The 5 Best Things You Can Do at Night to Lose Weight

It’s easy enough to spend your nights sinking into the couch during your Netflix binge—but if you want that number on the scale to change, it may be time to restructure your evenings. Follow these tips to get yourself that much closer to your goal weight.

DO A NIGHTTIME WORKOUT

You may think that exercising too close to bedtime can keep you up at night. Luckily, that’s not the case; a 2013 survey from the National Sleep Foundation found that active people are 56 to 67 per cent more likely to say they usually get a good night’s sleep – no matter what time of day they exercise. 

PACK YOUR LUNCH

The average restaurant meal contains more than twice the number of calories you should be consuming in one sitting, according to a 2013 study – and that’s not even taking into account the lower calorie count you’ll want your lunch to clock in at if you’re trying to drop pounds. But during the morning rush, who has time to make lunch? Save yourself from a midday diet-wrecker by prepping your meal the night before. 

Even better, try these five healthy and quick lunches you can make for five dollars.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

H2O flushes out your system, which helps you get rid of any water you’re retaining. But since you don’t want to be up all night running to the bathroom (and getting quality shuteye is crucial to weight loss), Gans suggests putting a halt to your water chugging one hour before bedtime.

MAKE SURE YOUR BEDROOM IS SUPER DARK

The hormone melatonin can help your body produce more calorie-burning brown fat, according to an animal study published last year in Journal of Pineal Research. Since your body already produces melatonin when you’re in complete darkness, make sure your room is light-free to boost weight loss.

TURN DOWN THE THERMOSTAT BEFORE HITTING THE HAY

The idea of burning more calories while you sleep may sound too good to be true, but a National Institute of Health Clinical Center study found that people who slept in a 66-degree room burned seven per cent more calories than people who snoozed at 75 degrees. Seven percent isn’t a ton, but it all adds up when you’re looking to shed kilos.

A version of this article was originally published on WomensHealthMag.com