Are you stuck in the loop of staring at
your bloated stomach and thinking how to workout and shed those extra
kilos starting next morning itself? Yet you find yourself waking up to a
snoozed alarm and postponing the plans to the next morning, and the
morning after. Well, you already know that you need to stop
procrastinating and pull up your socks now. Mornings are the best time
to put in all effort to lose weight. Not only can you set your
metabolism racing but also burn calories throughout the day. Try these
five early morning rituals for weight loss and dive into your journey of
weight loss -1. Drink Warm Water
Starting your day with a glass of warm water cleanses the digestive system, and improves your metabolism.The custom of drinking water as the first thing in the morning is backed both in Ayurveda and in Japanese culture. Ayurveda strongly encourages to drink two cups of clean, lukewarm water to preserve energy throughout the day.
Make sure the water is lukewarm, and not hot to shock your system. There can’t be a worst start to your day than a burnt tongue. You can follow your first warm glass your water with cold water through the day. You can also add some citrus flavour such as lemon or sweeten it with honey to get your dose of antioxidants if the plain taste begins to bore you.
2. Grab Your Water Bottle
Now that you have kickstarted the day on a hydrating note, don’t for a moment loose the trail. According to experts, staying hydrated through the day promotes weight loss. The logic behind it is simple; drinking water helps one avoid eating and drinking extra calories in form of other high calorie beverages. With regular intake we feel fuller and thus don’t eat as much. So grab a water bottle, fill it as a ritual every morning and carry it wherever you go. Also drink about two glasses of water even before you step out. One should always aim at having about 2 litres water a day.
3. Breakfast Time: Go High on Protein and Fibres
It has been reiterated time and again how breakfast is the most crucial meal of the day, and if you are still missing or skipping it for some reason, you might be sending an invitation to a few extra kilos. Make sure your breakfast is rich in protein and fibers. This is because protein tends to take longer to digest and thereby pushes your body to secrete the gut hormone - Peptide YY, which makes you feel full.
In an experiment conducted at the University of Missouri on a group of 18-55 year-old women a few years back, it was revealed that a high-protein breakfast keeps them fuller than a meal with less protein but the same amount of fat and fiber. The team, led by research scientist Kevin Maki, found that eating around 35 grams of protein for breakfast - the equivalent to a four-egg omelette or two sausages and a rasher of bacon - helped regulate appetite.
Eggs are believed to be a great start to the day to boost your metabolism. The protein found in eggs not only induce the feeling of fullness but also burns calories as you go about the day. Fiber on the other hand found in fresh fruits (unlike other carbs) isn’t easily digested by your body, which further gives you the feeling of fullness. Stay away from sugar foods as they tend to spike the insulin and trigger food cravings.
4. 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, which needs refueling in every few hours. Take out some time and think of some healthy snack options instead of reaching an unhealthy shack to appease the cravings. Some quick healthy snacks will keep your metabolism racing and lead you to the road to weight loss. Don’t stick to the same boring snack options, keep trying some new and healthy recipes to prevent yourself from heading back to unhealthy but very tempting options lying all around.
5. Time to Sweat Out: Exercise and 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, working out in the morning can be the best habit you can inculcate to lose the extra set of kilos. Besides registering a boost in the metabolism, morning hours are the best to sweat out as there are no distractions, and you start a day with a clear and more energised 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 body weight exercises targeting arms and legs.
