We all tend to be creatures of habit. Some of those habits may be good for us and they could be part of a healthy lifestyle but other habits are just something that we tend to fall into over the course of time. We might not give them much thought, even though we do them on a day in, day out basis. The unfortunate reality of those types of habits is they could be harming us.
That is especially true when it comes to nighttime habits. If you do the right thing, it can help to improve your health and can even assist you in losing weight. If you do the wrong thing, it can harm your health, slow down your metabolism to a crawl and put on some unwanted pounds. Here are 12 nighttime habits that can make you gain weight.
1. Not enough sleep
Not getting enough sleep lowers your metabolism, makes you hungry, increases your cortisol level and reduces the amount that you exercise.
Make sure you get at least eight hours of sleep every night.
2. Overeating at dinner
When you eat too much or too heavy of food it slows down your digestive process, especially at night. We also tend to watch TV when we are eating at night, so we eat more.
You can overcome this issue by choosing a light dinner focusing on proteins and vegetables.
3. Going to sleep right after dinner
When you fall asleep right after dinner, you can accumulate fat cells quickly and it causes digestive problems.
Overcoming this problem is a matter of eating approximately two hours before bedtime
4. Eating fried food for dinner
Fried food is full of calories and since you are going to bed shortly after you eat it, you don’t have time to burn it. It can disrupt your sleep and can even cause you to gain fat cells.
Dealing with this issue is a matter of choosing grilled, baked or steamed recipes for dinner.
5. Eating Spicy Food for Dinner
Spicy foods can lower your digestive process and disrupt your sleep. When you eat spicy food, it can also cause nighttime heartburn.
Even though spicy food is good for the metabolism, it might not be the best choice at night.
6. Eating too many carbs for dinner
Eating carbs can boost your energy so it makes it difficult to fall asleep. The sugars also need to be burned off immediately or they will turn to fat.
Opt for fresh fruit or a smoothie for dinner if you want something sweet.
7. Eating too much dessert
The flour and white sugar in dessert tends to transform to fat cells and it is difficult to burn off those calories while you sleep.
If you want something for dessert, try some fruit.
8. Snacking after dinner
This type of snacking generally leads to eating empty calories and it can produce energy to keep you awake.
If you want to snack, choose something healthy and low-calorie. Avoid heavy, high caloric snacks at night.
9. You skip dinner
Skipping dinner is not going to help you lose weight because it slows your metabolism. You tend to feel hungrier at your next meal and it can lead to anxiety. You may also find that you are losing muscle mass.
If you don’t have time for a decent dinner, at least eat a piece of fruit.
10. Drinking alcohol or caffeine
Both alcohol and caffeine can disrupt your sleep and those beverages tend to have many calories.
Opt for a natural smoothie or warm milk at bedtime. Drink a glass of water before bed as well.
11. Technology before bed
The blue lights of electronic gadgets affect your health and your sleep. Radio frequencies can also disrupt your sleep.
Proclaim the hour before bed a technology free zone.
12. Going to bed late
When you go to bed past midnight, it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and cause you to gain fat. It may also make you want to eat something early in the morning.
To overcome this problem, go to sleep as soon as you get sleepy.
Via: Bright Side
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