Woman who lost 13st names daily habit that makes it harder to lose weight - 'it has a massive impact'

Carla lost more than half her body weight, dropping an astonishing 13st in 14 months. For others looking to slim, she advised against three common bad habits: not getting enough sleep, snacking and perfectionism.

She said: "Making myself tired had a massive impact on my weight loss and made life a lot harder for me.

"I didn't realise how much sleep was going to affect me and how important it was because it impacted my overall hunger levels and also my energy levels."

She explained that a lack of sleep causes the body's ghrelin levels to increase - "a hormone that makes you feel hungry". It also decreases leptin, which provides satiety.

The slimmer continued: "If I didn't get enough sleep, I would end up being exhausted and then I'd be looking for fuel.

"It's a normal thing for your body to do. When it's tired it looks for energy. Our energy sources typically come from food, so we start to search for food and find ways to eat something that's going to make us feel better.

"A lot of the time that's going to be sugar and highly processed carbohydrates or quick things or caffeine.

"What that's going to do is cause a spike in our blood sugar and energy levels and then we're going to have a dip."

While Carla made her weight loss transformation two years ago now and has been maintaining her new healthy weight, she revealed that she still struggles with sugar cravings induced by a lack of sleep.

To see results, the slimmer had to implement a routine which ensured she got enough shuteye. For Carla, this means a minimum of seven and a half hours of sleep per night.

Carla starts her days very early, rising between 4:30am and 5am, so she makes sure she's in bed by 8:30pm or 9pm.

For Britons trying to develop a weight loss-friendly sleep schedule, the NHS advises: "A healthy adult usually needs around seven to nine hours of sleep.

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"However, age, health and personal circumstances affect how much sleep we need, plus some people naturally sleep more than others."

In another video, Carla shared the weight loss tip that helped her stay consistent and motivated.

She also shared the five helpful kitchen hacks that helped her eat less.