We are back with the final installment of our Forgotten Keys to Fat Loss!!!
If you’ve been following along…here is:
Part 1 and Part 2
The final key that puts everything together is…(drumroll)…
Sleep
The last part of the recovery process (and maybe the most crucial) is proper sleep. 
This is the time for your body to shut down and use all those great nutrients you took in during the day to rebuild and regenerate so you are ready to roll the next day. This is another thing a ton of people struggle with, myself included.
Without quality sleep, your body will always be trying to recover and remain in a state of stress. When we are stressed, our body releases a hormone called cortisol, which causes fat storage around the abdominal region (This is why permanently grumpy people often look like the penguin). Your body needs at least 6-8 hours a night of quality,
uninterrupted sleep in order to fully recover.
If you are one of many that have trouble doing this, there are a few techniques you can try:
- Black out your room: any type of light disrupts melatonin (hormone that regulates sleep) production. This can make it hard for your body to fall and stay asleep. First off, TURN OFF
THE TV! Try getting room darkening shades and put black tape over any tv, stereo, or clock sensor/lights. Also, if you sleep with your phone by your bed, put it on silent and flip it upside down in case you get a call or message. - Try stretching and deep breathing before bed: Stretching out while practicing deep breathing is not only key for recovery, but also can help you relax and wind down to fall asleep faster.
- Fix your diet: a broken diet can disrupt sleep just as much as blue light and cell phones. Start eating whole, unprocessed foods that have not been messed with. Also, saving all your starchy carbs for the day for dinner can help you sleep better as starchy becomes sugar in the body and sugar makes you crash (insert light bulb)
There you have it. If you want to be a lean, mean, head turning machine, you need to recover properly or you simply will not see the results you’re after.
-Tommy Treslo, PN 1 Director of Adult Fitness & Nutrition at FAST