Sleeping after 12 am every day? Nutritionist shares 6 common mistakes that are derailing your fat loss goals

Daily habits that seem harmless can quietly hinder your weight loss progress because of the way they affect your vital functions. Sudiksha shares what to avoid.

Fat loss is often reduced to a simple equation of what you eat and how many calories you consume each day. However, your lifestyle plays an equally important role, from your stress levels and how you cope with them to everyday habits such as when you eat, sleep and unwind. These factors are interconnected, and when they repeatedly disrupt your body’s natural rhythm, they can influence metabolism, hormones and overall progress.

Sudiksha, a nutritionist specialising in fat loss, PCOS and thyroid health, is breaking down six seemingly harmless habits that are quietly hindering your fat loss goals. In an Instagram video shared on December 21, 2025, the dietician explains, “When I was 30 kg overweight, I kept blaming food. But the truth? It wasn’t what I was eating, it was how I was living. Belly plus hip fat in women is rarely about calories. It’s almost always about hormones, stress and daily habits that keep your body in fat-storage mode. Here are the six habits that keep most women stuck.”

Skipping meals

Consistently pushing back your bedtime can affect more than just your sleep quality, energy levels and focus the following day. Going against your body’s natural clock can also disrupt your metabolic rhythm, which may, in turn, affect the hormones that regulate key bodily functions. The nutritionist highlights, “Late nights disrupt your circadian rhythm and slow fat-burning hormones like leptin and thyroid.”

Overthinking everything

Chronic stress can keep cortisol levels elevated for prolonged periods, disrupting the body’s natural hormonal balance. When cortisol loses its normal daily rhythm, it can interfere with the way the body stores and processes fat. The dietician notes, “Mental stress equals physical cortisol. And cortisol’s first storage point is belly fat.”

High sugar “healthy snacks”

Some processed, packaged products marketed as “healthy snacks” may be surprisingly high in hidden calories, added sugars and other less nutritious ingredients. While they can be a convenient option when you’re on the go, relying too heavily on them can hinder your weight-loss goals. Sudiksha points out, “Granola, protein bars, biscuits, they spike insulin and block fat loss completely.”

Emotional eating

Many people cope with stress or emotional overwhelm by turning to mindless eating for the temporary comfort and dopamine it can provide. However, stress eating can make it harder to make mindful food choices, often leading to cravings for calorie-dense foods. The nutritionist explains, “Your body tries to numb stress with food, especially carbs. It’s not lack of discipline, it’s nervous system overload.”

No nervous system reset in your day

Having a few healthy ways to manage stress and unwind throughout the day is important, as prolonged stress can keep the body in a constant state of fight-or-flight. This can interfere with several essential bodily functions. Sudiksha highlights, “If your vagus nerve never calms down, your body will not release stored fat, no matter how clean your diet is.”

When these habits become a consistent part of your routine, they can disrupt how your body functions, including metabolism and the way it processes and stores fat, potentially derailing your weight-loss goals. However, when you work with your body’s natural rhythms rather than against them, maintaining healthy habits can become much easier. The dietician concludes, “Your body isn’t stubborn. It’s protecting you. Change these habits...and your hormones will change with you.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

Dietician Sudiksha is a nutritionist and fat-loss expert who helps busy women achieve their weight-loss goals through practical diet plans catered to Indian lifestyles. With over 10,000 clients, she specialises in nutrition support for PCOS/PCOD and thyroid health.