10 Crucial Habits For Weight Loss

Fad diets and magic pills that shed fat can be tempting and sometimes even work to some degree.

There are so many people promising you the fastest and simplest way to lose weight that it has become impossible to keep up and even know what is true anymore.

But if you're looking to lose weight the proper way and keep the weight off in the long run, then it's absolutely necessary to make some changes in the way you live your life.

It can be changes in the morning routine or throughout the day that can prove to be just what you needed to get rid of that extra body weight you've been wanting to get rid off for so long.

Let's dive in and see what those habits are.

1. High protein breakfast

The way you start your day is going to determine how the rest of it is going to go.

This is very important when it comes to weight loss. You may wonder at this because if you can think that the more you eat the heavier you get. Well, in this situation, it’s a little bit different.

If you put high-quality foods filled with protein in your body the first thing in the morning, it's going to keep you full for a longer period of time without the need to take unnecessary snacks between meals.

So, in essence, quality breakfast reduces cravings and helps with weight loss.

There were severals studies performed that proved the effectiveness of quality, high-protein breakfast for weight loss.

The results were less cravings, less daily intake and reduced accumulation of fat. Also, these studies showed reduced secretion of ghrelin in men, which is the hormone that causes hunger.

Protein also increases the level of hormones like peptide YY and GLP-1 which serve the purpose of making you feel fuller for a longer period of time.


Examples of protein sources:

• Eggs
• Tofu
• Cottage cheese
• Chia seeds
• Greek yoghurt
• Nuts

2. Drink Enough Water

When it comes to water, it’s very important to drink enough of it every day for your general health. But you must have known this already. What you probably didn’t know is that drinking water can help with losing weight.

Its main contribution to weight loss is that it increases energy expenditure. Energy expenditure is the number of calories your body burns throughout the day.

There are several studies where results of increased water intake included increased metabolic rate, extra weight loss, reduced appetite and number of calories.

Drinking water before meals can also help you to eat less during each meal as it serves as an appetite suppressant.

There are other ways water helps with losing weight. It keeps you well hydrated without the need to drink sugar-filled soda that makes you gain weight, it removes toxins from your body and it reduces bloating.

3. Weighing Yourself

Having a consistent habit of weighing yourself every morning can be of great benefit to increase motivation and increase self-control to keep trying to lose weight.

Even studies supported this. For example, there was a study that compared people who weighed themselves while trying to lose weight and those who didn’t over a period of six months.

Those who weighed themselves lost about 13 pounds more.

Also, it’s a matter of how often you weigh yourself. One study showed that if you weigh yourself more often, you will lose more weight.

4. Exposure to sun

Several studies have been performed showing that sunlight can be of great benefit when losing weight.

There was a study with mice that were exposed to ultraviolet radiation and it showed that they were able to reduce weight gain, and they were on a high-fat diet.

Since quality exposure to sunlight can give your body its proper dosage of vitamin D, it’s good to consider this since vitamin D has been proven by several studies to help with weight loss.

The level of sunlight can vary from country to country and is different during different seasons. Regardless, it’s good to take in at least 10-15 minutes of sunlight every morning to kickstart your day and prepare for quality weight loss.

5. Mindfulness

Mindfulness means being present in the moment. And this can be practiced each day.

Studies have found that mindfulness is highly beneficial when it comes to weight loss and it helps with having proper eating habits.

Mindfulness can help significantly with weight loss as research proved. To do this, all you need to do is find a place where you can sit comfortably and focus on your own thoughts and senses.

This will make you calmer and more at peace with yourself making you more rational and prone to making better decisions when it comes to what you eat and ho much.

6. Exercise

It’s good to exercise the first thing in the morning as studies showed that it can be of great benefit for weight loss.

Studies that were performed on this matter didn’t find that exercise reduced food craving for specific types of food but it did prove a higher level of satiety.

One factor that increases hunger is low blood sugar levels and exercise in the morning can help keep it on a constant and steady level throughout the day. This was supported by a study of a group of people with type 1 diabetes.

7. Prepare your food in advance

Preparing your food in advance showed to increase the variety of foods in our diet and improved the quality of food we eat both preventing weight gain and obesity.

For instance, there was a study that showed that eating home-cooked meals at least 5 times per week decreases your chances of being overweight by 28% than if you were to eat home-cooked meals 3 times per week or less.

Good advice would be to set aside one night in a week to prepare your meals so you would have them ready to go in the morning.

8. Sleep

Lack of sleep has been proven by many studies to increase calorie intake, appetite and increase cravings for foods that are high in carbs and calories.

Participants of one study who slept for 4 hours showed to eat 559 more calories than those who slept full 8 hours.

For adults, it’s important to sleep for at least 7 hours a day, but 8 hours would be optimum. This, along with proper diet and exercise is the proper recipe for successful weight loss.

9. Change up your commute

It’s pretty logical that walking instead of driving with your car is better for your waistline. Of course, sometimes you can’t walk to work, but one thing you can do is take public transport or take your bike to work.

A study performed during the period of 4 years showed that people who drove to work tended to gain more weight than those who found other means to get to work.

Another study showed a reduced BMI (body mass index) and percentage of body fat in those using public transportation or simply walking or biking than those who got to work using their car.

Of course, you don’t have to do this every day, but changing up the way you commute at least a few times per week can have a significant impact on your weight.

10. Track what you eat

Having data can help you plan out your next move when it comes to the food you put into your body and keep you accountable.

This is supported by a study that showed that keeping a food journal means losing more weight. It is also supported by a study showing that tracking your diet and planning exercises also makes you lose more weight.

This is a good way to make your weight loss journey simpler and easier and maintain your weight loss during a long period of time.

In the end, habits can be a very strong part of your weight loss path. Changing up a few things in your life can lead to a significant impact on your health and appearance.

Combining these habits with a productive and healthy lifestyle will result in a productive and healthy body.