5 Morning Rituals That Are Making You Fat

Let’s be honest, at some point in your life you’ve sworn to yourself that you’ll do everything you can to lose weight. You’e probably even tried countless of fad diets but in the end you always end up upset and disappointed with the results.

For some frustrating reason, the needle of your bathroom’s weighing scale never budges despite your best efforts to lose weight.

You’ve literally done every possible strategy known to man to lose weight, you’ve cut calories, you go to the gym after work regardless of how tired or exhausted you are, you skip junk and fast-food and you drink green tea even if you don’t like the taste of it all for the sake of getting back to a size 0.

But lo and behold, you take a good look at yourself in the mirror and you still see a fat girl staring right back at you.

What Could Have Gone Wrong?

Susan Peirce Thompson, Ph.D., the president of the Institute for Sustainable Weight Loss said, “The biggest mistake people make when they are trying to lose weight is getting their day off on the wrong foot.”

So the reason that you are not losing weight is probably because you (always) wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

What you do when you wake up in the morning is going to be the basis of the choices you make the rest of the day and the days to come.

So it is of utmost importance that you establish a morning ritual so you will feel motivated to finish the day strong.

These are the most common mistakes people make that are making and keeping them fat.

Oversleeping

Sleep has always been tied to weight loss and/or weight gain. If you lack the recommended number of hours of sleep per night then it’s safe to say that this could be the reason why you’re gaining weight or why you can’t keep it off. There is a scientific explanation for this.

The reason why you’re gaining weight is due to the fact that lack of sleep results to an elevation of an appetite-stimulating hormone known as ghrelin or otherwise called the “hunger hormone”.

In the same manner, getting too much sleep or oversleeping is also not good for your body.

A study conducted by the journal PLOS One found out that sleeping for more than ten hours per night resulted to a heightened risk of a higher BMI compared to the people who slept for only seven to nine hours a night.

Discipline yourself to sleep for seven to nine hours per night on a regular basis, and you’ll be in a better shape than you were when you overslept.

Getting Dressed in The Dark

Vitamin D is an important element in weight loss. So it’s essential to bask in the sun a few minutes per day. A blunder that you may not even pay much attention to is getting dressed in the dark.

Another study conducted by PLOS One states that if you keep your blinds closed in the morning, you are potentially missing out on the sun’s weight loss benefits.

The study also showed that the people who got up early in the morning and got some sun has lower BMIs than those who do not – despite their eating habits.

According to the study, 20 to 30 minutes of sunlight is enough to affect your BMI. This is because your body coincides with your internal clock – including the metabolism that aids in weight loss – with the use of the blue light waves from the morning sun as a guide.

There is actually no need to go out. You can get the sun’s benefits even from the comforts of your own home. Just open the blinds every morning while getting ready or while you are enjoying your coffee by the window. Either way, your body is still going to make use of the sun’s rays.

Not Making Your Bed

In a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, it was found that the ones making their beds every morning were 19% more likely to get a good night’s sleep compared to those who do not.

Sleeping soundly has been linked to lower BMIs so it won’t hurt to give it a try and make your bed every morning. All you need is dedication and practice.

The author of The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg, wrote that people who make their beds every morning are more likely to exhibit healthy behaviors such as sticking to their meal plan or prepping their meals for the day.

Although this may sound silly but in reality, it really works. Bed-makers are also better at sticking to their budget. This motivation and determination are the secret ingredients needed in losing weight.

Skipping the Scale

In another study by Cornell University states that among the 162 overweight men and women, the ones who weighed themselves every morning proved to be more successful with regards to weight loss and weight maintenance than those who did not.

The best time to weigh yourself is when you wake up. That’s when your weight is the lowest.

Weighing in the morning is not only accurate, but you also have the chance to make adjustments throughout the day if the number is a bit higher than you expected.

Not Eating Breakfast

Another research by Tel Aviv University found that people who ate a healthy, balanced breakfast containing protein, carbs, and a healthy dessert experienced less hunger and a fewer cravings throughout the day compared to eating a low-carb, 300 calorie breakfast.

These people were better in keeping their diets in check and they have lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin after their breakfast.

The researchers concluded that eating a nutritious breakfast helps curb your cravings and keep you from binge-eating throughout the day.

Wrapping Up

Motivate and discipline yourself to try out these five simple life changes. In no time, you’ll surely see changes in your overall behaviour, mood, and and more importantly your body.

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