Why are our morning habits so important? Well, starting your day right open up opportunities for the entire day. You’re in a better state of mind to take on your world against any obstacle you may face. Again, we all know that how you start the day will dictate how your day will go.
During my own personal weight loss journey, I discovered that when you have healthy morning habits your entire day changes completely and chances of achieving your weight loss goals are extremely high. The more I kept going with my commitment, despite the struggles I had, the more I loved the journey!
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.” – J. B. Priestley
Having said that, trying to lose weight can be a challenge. It doesn’t matter what your goals are when it comes to losing weight to get into shape, it can actually be hard if you’re prepared mentally! It’s not easy to suddenly change everything in your daily life especially when it comes to losing weight. But the important thing is that it can be done with commitment and perseverance.
Everyone struggles, I understand that and that’s why it’s so important to plan ahead and find someone to keep you accountable as there will be challenges along the journey. We have all been there and struggled but the key is not giving up and being consistent.
But when you set your day with good morning habits, adjusting what you’ve been doing the chance of being successful is quite high. Your morning habits not only make you feel good about yourself but also allows you the chance to lose weight and be in your best shape. By remaining consistent throughout, you will definitely see your results and nothing will stand in your way to your healthier and happier lifestyle.
Below are some proven effective morning habits that will help you lose weight and be in the best shape of your life, both physically and mentally. I have tried them they’re simple and effective when implemented accordingly, and have been found to yield positive results.
1. Have A High Protein Breakfast
Are you are breakfast skipper or you only have coffee for breakfast? If so, you are truly missing out on the chance to fuel your body with good nutrients for maximum performance. Firstly, your body needs to be fueled in the morning because it has been fasting overnight. Secondly, having a healthy high protein breakfast will give you the nutrients you need and most importantly keep you fuller for longer until your next meal/snack time.
This is one of the main morning habits I don’t go without. I get that energy and alertness from my breakfast and my concentration levels are usually at maximum. If you are a person who loves eating breakfast like me, then make sure your protein content in the mornings is high.
It’s even more important if you’re on a weight loss journey as it will assist in repairing your muscles. It’ll also help you build those muscles, burn fat more and reduces mental cravings! Foods like Protein shakes, Greek yoghurt, eggs, cottage cheese, seeds & nuts, etc. for breakfast are a good place to start!
2. Get In Some Workout
Working out any time is a great thing and it gives your metabolism a boost that is needed throughout the day. There have been some recent studies to show that working out in the morning was more effective as there was less distraction as compared to any other time of the day.
I personally feel mornings are the best time to set your day right and starting with exercise is a boost to your entire body to kick start the day on a high note for maximum performance. The release of those happy hormones aids you in your thinking and performance throughout the day.
The positivity that comes with post-exercise feeling is great and allows you to embark on your knowledge that you can do anything. You feel good about yourself and there is no better feeling than that especially when you’re on your weight management regime.
Just remember that any form of exercise is good as long as its something you can manage to do, enjoy and carry out consistently. It can be a fifteen or twenty minutes workout as long as you do that regularly, your results will eventually come.
3. Practice Mindfulness To Promote Weight-loss
When we create an atmosphere of mindfulness, we allow ourselves to focus on the present and create a space for ourselves to be able to think, breathe and be aware of our thoughts and feeling. It may sound simple but it’s not as you need to set time away to be able to do it properly.
When you’re on a weight management journey especially weight loss, mindfulness will definitely help you become more aware of your choice. It allows you to be mindful of the choices you make like eating behaviours and your physical activities.
Recent studies published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism have shown that mindfulness can aid you in your weight loss and also improve eating habits when done properly. They found that it reduces the effects of stress, symptoms of anxiety, promote healthy eating habits and allow you to enjoy your life.
[The] focus should be on enabling the populace to make appropriate lifestyle decisions and empowering subsequent salutary behavior change. In the context of obesity and eating-related behaviors, we have demonstrated that mindfulness techniques can do just that. ~ Dr Thomas Barber
4. Drinking More Water
Our bodies are made up of about 60% water for its normal functioning and anything beyond that is classed as extra body water. Body water fluctuates throughout the day and it’s important to make sure you’re in the balance.
When it comes to weight loss, there is nothing more important than drinking more water. It’s one of those vital morning habits that you can’t do without. When you’re dehydrated the body naturally attempts to retain more water so it doesn’t run low on its reserves. This can then results in some excess weight, so when you feel thirsty drink water as the body is telling you there is disequilibrium.
Drinking more water promotes increased metabolism and helps remove your waste products via the kidneys. One key point for weight watchers is that water helps suppress appetite. Drinking more water is believed to increase the number of calories you burn (energy expenditure).
More studies have continued to show that drinking more water promotes weight loss. Drinking water prior to a meal is encouraged as it may reduce appetite thus decreasing calorie intake leading to weight loss.
Make a habit of drinking water first thing in the morning, prior to meals and before you go to bed regularly and witness your weight loss journey go to another level. Drink about 4-8 glasses of water daily and if you exercise you’ll need more. If you’re struggling to drink water, try adding some lemon to it.
5. Weigh Yourself Daily
If you’re on a fitness journey, I’m sure you’ll agree that you want to know how things are going on a regular basis. Though this may sound like a lot of work, it’s quite doable because you want to always be moving forward especially when you’re working hard.
One thing to remember though is that your weight will fluctuate because of different factors. For that reason it is important to weigh yourself the same time every day, using the same scale and I would suggest before eating anything every morning to avoid any discrepancies that may happen.
We have had several studies that have proven that weighing your daily is associated with a significant weight loss, while others showed some discipline and restraint resulting in good weight loss management.
6. Plan and Pack Your Lunch
When you plan ahead and prepare your meals at home you become mindful of what goes into your body, you have total control. By doing so, you allow yourself the chance to see progress in your weight loss journey through healthy eating.
I can be very hard when you’re busy and in a rush and end up eating unhealthy stuff that will set you back. Nowadays things can be easy when it comes to eating healthy, there are some health shops that prepare healthy meals and pack them. We also have meal replacement shakes that are easy to prepare, can be prepacked for work and have dense nutrition in them to help you stay on track.
So if you’re not good at cooking at home, then you can just go and buy these premade healthy foods and put them in your fridge. Always be mindful of what you buy, some foods are just better made at home.
By eating more home-cooked meals, you’re increasing your chances of achieving your weight loss goals. We know studies have shown that people who eat home-cooked meals at least five times a week have a higher chance of losing weight. So give it a go!
7. Get Exposure To Sunlight
Getting exposure to sunlight has been found to have a lot of health benefits and one of them is the ability to help you lose weight. When you get yourself out in the sun (minimum of 10-15 minutes) at certain times of the day, you allow your energy level and hormones to get regulated.
This will results in you not feeling as hungry according to one study. Sunlight exposure is said to help you burn more body fat and lose weight in the process.
Exposure to sunlight allows you to top up our vitamin D in the body and studies have found that when you meet your Vit D requirements, you increase chances of weight loss and also prevent the possibility of weight gain.
A recent study from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada has revealed that exposure to sunlight may be the key to helping in weight loss. They even suggest that the main reason we pile up some pounds in Winter is because of lack of sunlight. So make sure wherever you can, get some sunshine and also when you wake up, open those curtains and let some light into your room or house, you could benefit from this!
In Closing…
Everyone is different and the results will be determined by how much work you’re willing to put in remaining consistent throughout your journey. These habits have been proven to be effective and many lives have been transformed because of them. All you do is juggle them around to accommodate your lifestyle and remain consistent for better outcomes.
To get the best results, your morning habits should be combined with balanced healthy nutrition and a daily healthy active lifestyle. I believe in the concept of 80% Nutrition and 20% Exercise with a 100% mindest for results to show up.
Make a decision, take the first step and give yourself some time to allow a habit to build, at least allow three to four weeks in general for the results to start showing. My mentor Jim Rohn put it simply and to the point when he said: “For things to change you have to change, for things to get better you have to become better.”
So your time is now, go alll out and bring change in your life and watch as your things begin to shift, give yourself time and become whom you’re meant to be!
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