Sleep, Flu and Chinese Food

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

26 Oct 2009 09:35 AM

I just read Pam's blog post that mentions the importance of sleep with losing weight. I completely support this notion, or should I say that all of the studies I have been reading lately support this. Lack of sleep wrecks havoc with your body, especially when you get older, and the newest research even links lack of it to belly fat.

I was just mentioning this fact my husband. Blessed with the kind of thin build that usually supports food indulgence without weight gain, he is starting to put away a bit of belly fat. It is certainly nothing to be concerned about just yet, but with age and a decrease in activity, this could develop into a problem later.

Also notable is the fact that his job has gotten so demanding that he has been working until midnight or later and then is up again at 5:30 in the morning to work again. This puts his sleep at five hours or less a night. (And no, he is not getting paid more for giving up his sleep, but that is another issue.) He has been doing this for months now.

On to me and my week. It hasn't been a good one. The short version: only two workouts, massive headaches for four days straight, one kid with the dreaded flu and a weekend without much sleep (giving medicine at 3 am and checking temperatures, doing laundry in the middle of the night and sanitizing everything that doesn't move).

I actually made it to church alone, while the rest of the family slept in. Then, we did all get to go out and enjoy some sun on Sunday for a little bit, which helped revive our spirits, since we were exhausted. Trying to figure out what to create for dinner when we got back seemed almost as daunting as sprinting up Mount Everest. That is when my eye spied the flyer for the new Chinese take out place that is conveniently located in the local grocery store.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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