Are You Staying Up Late?

at 5:02 PM

Staying up late and not getting enough sleep may be one reason for weight gain.  For a moment forget about all the research that has actually shown that lack of sleep may lead to obesity, but just the fact that you may be staying up several hours past your last meal provides plenty of opportunity for you to snack and take in more calories that you simply will not burn.  Let's be honest here, if you are staying up until midnight and snacking, are you really eating broccoli and carrots or those fresh nachos from the pantry and warm melted cheese (cheese-like substance)?

After having many conversations with people about their sleep schedule, a common theme is emerging.  Most say, 'well my problem is not during the day, it's at night'.  By that. they mean after dinner.  If you are going to bed a couple of hours after dinner, that problem will simply go away.  I have two school-age children, I go to bed when they go to bed. 

Many of you may not be sleepy or tired enough to go to bed by nine.  Well, here is the solution.  GET UP EARLIER!  Get into an exercise plan so that you have to get up earlier.  If you work and you normally get up around 6, get up an hour earlier.  Believe me, once you get into a routine of getting up around 5 you will be ready to go to bed earlier.  Go for a walk, do some pushups.  Purchase a few free weights and do a weight lifting routine at home.  There are many sources on the internet for weight lifting at home.  If you can't do it at home, then join a gym.

Can't afford a gym? I don't buy it (no pun intended!)- Now many gyms such as the YMCA make it pretty affordable for the entire family to join.  You can invest in this.  You must invest in it.  Your health and body are something that you should invest in now, so you can reap the benefits when you are older.

Once you start doing some form of exercise in the morning, you will simply be too tired to stay up too late at night.  I know what I am thinking at 8:30 pm, it's not chips, it's sleep.