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8 Morning Habits That Can Cause Weight Gain

| Reviewed By Alex Maliekal

Are you fed up of not being able to lose weight despite maintaining a well-balanced diet and exercising regularly? Then, you might be making a mistake somewhere in your weight loss plan. If your weight loss efforts are met with no positive result at all, there is a chance you are following the wrong practices at the start of the day.

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The wrong morning habits that you follow can interfere with your normal metabolic activity and also prevent you from expending optimal amounts of energy throughout the day. Diet and exercise is a good idea, but it's high time you sort out these morning mistakes. Read on to know the morning habits that cause weight gain.

1. Skipping On Water

1. Skipping On Water

Not drinking enough water in the morning is a big No-No. To enhance your weight loss, one of the best and easiest way is to kick-start your day with a glass or two of warm water. Drinking warm water in the morning will help cleanse your system and boost your metabolism [1].

It will also aid in reducing your appetite and calorie intake in some people. Hence, start your day with a glass of warm water and stay well hydrated throughout the day to promote faster weight loss.

2. Eating Processed Foods For Breakfast

2. Eating Processed Foods For Breakfast

Consuming processed foods for breakfast is one of the most common breakfast mistakes that many individuals make and can sabotage weight loss and overall health. Loading up on fried and processed foods will hamper your weight loss diet plan, as they are loaded with excess amounts of sugar and salt that can trigger unhealthy weight gain and hinder the process of shedding the extra weight [2][3].

These processed foods increase your cravings and lead to overeating. Instead, have healthy alternatives like fruits, oatmeal, nuts, etc.

3. Skipping Breakfast

3. Skipping Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day [4]. It boosts up your energy levels and help stabilize the glucose levels. Skipping your breakfast is another morning mistake, it messes up your metabolism and slows down the body's fat-burning process [5].

If you skip your breakfast, you are more likely to make poor food habit decisions during the day. Also, having a good breakfast reduces your cravings and can help prevent unhealthy cravings [6].

4. Eating Too Little For Breakfast

4. Eating Too Little For Breakfast

One of the worst morning habits that can influence weight gain is eating a breakfast that is low in nutrients. Your ideal breakfast should contain between 500 to 600 calories, which includes nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients will help you in losing weight [7][8].

5. Waiting Too Long To Eat Breakfast

5. Waiting Too Long To Eat Breakfast

Waiting too long to eat breakfast can also trigger weight gain, as your body needs the energy to activate its functions. Also, your stomach feels empty and increases the production of acidic juices in response, which can lead to inflammation and symptoms of gastritis [9]. So, eat within the first two hours of getting out of bed [10].

6. Not Exercising

6. Not Exercising

Early morning exercises can help burn more calories and potentially prevent weight gain. According to a study, exercising in the morning on an empty stomach can help people burn more body fat and contribute to weight loss [11].

It is not necessary to hit the gym every morning; your workout routine could be anything ranging from walking, running, skipping and jogging [12].

7. Excessive Sleeping

7. Excessive Sleeping

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep daily is considered good for health [13]. But, sleeping more than 10 hours a day increases your body mass index. Oversleeping will delay your breakfast timing and you will end up eating breakfast late, which will further affect your metabolism that will start later in the day [14].

8. Not Getting Enough Morning Sunlight

8. Not Getting Enough Morning Sunlight

Did you know not getting enough morning sunlight can cause weight gain? Studies have shown that the UV rays from the sun in the morning are healthy and it can provide energy to the body while increasing the metabolic activity [15].

On A Final Note…

On A Final Note…

Changing your morning habits by getting up when your alarm goes off, drinking more water, eating a well-balanced breakfast, getting some sunlight can help make a huge difference. You are already putting in the effort at the gym or with your weight loss diet plans - why let it all go down the drain?

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why do you weigh less in the morning?

A. Because you don't have the added weight of a recent undigested meal. During the day, when you're eating and drinking, those foods (and fluids) add weight-at least until they're digested and excreted.

Q. What should I drink first thing in the morning to lose weight?

A. You can choose from the variety of options such as green tea, black tea, black coffee, water, apple cider vinegar etc.

Alex MaliekalGeneral Medicine
MBBS
Alex Maliekal

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