Can You Really Lose Weight While You Sleep?

When I suggest that anaerobic exercise is just as important, maybe even more so, than aerobic exercise, people often look at me in confusion. Really, if you really want to lose weight fast, then it’s not just important, it’s essential to include anaerobic exercises as part of your weight loss program. You can also forget about weight loss pills! Well, you’re as baffled as most when I mention anaerobic exercise as part of a rapid weight loss program, right? You’re not alone! 🙂 Let’s see what aerobics and anaerobics really mean, when talking about rapid weight loss programs.

In aerobics (aerobic training), your body needs and uses a lot of oxygen, for example, during a long run or a long swim to keep the muscle working for prolonged activities. Aerobic exercises help the body adapt to the increased oxygen demands, which we associate more with endurance-building exercise. Have you ever noticed that stitch when you just started an aerobic activity? It’s your muscles telling you they’re running out of oxygen.

Anaerobic training programs require and use much less oxygen for the muscle group being exercised. This type of training is not sustained for as long as cardiovascular aerobic exercises are; an anaerobic exercise may require sets of 8 to 10 repetitions (for example, bench press) with light to medium weights, with a breather between sets.

Yes, we are talking about weight training here. During weight training, your body reacts differently than when you go for a 35-minute run. Aerobic activities will cause your body to consume a lot of oxygen and “free” carbohydrates for fuel. Once exercise is over, your body looks to replace those “free” carbohydrates. If they don’t come naturally at your next meal, your body will look for a substitute “fuel”: it will convert some of your fat into “free” carbohydrates. In a weight loss program, here’s how aerobic exercise burns fat as part of a calorie-controlled diet: the two go together.

What actually happens to those to whom I give advice? For most new athletes and dieters, this is what happens… They tell me they’ve been doing aerobics up to 5 times a week, but can’t seem to lose weight or shed the fat they want. I ask them about their diet and also if they do any weight training, they say no to the latter and about diet, they reveal that in fact all they are doing is eating in a way that replaces all those “free” carbs. reserve, they burned in the aerobic exercises each day. None of the fat is converted. You see, when you want to lose weight, you have to look at the whole picture! It may surprise you to learn that when people follow my suggestion to do some weight training (anaerobics) in addition to their regular routine, they lose weight amazingly quickly.

So why is weight training the missing element of your weight loss program regimen? It’s stupidly simple… building muscle mass and, more importantly, maintaining muscle strength, takes a lot of energy, a lot of calories. I’m not suggesting you “go for it” to try to bulk up like in the bodybuilding magazines, but instead use reasonable weights for sets of 8-10 reps. This type of resistance training (anaerobic training) forces muscles to tone and strengthen. The important thing to remember is that this type of training uses fat to convert it into the energy needed to maintain and tone muscle. Fat reserves are converted into energy.

Do you want to know the really good thing about this? Everything happens while you sleep!! You see, your body’s rebuilding and maintenance program continues 24/7. And while you sleep, you don’t consume any food, no usable “free” carbs! So your body is forced to burn fat while you sleep. Is that cool or what?

To get stronger, to build muscles, you need a constant supply of energy. The more resistance weight training you do, then the demand for this energy also grows. How much more fat will be burned while you sleep! That’s why I recommend anyone looking to lose weight to include some weight training in their routine. Start with easy-to-handle weights and sets of repetitions. Never go fast and hard or you will be a few weeks behind with tensions and pains that will slow you down. Be sensible and get advice from a personal trainer at your local gym, or look up weight training exercises for beginners. So, if you want to quickly burn that unwanted fat, without diet pills, it’s important to make sure you include weight training (anaerobics) in your routine if you want to lose weight while you sleep.