to sacrifice something to get the sleep that would be the trainning because is the less important thing in this stressfull life. My work needs to be done, my boss won’t let me do less or have more time to me, work is work and that’s how real life go. Also, I have to study and keep good grades in university. So, I get up at 5, train till 6 or 6:30, get some breakfast and go to work o uni, then I get home at 9:30 if not later and study till three or four because lawyers read waaaaaaaay too much than averange people, like 300 or 400 pages a week, at least in my country.
I try to get some sleep on saturdays thought!!! 😀
Got to agree with the docs there! I used to work in a supermarket 9-5, workout, be in bed at a reasonable time and I definitely saw results. Whereas now I work in a nightclub and most nights I don’t get home till 3-4am, which means by the time I do get up the next day I’m always tired and sluggish and demotivated. So I stopped working out or eating healthy and I can see and feel the effects on my body. It’s so frustrating because I want to have health and fitness and a good job, but feel like I can’t have either 🙁 Apologies for the rant! But defo try the earlier bed-time :
Oh I’m the same… absolutely terrified of going to bed before 2 am. I just feel like the day is too short! Plus it’s easier for me to get things done during nighttime… ughhh.
Cassey, you are so on point! I never realized how much stress can affect you until I battled with infertility. After refusing drugs and looking into Eastern medicine, I realized that even though I didn’t FEEL stressed, my body was still in a state of stress, and needed to be reset. I did Acupuncture for 2 months, once a week, and then once a month after that. I have a healthy, beautiful 2 year old daughter now, and after going through another stressful time recently, I am going back to Acupuncture again for a reset, for both my mind, and to avoid the results of stress, including weight gain.
Great post, thanks for the tips and the honesty!
🙁 this is so hard to do with a baby that’s still waking every 2-3 hours at night to eat. I’ve seriously struggled with this advice since i became a mother almost 4 years ago. there’s only so much you can do. i have really hard time accepting that.
Hi Cassey! What type of Eastern Medicine doctor do you see, and how did you find a reputable one? I’ve been wanting to supplement my annual physical with a holistic doctor, and I’m just curious how you went about it.
I am guilty of this too!! I am fairly thin, not at my goal weight(I want to gain) but I’m having issues with the belly!! I usually go to bed around 1-2am simply because I can’t sleep, and there are probably unseen stressors that cause me to not sleep, I’m my mothers caregiver as she battles cancer, so I am constantly work work work during the day, with no rest, then at night I just stay up, its like I’m scared to go to sleep! and I’ve noticed more lately that the more I do, and the more known stress, the less I sleep, so this post was right on point, at the right time!
Thanks Cassey for your honesty and encouragement!! It’s always a blessing!
Seems to make sense. I eat well, workout a minimum of 9 hours a week and am making very little progress in the belly area. I’ve lost inches, but I’m not toning up the way I feel I should after 6 months. I have a stressful job, and tend to go to bed later than I should. I need to change this.
I sm guilty of this too, Cassey, although I sleep earlier than you. sleep is bumping its way up the the top with all my work and blogging balanced with drama rehearsals. I feel stressed nearly all the time now, and that’s not good at all!
Mmmmmmm!!!! those look great!
ILYSM cassey you REALLY inspire me. you should do a meet and greet in ohio soon!