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Morning Ritual For Weight Loss & Energy Booster 2024 – Our 7 Tips

Karla Tafra

Updated on - Written by
Medically reviewed by Kathy Shattler, MS, RDN

7 Morning Rituals For Weight Loss & Energy Booster
Although weight loss depends on your overall caloric intake versus expenditure, implement a consistent morning ritual for weight loss and keep it down. Photo: Shutterstock & Team Design

Morning rituals set a good foundation for the rest of your day, especially when it comes to weight loss, it’s important to jumpstart your metabolism and start the day right. Creating a simple morning ritual to lose weight is pretty easy; the hardest thing to do is stay consistent. 

Whether you’re a breakfast person, an on-the-go smoothie lover, or someone who isn’t hungry until noon, you can implement these different tips and hacks to develop your own morning routine for weight loss. And not all of them have to be connected to food.

7 Simple Am Ritual For Weight Loss 

  1. Hydrate First Thing in the Morning
  2. Eat a High-Protein Breakfast
  3. Drink Coffee or Green Tea
  4. Get in Some Exercise
  5. Weigh Yourself
  6. Take Progress Photos
  7. Snooze

7 Daily Morning Rituals to Lose Weight

Here are some of the best morning rituals and healthy habits that will help you lose excess weight and maintain a healthy body weight long-term.

Hydrate First Thing in the Morning

The first thing in the morning, before your breakfast or your coffee, drink a glass of water. Studies show how drinking water on an empty stomach increases your metabolic rate[1] and helps you start burning fat. It may also help curb your appetite, so you don’t go overboard[2] for breakfast. 

Additionally, you can squeeze some lemon into your water and help coat your stomach lining so you don’t overproduce stomach acid and have heartburn symptoms after your tea and breakfast. Some studies[3] also show the potential of adding lemon polyphenols to promote fat and weight loss.

Eat a High-Protein Breakfast

If you’re a breakfast person, choose between eating a high-protein meal. Having a satisfying and fulfilling breakfast can help sustain you until lunch and prevent mindless snacking. It might also help curb your sweet tooth[4] and keep you fuller for longer. 

Studies show[5] that a protein-rich breakfast helps in preventing body fat gain and helps reduce total daily calorie intake while reducing hunger cues. Some of the best high-protein breakfast options include eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, chia seed pudding, and a handful of nuts. And if you’re used to having carbohydrates for breakfast, find a creative way to replace them.

There is plenty of paleo, grain-free bread on the market which contains zero carbohydrates; make your usual pancakes with almond flour, and swap the oatmeal for a grain-free granola.

Drink Coffee or Green Tea

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition[6] reports that caffeine can help boost your metabolic rate by an astonishing 11%. If you’re a coffee drinker, you’ll jump at the opportunity to sip your morning cup, but if you’re not a fan, try one of many green teas. It is a 10-second morning ritual that can add additional compounds like catechins to your diet, which are powerful antioxidants[7] that help break down fat and promote weight loss.

Get in Some Exercise

exercise
Some body-weight exercises in the early morning will improve your healthy lifestyle for losing weight. Photo: Shutterstock

Exercising early in the morning can help jumpstart your metabolism and start the fat-burning process as your body uses and utilizes body fat as fuel. It might also help keep your blood sugar levels in check throughout your day, helping you avoid sugar rush and sugar crash[8]

A simple morning workout for weight loss also promotes better blood flow and the function of your lymphatic system[9], making toxin removal more efficient and lowering any signs of inflammation. Additionally[10], exercise helps relieve stress and prevents your immune system from going into overload, protects your cardiovascular system, and keeps your blood sugar levels in check.

Weigh Yourself

Stepping on the scale first thing in the morning can help keep you accountable and motivate you to keep pushing to reach your health and fitness goals. Seeing the number on the scale drop can improve self-control and remind you what you’re doing and why. 

There are plenty of studies that support this theory, but it’s important to note that weight loss isn’t linear, especially if you’re performing resistance training exercises. As you’re losing fat, you might be gaining muscle, which means the numbers on your scale won’t change that much. But don’t let that discourage you, and instead of focusing on the number on the scale, use a measuring method to track progress as a morning routine for weight loss visually.

Take Progress Photos

Even though the scale can sometimes be your enemy, progress photos don’t lie. Take one day out of the week and take pictures from the same angles, preferably wearing the same clothes week after week. This way, you’ll be able to see the progress. 

Additionally, you can take some measurements and check to see the difference. You’re most likely going to see your circumference number drop, even if the scale doesn’t seem to move anywhere. And lastly, go by your feeling- how do your clothes feel today, a week from now, or a month from now?

Snooze 

Healthy Sleep Every Night
Improving sleep quality is crucial for your health, and studies show it’s also beneficial for your weight loss journey. Photo: Shutterstock

If you’re not running late for work or in a hurry to get somewhere else, take this opportunity to hit the snooze button and prolong your sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for your health, and studies show it’s also beneficial[11] for your weight loss journey. 

On the other hand, sleep deprivation has been linked[12] to reduced levels of the satiety hormone (leptin), increased levels of the hunger hormone (ghrelin), and increased levels of the body mass index (BMI). 

Some studies[13] also show a connection between sleep deprivation and sugar cravings, while others showcase how getting insufficient sleep[14] can increase your daily caloric intake.

Why Morning Habits Promote Weight Loss?

Morning habits are the easiest to stick to. They symbolize a beginning of a new day, full of possibilities. Biologically, when you wake up, you also activate your circadian rhythm[15] and, with it, your metabolism. 

This can set you up for the rest of your day and have you end it with a sense of accomplishment and success.

Final Thoughts

Although weight loss depends on your overall caloric intake versus expenditure, implementing a consistent morning routine can help you lose weight and keep it down. Start your day with a glass of water and a sweaty fitness routine, drink your caffeinated beverage of choice, develop a good, protein-rich meal plan, and ensure you’re getting enough sleep. These morning rituals for weight loss above will keep the weight down and prevent future weight gain while keeping you motivated, helping you enhance focus, and staying on top of your fitness goals.


+ 15 sources

Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here

  1. NIH. (n.d). Circadian Rhythms. Available at: https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx#:~:text=Circadian%20rhythms%20are%20physical%2C%20mental,the%20study%20of%20circadian%20rhythms.
  2. Boschmann, M., Steiniger, J., Hille, U., Tank, J., Adams, F., Sharma, A. M., Klaus, S., Luft, F. C., & Jordan, J. (2003). Water-induced thermogenesis. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 88(12), 6015–6019. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2003-030780
  3. Davy, B. M., Dennis, E. A., Dengo, A. L., Wilson, K. L., & Davy, K. P. (2008). Water consumption reduces energy intake at a breakfast meal in obese older adults. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 108(7), 1236–1239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2008.04.013
  4. Fukuchi, Y., Hiramitsu, M., Okada, M., Hayashi, S., Nabeno, Y., Osawa, T., & Naito, M. (2008). Lemon Polyphenols Suppress Diet-induced Obesity by Up-Regulation of mRNA Levels of the Enzymes Involved in beta-Oxidation in Mouse White Adipose Tissue. Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition, 43(3), 201–209. https://doi.org/10.3164/jcbn.2008066
  5. Hoertel, H. A., Will, M. J., & Leidy, H. J. (2014). A randomized crossover, pilot study examining the effects of a normal protein vs. high protein breakfast on food cravings and reward signals in overweight/obese “breakfast skipping”, late-adolescent girls. Nutrition Journal, 13, 80. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-80
  6. Leidy, H. J., Hoertel, H. A., Douglas, S. M., Higgins, K. A., & Shafer, R. S. (2015). A high-protein breakfast prevents body fat gain, through reductions in daily intake and hunger, in “Breakfast skipping” adolescents. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 23(9), 1761–1764. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21185
  7. A G Dulloo, C A Geissler, T Horton, A Collins, D S Miller, Normal caffeine consumption: influence on thermogenesis and daily energy expenditure in lean and postobese human volunteers, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 49, Issue 1, January 1989, Pages 44–50, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/49.1.44
  8. Westerterp-Plantenga, M. (2010). Green tea catechins, caffeine, and body-weight regulation. Physiology &Amp; Behavior, 100(1), 42-46. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.02.005
  9. Gomez, A. M., Gomez, C., Aschner, P., Veloza, A., Muñoz, O., Rubio, C., & Vallejo, S. (2015). Effects of performing morning versus afternoon exercise on glycemic control and hypoglycemia frequency in type 1 diabetes patients on sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy. Journal of diabetes science and technology, 9(3), 619–624. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932296814566233
  10. Hespe, G. E., Kataru, R. P., Savetsky, I. L., García Nores, G. D., Torrisi, J. S., Nitti, M. D., Gardenier, J. C., Zhou, J., Yu, J. Z., Jones, L. W., & Mehrara, B. J. (2016). Exercise training improves obesity-related lymphatic dysfunction. The Journal of Physiology, 594(15), 4267–4282. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP271757
  11. Nystoriak, M.A. and Bhatnagar, A. (2018). Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise. [online] 5. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135.
  12. Miller, M. A., Bates, S., Ji, C., & Cappuccio, F. P. (2021). Systematic review and meta-analyses of the relationship between short sleep and incidence of obesity and effectiveness of sleep interventions on weight gain in preschool children. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 22(2), e13113. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13113
  13. Taheri, S., Lin, L., Austin, D., Young, T., & Mignot, E. (2004). Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index. PLoS medicine, 1(3), e62. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062
  14. Spiegel, K., Tasali, E., Penev, P., & Van Cauter, E. (2004). Brief communication: Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite. Annals of internal medicine, 141(11), 846–850. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-11-200412070-00008
  15. Brondel, L., Romer, M. A., Nougues, P. M., Touyarou, P., & Davenne, D. (2010). Acute partial sleep deprivation increases food intake in healthy men. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(6), 1550–1559. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.28523
Karla Tafra

Medically reviewed by:

Kathy Shattler

Karla is a published author, speaker, certified nutritionist, and yoga teacher, and she's passionate when writing about nutrition, health, fitness, and overall wellness topics. Her work has been featured on popular sites like Healthline, Psychology.com, Well and Good, Women's Health, Mindbodygreen, Medium, Yoga Journal, Lifesavvy, and Bodybuilding.com. In addition to writing about these topics, she also teaches yoga classes, offers nutrition coaching, organizes wellness seminars and workshops, creates content for various brands & provides copywriting services to companies.

Medically reviewed by:

Kathy Shattler

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