The four diet mistakes you are making after 7pm - from eating fatty foods that lead to 'sticky arteries' to drinking glasses of wine WITH your dinner

While a calorie deficit, a regular exercise routine and balanced meals will help you achieve your health and fitness goals, there are four evening diet mistakes that will undo your hard work. 

Australian dietitian Susie Burrell of Shape Me warns against large meals, high fat snacks, wine with dinner and caffeine consumption after 7pm as they have a damaging impact on your health - especially in the long term. 

Large late night meals are harmful for the heart while too much wine will lead to stored calories and unwanted body fat, particularly around your stomach.  

1. EATING LARGE MEALS 

'Consuming a significant number of calories late in the day when you are more likely to be sitting and moving very little lead to indigestion and abdominal discomfort,' Susie said.

The heavy evening meals can also result in hormonal changes that are linked to long term weight gain.  

'Research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress reported that individuals who consumed a significant number of calories after 7pm each night had the highest increases in blood pressure overnight,' Susie added.

'High blood pressure is linked to an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke. 

Susie said a light meal like fish and vegetables is the best option if you are unable to eat dinner before 7pm.

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Susie said a light meal like fish and vegetables is the best option if you are unable to eat dinner before 7pm 

2. CONSUMING FATTY FOOD AND SNACKS 

Susie warns against indulging in too many high fat foods like ice cream, chocolate and biscuits late at night as they are linked to an in crease in blood fats. 

'High amounts of fat in the blood contribute to making the arteries "sticky", increasing the risk of adverse heart events,' Susie said. 

She recommends opting for lower fat options like 'Greek yoghurt and fruit, a little gelato or a couple of crackers with nut spread or cottage cheese'.

3. DRINKING ALCOHOL

While a glass or two of wine is a regular evening routine for many, few are aware that alcohol consumption leads to a higher percentage of the calories from food being stored instead of burned. 

This is because the body prioritises metabolising alcohol over food. 

'If you are drinking a number of alcoholic drinks along with a heavy meal, chances are you will be on the weight gain cycle, which will be exacerbated the later into the evening you are eating and drinking,' Susie said. 

'Eat your last meal of the day as early as you can and indulge in 1 - 2 alcoholic drinks minus the extra food when you do enjoy an evening drink.'

Alcohol also impacts the body's hormone systems and their ability to work properly, therefore impacting reproduction, energy levels, blood pressure, development and mood.

'Alcohol is an oestrogenic agent so it's going to elevate your oestrogen levels which for most women will result in a higher accumulation of body fat and hormonal imbalances,' Australian personal trainer and nutrition coach Sarah Hopkins said on her podcast.

'If you've got something like PCOS, endometriosis or fibroids it's almost imperative that you significantly reduce alcohol and certainly consider completely cutting it out.'  

The Australian Guidelines recommend healthy adults should drink no more than two standard drinks on any day to cut the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury. 

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While a glass or two of wine is regular evening routine for many, few are aware that alcohol consumption leads to a higher percentage of the calories from food being stored instead of burned

4. DRINKING CAFFEINE 

Susie urges people to remember that cola drinks, dark chocolate, cacao and tea (other than herbal tea) contain caffeine.

'A hearty serve of dark chocolate along with a hot chocolate made with cacao or cup of tea will give you close to 80mg of caffeine or a similar amount to that in a cup of coffee,' she said. 

'The effects of caffeine include an inability to sleep, restlessness and heart palpitations which can be experienced for up to 4-6 hours after the caffeine is consumed.'

According to Dr Siobhan Banks from the Sleep Health Foundation, there is a connection between sleep loss and weight gain.

'It certainly seems that there is some sort of connection. A fair amount of literature does signal that if you have less sleep… you're at higher risk of being overweight or obese,' Dr Banks told the ABC.   

'If you're sleep deprived, your body just isn't quite coping as it should.

'So when you then put on top of that the likelihood that you're going to eat naughty foods… those things mixed together can lead to either higher circulating glucose levels, so you're more likely to put on fat, or your body becoming desensitised to those increased hormones, which then can lead to type 2 diabetes.'