Morning Rituals to Help You Lose Weight

Weight loss is a tricky journey. The process is seldom easy, especially when you want to reach your goals in a healthy, smart, and fast way. Thankfully, there are a few morning rituals that can really help in your weight loss journey.

Hi viewers, and welcome back to another Bestie video. “The early bird gets the worm” might be an old saying, but there’s a whole lot of research to back it up now. According to studies, not only do morning people tend to be happier and live longer, but they may also be thinner. A good morning routine can definitely set the tone for the day and help you lose weight faster.

In today’s video, we will share seven morning habits that can help you burn belly fat all day. From soaking in direct sunlight, taking a cold shower, getting enough sleep, doing a weigh-in, to chewing your food properly, and more. Watch till the end to know them all.

Eat a Protein-Rich Breakfast

Eating 20 grams or more of protein in the first meal of the day will give you a great start to reaching its recommended daily intake. Getting that initial shot of this essential nutrient in the morning jump-starts your metabolism, which aids in weight loss. Because it takes a long time to digest, it reduces appetite, making it easier to make it to lunch without succumbing to potentially harmful cravings.

The best breakfast foods providing a generous serving are eggs, plain Greek yogurt, nut butters, or lean chicken or turkey sausage. What is your favorite breakfast food? Do you eat the same breakfast every day or like to change it up? Tell us in the comments section down below.

Get Some Direct Sunlight

When attacking a weight loss morning routine, first, soak up that sunshine. A flood of sunshine isn’t just an instant morning pick-me-up. A study found that people exposed to moderately bright light in the morning have significantly lower Body Mass Indexes than people who get the majority of their light exposure later in the day.

Independent of physical activity, sleep timing, caloric intake, age, or season, morning light exposure accounted for about 20 percent of an individual’s BMI. Lack of sunlight can de-synchronize your internal body clock, altering metabolism and leading to weight gain. Just 20 to 30 minutes of morning light is enough to affect BMI and improve your health.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is regularly checking in with your emotions, thoughts, feelings, and sensations in an attempt to reach a state of awareness. There are a number of ways you can benefit from practicing it. According to researchers, it can relieve stress, boost memory, enhance focus, and lead to relationship satisfaction. Another benefit? You guessed it, it may help you lose weight.

One study found that mindfulness training was able to decrease both emotional eating and binge eating. Practicing it doesn’t need to take a long time or require the perfect setting. If you have five minutes and a quiet spot, you can use that time to be mindful of your thoughts and feelings.

Pack a Snack for Later

Done with your healthy round of breakfast? Now pack a healthy snack for the day too. Your body works like a machine that needs refueling every few hours. Take out some time and think of some healthy snack options instead of reaching for unhealthy ones to appease the cravings. Some quick, healthy foods will keep your metabolism racing and lead you to the road to weight loss.

Don’t stick to the same boring snack options. Make sure to keep trying some new and healthy recipes to prevent yourself from heading back to tempting but unhealthy options.

Drink Plenty of Water

Starting your morning with a glass or two of water is an easy way to enhance weight loss. It can help increase your energy expenditure or the number of calories your body burns for at least 60 minutes. In one study, drinking about 17 fluid ounces or 500 ml of water led to a 30 percent increase in metabolic rate on average.

Another study found that overweight women who increased their water intake to over 34 ounces or one liter per day lost an extra 4 pounds over one year without making any other changes in their diet or exercise routine. What’s more, drinking water may reduce appetite and food intake in some individuals. One study showed that drinking 17 fluid ounces or 500 ml of water reduced the number of calories eaten at breakfast by 13 percent. In fact, most studies on the topic have shown that drinking about 34-68 ounces of water per day can aid in weight loss.

Take a Cold Shower

Everyone loves a good hot shower in the morning to slowly wake themselves up, but the truth is studies have shown that taking a cold shower in the morning can help boost your energy levels, your metabolism, and regulate your hormones. Also, when your body gets cold, you are burning a substantial amount of calories in order for it to continue to keep you warm. Due to this, all of your internal faculties jump on board in order to keep your body healthy.

With cold showers, your metabolism will be kicked into high gear. They are also a wonderful way to prepare your body for a large breakfast, which will regulate your blood sugar levels and keep your cravings at bay throughout the morning. It is recommended, however, that you start the first couple of minutes of your shower at your favorite temperature and slowly make it colder. Then you can stay in that cold water for three to four minutes for maximum benefit.

Get Enough Sleep

Yes, you heard it right. Your beauty sleep is as important for your weight as it is for your mind. Experts say that if you don’t Get Enough Sleep, you tend to eat more during the day and, as a result, put on more weight. This happens because sleep deprivation reduces the levels of leptin in your body. It is a hormone that controls the energy balance, and the lack of it disturbs this balance, making you eat more.

So squeeze in some time to catch up on your sleep and snooze those alarm clocks all you want. Alternatively, go to bed earlier so you can get a good night’s sleep.

Change Your Way of Commuting

Driving to work is easy, but it may not be best for your waistline. A study showed that people who walk, bike, and take public transportation have lower BMIs and body-fat percentages than those who depend on their cars to get to work. The researchers collected the BMIs and body-fat percentages of more than 7,000 people. Participants then completed a survey about how they usually got themselves to the office.

The women who used a method other than a car, like cycling or walking, had a BMI that was around 0.7 less than the others, which is about a 5-pound difference on the scale. Note that this doesn’t exclude public transportation. Even walking to the closest bus stop or train station can be beneficial.

Do a Weigh-In

Dieters who weigh themselves daily lose about three times more weight and body fat compared with people who weigh themselves less frequently, says a study. The best time of day to step on the scale is immediately after getting up and going to the bathroom. Do this either in the buff or in the same amount of clothing each morning to get the most accurate results.

Engage in Physical Activity

Working out in the mornings can prove to be your best aide in weight loss. Experts say while exercise or physical activity should become part of your daily lifestyle, a morning workout can be the best habit you can inculcate to lose the extra set of pounds. Besides registering a boost in your metabolism, morning hours are the best to sweat out, as there are no distractions. Plus, you start your day with a clear and more energized state of mind.

About 20 minutes of strength training daily in the morning will give you the major metabolic boost. Follow it with dynamic stretches and bodyweight exercises targeting arms and legs. Your body burns more calories after your workout, which is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC. So working out in the morning can prove to be a great start to your day and further your journey to weight loss.

Working out in the mornings or indulging in any physical activity early in the day also stabilizes your sleep cycle, which is another crucial factor for weight loss. Doing the right workout based on your body type can help you get far better results than doing so without knowing your body type. To know the best workouts for you according to your body type, watch this video titled, “The Right Workout For You, According To Your Body Type.” Now, back to the best morning habits that will help you lose weight.

Chew Your Food Properly

Fill your breakfast plate with healthy foods that take more time to eat. Eating fiber and whole grain-rich breakfast takes considerably more effort to chew. When you chew more, you work your jaw, which burns 5 percent more calories than you generally would. Foods such as apples, carrots, and brown rice are rich in fiber, which keeps the bowels healthy and will also help you feel fuller for longer.

Eating a fiber-rich breakfast will help in reducing the overall caloric intake and help you in losing weight in the healthiest way. A fiber-rich diet also keeps you active and light throughout the day.

Track Your Food

Keeping a food diary to track what you eat can be an effective way to keep yourself accountable. Do this for a few weeks to become aware of what you’re eating and whether or not it’s aligned with your weight loss goals. Stop tracking calories once you have a good idea of how much food you’re eating and if it’s the appropriate amount.

How does your morning regime look? Is it full of activities or laid back? Let us know in the comments section below.