Your morning routine can make or break the rest of your day. It’s vital to form a consistent, practical routine tailored to your goals. If you’re looking to lose weight, there are plenty of habits you can implement first thing in the morning to set yourself up for success. Over time, these small lifestyle changes can help you reach your ideal weight far more efficiently. Let’s explore 15 morning habits you should adopt to lose weight.
Get Good Sleep
Sleep is essential for all of our bodily functions. It may sound counterintuitive, but not sleeping well can actually factor into gaining weight. A lack of sleep leads to increased appetite, cortisol levels, and other hormonal imbalances. A nurturing morning routine begins when you set your head on the pillow at night. Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep every night.
Avoid Screens
From blue light to an over-activated brain, screens before bed threaten to ruin your circadian rhythm. Studies show that the blue light projected from our screens simulates daylight, which can prevent our brains from producing melatonin. This can not only make it harder to fall asleep, but may also diminish the quality of sleep you get throughout the night. Scrolling before bed may also contribute to stress, which can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle. Avoid screens 30 minutes to an hour before bed as a rule of thumb.
Weigh Yourself
Hop on the scale after you empty your bladder, and before you eat anything. We naturally fluctuate throughout the day, so weighing yourself in the morning will offer the most accurate reading. Seeing your weight every morning can be a good way to track your progress during your fitness journey. If you’re struggling to understand what weight you should aim for, consult your doctor or dietician for a healthy goal.
Start the Day With a Glass of Water
Before you consume anything else in the morning, drink a full glass of water. Drinking water before breakfast helps stimulate your metabolism throughout the day. It can also help to suppress your appetite, so you’re more likely to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Remember to drink enough water throughout the day too. To determine how much water to drink, take your body weight in pounds and drink that amount in ounces of water.
Start a Mindfulness Practice
Implementing a morning mindfulness practice is a great way to start your day off on the right foot. This doesn’t have to look like sitting perfectly still in meditation for an hour straight if that’s not up your alley. Instead, you can choose to take a walk, read, or stretch. Find a practice that centers you and helps you connect with your body. If you start the day from a connected place, you’re more likely to follow through with your plans such as eating healthy or working out.
Soak Up the Sun
Your morning walk doesn’t just promote mindfulness. It can also be a great way to soak up some sun first thing in the morning. Research shows that sun exposure first thing in the morning can aid in burning more fat throughout the day. Those who prioritize sun exposure in the morning also tend to have a lower body-mass index (BMI).
Workout Before Eating
Morning workouts before breakfast prove to be more effective than working out later in the day. The body’s natural hormonal levels in the morning lend well to burning more calories during your workout and throughout the day. Morning workouts can also improve energy levels throughout the day, improve focus, and promote better mental health.
Take a Cold Shower
You’ve likely seen health influencers plunging into icy water first thing in the morning. As bizarre as it may seem, it actually is a beneficial practice. But there’s no need to add an ice bath to your shopping cart—simply opt to take a cold shower. Taking a cold shower in the morning offers a boost of energy to fuel your workouts. It can also boost circulation, improve focus, and reduce inflammation.
Stick to High-Protein Breakfast
A protein packed breakfast not only fuels your workout and helps build more muscle, but it can also help to lower your appetite throughout the day too. Your body can’t store protein as fat very easily. In fact, your body actually expends more calories breaking it down than fat or carbs.
Skip the Creamer
You might be drinking a huge percentage of your daily caloric intake with your morning coffee. Many specialty coffees include sugar, cream, and syrups, amounting to upwards of 500 calories. To put this in perspective, your entire breakfast shouldn’t surpass 300–500 calories. Choosing to take your coffee black or perhaps switching to green tea could help move you closer to your weight loss goals.
Plan Out Your Meals
Planning out meals cuts down on extra calorie intake. Knowing what you’re going to have for each meal allows you to choose lower-calorie foods rather than convenient, high-calorie meals. If you can, pick a day to cook all your lunches or dinners so you don’t have to think about it too much every morning.
Try a Morning Wellness Shot
Wellness shots typically include ingredients such as lemon, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, or ginger. There are many benefits to starting the day with a wellness shot. For instance, apple cider vinegar can improve blood sugar levels and support weight loss. Lemon juice helps boost hydration and improves the immune system.
Shorten Your Commute
The more time you spend commuting, the more time you’re sitting sedentary. Long car rides reduce the time you’re up walking, which means you’re losing fewer calories. Try using traffic apps to find the quickest route to your destination. You can also choose to bike or walk to work if that’s possible.
Track Your Food Intake
It’s easy to lose track of how many calories you’ve eaten in a day if you don’t document your meals. If your goal is to lose weight, start your day tracking breakfast and continue to track your meals throughout the day. You will quickly notice where you may need to adjust your diet to be less caloric and more nutritious.
Eat a Spicy Breakfast
A spicy breakfast can help kick-start your metabolism. Capsaicinoids, the chemical that makes peppers hot, work to burn body fat and curb your appetite. Adding some hot sauce to your eggs can help you prime your body to burn more calories throughout the day.
