Do you try to Lose weight? Then Never do these 5 things after 5.00 pm,

We won't advise you to stop eating after 5 p.m., so don't worry. However, from the time you log off work until you hit the hay, you can be doing something that prevents you from seeing the scale move. While weight loss requires a small, consistent calorie deficit, new research on circadian rhythms, meal timing, and intermittent fasting suggests that when you eat is just as important as what you consume.

Experts Reveal the Best Way to Lose Weight and Keep It Off in the Long Run

According to nutritionists, there are five things you should never do after 5 p.m. if you're attempting to lose weight, ranging from mindless eating to staying up too late.

1. End-of-the-day binge-watching

Do you have an unquenchable need to consume everything in sight in the evenings? It could be a cheese board during happy hour or a pint of ice cream before bed. First and foremost, you are not alone. Second, breaking this behavior is less difficult than you might believe. You've been conditioned to "eat less" by going on diets. As a result, you're probably not eating enough during the day, which causes you to overeat at night.

"Make sure you are taking the time to eat enough to meet your needs during the day," suggests Nicole Stefanow, M.S., RDN, a culinary nutritionist in the greater New York City area, to avoid bingeing in the evenings. "This way, when it's time to clock out, you won't be starving. We are more prone to overeat before our bodies recognize that we are full if we allow ourselves to become overly hungry "she explains.

When trying to lose weight, it may seem paradoxical to eat more throughout the day, but eating balanced meals with protein, fiber, and fat every three to four hours will help you avoid overeating at night and end the day in a calorie deficit rather than a calorie surplus. Add a fiber- and protein-rich mid-afternoon snack, such as an apple with peanut butter, to avoid arriving at the kitchen ravenous at 5 p.m. and overindulging in snacks before dinner.

2. Eating directly from the bag

"Don't eat right out of the bag or box," adds Ruth Houston, author of Eat Smart and Lose Weight: Scientifically Proven Ways to Lose Weight Without Diets or Exercise, which will be released later this year. "You run the risk of losing track of how much food you've consumed. Take one portion and set it aside for yourself (maybe two). And then put the box or bag away and go on."

Munching chips directly from the bag leads to mindless eating, especially if you're scrolling through your phone or watching TV at the same time. You may quickly consume the equivalent of a meal's worth of calories. "Make a plan for your evening snack (think veggies and protein for filling you up and keeping you satisfied) and savor it instead of aimlessly eating. Turn off the TV and the phone and focus solely on eating "Julia Stevens, M.P.H., RDN, CPT, a registered dietitian, agrees.

3. Excessive lateness

Late-night eating was connected to slowed weight reduction and higher triglycerides in research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2021. There are more hours to eat the later you stay up. Furthermore, most people do not go for the healthiest snacks late at night. Of course, you should eat if you are hungry.

Setting a bedtime, on the other hand, can assist prevent late-night snacking that may be keeping the scale from moving. "When your nighttime routine is unstructured or you stay up too late at night, you have more time to snack, whether it's out of boredom or habit. Instead, set a timer every night to remind yourself to unwind, and limit your Netflix binges "Melissa Mitri, M.S., RDN, owner of Melissa Mitri Nutrition LLC and a registered dietitian, agrees.

According to a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, not getting enough sleep can lead to eating more the next day. Researchers discovered that persons who slept for fewer than seven hours ate more snacks the next day than those who slept for more than seven hours. In addition, the snacks had a higher calorie content but a lower nutritional content (think: chips, cookies , and soft drinks). This is due in part to an increase in the hormones cortisol and ghrelin, which rise the next day if you don't get enough sleep.

"Aim to put your phone away an hour before night," says Julie Andrews, M.S., RDN, CD, FAND, a chef and registered dietitian. "While it's tempting to check social media or respond to emails before bed, the blue light might make falling asleep harder. To help you relax and have a good night's sleep, try a little meditation or a cup of decaf tea."

4. Dinner without carbs

It's tempting to forgo carbs (or other food categories) at dinner, but if your meal doesn't fill you up, you'll be digging through the cabinets a few hours later. "If you don't have a balanced dinner, you'll probably wind up eating a lot more calories (and not the healthy type!) once hunger strikes," Mitri explains.

"Carbohydrates fuel our brain and central nervous system, while fats aid in the absorption of specific nutrients, lower glycemic impact, and promote satiety and fullness. Proteins are the building blocks of muscles, and they can boost metabolism and keep us feeling full and satisfied for longer periods of time. Eliminating an entire food group may cause emotions of deprivation, which may lead to late-night binge eating "Mariana Dineen, M.S., RD, a dietitian and mother of three who specializes in long-term weight management, agrees.

According to registered dietitian Judy Barbe, M.S., RD, author of Your 6-week Guide to LiveBest, make sure your meal is satisfying as well. Dinner might be healthy without tasting nice, but Barbe claims that "if you nourish your soul and eat well, you'll be less prone to graze later on mindlessly."

5. Getting inside the refrigerator without a plan

We eat for a variety of reasons other than physical hunger. Eating is joyful and relaxing, which is why we eat when we're anxious, bored, or have a particular craving. While none of these reasons for eating are inherently bad, having a plan in place for each case can help you stay on track to meet your weight-loss objectives.

To begin, set yourself up for success by removing all highly processed items (such as potato chips, sweets, and refined snack foods) from your home and replacing them with more nutritious options such as nuts, fruit, whole grains, and lean proteins in your refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards. Second, devise a strategy. "Consider having fruit, granola, and nonfat plain Greek yogurt in the fridge to build a parfait instead of grabbing a dish of ice cream that is laden with added sugars," suggests Andrew Akhaphong, M.S., RD, LD, a registered dietitian with Mackenthun's Fine Foods. You could also dip fruit in dessert hummus, which is high in protein and has a tinge of sweetness."

If things don't go as planned, there's no reason to feel guilty or ashamed. What you do most of the time is more important than what you do occasionally, but having a flexible plan in place can be beneficial.

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