Weight loss when sleep deprived or sleep schedule altered

Kco143

Kco143

New member
Hello,


I'm writing this because I feel like I've hit a bump in the road. My work schedule is extremely crazy and changes every week. I work a mixture of graveyard shifts and day shifts, so my body is constantly having to readjust it's sleep schedule. I heard that when you do this to your body you will gain weight no matter what, even if you diet/exercise properly.


One of the most common things I hear is that when you get little sleep, you tend to eat more. I am well aware of this and do my best to control my appetite. If I notice myself hungrier than normal I always reach for something healthy. I exercise 6 days a week and eat 3 small meals and 2 snacks, all spread evenly apart throughout the day.


Yet for some reason I do no not seem to be losing weight. At the same time however, I am not really gaining either. But I always have a bigger belly than I would like. It seems that my belly is not going anywhere, no matter what I try. I do keep a low sodium diet and drink lot's of water. However, sometimes I have a few non-carbonated drinks that are sweetened with sucralose instead of sugar.


If anyone has any advice for me I would greatly appreciate it! I used to be able to lose weight when I didn't work graveyard shifts. At the moment I have no choice in the matter and it kills me to think that no matter what I do, I wont be able to lose weight.
 
Hi, Kco143. :) I don't have any advice, only solidarity.


I, too, went quite some time exercising and cutting calories, without losing any weight. Nobody asked me about any medical conditions with that exact symptom, and certainly no doctors ever told me anything like that could happen to me. I was left to research a number of medical conditions, on my own, to see if I could find out why I wasn't losing weight.


Like you, I wondered if lack of sleep might be a factor. "Experts" say it is...especially at my age (45). I've had insomnia my whole life, and have to proactively take strides to get more than 4-5 hrs of sleep per night. I wondered if I might have become hypo- or hyperthyroid, given that I only began gaining weight a few years ago.


I finally seem to have discovered the problem: I'm insulin resistant, thanks to my long-ago-diagnosed-but-virtually-symptom-free PCOS. (I don't want to rehash it all here. But if you go to my profile, you can find my previous posts.)


Sure, it could just be that you don't have enough of a sustained caloric deficit to register weight loss. But it could be something else, too. If you haven't been diagnosed with any medical conditions then, chances are, it's just a matter of adjusting your diet. But despite my sleep problems, I am finally losing weight at an acceptable rate, after months (several failed attempts over several years, actually) of only mild weight gain through caloric deficit. (!!!!)


Sometimes, I do wonder if the lack of sleep is hindering my weight loss, ever so slightly. But I'm just glad to finally be losing.


Best of luck, and hang in there until you figure out what works for you. :)
 
Hi Jody! Thanks for your reply and giving me some hope. =) I haven't gone to the doctor yet to see if I have any medical symptoms that could be causing this. I'm glad to hear that you are finally losing. I'll bet getting some more sleep would definitely help you too! I used to do so much better when I slept like a normal person. Human beings just weren't built to stay up all night. I heard that when you don't get enough sleep you start building up stress hormones which causes you to hold weight in your middle section, which is the problem I'm having I think.


I am going to experiment eating a lot more salads and greens this week and see if that helps!
 
Hi Jody, I experience that shift before and I think that is the reason why I gained weight. I used to consume a lot of food in return with the sleepless shift to gained more energy. I used to go over to some of the health site to get some health information in managing health.
 
I remember hearing on TV a while ago some research quoted that suggested lack of sleep increases insulin resistance. They did some study that found people who were jetlagged and missed sleep on long flights were something like 70% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes or something like that. I don't remember the exact number but I do remember thinking, "Wowsers! I'm never going to miss my sleep on a flight again!" Also, just a little thing that's helped me, you could try adding vitamin D supplements to your diet with your breakfast. You may not be getting enough sunlight which also decreases the body's insulin sensitivity and can make you prone to holding on to weight.
 
I've known a lot of people who have been into sleep shifts who also have gained weight. This happens usually to people who work also during graveyard shift and then gets into a rotation by schedule.
 
Prefer doing breathing exercises and yoga and cut some of your calorie intake then automatically you can lose your weight.
 
I can totally relate. I tend to gain more weight when i am sleep deprived.. With my irregular work schedule, i used to have loads of coffee to perk me up and have that energy to go on and not be sleepy at work. So my weight gain might be because of sugar intake.. It's a good thing i discovered natural sweeteners (take note: not artificial ones) that has very low calorie content and very natural and safe. I am using Natvia on my coffee, tea and even in baking. It tastes a lot like "real sugar" you can't tell the difference.
 
Hi Kco143,


many people swap food for loss of sleep with predictable results.


In a perfect world, loss of sleep would equate to loss of weight. In reality, resistance and motivation is always down with loss of sleep which never ends well.


For three years I worked a job that swapped shifts every week (what was my boss thinking). Many of these days were twelve hour work days and I found myself gaining weight without the luxury of being able to exercise every day.


I was finally able to get my weight under control by increasing my meal planning. If I had good food choices always available, I made better choices. On some days I was adding a fourth meal naturally into my schedule which was a problem until I scheduled these four meals and split my calories between the four.


Professor Tom Laurie

author of The Losing Attitude for Dieters
 
AI agree with the sleep deprivation consensus! I slept 4 hours per night for a year and gained a whole dress size despite my constant dieting and exercising. Who gains weight eating salads? - i did! Whenever I have sleep problems for a prolonged period I always gain weight, though I don't know about the midsection idea? I think it depends on where you personally put on weight.

I hope you get a chance to have a 9-5 job soon, this is a an uphill battle you're fighting... All the best
 
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