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6 Morning Habits That Can Help You Lose Weight
If you’re aiming to lose some weight, then just taking up a diet or exercise regimen is not going to help you - or at least not in the long run. What will, is creating habits and routines that are so ingrained and so healthy that you not only lose weight but also keep yourself from gaining any more in the future. A study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine in 2019 explains that long-term adherence to healthy practices is the best way to keep lifestyle issues like weight gain and obesity at bay.
Here are six very easy weight loss-promoting habits that you should practise early in the morning, every day until they become second nature.
1. Drink warm water
If your metabolism slows down at night, then it’s very important to kick-start it the right way when you get up in the morning, and drinking a glass or two of warm water does this really well. Ayurveda recommends you add lemon juice and honey to this water, and another line of thought suggests adding apple cider vinegar. Whichever you go with, know that you will have regular bowel movements and feel lighter as well as fresher after drinking two glasses of water in the morning.
2. Exercise
Stretch, go for a walk, do some yoga or light-intensity exercises for at least 20 minutes in the morning. If you’re not a beginner, then opt to go to the gym or engage in some high-intensity exercises. Not only will working out in the morning boost your metabolism, but it will also help you start your day with an endorphin high.
3. Get some sun
Vitamin D is highly underrated at times. It aids cognitive function, regulates moods, improves organ function and can even keep you feeling motivated. Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D, so get some morning rays to stay motivated and stick to your weight loss routine throughout the day, without any Vitamin D deficiency.
4. Take a cold shower
Ice-cold showers may not be pleasing, but multiple studies have shown that they activate brown adipose or fat tissues, which in turn help burn white adipose tissues. Taking a cold shower early in the morning can help you burn body fat and also kick-start your metabolism for the day.
5. Get the right breakfast
Get plenty of protein and dietary fibre-rich foods like eggs, fresh fruits, nuts and seeds for breakfast. It’s also recommended that you get a boost of healthy carbohydrates, like oats, multigrain bread, muesli, etc. Make this meal heavy and ensure your other meals are light because you’ll be burning the calories from this one off throughout the day.
6. Pack the right meals
It’s simply not ideal to be eating out too often when you’re on a weight loss journey, so prepare proper main meals and include nutrient-dense, healthy foods in them. Pack salads, nuts, seeds, fresh fruits, baked vegetables, etc for snacking.
