A lack of adequate sleep will throw your body into carbohydrate and fat-craving survival mode, meaning that those who feel constantly sleep deprived will crave foods with a high fat, sugar and carb content. This is because sleep suppresses the hunger hormone leptin (which regulates appetite and metabolism), so when you’re up late, you tend to go on a fridge raid.

Plus, you’re less active at night, so all the calories you consume will be stored as fat instead of getting expended through physical activity. Sleep deprivation can also mess with your hunger hormones the next day, making you more prone to having a salty bagel for breakfast.

Avoid 2am bedtimes and ensure that you wake up well-rested by simply going to sleep earlier. Netflix will still be there tomorrow!

READ MORE: This Is How Much Sleep You Actually Need, According To Your Age

A new study has found that even if you clock the optimum amount of sleep, sleeping with the lights or TV on might nevertheless cause weight gain — up to five kilos! This is possibly because the absence of darkness prevents you from going into deep sleep, which is necessary for memory and overall learning, increasing blood supply to muscles, boosting the immune system, cell regeneration, and repairing and growing tissues and bones.

Without deep sleep, you may wake up feeling even more tired and crave a big high-calorie breakfast to replenish your energy, thus standing a higher chance of gaining weight. So be sure to turn the lights out before you hit the sack.

A study out of the University of Missouri-Columbi found that sitting for hours on end causes the body to cease production of a fat-inhibiting enzyme called lipase.

Standing and stretching for just one to two minutes out of every working hour will burn about 59 calories a day, whilst boosting your body’s metabolism by 15 per cent.

Those who bounce their feet subconsciously under their desk burn up to 350 calories a day! If this isn’t you, it might be time to make a new habit. Here are more easy peasy ways to burn calories in the office.

READ MORE: 10 Super Easy Ways to Tone Your Butt In The Office

We know that experts recommend a glass of water before a meal to suppress appetite and avoid over-eating, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the key part H20 plays in weight loss.

Dehydration causes improper function in the kidneys, which causes the body to turn to the liver for support instead. And because the liver has enough to do without this added task, fat consumed can be stored in the body rather than burnt off in exercise.

READ MORE: Keep Your Body Adequately Hydrated With This Best-Selling 100% Natural Coconut Water

Stress is almost unavoidable in our fast-paced society. But chronic stress can be really taxing on the body and contribute to inflammation and, in turn, weight gain. Stress stimulates our body’s production of cortisol, the stress hormone that raise insulin levels, causing blood sugar to dip and you to crave fatty or sugary foods high in calories. This is why we tend to turn to comfort foods when we are stressed.

Eating offers solace to us when we’re stressed because our brain releases chemicals in response to food that directly calm us. The solution would be to get to the heart of the problem and manage stress instead of giving in to our cravings and then desperately try to run it off on the treadmill.

We all know that paying via paypass or paywave can sometimes cause you to make impulsive purchases. Whether it’s that pair of shoes you definitely can’t afford, or that tub of indulgent chocolate mousse, there’s an almost ‘monopoly money’ feel about tap and go that overrides your sense of accountability.

Budget better and avoid impulse buys by paying for your groceries with cash, so you feel the pinch more when buying food items that aren’t doing you any favours.

READ MORE: The Sneaky Ways Supermarkets Are Making You Spend More Money

You might be at a party or working at the computer or binge-watching a Netflix series. But you’re also constantly eating. And eating. Not being mindful when you’re eating can cause you to overeat, and before you know it, a simple snack or meal would have made up your entire day’s calorie count.

In fact, eating while distracted can lead to a mindless increase in food intake, which can often up add around 288 extra calories per sitting. The best way to understand this is to recall the many times you’ve purchased popcorn for a film, only to somehow finish the box before the movie even starts!

Avoid this by setting aside table time for your meals and snacks, and try to pay attention when you eat, and eat more slowly (try chewing 20 times for every mouthful). You will be more attuned to your body telling you that it’s full and stop eating when you need to.

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