6 Nutritionist-Approved Things You Can Do After 6 p.m. To Lose Weight

During the day, you straight up slay the weight-loss game, making the healthiest-ever smoothie bowl and killing it in the weight room. By night, though, Netflix and scrolling through takeout menus is so much easier than actually cooking that aspirational recipe you pinned.

As you might expect, those nighttime habits could be sabotaging all the work you put in during the day. That's especially true if you view eating as a form of relaxation at the end of the day, says Sarah Koszyk.

"At night, we tend to do minimal activity, so we don’t need as many calories as we did during the day," says Koszyk. "So the excess consumption of calories at night may result in weight gain, poor sleeping, or indigestion."

Check out these nutritionist-approved tips that will save you from your nighttime self.

1. Follow the 30 Percent Rule

Scale down your dinner so it registers at just 30 percent of your total daily caloric intake, says Koszyk. So, for a 1,200 calorie per day plan, your dinner should be about 360 calories.

If you're not into counting cals, just remember that this should not be the biggest meal of your day, she says. Keep your dinner in check by filling up your plate with mostly veggies, which are lower in calories, high in fibre, and will keep you full until bed, she says.

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2. Start an Adult Coloring Book

Keep your hands out of the popcorn bag during your nightly Netflix binge by reaching for an adult colouring book (they exist), says Koszyk. "Pick one or two relaxing activities you can do with your hands that do not include eating or drinking," she says. "Make these activities your de-stress or wind-down nightly routines," she says.

3. Eat Frozen Grapes

Skip the ice cream or fro-yo. "If you get a sweet craving, reach for frozen grapes as they taste like a mini sorbet," says Mitzi Dulan. "They’re super delicious and satisfying with only 60 calories per cup."

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4. Chase Wine with Water

Chugging a couple glasses of water after a glass of wine can help stave off hankerings for more snacks, says Ilyse Schapiro. That's because alcohol can cause dehydration, which mimics hunger, she says. "Too many times after drinking alcohol, our bodies may think they need a grilled cheese sandwich, a slice of pizza, or a side of fries, but they really just need water."

5. Do Your Saturday Morning Chores on Monday Night Instead

"Doing laundry or vacuuming can add extra movement to your evening, shortening the time you spend on the couch and increasing the time your body is in motion," says Alexandra Oppenheimer. That equals more calories burned overall, people. Bonus: Chipping away at your chore list saves more of your weekend for doing the things you love, like making time for a killer workout on the hiking trail or actually giving that healthy Pinterest recipe a shot.

6. Prep Your Nighttime Snacks

Using that time between dinner and bed to prep nighttime snacks for the week can be a clutch way to prevent overeating, says Oppenheimer. "Going on a snack hunt when those after-dinner hunger pangs kick in can lead to excessive snacking." When you portion out your evening snacks ahead of time, you'll be more in control of your nighttime eating, she says. Some of her suggestions for a nighttime snack include a single-serving Greek yogurt, string cheese, 1/4 cup of dried cranberries and almonds, a small whole-grain granola bar, or some applesauce.

This article originally appeared on Women's Health.

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