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You stay up late -

When we don't get enough sleep, our hunger hormones get affected, which can mess with your body's ability to determine when it's actually hungry, when it should stop burning calories, and when it should store energy as fat. Missing out on shut-eye can also cause you to eat more the next day and crave high-calories foods.

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Dinner is your biggest meal -

Our body's metabolism slows down when we eat big meals before bedtime. The body slows down its functions at night to prepare for sleep, but consuming heavy foods can make it harder to digest and result in weight gain.

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You're working out before bedtime -

It might sound like a good idea to help tire yourself out, but if your exercise routine falls within two hours before bedtime, it could be hurting your weight-loss efforts. That's because exercise raises your adrenaline levels and core body temperature, and these should actually decrease when you get ready for bed. And interfering with a good night's rest will correspond with a higher likelihood of poor food choices, as you won't be as rested.

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You eat on the couch -

The habit of sitting at a table to eat will do your body good. That's because it allows you to focus on your company and on the task of eating. On the other hand, when you sit on a couch and watch TV, your brain has to multitask, which can oftentimes result in overeating.

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You rush through dinner -

If you're starving by the time you get home, you're more likely to rush through dinner and overeat. As a result, you could take in more calories than your body needs, and it'll store any excess food as fat. This is because it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to pass on the message to your brain that you're full.

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You're drinking tea -

Unless it's a herbal blend, tea leaves contain caffeine, a stimulant that keeps your mind alert and active, which prevents you from getting a restorative night's sleep.

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You scroll through work emails -

Thinking about work, when you should have technically finished for the day, could make you feel stressed. When you're stressed, levels of the fat-storing hormone cortisol increase, which can widen your waistline.

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You boost your metabolism with spicy food -

Capsaicin, a compound found in spicy red peppers, can boost your metabolism. However, it does it by increasing your body's core temperature and your blood flow. Both can interfere with your ability to wind down at night and get the sleep you need.

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You immediately head to the couch post-dinner -

When you retreat to the couch after eating, you miss out on the benefits of taking a short walk. For example, when a studied group of diabetics walked for 10 minutes after each main meal, they were able to lower their blood glucose levels by 12% more than those who concentrated their exercise into one 30-minute walk.

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You eat too late -

This is not because of the idea that your metabolism slows down after 8 pm. The reason why late-night eaters are more likely to gain weight is because they tend to binge-eat and subsequently choose unhealthy foods.

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You don't shower before bed -

A hot shower before bedtime can actually help with weight loss. That's because temperature drops are an important sleep cue, so when you take a hot shower and then cool off upon drying, the temperature dip might make your shut-eye deeper. 

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You order a lot of takeout -

The majority of meals from local restaurants have more than double the calories recommended for an average meal. You might not be a master chef, but cooking at home is a guaranteed way to cut calories.

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You scroll through social media -

Catching up on what you missed on social media could be doing your waistline a disservice. Regularly looking at virtual foods could cause levels of hunger hormones to increase, even if your body isn't physically hungry.

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You get too comfy -

It's appealing to snuggle up in bed with fuzzy blankets and a pile of layers. However, a cool environment, between 60°F and 70°F (15°C and 20°C), is the most conducive to good sleep, which will help with your waistline.

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You completely zone out -

After a long day of work, it's only natural to check out when you get home. But while it might help you cope with stress, the lack of conscientiousness could result in poor food choices.

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You fall asleep on the couch -

When you make this a habit, falling asleep on the couch can interfere with your sleep schedule. You'll wake up in the middle of the night and disrupt your restful night's sleep.

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You always have dessert -

Dessert shouldn't become a daily habit. Since you already ate dinner, your body isn't craving sugar because it needs the energy to digest. You're looking at dessert because you've conditioned yourself that a meal only ends once you've had sugar.

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You eat way too early -

When you eat over five hours before bedtime, you might find that you start to feel hungry again. Going to bed hungry can actually keep the brain on high alert, which will prevent you from getting a good night's sleep.

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You choose the wrong late night snacks -

High-fat snacks can keep your body up working to digest these high-density foods, while high-sugar snacks can cause spikes and crashes in your blood sugar. Disrupted sleep is often a recipe for a diet disaster.

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You come home starving -

If you skip breakfast and snacks during the day, your body enters starvation mode, which increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol and hunger hormone ghrelin. So when you're starving by dinner, you're more likely to make poor food decisions.

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You indulge on daily chocolate -

Dark chocolate that is rich in nutrients like healthy fats, magnesium, and antioxidants is good for you, but only as a mid-afternoon snack. This is because it also contains caffeine, which can disrupt sleep.

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You read from a device -

It's great to read, but doing so from a device is actually a problem. The blue light emitted from your tablet, computer, and smartphone can trick your brain into thinking it's time to be awake rather than time to wind down. Try to power down your electronic devices at least an hour before bed.

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You keep water on your nightstand -

As much as water is important, that doesn't mean you should be chugging H2O at night. If you drink too much right before bed, you may find yourself awakening multiple times to urinate. Start to cut down on your fluid intake about three hours before bedtime.

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You often treat yourself to a zero-calorie treat -

Just because you opt for zero-sugar ice cream, doesn't mean you're off the hook. Chronic consumption of artificial sweeteners can cause your brain to recalibrate its association with sweetness and energy. As a result, you may consume up to 30 percent more calories when you eat naturally-sweetened food. 

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You only relax when eating snacks -

When you connect emotions to food, you're setting your diet up for disaster. By doing this, you tell your body that food is your coping mechanism, which you will seek out in order to relax. 

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You spend too much time in front of the TV -

It might feel relaxing to spend hours on the couch, watching your favorite show. But for every two hours spent watching TV, a person's risk of early death and developing diabetes and heart disease are higher.  

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You drink too much at night -

Acting as a depressant, alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep more quickly, but it will negatively affect the quality of your sleep. This will also result in a higher likelihood of poorer food choices the next day. 

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You eat in bed -

When you associate your bedroom with sleeping, you can train your brain to associate getting under the covers and sleep. But when you eat and work in bed, you might automatically feel hungry or stressed in the bedroom. 

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You're bored -

When you're bored at home and looking for something to do, eating often becomes the easiest thing to do. If you want to banish this, find other evening activities to keep you occupied. 

Sources: (Men's Health) (The Healthy) (Eat This, Not That!)

See also: The mysteries of sleep

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