As some of you may unfortunately already be aware, it's totally possible to eat all the right foods, exercise until you have to be carried out of an Orange County gym on a stretcher, and still see sluggish progress in your weight loss. The typical scapegoat for this kind of frustration is "genetics." But really, it might be because you aren't doing enough nothing.

Sleep in particular is vital to a successful weight loss program. Sleep deprivation can have terrible fitness program-damaging effects on your body. When you don't get enough Z's, it makes it more difficult for your digestive system to metabolize carbohydrates. This causes you blood glucose levels to shoot up, which makes your body produce more insulin to compensate, and excess insulin encourages your body to store fat. Sleep deprivation can also interfere with the natural production of cortisol, an important hormone that helps regulate appetite. Ever wake up at 2 AM for a late night snack? It might have more to do your crappy mattress than your weakness for potato chips.

But getting enough sleep can be a real challenge for the modern exerciser. With a regular job, kids, hobbies, seeing an Orange County personal trainer regularly, and just taking care of your life, a lot of modern people have a tough time getting in a solid eight to nine hours of rest every night. And even when they do sleep, busy and health-minded people are usually so stressed that their sleep isn't as deep and effective as it should be. But if you want your fitness program to be as effective as it can possibly be, you need to get in more sleep time. If your favorite show is on late at night, try recording it and watching it earlier the next day. Avoid drinking coffee. If you can't function at work without coffee, try limiting yourself to just a cup in the morning. Do whatever you can to make sure you get the sleep you need.

As everyone who has read Ecclesiastes (or listened to The Byrds) knows, there's a time for everything. A time to exercise and lift weights, and a time to chill. A time to go on jogs, and a time to sleep. A good weight loss program should be a comfortable balance between doing the right things (exercising right, eating good food) and doing nothing (relaxing, spending time with your family and friends, sleeping). Neglect either, and you might find yourself among the scores of people who bemoan their "genetics" every time they step on the scale.