You may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In many ways that is true. In fact the I think that the morning could be considered the most important time of the day.
Your morning sets the stage for the rest of the day. There are many ways that the things you do in the morning contribute to weight gain or help with weight loss. This is especially true if your morning routine means getting up, grabbing a coffee and heading out the door.
Breakfast
This is a meal that makes so much difference to your day. Too much sugar and processed carbohydrate food cause the blood sugar to spike. This can lead to fat storage, carb cravings and higher stress levels. Eating sugary foods at breakfast may pick you up, but you are likely to experience a blood sugar drop later on.
A breakfast that is higher in protein is a better option for keeping blood sugar stable throughout the day.
Meditation
The quiet of morning can be a perfect time to meditate. Meditation helps to reduce anxiety, improve focus and improve your mood. You may think you don’t have time to meditate, but the increased focus may mean you are able to get more done.
Reducing stress through meditation, especially mindfulness meditation, has been shown to help with weight loss. You may be more likely to succumb to stress eating and less likely to have imbalances of stress hormones which can lead to fat storage.
Exercise
For many people morning is the best time to exercise. It can be a time when nothing else gets in the way. You may have a day packed with stuff, but you are likely free early in the morning. If you wait until later chances are something else will take priority.
Your energy levels are usually higher in the morning, making it the perfect time for exercise. If you exercise the right amount then exercise will actually help to increase your energy levels.
Live in a hot climate? then morning exercise might be your only option to avoid excessive heat
If exercising as soon as you get up works for you, try laying out your exercise clothes the night before to combat one more excuse.
Preparing for your day
Your morning routine can include things like making a to do list, preparing a healthy lunch, or checking your weekly meal plan.
If your morning routine includes preparing a healthy lunch, then you will not only save money by not eating out, but you will likely eat something healthier.
You can plan your dinner as well, possibly getting it started before you leave, or making sure you have the ingredients you need.
If you didn’t exercise in the morning, then try to find time for this in your day.
Slowing down
If you are rushed in the morning you are more likely to make bad choices or skip the things you should be doing. This likely means that you want to take more time in morning to get things done. That might mean getting up a half hour (or an hour) earlier than usual.
If you are able to take the time to eat a healthy breakfast, then you will be less likely to grab a donut or a muffin when the 10 AM munchies hit.
When you think of how to lose weight you often think about starting a diet or exercise plan, but you rarely realize that it may be your daily routine that needs to change before anything else. If you are looking for breakfast ideas that will help with weight loss try these.
