Morning Habits That Can Help You Lose Weight

If you're particularly groggy in the morning and are running late to dash out of the door or hop on a Zoom call, it can be surprisingly easy to leave opening your curtains until the last minute. But prioritizing letting the light into your room can not only affect how good your space looks, but may help you lose weight.

A study published in PLOS One examined the body compositions of adults in relation to how much sunlight they got and when — and the results were pretty amazing. "The earlier this light exposure occurred during the day, the lower individuals' body mass index," Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine research associate professor of neurology Kathryn Reid, co-lead author of the study, says (via HuffPost). It was found that getting ample amounts of light in the morning allowed people to regulate their circadian rhythms better, a huge factor in how well and efficiently we can use energy, with the study's authors concluding that getting light between 8 a.m. and noon would help the most. 

There's also the fact that if you get more sunlight, you'll be getting more vitamin D, which seems to correlate with being able to manage weight better, per a study published in the Journal of Women's Health.

Some people can spring out of bed, leap into their workout clothes, and set off around the track without a care in the world. Other folks (cough, cough, not us, never) can find that a little more ... Well ... Trying. But if you can stomach the thought of a workout first thing in the morning, we're pretty confident in saying it'd benefit your weight loss journey.

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity examined the effects of working out at different times of the day on weight loss, following a group of participants over ten months. It was found that the participants who exercised in the mornings lost significantly more weight than the group who exercised between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Although the study's authors weren't entirely clear about why this was the case, there could be several factors at play, including the fact that working out in the morning generally might give you more energy, improve your focus, and encourage you to make better food choices for the rest of your day (per Healthline).

We know, we know. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We've heard it a million times. But there's a reason why people always wax lyrical about the importance of breakfast, people — it truly does set a tone, not least for individuals on a weight loss journey.

And it appears that eating a breakfast that's high in protein is especially useful for weight loss, according to a study published in Nutrition Journal. Researchers found that when people ate protein-rich breakfasts, they experienced fewer cravings after the meal and were able to sustain their appetite more effectively through to lunch, in comparison with people who ate breakfasts with normal protein levels. Why is this the case? Protein is super-filling because it can take longer to digest than carbs, and also thanks to its ability to help suppress ghrelin, a hormone that provokes hunger cravings and leads to us eating more (per Healthline). Including food items like eggs and Greek yogurt in your breakfast, as well as beans and pulses, can give you the boost of protein that you need.

For a lot of people, weighing themselves in the morning is not their idea of a good time, especially if you're not feeling too good about yourself. But in fact, incorporating a quick weight check into your morning routine might encourage you to lose more weight overall. Weighing yourself regularly is conducive to higher overall weight loss, according to WebMD. And doing so in the morning — the time of the day when you're probably most likely to follow a set routine — will allow you to develop the habit and generate consistency.

Additionally, if you weigh yourself the moment you wake up, you're seeing your body in its natural state, without any food or drink that might cause your weight to fluctuate. This can help you get a better sense of your true weight and prevents you from seeing the number change depending on what time of the day you're stepping on the scales. Try to go to the bathroom before weighing yourself, ideally barefoot and without clothes on (or with the same clothes you wear every day).

Getting out of the door can be hard enough first thing in the morning without having to think about making your lunch ahead of time, and if you're time-pressed, it can be super-tempting to just grab something on the go. But making a packed lunch is pretty much one of the best things you can do on a weight-loss journey. 

According to research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, people who meal-prep generally experience less obesity, and usually have a healthier diet overall. They also have more choice and variety in their diets, which is something we always want to see.

And if you're struggling for inspiration, we've got you. Try a protein-packed lunch box by filling it up with two sliced eggs, some cooked green beans, a sliced chicken breast, and some puy lentils, all of which you can cook up the night before (per Olive). Or, simply throw a few lettuce leaves, falafel, and hummus into a lunchbox and you're good to go (and sprinkling it with pumpkin seeds and some pickled red cabbage for good measure).

What we eat first thing in the morning truly sets our tone for the day, and few things can set our hunger levels up to succeed better than fiber. 

Fiber is a super-filling nutrient that can keep us satisfied for hours on end when we eat it at breakfast, according to WebMD. The nutrient essentially serves as a bulking component and slows down the speed by which food leaves your stomach, meaning that you're less likely to want to snack (per Healthline).

But saying we need more fiber is one thing; getting it is another entirely. Fortunately, the latter can be extremely easy. Simple breakfasts like oatmeal, in addition to being super-nutritious, are also packed with fiber, with a single cup containing 4 grams of the nutrient, says WebMD. You could also try a plate of scrambled eggs that has spinach or avocado included. The eggs will give you a super kick of protein, while the vegetables will give you the fiber you need to keep your hunger at bay until lunch.

The idea of a big breakfast might be a little overwhelming to some. And it may also seem counter-productive — after all, if you're trying to lose weight, surely you don't want to eat more, right? Well, as it turns out, eating a bigger breakfast may result in better weight loss overall, according to Healthline.

A study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism examined the difference between diet-induced thermogenesis after certain meals by looking at what happened when people ate bigger breakfasts versus bigger evening meals. It was found that when the study's participants ate a bigger breakfast, they ended up burning over twice the number of calories than if they ate a large dinner. Researchers also found that when people had a larger breakfast, their blood sugar and insulin levels were much more stable throughout the day, and they had fewer hunger pangs for sweet foods. While it should be pointed out that this study was conducted with a particularly small number of participants and a short timespan (only 16 people over three days), it's a promising result that potentially shows that eating a big breakfast could aid weight loss.