As written for OzMattress

You’re probably thinking “what the?” And now that I have your attention, let me tell you exactly how you can not only lose weight by simply lying in bed, but how you can maximise it.

If you’re like most people then you’ll be running around wondering how on earth you can squeeze in all of the day’s necessary tasks and find time to fit in a little exercise to help combat the convenience of a Western lifestyle that surrounds and tempts us. By the end of the day you’re simply exhausted, being capable of little more than grabbing something easy (and not necessarily nutritious) to eat and flopping down in front of the TV before eventually dragging yourself off to bed.

Sound familiar? It is for most, and therein lies the problem. It seems these days we are being sucked into a never-ending downward spiral with which comes an accumulation of unwanted centimetres on our body. And it has led Australia to become one of the fattest countries in the world – 3 in 4 of our population is overweight or obese – victims of our own lifestyles.

So what if there was a way to reverse this trend?

What if it were easy to lose weight?

What if we could all start melting away the fat while we sleep?

That’s a lot of what if’s, but let me explain how it is actually possible.

In October 2010 the Annals of Internal Medicine published research that showed that sleep – and sleep alone – is one of the most powerful diet tools ever identified. But you probably didn’t hear about this amazing study because no one is going to make any profit from it!

Think about it. All day our bodies are subjected to all sorts of abuse and stress; some self-imposed and some imposed upon us. It’s the body’s regenerative powers that make it miraculously resilient and able to handle all we do to it. But I’m sure you’ll agree that prolonged periods can take their toll which is why after a few months you need that holiday on a tropical island somewhere.

But what if those regenerative powers can, in the right environment, be amplified to more effortlessly achieve better health?

Ever wondered why you feel so good after a long really deep sleep? Well research has shown that the body actually heals itself best in the deepest levels of restful sleep. But if you can’t achieve these levels, then your body is simply not able to recover as fully and it can’t function optimally.

And if some of you are wondering how more sleep can actually help you lose more weight then I have the proof. I tested it on myself over 20 months during which time I lost half my body weight, over 70kg, to become half the woman I was. When I slept well I lost more weight than I did when I was sleep-deprived. It’s absolutely true.

The right sleep environment is also important but the bottom line is if you don’t have the right mattress, one that provides the right level of comfort and support so you can achieve the right depth of sleep, you’re not going to be able to maximise your daily energy. And maximising your daily energy also means you’ll burn more calories during each day because you’ll actually want to be more active.

OK, so let’s get back on point. How can you lose weight while you sleep? The answer is you’re already doing it every night. But what’s more important is knowing how you can maximise it. That’s where it gets really interesting.

So this bit may get a little technical, but I’ll try and keep it simple. What you need to know is that the body burns the majority of its energy in its normal functioning processes (breathing, circulation, processing food, etc.) It’s called your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR and it burns energy at a set rate, even while you sleep.

To maximise it you need to raise your BMR so it burns more calories and that means raising your metabolism. Yes, it’s the dreaded ‘M’ word, but don’t despair – it’s not as hard as you think. Sure as we get older our metabolism drops, but it’s not too late to reverse it and make it supercharged. In my book “Half The Woman I Was” I give you 16 techniques to achieve it, but today I’ve only got time to touch on 3 of them that will give you the fastest results.

OK, first, eat lots of spicy food. I’m not talking about fast food here, far from it. In fact make sure you eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and include spices like chilli, cayenne, pepper and curry in your cooking. And avoid as much processed food as possible (that includes general staples like white bread, white rice and pretty much anything that comes in a box at the supermarket).

Second, build muscle. Cardiovascular exercise that gets the heart rate going is p great, but it’s the proportion of muscle in your body that helps drives your metabolism. So include a resistance training workout two or 3 times a week to increase your muscle mass. Simple, right?

Third, and I’ve saved the best for last, get lots of quality sleep – at least 8 hours of deep restful sleep which will regulate your body, speed up your metabolism and heal and grow your muscles after training. And remember, more muscle helps you burn more fat even while you sleep.

So if your mattress is over 5 years old, or isn’t meeting the individual needs of your body and providing adequate comfort and support (here’s the plug) then jump on the phone to OzMattress and speak to one of their consultants.

You’ll not only get the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had, you’ll also lose more weight while you sleep!