Weight Loss Morning Habits:

In Weight Loss Morning Habits it’s no secret that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

It sets the tone for your energy levels and eating habits during the rest of the day, which makes it critical to choose wisely if you want to keep your calorie intake under control throughout the rest of your busy schedule.
If you don’t eat breakfast or just grab something small, you may find yourself too hungry to focus on anything other than food later in the day, which can lead to overeating later in the day and higher calorie intake than necessary overall.

Start your day with a Healthy Breakfast

In Weight Loss Morning Habits some people think breakfast is unnecessary or even unhealthy, but studies show it actually can help you drop pounds and stay lean.

Research shows that people who eat breakfast have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than those who don’t. One reason may be that they’re less likely to overeat later in the day; people who skip breakfast tend to overindulge later on, since they’re so hungry.

If you do skip a morning meal, aim for a healthy lunch instead—you’ll still get nutritional benefits without forfeiting extra calories. People with high blood sugar are more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions which can be prevented with diet changes.

A good first step would be to avoid processed foods with added sugars, like white breads and cereals. A piece of fruit will suffice as an alternative at times when you’re craving something sweet – such as after dinner or as a mid-morning snack.

Drink more water throughout the day

A small glass of water before breakfast can help stave off hunger pangs. And you might find that you need less food to feel full.

As a bonus, it also helps your body better absorb nutrients from food and vitamins. Aim for half your body weight in ounces each day (for example, if you weigh 200 pounds, drink 100 ounces of water). Try to schedule three meals and two snacks a day rather than eating whenever you feel hungry.

Not only will this reduce the number of calories you consume, but it will make you much more likely to stick with healthier choices.

Move your body first thing in the morning

Getting your body moving first thing in the morning is a great way to burn calories, wake up, and ease into your day. If you’re not a morning person, there are plenty of ways you can sneak activity into your schedule—maybe go for a long evening walk with your partner or join him/her at Zumba.

And if you really don’t like getting up early, remember that your body was designed for rest; try waking an hour earlier but taking it easy and just catching up on life (after all, isn’t that what technology is for?).

Soon enough, you won’t dread waking up early at all!

Don’t use all-or-nothing thinking

All-or-nothing thinking is a common, but not very effective strategy. It’s one of those things that allows you to say I quit! or I failed, so why even try? It works like a black-and-white filter, and anything that falls into shades of gray gets filtered out.

For example, if you eat more than you planned at lunch, all-or-nothing thinking will tell you that it’s time to stop eating for good—after all, you blew it once so there’s no use in trying again tomorrow.

What this type of thought process misses are the many opportunities to be successful over the course of the day.

In fact, many weight loss studies show that people who are mindful about their food choices throughout the day actually lose more weight than those who just do everything right on Monday morning

Make progress, not perfection

One of my favorite quotes from author Gretchen Rubin says, The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

Sticking with a plan won’t always be easy—not even for weight loss! But if you work hard and aren’t afraid of self-discipline, you can make these practices part of your daily routine.

Try them all out at once or do just one each day: either way, they add up over time.

Eat breakfast every morning
Plan meals ahead of time
Exercise before dinner
Drink plenty of water
Put down the phone when you eat dinner
Set aside 20 minutes each day for meditation

Avoid or delay stress triggers at night

Stress can be a major weight loss barrier, and it’s not just because of midnight ice cream cravings. Stress makes your body release cortisol, a hormone that helps control blood sugar.

When you’re stressed out, your blood sugar rises and stays high, causing you to feel hungry when all you want is sleep or rest. If you’re struggling with stress-related eating, don’t let yourself become a couch potato during late night TV—get up and move around instead!

Go for a brisk walk outside or do some light yard work that won’t overtax your body (yes, mowing can be exercise). Maintaining a healthy diet is important as well—eat regular meals at consistent times throughout each day in order to maintain stable insulin levels.

Reward yourself for all good behaviors

So many of us feel like we have to have some kind of negative motivation in order to get going. We make strict goals for ourselves, with penalties if we don’t stick with it 100 percent and no rewards if we do.

But studies show that positive reinforcement is a far more powerful force than punishment when it comes to habit change.

For example, studies by Dr. Dean Ornish at UC San Francisco showed that people who were put on a low-fat diet and given positive reinforcement lost an average of 10 pounds more than those who were subjected to negative pressure—and kept their weight off even five years later!

Create, record, and follow a morning routine.

When you’re just starting out with exercise, it’s easy to make excuses for missing a workout. But that’s why it’s so important to commit yourself to a routine in advance.

Instead of waiting until you’ve finished your first week before scheduling a regular time and place, try setting aside 20 minutes at 6:30 AM every morning—no excuses allowed! Create an alarm on your phone if necessary (or go old school and use an actual alarm clock).

And whatever you do, treat your commitment as seriously as you would any other meeting or appointment; no exceptions are allowed.