What do apples, exercise, and sleep all have in common?

Hi this is Eunice from Diet Center.

As it’s getting closer to the holidays, I know that it’s easy to start to feel out of control. Here are three things to help gain back that control.

1. Apples 

A study in Washington State showed that eating an apple with each meal helped people to lose weight. Over a 3 month period, 346 people ate a balanced meal, exercised regularly, and consumed an apple with every meal. Each person lost an average of 17 pounds! Healthy food choices and exercise helped contribute to the weight loss. However, part of the quick loss is also attributed to fiber rich apples (5 grams per serving). Consuming an apple with each meal helps people feel fuller, and curbs appetite to prevent overeating.

2. Exercise 

You may be thinking I don’t have time to exercise. It’s easy to fall off an exercise routine during the holidays. Hectic schedules and travel plans make it easy to skip some sessions for a week or two. Do you ever wonder how fast your level of fitness drops when you stop exercising? Sixty percent of about 3000 people in one survey believed they became out of shape after 1 or 2 weeks of not exercising.

Slacking off does not necessarily make you less fit. Not working out for 2 weeks will cause a slight decrease in fitness. The more fit you are, the less your fitness will decrease. If you don’t work out for 5 weeks, your fitness level will decrease by about half. The best thing you can do to maintain your results is by fitting in at least 2 aerobic workouts and 1 strength training session per week. If you don’t have time to fit in much, try not to go more than 2 weeks without getting back into your routine. You’ll regain any loss back much faster.

Remember exercise helps to give us a sense of control which is very beneficial when the holidays can cause so many to feel so out of control. 

3. Sleep 

Busy schedules can cause us to stay up later or get up earlier totry to catch up. Try not to let hectic schedules affect your sleep habits. Losing sleep can slow down your weight loss. Lack of sleep has been found to increase the production of cortisol. Cortisol is released by the body in response to stress. High levels of this hormone affect the appetite by increasing hunger and promoting bingeing. Also, lack of sleep may prevent your body from burning carbohydrates efficiently, leading to increased fat storage. Try to fit in plenty of sleep in your schedule. 

Thank you for reading Diet Center’s tip of the week. If you’re already doing these things and are struggling with weight loss,please call me today at 928-753-5066 or stop 1848 Hope Ave in Kingman.