If you're trying to lose weight, you may be unknowingly setting yourself up for failure when you first start the day. What you do when you wake up can determine whether you'll be able to make good choices and burn more calories than you take in or whether you're sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.
These are four things you should not do in the morning if you want to lose weight:
Rush out the door without planning
Rushing out the door without packing a nutritious lunch or taking along a few low-calorie snacks to stave off hunger will set you up for making poor choices throughout the rest of the day. You may be tempted to drive through a fast-food restaurant during your lunch break or raid the office vending machines.
By planning ahead, you'll greatly reduce temptation and ensure that you're not starving by the time you get home because you have made good choices throughout the day.
Hit the snooze alarm
You may think you're getting some more much-needed rest by hitting the snooze alarm a few times in the morning. If you feel the need to hit it, you're probably not getting enough sleep. And when you do fall back asleep, you'll be doing more harm than good. You'll be disturbing your sleep cycle and lowering the quality of sleep that you're getting.
A lack of sleep has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity. Sleep deprivation makes it hard to lose weight by making it more difficult to exercise and eat healthy. In addition, a lack of sleep is believed to disrupt the balance of appetite-controlling hormones, leaving people who don't get enough sleep more susceptible to hunger.
Skimp on breakfast and protein
You may be tempted to skip breakfast on manic mornings or mistakenly believe that by doing so, you'll be saving calories. But chances are high that you'll feel starved by mid-morning and lunch. You're more likely to mindlessly snack throughout the day and pig out at lunch and dinner, according to WebMD.
Adding protein-based foods to your breakfast also can help. Protein helps the body repair and build tissue and provides a longer-lasting source of energy than carbohydrates. Eggs, yogurt, milk and cheese are good protein sources.
Put off exercise
Exercising at any time of day is beneficial, but starting your day with activity can be even more effective than putting it off until later in the day. One study found that people who exercised first thing in the morning tended to increase their physical activity throughout the day. In addition, it can help increase your metabolism throughout the day. Finally, by exercising in the morning, you'll be less likely to fall victim to the day's distractions that can keep you from exercising, according to WebMD.
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