If you’re looking for a way to lose weight and reduce body fat you may be looking in the wrong place.  Stop searching the shelves and get some rest.

According to recent research getting 8.5 hours of sleep every night induces increased fat loss. 

The participants in this particular 14-day study were male and female overweight non-smokers put on calorie-restricted diets (1450 calories a day).  One group slept for 8.5 hours every night and the other group slept for 5.5 hours every night.

The group that slept for 8.5 hours lost fat and burned an average of 400 more calories a day, 2800 for the week.  The group that slept for 5.5 burned muscle and preserved fat and had a slower metabolism and an increase in the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin.

Less sleep leads to a bigger shift in metabolic balance and you generally wake up hungrier due to the increase of ghrelin. 

With 8.5 hours of sleep your body burns more fat and preserves muscle whereas with 5.5 hours of sleep our bodies utilize precious fat-free muscle and preserves fat. 

This shift is metabolic rate is due to the body’s defense mechanism where it slows down metabolic needs and burns few calories and fat to combat the longer hours.

Sleep provides us with recovery, reflection, and bodily protection.  During sleep our bodies take inventory, fixes what needs fixed and regroups so it can function optimally the next day.  The body takes rest to reflect on the days events and experiences and processes them and uses the resting hours to down-regulate.   

So, you ask, how can I get more sleep?

Lifestyle has a huge affect on our sleep behavior.  Our behaviors, the environment we live in, our demographics, our health, genetics, and the society we live in all have a direct relationship on how we sleep.  If we don’t have balance in our lives any one of these factors can creep in and steal those restful hours.

Chronic sleep restriction affects → glucose regulation/metabolic function/waking behavior, which leads to → altered energy balance/weight gain/obesity and once again → chronic sleep restriction

SUGGESTIONS FOR BETTER REST
Don’t drink caffeine several hours before bed time (5 hours)
Don’t use your bedroom as an office
Make sure your bed is comfortable – mattress and linens
Make it a noise-free environment
Leave your stresses at the door
Limit your nap times to a maximum of 30 minutes
 
So, if you’re looking for a boost in metabolic balance to burn more fat – get more rest.
 

Food Fantasies GiftCard -Pick up a Food Fantasies gift card to help them start the year off right-eating healthy, organic meals. Sweeten the deal with a reusable shopping bag.

Just Right Eating Recipe Book - Kick start their healthy eating Just Right Eating Manual and Recipe Book with gluten free recipes too! Order online or if in the central Illinois area Stephanie will deliver or you can purchase at Food Fantasies $20

Perfect Portions Scale - Make sure they are on target with their portions with this modern, high-tech scale that shows them the complete nutritional information for over a 1000 foods.

Membership to The Body Shop - You can purchase 1 month, 3 month or yearly memberships for your loved ones

Bodybugg - they will love you throughout the year with the purchase of a Bodybugg to keep track of each and every calorie they burn so they can get a true sense of their expenditure and they can track their consumption. The BEST weight loss tool.

Personal Training Sessions from SJFitness Training & Performance - Your loved ones will start off on the right foot and have more confidence and get more results with a few sessions with Stephanie!!

Master Your Metabolism - get a handle on your body with this informative book by Jillian Michaels

YogaFitness Sessions  - Let SJ Fitness Training & Performance guide them through a true fitness yoga where they will find flexibility, balance in body & mind, and build strength.

Portion Control Plate - http://www.ezweightplate.com/ 

Fitness and Wellness Basket  - The Body Shop will put together a basket with a Just Right Eating Recipe Book, a reuseable Just Right Eating Bag, protein bars, shaker cups, a Body Shop T-shirt, gift certificates, magazine subscriptions of your choice, gift cards, etc... Please contact Stephanie @ 827-2669

Dick's Sporting Good Gift Certificate - let them fit themselves for any occasion : )

iTunes Gift Card, $10

                       Magazines

Oxygen

Men's Health

Runners World

Celiac Disease, or gluten-intolerance is a digestive disorder induced by the ingestion of wheat products (durum, semolina, and spelt) - rye, barley, oats, and related grain hybrids such as triticale and kamut.  That has been deemed heredity and is prevalent in Caucasians of European descent.  A recent study has discovered that 80% of Americans are gluten-intolerant and aren't aware.  Many individuals go a long time without knowing they have it because the symptoms often mimic other diseases such as irritable bowel, gastric ulcers, and anemia.

If left untreated, it can be serious.  When a Celiac ingests gluten, the small intestine responds with an immune system attack, whereas there is swelling and irritation in the lining of the stomach and small intestine.  As a result, malabsorption occurs, impairing the body from absorbing essential nutrients and in extreme circumstances malnutrition.  Some of the disorders as a result are osteoporosis, pancreatic disease, impairment of the central and peripheral nervous system, infertility, birth defects.  Kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, and sarcoidosis have been associated with Celiac Disease.

Symptoms included are diarrhea, constipation, gas/bloating, nausea, nutritional deficiencies, irritability, depression, fatigue, irregular stools, and weight loss.  There is a blood test to diagnose whether you are gluten-intolerant.

Weight training strengthens not only muscles, but other structures as well, like tendons (which attach muscle to bone), ligaments (which connect bones at joint areas) and joint capsules. Stronger muscles and joints are less prone to injury. Weight training may also increase bone strength by helping maximize bone mineral deposition in young adults and minimize its loss later in life.

Weight training raises your basal metabolism, causing you to burn more calories 24 hours-a-day. It has positive effects on virtually all of your more-than 600 muscles and it decreases your resting blood pressure. Studies also show that weight training lowers the resting heart rate, increases the blood level of good (HDL) cholesterol, and strengthens the immune system. It also improves posture, balance, and coordination. And some who take part in it regularly claim it elevates their mood!

Welcome to Stephanie Johnson's Web site. Stephanie combines her comprehensive package of fitness and nutrition resources, including personal training services, The Body Shop gym, and her own Just Right EatingTM principles and products, with her expertise and extensive experience to develop individualized programs that target her clients' specific needs.

Feel free to browse through our site and contact us if you have any questions.

Since 1998, The Body Shop has provided one of the best weight training gyms in the Taylorville, Illinois area. Gym members will find the work out equipment and space they need to pursue their fitness and weight lifting goals.

Just Right Eating - If you want to lead a healthy lifestyle, getting "in shape" and physically fit requires more than just cardio exercises and lifting weights. You also need to fuel your body with the right nutrition. In fact, nutrition is 80% of weight loss and human performance.