Do you start a new diet or exercise regime, follow it for a few days, or weeks, and lose steam? The problem could be that you're doing too much too fast.
It is difficult for the body and mind to cope up with sudden changes in your lifestyle, and although you may be fuelled with determination, for effective results, you're better off not going in all guns blazing.
It helps immensely more when the changes are gradual and in such a way that they are able to follow the routine in the longer run.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine in 2019, a long term healthy routine can help a person maintain his weight loss and keep the problems of obesity at bay.
Here are 10 habits that can be a part of your morning and help you lose weight in the longer run.
Drink Plenty of Water
You've probably heard enough about the miracle worker that is water. But turns out, the hype is real!
According to a study, 500 ml of water can increase the metabolic rate of a person by 30 percent. Moreover, an increase in water intake makes you less hungry and reduces your calorie intake as well.
Exercise
Before the day brings in all its chaos, take some time out in the quite of the morning to squeeze in your exercise regime.
Exercise boosts weight loss, while helping your body function in a better way throughout the day after the morning exercise.
Soak in the Sun
Drawing open the curtains of your room, or walking in the sun early in the morning is the best way to soak in the sun and meet your vitamin D requirements.
A study by NCBI proves that vitamin D helps in weight loss if the people soak in the sun at certain times of the day.
Typically 10-15 minutes are more than enough to meet your vitamin D requirements.
Eat a Protein Packed Breakfast
Breakfast is believed to be the most important meal of the day, maybe also because it is the first meal after 8-10 hours of gap after dinner.
High-protein breakfasts keep a person longer for full since the body take a longer time to digest them.
According to a study under the National Library of Medicine, eating a protein packed breakfasts helps aid weight loss, cutting down the calorie intake and curbing any cravings.
Get Enough Sleep
It is important that people sleep for 8 hours in a day and have a proper sleep schedule.
Everyone is familiar with the late night cravings and majority of us tend to binge eat the junk food in the kitchen.
This is because lack of sleep promotes the production of a hormone called ghrelin which is responsible for increasing your appetite and making you crave the fatty and carb-rich food.
Pack your Meals
The other best way to make sure that you eat food that helps you on your weight loss journey is by eating home-cooked, healthy food.
A large study by NCBI, has proved that people who plan their meals in advance tend to lose weight more quickly and effectively.
This also saves you from having lunch in the canteens or cafes or eating anything that you get while you are too hungry to make a healthy choice.
Keep a Check on Your Weight
One can keep a weighing scale at their home to keep a check on their weight loss journey and track the progress. The progress will make you feel better and encourage you to continue the healthy habits and make healthy choices in the future as well.
But one should remember that they must not be get obsessed with the numbers, more important thing is the way you feel and the kind of food you consume.
Practice Mindfulness
According to a study at North Carolina State University, mindfulness not only helps you lose weight but also helps keep the weight off for a longer period of time.
Mindfulness not only improves your mood but also strengthens your will power and helps it understand the connection between your unhealthy food choices.
Keep a Track of Your Calorie Intake
Keeping a track of the kind food you eat or how much do you eat makes you choose better and eat as much as required by the body.
Journaling and using tracking apps is a great way to keep a check on the calorie intake since it makes you more accountable and aware of the instances where you went wrong so that you know which food is your weakness.
Choose your Travel Options Wisely
We tend to travel to our offices by our private vehicles like car or scooties but if we could get up a little early and use the extra time to walk to the nearby bus stand or metro station or cycle to the office, that would have affected our weight loss to a greater extent.
So, next time choose a public transport over personal vehicle or stairs instead of elevators.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)