Dr. Oz's "Just 10 Pounds" Weight Loss Challenge - Lose Weight While Sleeping

Rose heard on September 13, 2010, Dr. Mehmet Oz introduced his "Just 10 Pounds" weight loss challenge. "The benefits of losing just 10 pounds are enormous for your heart, liver, knees, pancreas and blood pressure. The incidence of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis can be cut in half," said Dr. Oz. Starting a diet with a goal of only 10 pounds doesn’t seem so inconceivable. Dr. Oz and his team have designed a program to keep you motivated including five fitness commandments. You can sign up for the challenge online at doctoroz.com and track your progress. During Dr. Oz's season he will be following up with participants as well as provide tips to be successful.





One way to lose weight is while you sleep; the longer that you sleep (at least 7 ½ hours) could help you to achieve your weight loss goal. Researchers studied women that made no changes in their eating habits or lifestyle except to get 7 ½ hours of sleep and at the end of a 10 week period the women lost between 6 and 15 pounds. Evidence concludes that the amount of sleep, weight gain and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes are related. The factors find that sleep is associated with hormones that control our sleep/wake cycle such as melatonin. Melatonin tells our bodies to slow down and get ready for sleep when the sun goes down. The human growth hormone, which encourages our body to repair our cells, is released during deep sleep.


Two other hormones that have been implicated in the effects of sleep on weight are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin and ghrelin work together to control our appetite. Ghrelin is released by the gastrointestinal tract to stimulate our appetite while leptin is released by fat cells and signal the brain that you are not hungry. An imbalance of these two hormones can negatively affect hunger. Lack of sleep decreases leptin level while raising ghrelin levels that will cause you to want to eat and eat, because you never feel fully satisfied.


Sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea can interfere with our ability to get adequate sleep. If you suffer from sleep apnea you are waking up periodically during the night because you stop breathing due to a constrictive airway passage. Poor sleep contributes to weight gain, while weight gain can be part of the cause for sleep apnea. So just losing 10 pounds can help those with sleep apnea.


One way to help you to fall asleep easy is by using a sleep aide that has been around for thousands of years. The ancient Chinese have used honey and Europeans have recommended drinking a warm glass of milk with honey before bedtime since the middle ages. Another remedy is taking two teaspoons of cider vinegar with two teaspoons of honey in a glass of warm water or a teaspoon of honey in your cup of chamomile tea, passionflower tea or just a teaspoon of honey with your peanut butter sandwich with whole grain bread.


Researchers believe that honey restores how long we can sleep without interruption by limiting the release of two stress hormones; cortisol and adrenalin. More information about cortisol and adrenalin see my post: http://asleepeasy.com/asleep-easy-to-lose-weight/.

Honey also stabilizes blood sugar levels and contributes to the release of melatonin. When the glucose portion of honey is digested and passes into the general blood circulation it produces a mild glucose spike which causes the pancreas to release a small amount of insulin that in turns drives tryptophan into the brain where it is converted in serotonin, a key hormone that promotes relaxation.

Serotonin converts into melatonin when it is night causing drowsiness and lowers your body temperature. Melatonin promotes the release of the human growth hormone. Taking just one or two tablespoons of honey an hour before bed can activate this cycle that improve the quality of sleep, burns fat while controlling the release of stress hormones. Note: read your honey’s label, some honeys have a glycemic index between 35 and 87 and has been able to contribute to low increases in glucose levels, even among diabetics.

To get a slim and healthy body it must be fulfilled with these three things: balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and 7-8 hours of sleep. Myths about sleep and eating include what we’ve been told about sleeping right after eating will accumulate in certain parts of our body such as our stomach or hips and that less sleep causes stress which makes us lose weight because we don’t want to eat.

The facts are if your BMI is high, apparently your hours of sleep are associated with your weight gain. For instance it has been reported that people with a BMI of 30 sleep between five to six hours. Your BMI or Body Mass Index is a number calculated from your weight and height that roughly correlates to the percentage of your total weight that comes from fat, as opposed to muscle, bone or organ. The higher a person's BMI, the higher the percentage of fat in their body. If your BMI is under 20, you might be underweight. Between 20 and 25, you are probably at a good healthy weight for your height. A BMI over 25 is considered overweight, and over 35 is considered obese.

What is the relationship between lack of sleep and BMI? Lack of sleep can cause metabolic disturbances. When our metabolism slows down it decreases our ability to burn fat. Lack of sleep improves our taste for eating up to 24%...that’s 350-500 more calories a day!


Other hormones that are produced during sleep are associated with anti-aging, and physical appearance overall. Therefore, lack of sleep will also affect your beauty and physical appearance such as; skin tone and circles under your eyes. Quality of sleep is just as important as a healthy diet and exercise program. With the right amount of sleep Dr. Oz’s "Just 10 Pounds" weight loss challenge will be a piece of cake….or at least a cup of tea with honey.:)
Good Day,
Rose Sheepskill