What we do at night has a big impact on weight loss.
The truth is most people maintain healthy habits throughout the day, only to sabotage them right before they go to bed. Having a good nighttime strategy will prevent this and increase chances of eating healthy the next day.
Here are 8 things you should do every night to your improve health and enhance weight loss.
1. Do a short workout
Even though I usually exercise in the morning, a nighttime workout will do you no harm. Exercising a few hours before you sleep can actually improve quality of sleep.
Being idle at night can trigger binge eating, so instead of sitting around doing nothing, do short bodyweight workouts. Well, you don’t even have to exercise for an hour – a 10-15 minute workout is enough. And if you feel tired, you can opt for simple exercises like jumping rope or jumping jacks.
2. Eat a low-sodium dinner
Consuming high-sodium food will make you bloated and increase water weight. In fact, adding a lot of salt to food or eating packaged foods at night can make you a pound heavier in the morning. Avoid all packaged foods since most of them have high sodium levels, and avoid adding too much salt to your food. The best late nights snacks are fruits and nuts.
3. Drink lots of water
Most people drink way less water than they should. Nighttime is the best time to make up for the dehydration we have during the day. So drink at least 2 glasses of water, 2-3 hours before bed, and drink one glass right before you sleep.
4. Prep lunch for the next day
You’re more likely to consume excess calories if you eat lunch at restaurants. But this can be avoided if you take a few minutes every night to prep the next day’s lunch. You can simply cook enough dinner to last you through lunch and put it in a container. You can even prep no-cook food like salad and put it in glass jars.
5. Keep bedroom cool and dark
You probably know that quality of sleep has an impact on weight loss and overall health. Keeping your bedroom dark and cold will improve your quality of sleep. Avoid using the laptop in the bedroom or watching TV right before you get in bed.
6. Plan breakfast
You’re more likely to eat healthy throughout the day if you eat a healthy breakfast. You can make sure you don’t skip it by planning for it the night before. Since breakfast is easy to prepare, you may only need to decide what you’ll eat in the morning. Alternatively, you can prep it in advance. For instance, you could soak oats in milk overnight, and when you wake up they’ll be ready.
7. Avoid caffeine or alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol reduce quality of sleep. So avoid drinking either three hours before you sleep. Note that studies show that drinking caffeine 6 hours before sleeping can disrupt quality of sleep, but you know your body best.
Source: care2.com by: Brian Syuki
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