On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m sharing 12 tips to better sleep so you can burn more belly fat.
If you want to burn off the last few pounds of stubborn belly fat that are covering up your abs, getting proper sleep and recovery is crucial to your success.
1. Following a structured weight lifting program customized to your goals and fitness level.
2. Incorporating a cardio program that works synergistically with your weight lifting program.
3. Dialing in your nutrition, with a plan that is comprised of healthy and delicious meals that keeps you in a slight calorie deficit.
4. And as I mentioned, you need sufficient rest, sleep, and recovery.
Note: if you are not following a structured workout program yet, go take our Live Lean Body quiz to find the best program for you, based on your goals, fitness level, and access to equipment.
All of our programs also come with nutrition plans.
Even with a proper workout and nutrition program, if you’re not getting enough high quality sleep, you’ll have a hard time losing those last few pounds.
Sleep is so important to ease the mind and provide your body with the proper rest to repair, grow, and burn fat.
You don’t grow calorie burning muscle in the gym.
You build muscle during the recovery process outside of the gym.
Plus, a lack of sleep creates stress in the body.
When you’re stressed, it elevates the production of the stress hormone called cortisol.
Cortisol is often called the belly fat storing hormone, as it can cause you to store belly fat.
So with that said, here are 12 tips to better sleep so you can burn more belly fat.
Drinking too much water before bed can cause frequent trips to the bathroom during the early morning hours.
Aim to stop drinking fluids after 8pm.
Caffeine is a stimulant that helps you stay alert.
But it can also stay in the body for a long period of time.
Therefore it’s best to stop drinking caffeinated drinks 10 hours before you go to sleep.
If you love the taste of an afternoon coffee, simply switch to decaf.
Get your body on a consistent schedule by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends.
With consistency, your body will get used to this habit, and eventually you won’t even need an alarm clock.
All types of movement, especially weight training, can lead to better sleep, as it’s a great way to deal with mental stress.
However try to avoid late night exercising as it can leave you with an extra kick of energy, especially if you take a pre workout energy drink.
I prefer to workout in the morning or early afternoon.
Nicotine is a stimulant to the body.
If you can quit, and yes you can quit, just quit.
If not, avoid using it before bed.
The bedroom is just that.
A room with a bed.
It’s not the TV room.
So remove the TV from the bedroom and limit the use of mobile devices.
Also avoid watching the news, doing work, bringing the laptop to bed, and having emotional conversations that can cause stress while in bed.
The bed is for relaxation and intimate fun.
Giggidy.
If you are tossing and turning in bed, get up.
The longer you stay in bed, the more anxious you’ll get.
Go meditate or sit in a chair and read a book.
However, keep the light dim as you want to avoid bright light.
Starring at your laptop, at the TV, or your smart phone can keep the mind stimulated at night.
Pick up a book, take a hot bath, and anything else to calm the mind and your senses from all the stimulus.
Having bright lights in the bedroom stimulates the body to believe it is daytime.
Keep the curtains closed and replace large, bright clocks with dim ones.
Before going to bed, write down all of your thoughts in your journal.
It’s hard to turn off your brain when you have a million things on your mind.
Keep your journal by your bed.
If you’re stressing about something and wake up with bad dreams, write them down in your journal, and get them out of your mind.
If you go to bed starving, you may have a hard time sleeping.
Eat something small and nutritious if you’re starving before bed.
Taking a nap 8 hours after you wake up has been shown to be good for your health.
However taking too many long naps throughout the day can negatively affect the quality of your sleep at night.
If you take naps, stick to 15-20 minute naps.
Set your alarm clock to be sure you don’t over do it.
Those are your 12 tips to get better sleep so you can burn more belly fat.
By incorporating these tips into your day, you’ll be able to get in the recommended 7-8 hours of quality sleep.
Remember, quality sleep is essential to grow more muscle, burn more fat, and stay younger and vibrant.
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Thanks for watching and keep Living Lean.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
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