12 Nighttime Habits That Make You Gain Weight

1. You’re not getting enough sleep.

Consequences:

• It affects your metabolism, making it much slower.
• Not getting enough sleep makes you feel hungry.
• It increases your cortisol level.
• You exercise less because you feel tired.

Recommendation:

You must sleep at least 8 hours a night.

2. You overeat at dinner.

Consequences:

• You eat too much or too heavy food, and as a result your digestion slows, especially at nighttime.
• You tend to watch TV while eating, which also makes you eat more.

Recommendation:

Choose a light dinner that mainly consists of proteins and vegetables.

3. You go to bed right after dinner.

Consequences:

• It makes you accumulate more fat cells.
• You have digestive problems.

Recommendation:

You must have your last meal approximately 1.5-2 hours before bed.

4. You have fried food for dinner.

Consequences:

• It has too many calories that you won’t have time to burn off.
• You gain more fat cells.
• You can’t sleep well.

Recommendation:

You should opt for baked, grilled, or steamed recipes at night.

5. You eat spicy food at dinner.

Consequences:

• Spices and spicy food can lead to poor digestion.
• You can’t sleep well.
• At night, as you spend many hours without consuming anything, spicy food can provoke heartburn.

Recommendation:

Spicy food is actually good for speeding up your metabolism. Eat it, if you like it – maybe just not at night.

6. You have cereal or other carbohydrates for dinner.

Consequences:

• It gives you extra energy that you won’t use while you’re asleep.
• High-carb foods contain too many refined sugars that need to be burned off immediately.

Recommendation:

For dinner you can have smoothies or fresh fruit, all kinds of salads or high-protein foods. But in small portions, of course!

7. You love eating dessert at night.

Consequences:

• White sugar and flour transform into fat cells.
• You can’t burn those calories off at night.

Recommendation:

For dessert, have some fruit. It’s like healthy candy that won’t hurt your waist.

8. You snack after dinner.

Consequences:

• You overeat and consume empty calories.
• You get extra energy that will keep you awake.

Recommendations:

• Avoid bread, cookies, or any other sweets after dinner.
• For a late snack, choose something light and healthy with less than 200 calories.

9. You tend to skip dinner.

Consequences:

• It doesn’t help you lose much weight because skipping meals slows your metabolism.
• It’ll only make you feel hungrier at your next meal.
• Skipping meals can cause anxiety.
• You lose muscle tissue, and your skin gets loose.

Recommendation:

Even if you don’t have time for a decent lunch or dinner, at least try to eat a piece of fruit.

10. You consume alcohol or caffeine.

Consequences:

• These products affect your sleep.
• They contain many calories.

Recommendation:

Choose natural smoothies or hot milk. Always finish your day with a glass of pure drinking water.

11. You use a cell phone or computer before bed.

Consequences:

• Blue light, emitted by those gadgets, affects health and sleep.
• Radio frequency waves also cause sleep deprivation.

Recommendation:

Turn devices off at least one hour before bed. Read a book or listen to relaxing music instead.

12. You go to bed late every night.

Consequences:

• Going to bed past midnight makes you gain more fat because it’s not the natural body cycle.
• You will want to eat something early in the morning.

Recommendation:

Go to sleep as soon as you feel sleepy. If you feel upbeat by the end of your day, try to include some physical exercises.