Did you know that the habits you establish in the morning can help set you up for weight loss success? With a few little tweaks to your daily regimen, you’ll start burning calories early in the day. We chatted with Victoria Brady, a personal trainer on Fyt, the nation’s largest personal training service that makes fitness guided by a certified professional accessible for anyone, who reveals five steps “to not only get your day started on the right track but also promote healthy weight loss.” Keep reading to learn all about Brady’s morning routine to lose weight fast, and next, check out 5 Little Things You Can Do Every Day To Lose a Lot of Weight.
Rather than scrolling through your phone or hopping out of bed when you wake up, spend five to 10 minutes stretching and practicing mindfulness. This will get your body prepped to take on the day.
“When your body is under stress, it makes it even harder to lose weight (the release of cortisol, a stress hormone, has been linked to weight gain); however, by stretching your body and mind, you relieve stress and boost energy,” Brady explains.
Pour yourself a refreshing glass of water with lemon “to wake your digestive system up before breaking your fast (aka eating breakfast).” According to Brady, this helps your digestive system productively break down whatever you eat during the day. Or, consider brewing a warm mug of ginger or lemon tea—they both do the trick!
Breakfast is an incredibly important meal that fuels you up for the whole day, so don’t sleep on it! “To break your fast, start with a meal that is filled with fiber and protein to curb cravings throughout the day and boost your metabolism. This doesn’t have to be a big meal if you’re not a breakfast eater—this can be a protein smoothie or a small bowl of oatmeal with berries and nuts,” Brady says.
“When I was on my journey to lose over 100 pounds, I made it a habit to work out first thing in the morning (this, of course, required waking up earlier) so I would be less likely to make excuses for not exercising later in the day,” Brady tells us. “Not only did it make me more consistent, but I also found that I had more energy throughout the day.”
In addition, you can speed up the fat burn by performing cardio in the morning while in your fasted state before breakfast. There’s a caveat, though: If you want to build muscle, then schedule your workout sessions at a later point in the day when your body’s fueled up with more energy to burn.
If you’re not in love with meal prepping or think it’s just too time-consuming, don’t fret. You can still add some meal planning to your morning routine to lose weight fast. Brady suggests, “Be intentional with your meals and plan them out for the day. By having a meal plan, you are less likely to make poor choices based on ‘hunger’ or impulse and more likely to choose lower-calorie, nutrient-rich meals.”
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Alexa Mellardo