Are You an Early Bird or a Night Owl? What the Research Says

Do you find yourself still full of energy even as the clock nears a “bedtime hour?” Or, conversely, are you tired at night but wake up ready-to-go in the morning? While many do consider themselves “in between,” or find that it changes at different points in their lives, a lot of people tend to identify as being either more of an “early bird” or more of a “night owl.” And the fact is, there’s more to it than just personal preference. There is actual science behind why some people feel their best in the morning—and some at night.

Here’s what research says about early birds versus night owls:

It’s in Your Genes

Like so many factors related to the way our bodies operate, the answer just may be written in our DNA. A study of nearly 90,000 people who had their genomes sequenced was able to identify 15 specific loci that were significantly associated with being a morning person. According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, loci tell us the location of a specific gene on a chromosome. These study findings, published in Nature Communications, joins a growing body of research looking to understand how our body clocks work. They point to the fact that we just may be hard-wired to perform our best at a certain time of day—making it a difficult thing to change.

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Can I Become an Early Bird?

Even though research seems to point toward humans being genetically programmed to have certain periods of “peak alertness,” there are still plenty of people who would like to change their body’s natural timing. Most commonly, the preference is to become an early bird—largely because of life demands such as work, school and children. In other words, just because you’re not hard-wired to be a morning person, doesn’t mean you can start rolling into work late or failing to get your kids ready for school. Many of our life commitments and demands start in the morning—whether we’re feeling ready or not. For this reason, many people look to try and alter their “body’s clock.”

While you certainly cannot change your DNA, there are things that you can do to help get a better night sleep so that you can wake up feeling more energized. For instance, some experts recommend eliminating blue light before bed, which is emitted from electronic devices like your laptop, phone or tablet. According Harvard Health Publishing, multiple studies have shown that exposure to blue light can suppress melatonin and impact the circadian rhythm.

Though it’s challenging, this means that you should avoid watching TV or looking at your phone or computer for up to two to three hours before going to sleep. Adhering to a regular sleep schedule can also make a big difference, says Healthline.

Can’t sleep? Click the link below for five reasons why:

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Use Your Natural Tendencies to Maximize Workouts

Being aware of whether you are an early bird or a night owl might also help you to get the most out of your workouts. Plan to perform your exercise when you are at your period of peak alertness. If you are an early bird, get your exercise finished first thing in the morning whenever you can. You’ll have tons of energy and will likely push yourself harder. If you’re more of a night owl, try to fit in a stop at the gym on the way home from work or go for a run in the evening hours. Again, working with your body’s natural clock may help you perform your best and really maximize that workout in order to burn the most possible calories. On the Nutrisystem program, we recommend 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Listen to your Body

In general, just paying closer attention to your body’s signs will help you make better choices and lead an overall healthier life. If your body is telling you “I’m tired,” you might be pushing yourself too hard or trying to pull from energy that you just don’t have. Pay closer attention to what your body is telling you and make the most out of the time where you’re feeling your best.

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8 Tips to Burn More Calories by Walking

Walking is seriously underrated in terms of its benefits as an exercise. Oftentimes we feel as though we must get drenched in sweat to burn calories. In reality, walking really can do wonders to help boost your burn! Don’t get us wrong; cycling, running and all of those intense cardio activities are wonderful. But maybe you don’t always have time to hit the gym or go for a full-blown run.

Sometimes, fitting in a couple of walks can feel a lot more doable.

Fortunately, research supports the benefits of walking. A study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that those who stuck with a walking program had significant improvements in blood pressure, reduction of body fat and body weight and overall better quality of life.

To help you burn more calories, we’ve rounded up eight easy tips for your walking workout.

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1. Walk on an incline, a hill or stairs.

Going up? Walking on a treadmill that is tilted at an incline, walking up a hill outside or even walking on stairs can all increase the intensity of your workout. This means you’ll burn more calories than walking on level ground. It may also be better for your health. One study, published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, has shown that uphill walking can help your body metabolize both glucose and lipids, which means it might be beneficial for “the prevention of type 2 diabetes and disorders in lipid metabolism.”

2. Use an activity tracker or step counter to stay motivated.

Wearing a watch or a device that provides activity tracking capabilities and/or step counting can help motivate you to walk longer or faster. Without any sense of how far you’ve walked or how many calories you’ve burned, it can be easy to “quit early.” But if you see that you’re just a few tenths away from the next mile—or that you’re incredibly close to meeting your daily step goal—it can push you to go a little bit longer. That kind of motivation can pay off in terms of your results.

3. Listen to tunes.

Did you know that music can have an impact on your weight loss goals? A study, published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise, found that listening to music led to a 28 percent increase in activity enjoyment. That can equate to walking for longer—and burning more calories. People also commonly report that music helps them increase the speed and intensity of their work. It puts a little zip in your step!

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4. Walk with a pal.

While music can motivate the solo walker, having a friend to talk to can also be motivating. Research carried out by Virgin Active Health Clubs found that exercising with a friend can burn more calories than working out alone. The reason may be that chatting with a good pal is distracting and helps you go further. When friends walk together, they also pace one another. You might be motivated to walk faster than you would alone.

5. Make sure you have the right shoes.

A good pair of walking shoes really can make all the difference in the world when it comes to inspiration to go further. If you’ve ever walked a long distance in unsupportive shoes, then you know how much your feet started to hurt. But when you have footwear that is comfortable and provides good shock absorption, you can walk longer and faster—and torch more calories as a result.

6. Move your arms as you walk—and pick up the pace.

Adding arm movement during your walk can help you to go faster. It can turn a regular walk into a power walk—and that can help increase your burn. Research, published in Nature Medicine, found that the intensity of an activity can be more important than its duration. In other words, a shorter power walk can be more calorie-smashing than a long and leisurely stroll.

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7. Take a hike!

Instead of walking around your neighborhood or town, why not drive to a local trail and take a hike? Hiking on uneven ground and different terrains can activate different muscles than you’re used to using on flat surfaces. You’ll be strengthening muscles in the knees, hips and ankles—areas that don’t usually get much use. The changes in terrain typically mean more calories burned, too.

8. Incorporate interval training into your walking program.

If you’ve ever participated in an interval run, then you know it incorporates short bursts of sprinting into your jog. You can do the same thing walking by increasing the intensity to a power walk at each interval. The idea is to keep the interval short enough that you won’t get completely exhausted and can keep going. This can help you burn more calories while walking.

Pair your walking workout with a convenient meal delivery service! Get started with Nutrisystem today >

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The post 8 Tips to Burn More Calories by Walking appeared first on The Leaf.

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NSV: I didn't hate how I looked in a shirt today!

I've talked about my weight loss journey a bit when I hit 50 pounds lost and when I reached within 100 pounds of my goal weight and those were super nice targets to hit, but they were ones I could clearly see as I got close. Today, however, I was surprised. Most of my shirts are quite baggy since I got them at my max weight and tried to "hide" my fat in them (not that it really did, but I'm broad-shouldered enough that I could lie to myself about it until I would get caught in a picture). The one I wore today, though, is a shirt that I've had for a while but was always pretty tight over my stomach so I generally avoid looking at myself in the mirror while wearing it. Imagine my surprise when I did finally look, and I.... Didn't... Hate... It?... I looked like a big guy still, of course, but like regular (American) big, not like I would be breaking chairs (which I've done more than I care to admit 😕) and it felt damn good.

Lots to go still, but you gotta take the wins where you can. 56 more pounds to lose to go from obese to overweight. 87 to hit my goal (of being not overweight). 74 pounds lost so far after 6 months. I have 18 months to get to my goal and it actually feels possible! Hitting small achievements like today helps so much

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I accidentally went past my goal weight without realizing it

First off: I don’t weigh myself because of my ED history. The last time I was weighed was at my gynecologist about a year ago. I was maintaining around that weight (75 kg/165.3 lbs) for about a few months.

I‘m at the end of a four week vacation and went to a water park yesterday. Before going on the slide, everyone must be weighed. I was dreading the weigh-in a bit because I was afraid it would trigger my ED and I was on vacation, so I was eating whatever I wanted, including softdrinks and snacks which I don‘t consume at home. Anyway, when I stepped on the scale, I was 68 kg (149.9 lbs), so 4 kg (8.8 lbs) lighter than my goal weight (72 kg/158.7 kbs), 7 kg (15.4 lbs) lighter than my last weigh-in at the doctor. I was a bit in shock. I thought: „Yeah, that scale is obviously not working right“. But then I weighed the same at the next four scales and reality hit. I was on the brink of tears, happy tears, of course. I haven‘t been under 70 kg (154.3 lbs) since my bachelor studies 15 years ago.

I’ve been struggling with my body image and weight for more than 20 years. The first time I was dieting, I was 14 years old. I was a normal weight but on the chubbier side. My mom set me on my first diet then. She was a bit overweight for most of her adult life and wanted me to lose the baby fat so I wouldn‘t be struggling like she did. She came from a place of love but it backfired and she laid the ground work for what would become a 15+ year long battle with a binge eating disorder.

I was thin at the end of high school but the weight gain started during my bachelor studies when a combination of three things happened: (1) I was being bullied in university and fell into depression/anxiety, (2) I was living on my own and therefore out of my mom‘s constant supervision and commentary of my food consumption, (3) the first waves of Hashimoto kicked in although I didn‘t release it was Hashimoto until a few years later. In an effort to mitigate the weight gain, I tried every diet that I came across. That‘s when the binge-restrict-cycle started.

Over the years, I saw therapists for my depression, a nutritionist for my binge eating, personal trainers for my fitness. I once lost 10 kg (22 lbs) with nine months of keto so my insurance would pay for my breast reduction surgery. I gained it all back a year after surgery. I was a successful dieter, until I wasn‘t. I was incredibly disciplined until life came in the way, I hit a plateau, or depression set in. I was so sick and tired of my constant struggle and my fight against my body.

I put my personal life on hold, never dated, avoided going out with friends. I put all my energy into work and my „health journey“. During my depressive phases, all my energy was used to „function“. I didn‘t have the energy to diet then. I self-medicated with food. I was 88 kg (194 lbs) at my highest weight. Once I was out of the depressive phase, I put all my energy into getting rid of the weight I had gained during my depressive phase.

Everything changed when I decided to stop trying to lose weight. Through Abby Sharp‘s Youtube channel, I came across the book Intuitive Eating by Tribole and Resch. It helped me tremendously to change my mindset. I was starting to accept my body and listen to it. I also used the initial drive that came with reading the book to address some health issues. I have suffered from IBS as long as I can remember. I took the opportunity of one of the Covid lockdowns (no eating out, no family gatherings, always eating at home) to change my diet to low FODMAP to find the foods that trigger my IBS. I not only cured my IBS but also lost 4 kg (8.8 lbs) without even trying. Once lockdown was over, I went to the gym 2-3 times a week because I felt that my osteoarthritis improved with the movement. Within a year, I was down at 75 kg (165.3 lbs) just by listening to my hunger and fullness cues. I was comfortable where I was at. I wanted to be at a healthy BMI but if 75 kg (165.3 lbs) was where my body maintained, I was okay with that. My body felt good. My bowels were calm. My depression was much better. I haven‘t had a binge episode in two years. I finally had the energy to focus on my personal life. I went on dates. I tried new sports. I found new hobbies. I went on this big vacation on my own.

Now, I‘m even a bit upset that my surprise weight loss upset me so much. It shouldn‘t matter anymore, shouldn‘t it? But I‘m still human with hidden desires after all. I‘ll appreciate my body for being at a healthy BMI now and will continue with my healthy mindset to nurture it.

I started out with: PCOS, Hashimoto, depression, IBS, osteoarthritis, BED. Healthwise, I‘ve been given a terrible hand of cards. I have accepted my body and its flaws and have come out stronger than ever. I hope you guys can do the same!

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weight loss without the self hate!

So around 8 years ago I started my 1st weight loss journey. Long story short I went from 280lbs to 190lbs. I did this because I absolutely hated who I was and my life. Going to the gym was more of a way to punish myself. I was eating well under 1000 calories. I was going through a bad batch of depression, self hate. "Anger is a gift" was my main mentality, I absolutely wanted to destroy who I was. Eventually things got better, but I stopped working out and started eating for fun. I am in a way better situation mentally. I have gained weight again. I'm currently at 290lbs, and want to lose at least 60lbs. I've been trying to psyche myself up but it's been hard. I have cut back on what I eat and have lost weight. I know what I have to do, but it's been a challenge. Any advice or even similar stories. I'm really just reaching out to see if anyone else has had similar stories.

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How do people get weight loss meds?

Relative is obese and it has contributed to numerous health issues over the years. I sometimes help him with pet care when he is dealing with his medical issues. Knee replacements, hormones unbalanced, and recently he said elevated glucose levels. He is barely 50 and mentioned this weekend “it’s time to get serious about losing weight”. I brought up the latest weight loss medications and he said “I asked- my doctor told me they are out of stock everywhere and he can’t get them. It could be a year or more before I can get them. They offered me something else but told me success isn’t as likely as the recent drugs.”

I guess I’m just surprised and feeling bad for him. Like he has bad knees so walking far is hard. He is basically pre diabetic. If he doesn’t qualify to get his hands on these meds who does?

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“One day”…”One piece of cake,” mini rant. I’m sick of stupid justifications.

Mini rant incoming. This is not about anyone in this sub, more family who try to force food and treats on me.

I very rarely have cake and cookies anymore. I don’t really have a sweet tooth anymore. I used to inhale candy bars like they were water. But I said enough is enough and quit the excess sugar. Best decision I’ve ever made. Very infrequently I will have a half piece of cake during a special event, so long as it’s not too sweet, and then give the rest to my wife.

Usually, these events are coupled by people/family telling me “one piece of cake won’t kill you,” or “one day won’t ruin all your progress.”

And yes, they’re right. One piece of cake won’t kill me, and one day won’t derail everything I’ve worked for.

However. I made a lifestyle change. Sweets and treats are not a large part of that lifestyle change.

Here’s my rant:

YOU DO NOT GET TO DECIDE WHEN MY “ONE PIECE” OR WHEN MY “ONE DAY” IS.

STOP TRYING TO JUSTIFY SHOVING THIS CRAP INTO MY BODY BY SAYING STUPID STUFF LIKE THAT.

Just because you have no will power, doesn’t mean you need to try to guilt me into having something I don’t want.

When I am ready and have planned for it, I will indulge in a small amount of something that I want. It might be a Quest protein cookie like I had yesterday, or frozen yogurt, who knows, maybe an ice cream sandwich. BUT THAT WILL ONLY HAPPEN WHEN, AND IN THE AMOUNT, I WANT IT TO.

The only way this works is if I’m in control of when and what I put into my body. I’ve been really putting my foot down on saying no to people. I make a plan and stick to it. I don’t let other people sway my decision. I do not eat unplanned food. If I’m not sure of what will be available, I bring or arrange my own meal.

This is my life, my body, my weight loss. I’ve kept this up for over a year now and I’ve lost a tenth of a pound away from 140 pounds. I’m 20-30 lbs from my goal weight. I don’t need anyone telling me that “one piece of cake won’t hurt you.” I should know. What I do know is that one piece of cake during a social event can very easily lead to two…..then three. Then you’re back craving sugar…if I indulge, which is rare, it is on my own terms.

Anyway, mini rant over.

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