I think one of the most overlooked (and often ignored) aid in losing weight is lack of sleep.  Yes, that’s right - if you don’t get enough sleep, you will not lose weight OR you may even gain weight.

A new study performed at the University of Chicago shows that those who are sleep deprived have constant cravings for high-calorie sweets and their metabolims are akin to the metabolism of a diabetic.  Why is this?  Cortisol (a hormone which controls appetite) is affected by lack of sleep.  This causes you to still feel hungry even though you have consumed an adequate amount of food.  This interferes with your metabolism, which then causes high glucose levels and storage of excess body fat.

Bottomline: if you want to lose weight, make sleep a priority in your weight loss action plan.