15 ways to lose weight before breakfast.
umpstart your weight-loss goals before you even head out the door.
Being super strict with what you eat can get exhausting, not to mention hard to maintain.
Luckily, there are other ways to jumpstart your weight-loss goals that are so easy, you’ll
barely notice any changes to your daily routine.
But here’s the thing: You have to start early in the day.
Using these early morning tricks, you’ll rev up your metabolism, burn some fat, and
curb those junk food cravings before you even sit down for breakfast.
These little lifestyle tweaks will help you slash calories, boost mental and physical
health, and start each day on a positive note.
1.
HIT THE GYM.
Getting to the gym first thing in the a.m. is a great way to start your day, especially
if you’re trying to lose belly fat.
In the morning, less insulin is present our bodies.
That means when we exercise on an empty stomach, our bodies break down and burn through our
fat stores.
In fact, researchers found that those who pump some iron in the morning before eating
their first meal burn 20% more calories than those who work out with fuel in their tanks.
The same researchers noted that this habit had zero effect on the subject’s appetites
or consumption of unnecessary calories later on in the day, which means you won’t get
those unwanted cravings or hunger pangs. 2.
TRY ACV. Apple cider vinegar, a popular wellness trend
to help boost your weight-loss goals, might actually be here to stay.
The fermented drink is made up of crushed apples and added to yeast and bacteria.
Sounds yummy, right?
By diluting a tablespoon of the strongly scented potion with a glass of water, studies show
signs of increased weight loss.
3.
HYDRATE.
Starting your day with water is always a good idea.
You’ll crave more H2O throughout the day, feel fuller longer, and have more energy.
And for weight loss, water does wonders.
Water acts as a natural appetite suppressant; in a study published conducted at the University
of Utah, dieting participants who drank two glasses of water before a meal lost 30% more
weight than their peers left parched. 4.
SLEEP IN.
You’ve heard it before: Getting a solid eight hours of rest really makes a difference
when trying to lose weight.
A study conducted at Northwestern University School of Medicine found that folks who slept
in until 10:30 ate twice much fast food and half as many healthy veggies and fruits as
those who rose earlier.
That adds up to a whopping 248 added calories a day.
(A Mayo Clinic study put the caloric difference at more than twice that much).
Other studies, including one from Roehampton University, found that while night owls pack
on the pounds, morning people are lighter in both weight and mood.
Bottom line: set the alarm.
And then listen to it.
5.
OPEN THE BLINDS.
Letting the sunshine in first thing in the morning won’t just help you wake up; it
can also help you slim down, too.
A study published in the journal PLOS ONE showed that people who got direct exposure
to sunlight in the morning on average had significantly lower BMIs than those who had
most of their light exposure late in the day, despite what they ate throughout the day.
According to studies, the morning sun helps your body synchronize its metabolism, allowing
you to burn fat more efficiently.
6.
JOIN THE CAFFIENATION.
Your daily cup of jo doesn’t just give you a jolt of much-needed caffeine.
Everyone’s favorite morning beverage is also a natural diuretic, meaning it helps
stop belly bloat and keeps things moving in your gut.
It also keeps your metabolism up and running, so it’s especially great to have coffee
before the gym.
In fact, those who drink their java before their sweat sesh burn about 15% more calories
post-exercise than those who don’t.
But coffee isn’t the only morning beverage that can help you lose weight.
There’s matcha, which is like green tea on steroids.
Matcha, a green tea powder, has a concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that’s
137 times greater than that in most store-bought green tea.
The research is promising.
In one three-month study, men who drank green tea equivalent to one serving of matcha lost
four times the belly fat and two times the weight compared to a group given a placebo.
Matcha actually has less caffeine (about 70 mg) in a cup than an equal amount of coffee
(95 mg).
Too much caffeine has been shown to bring on the belly fat.
So maybe it’s time to sip on matcha instead.
7.
DARE TO WEAR DENIM.
Forget the dress and heels.
Make every day casual Friday (as long as your office gives you the go-ahead!)
A study conducted by The American Council on Exercise suggested those who wear casual
clothing, as opposed to formal office attire, are more likely to increase physical activity
levels throughout their daily lives.
In a conducted study, participants who wore denim took almost 500 more steps, burning
25 more calories per day than on the days they were dressed more professionally.
That may sound too small to make a difference, but it all adds up!
Just wearing denim once a week could save you 6250 calories a year — that's enough
to offset the average amount of pounds annually gained by most Americans.
8.
WAIT IT OUT.
Instead of eating breakfast before you get to work, try to wait and eat a healthy breakfast
once you’ve been at your desk a couple hours.
Moving your meal time window later in the day reduces the number of hours you spend
consuming calories throughout the day.
According to a study published in Cell Metabolism, pushing back breakfast time helps you lose
weight, regardless of what you’re eating (but try not to go overboard on the calories).
In the study, which was conducted on mice, subjects were carefully watched for 100 days.
Half were allowed to nibble all hours of the day on a healthy controlled diet, and half
only had access to food for eight hours but could eat whatever they wanted.
The mice with a short eating window stayed lean, while the others packed on some pounds.
9.
PLAN AHEAD.
Ensuring that you’ll fuel your body with nutritious food throughout the day is one
of the simplest ways to stay on track with your weight-loss goals.
The better you plan, the better you eat.
Rather than leaving your lunch up to what your co-worker wants, make sure you’ll eat
something healthy with fiber and protein.
In a study published in the Journal of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, women who went
out to lunch once a week or more lost five pounds less than women who brought lunches
from home.
10.
PLAY WITH YOUR PUP.
Don’t just let your furry friend out in the backyard — take him on a walk!
Walking more is one of the simplest ways to drop some pounds.
An added benefit of getting up and moving in the morning is that it makes it easier
to fall asleep at night.
And as we mentioned (and as research shows), sleep is a key tool in shedding those unwanted
pounds.
In one study, just 45 minutes of moderate walking five times a week led to better sleep
in nearly three-quarters of participants.
Walk your pooch those 45 minutes at a slightly speedy pace twice a day and you’ll burn
an extra 600 calories!
11.
DO SOME CHORES.
Did you know that a messy kitchen leads to a messy life?
Take some time and clean up your kitchen!
According to a study published in the journal Environment and Behavior, people eat 40% more
food when they’re in a messy kitchen.
Even worse, the research also found that women who were the homeowners of this mess were
twice as likely to eat from the cookie jar compared to women who kept their kitchen tidy.
12.
SAY YOU’RE SORRY.
Did you know that being stressed out also makes you fat?
A study conducted at Ohio State University found that in the 24 hours following a stressful
event, like a fight with their husband, women burn 104 fewer calories than the women who
weren’t stressed.
Think 104 calories is no big deal?
Think again.
A difference like that could lead to weight gain of almost 11 pounds per year.
Next time, say sorry and try and work it out.
13.
TAKE A SELFIE.
It may sound silly, but taking a selfie can help you stick to your weight-loss goals.
That’s because you'll be able to see changes occurring in your full body, giving you the
motivation to keep up the good work throughout your day.
According to researchers at the University of Alicante in Colombia, full-body and waist-to-hip
ratio pictures make the biggest difference for people who need some help staying on track.
14.
MEDITATE.
Did you know taking an extra minute to say “ohm” can make your weight-loss journey
much more efficient?
In fact, in a 2014 study, researchers found that individuals who meditate are less likely
to overeat or give in to emotional eating.
Just five minutes a day of deep breaths and guided thinking will help you shed a few.
15.
FOOL AROUND.
It may sound too good to be true, but a little extra time in bed with that someone special
can lead to even greater weight-loss success.
The heart-pounding fun not only blasts calories (it’s totally a workout), but it also helps
you curb carb and fat cravings.
Wondering how?
A good romp in the sheets keeps your levels of cortisol, a high-anxiety hormone, in check.
Too much cortisol calls for unwarranted cravings.