Can you really lose weight as you sleep?

When I make the suggestion that anaerobic exercising is just as important, maybe even more so, than aerobic excersing, people often look at me in puzzlement. Really, if you are serious about losting weight fast, then it's not just important, it's essential to include anaerobic exercises as part of your weight loss programme. You can forget the weight loss pills too!

Ok, so you're as puzzled as most are, when I mention anaerobic exericising as part of a fast weight loss programem, right? You're not alone! :)

Let's look at what aerobics and anaerobics mean in reality, when speaking about fast weight loss programmes.

In aerobics (aerobic training) your body needs and uses lots of oxygen, for example, during a long run or long swim in order to keep the muscle working in long extended activities. Aerobic exercises help the body to adjust to increased demands for oxygen, that we relate more to stamina building exercise. You ever notice that stitch when you have just begun an aerobic activity? That's your muscles telling you that they are becoming starved of oxygen.

Anaerobic training programmes need and use a lot less oxygen for the muscle group being exercised. These sorts of workout are not sustained for a long time in the same way that cardio aerobic exercises are; an anaerobic exercise may require sets of 8 to 10 repetitions (for example bench press) using light to medium weights, with a breather in between sets.

Yes, we're talking about weight training here. During weight training, your body reacts differently than when you go for a 35 minute jog. Aerobic activities will make your body use up a lot of oxygen and "free" carbohydrates as fuel. Once the exercise is over, your body then seeks to replace those "free" carbs. If they do not come naturally in your next meal, your body will look for a substitute "fuel" - it will convert some of your fat into "free" carbs. In a weight loss programme, this is how aerobics burn off fat as part of a calorie controlled diet - the two go together.

What happens in reality to those I give advice to? For most new exercisers and dieters, this is what happens... They tell me they have been doing aerobics for up to 5 times a week but can't seem to lose weight of shift the fat they want to. I ask them about their diet and also if they do any weight training, they say no to the latter and about the diet, they reveal that, in fact, all they are doing is eating in a way that replaces all that "free" carb reserve, they burned in the aerobic exercises each day. None of the fat gets converted. You see, when you want to lose weight, you have to look at the whole picture! It may surprise you to know, that when people follow my suggestion to do some weight training (anaerobics) in addition to their usual routine, they lose weight amazingly quickly.

So, why is weight traning the missing element in your lose weight programme regime? It's stupidly simple... building muscle mass and as importantly, maintaining muscle strength, requires a lot of energy - a lot of calories. I'm not advocating that you "go for it" to try to bulk up like in bodybuilding magazines, but to use sensible weights for sets of 8 to 10 reps. This kind of resistance training - anaerobic training - forces your muscles to tone up and grow stronger. The important thing to remember, is that this kind of training uses up fat to convert it into the energy necessary to maintain and tone the muscle. Fat reserves get converted into energy.

Do you want to know the real neat thing about this? It all happens whilst you sleep!! You see, the rebuild and maintainance programme of your body, goes on 24/7. And whilst you sleep, you do not consume any food - no usable "free" carbs! So your body is forced to burn fat as you sleep. Is that cool or what?


To get stronger - to build strength in your muscles - needs a constant supply of energy. The more resistance weight training you do, then the demand for this energy grows too. The more fat will get burned as you sleep! This is why I recommend to anyone who wants to lose weight, to include some weight training into their routine. Start with easy manageable weights and sets of reps. Never go into it fast and hard or you will set yourself back a few weeks with strains and aches that slow you down. Be sensible and get advice from a personal trainer at your local gym, or look up weight training exercises for beginners.

So, if you want to burn off that unwanted fat fast, without diet pills, it is important to make sure you include weight training (anaerobics) into your routine if you want to lose weight whilst you sleep.