How to Shed the Excess Body Fat and Reach your Weight Loss Goals - In the Morning!

So you have shed a couple of pounds since you started your diet plan that is either a pain or a cinch to follow or that exercise regimen that is more like a boot camp. You find that several months into those programs, you look at the scale and found that the needle wouldn't budge. You feel so alarmed at that fact, despite being vigilant in what you eat and how often you exercise.

Of course, you know all too well that being overweight (in fat) makes you prone to a lot of ailments. Experts link it to risks of cardiovascular problems (like heart attacks, strokes, and hypertension) and endocrinal issues (namely type II diabetes, which raises the risks of the former).

French researchers found that a huge waist constricts the lungs, making you hard to breathe. An American Cancer Institute study showed that even at a BMI considered "normal," your risk of dying about doubles with a fat middle. Even researchers at Mayo Clinic discovered that gaining a bit more can constrict your blood vessels.

For women, the risks manifest if their waists measure more than 35 inches; men likewise face them if theirs are more than 40. If consistent exercise and dieting (as well as reducing stress) are not enough to stay healthy, what can you do to reduce the excess body fat and aim closer to your weight loss goals?

The solutions can be reached each time you wake up in the morning.

Water is the source of life - it keeps your skin vibrant and soft, lubricates the joints and organs, and refreshes you. Water has no calories, unlike a lot of other fattening (in sugar and/or fat, like sodas, fancy coffees, and milkshakes) beverages.

Best of all, water fills you up in volume, and a study showed that drinking two cups before each meal can help you lose weight. Researchers found that those who did so lost more pounds compared to those who did not. If cold, water burns a minimal amount of calories, aiding you in your weight loss efforts.

Tip

Skip the fancy coffeehouse drinks and wait until you reach for even a bowl of oatmeal. Start the day by drinking two glasses of water before breakfast. (Do the same with lunch and dinner too.) If you really hate the taste, feel free to squeeze a little lemon or lime juice or add a touch of your favorite flavoring extract or oil for flavor without the belly-expanding calories.

Experts and people trying to lose weight alike debate on the issue: is a good exercise before breakfast all that worthwhile? Some people advise against it, because they feel that if they do so, they will perform badly on their workouts.

But doing so is beneficial for those who really want to sell off their spare tires. In a particular study from the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, researchers instructed seven people to cycle three times a week. After that, they did an intense workout for an hour before eating. Sure, they did badly on that session as some people feared, but they burned more fat.

Pre-breakfast exercise also perfect for warding off weight gain after a very fatty/caloric dinner the previous night. A study showed that it burns the fat gained more effectively than having something to eat first thing in the morning.

But here's another perk to morning exercises. Especially if it takes place in the early morning just before sunrise, you will experience less intense heat outdoors compared to a midday jog in the park, The weather is slightly cooler, giving you an advantage. Also, a study from the journal PLOS Biology found that you will feel more full if you do so.

Tip

Start small with some moderately vigorous activity, be it a brisk walk or whatever. Just 15 minutes of merely sweeping the floors in a brisk pace is enough to start with. Increase the duration every few days or so to get used to the routine. Do you have a pool? Just swim - early summer mornings are not as oppressive as the middles of the days.

If you have a TV set, pop an exercise video in the player and follow along! Remember to keep hydrated - by exercising and drinking water before breakfast (make sure you do both), you get a greater advantage in losing weight!

After working out, it's time to recover with a good breakfast. Workout recovery meals include the following: lean protein, beneficial (mono and polyunsaturated) fats, and filling carbohydrates. For the latter, you need some fiber to start it all off. It's pretty ridiculous to start your day with corn flakes or kiddie cereal, right? (Believe me, a majority of them are sugary ones with enriched white flour.)

Of course, oatmeal or even a 100% whole-wheat bagel is a smarter choice, since a study in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating low glycemic carbs at dawn's first hours incinerates more pudge under your (fatty) skin. Protein and good fats also go hand in hand, and this combination (alongside fiber) can quell your hunger and help you recover at the same time.

Tip

Have a half-cup of old-fashioned (or even better, steel-cut) oatmeal mixed in with real nut butter (not the lowfat kind). To accompany it, don't be afraid of eating two eggs (If you are really aware of cholesterol, cook yourself a half-cup of egg whites or egg substitute of choice.) In a hurry? Blend 1% or skim milk, a couple of unshelled seeds (can be flax, sunflower, or pumpkin), some old-fashioned oats, a scoop of powdered protein, and fruit of choice for a breakfast smoothie.

There are rules to follow when losing weight, eat moderately, get plenty of sleep, and most importantly, get some flutin' exercise for an hour a day! But starting the morning right plays a significant role in your weight loss journey - and it's all in eating the right breakfast and exercising and drinking water before that. I hope those tips will help you lose the extra inches off your waist, hips, arms, and thighs - first thing in the morning!