Do you want to start a healthy morning routine and are thinking about adding healthy habits to your morning routine? This year, I made a resolution to work on my health. And not like one of those new year resolutions to lose weight (although that’s one of my goals too and there is nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight).
And I knew that I need to focus on building healthy habits because I wanted this to be a lifestyle change and not a quick fix for things. Building habits and sticking to them is the only way to make any real changes happen in your life.
So, in this post I am sharing 10 healthy morning habits that you can adopt this year. Adopt these habits to make your morning better and to improve your life. But keep in mind as it goes with any habits, you need to stick to them for a long time to see any real changes. There are no quick fixes in life but these small habits will definitely help you achieve your goals and create the life of your dreams.
Do you want to lose weight and keep it off? Do you wonder how to lose weight fast and why do some women seem to lose weight so quickly? Here are some morning habits that will help you lose weight fast. When it comes to weight loss, we all know that it’s all about eating right and working out and doing that consistently. But these habits for weight loss will help you in your weight loss journey because they are easy to adopt and make a lot of difference.
Now, a quick disclaimer, only these habits will not help you lose weight, but they will boost your weight loss and make the weight loss journey a lot easier. These daily habits are for everyone because they focus on your nutrition and metabolism and your health in general. These are the morning habits you need to adopt whether or not you are trying to lose weight.
So, if you want to lose weight fast, adopt these habits along with your workouts.
#1: hydrate:
Hydration is the key. It is vital for proper functioning of our metabolism and it’s even more important if you are trying to lose weight. Our bodies are made up of about 70% water and for it to function smoothly, you need to hydrate yourself.
When you drink enough water throughout the day, your metabolism works properly, which means that you burn more calories even while doing nothing. And who doesn’t want that!
So make sure you hydrate yourself first thing in the morning by starting your day with a tall glass of water. I usually keep mine at my bed side table, so it’s the fist thing I do when I wake up.
Also, when talking about drinking more water, I mean plain water. Not sodas, not energy drinks or processed fruit juices. We all know they’re loaded with sugars, which is not great for weight loss or your health in general.
#2: Drink detoxifying drinks/fat burning drinks:
Drinking detoxifying drinks and fat burning drinks is under-rated. I never actually believed in them myself until I tried and saw the difference. Detoxifying drinks rids your body of toxins and fat burning drinks support the fat/weight loss. I have linked the detox recipes below and as for fat burning drinks, here are a few ideas:
- Soak cumin seeds in water over night & drink it in the morning.
- Soak Fenugreek seeds in water over night. boil it in the morning and drink when it’s lukewarm. You could also add a pinch of cinnamon powder if you like.
RELATED: 5 Detox water recipes to try for weight loss
#3: Workout:
Hello!! If you thought we could leave this out of the list, then you’re crazy!
Working out is so important and not just for weight loss. Working out in the mornings also gives you an energy boost and will keep you active throughout the day, which means you will burn more calories. And workouts like HIIT will keep your metabolism up for a long period of time, which again helps you burn more calories while sitting at your desk.
An important note:
When trying to lose weight, a lot of people tend to only focus on cardio. And while cardio is great, you need a mix of workouts for weight loss. You need to mix it up with strength training. Strength training will help you build more muscles which makes the weight loss process easier.
#4: Wholesome nutritious breakfast:
Trying to lose weight and skipping breakfast?
Not the best way to go, is it? Having a nutritious breakfast is important. And no cereals do not count. No matter what their packaging says and no matter how wholesome and healthy they claim to be. You need something that’s not processed and packed with preservatives.
And most importantly it should be a healthy mix of carbs, healthy fats and protein. My go to breakfast is sourdough toast with avocado, tomatoes & micro greens and a boiled egg on the side. You could also go for a bowl of steel cut oats with yogurt and topped with fresh fruits. You could find so many recipes on Pinterest that are nutritious and don’t take that long to make.
#5: Prep and pack lunch:
Preparing and packing your lunch will not only save you money, but is also great for weight loss. Because when you pack home cooked healthy meals, you can really focus on the nutrition and not have to eat out regularly, or get take out.
If you feel like you do not have the time in the mornings to prepare and pack lunch, try doing some basic meal prep on the weekend. I usually do it on a Sunday evening. And I don’t like the idea of making and freezing my lunches, but I will go prep like making sauces, marinating things and chopping fruits and veggies. All this really helps because then it usually only take me about 30 minutes to make both breakfast and lunch.
#6: walk to work:
If you have the time and if it is feasible, walk to work. Walking is such a great habit to adopt and walking to work will help you squeeze in a workout too. And you don’t have to walk the entire distance. You could walk to the nearest metro station, take the subway. And then when you get off, walk from the metro to the office. Every little bit helps.
And again, if you feel like you can’t do this just because you are always rushed for work, try waking up 30 minutes earlier than you do. That should give you enough time.
#7: Plan your day to avoid stress:
Stress is one of the most common underlying factors when it comes to weight gain. And it’s so important to avoid stress. When you are stressed, your body goes in a war zone to fight it off. And that usually results in inflammation. And feeling stressed may also result in binge eating or eating junk food.
SO in the mornings, make it a habit to plan your day ahead to avoid stress due to work. When you plan your day, you could prioritise your tasks for the day and it will help you plan your day better. You’d be able to meet the deadlines and not have to be stressed over them.
#8: stretch your body:
Stretching your body first thing in the morning is such a good habit to adopt for weight loss. And it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that stretching can actually help you lose weight. But it’s amazing because the benefits are multifold:
- You burn calories when you stretch and hold a position for a few seconds.
- It reduces stress.
- It brings your digestive system in a state of balance and boosts metabolism.
#9: Meditate:
Meditation doesn’t directly help you with weight loss but when you practice mindful meditation it can help you become more aware of your thoughts, your eating patterns and your actions. When you mediate you become more self aware of the choices you make and why you make them. And it can really help if you are dealing with binge eating or emotional eating.
So make it a habit to set aside 10 minutes each morning to meditate and connect with your feelings better.
#10: No coffee:
Sorry, but your morning cup of joe is not helping you with weight loss. Even though a lot of people love drinking black coffee before workouts and that boosts your energy and the fat you burn. But it’s great only if you have had something else first.
So don’t start your days with coffee because it dehydrates you even more. You body is already dehydrated when you wake up because it had been fasting all night. All you really need in the mornings in water.
Try having your coffee at least 2 hours after waking up. It is such a good habit to form to nourish your body first.
There you go. 10 morning habits that will help you lose weight and be more healthy. To recap, here are the good morning habits you need to adopt if you are trying to focus on your health:
- Start your day with a glass of water
- Drink detoxifying drinks and fat burning drinks
- Work out : Mix of cardio and strength training
- Have a healthy wholesome breakfast
- Prepare and pack lunch
- Walk to work
- Plan your day to avoid stress
- Stretch your body in the mornings
- Meditate, even if it’s for 10 minutes
- No coffee first thing in the morning.
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