56 percent of women and 41 percent of men are actively trying to lose weight. We all know to eat healthily and exercise, but how? What’s the best way to shed the pounds?

It all starts with an effective daily routine.

The way you start the day dictates the healthy decisions you’ll make later. By starting with a positive mindset and healthy behavior, you’re more likely to stick with it.

Ready to learn which daily activities will help you get healthy? Keep reading for the five steps of a successful daily routine for weight loss.

1. Start Your Day with a Bang

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? After going to the bathroom and brushing your teeth, do you lay back down in bed?

These first few minutes are imperative to the rest of your day. Here’s the best way to start.

Wake Up on Time

You might be tempted to wake up earlier to get a workout in. That’s great if you go to bed earlier. If you go to bed at midnight, waking up at 5 AM to workout won’t help you lose weight.

Sleep is an integral part of weight loss. When your body doesn’t have the rest it needs, it doesn’t have energy. Its metabolism also suffers.

Focus on getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Go with whichever length leaves you feeling the most energized all day long.  

Drink Water

It’s normal for the first thing to touch your tongue each day to be coffee. We all want that immediate jolt of energy.

But, to lose weight, it’s actually better to start your day with water.

After sleeping for eight hours, your body is desperately in need of hydration. Not only will it help your body function well, but it’ll wake you up.

Consider starting with a cold or hot glass of water with lemon.

2. Eat a Nutritious Breakfast

With so many different diets out there, how do you know which one will work? It’s best to go back to the basics when losing weight. What does your body need to function well?

It needs protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and all the different micronutrients found in plants.

Meal Plan and Prep

Avoid deciding what you’re going to eat on the fly. You’re more likely to give in to cravings and convenience.

Instead, spend a couple of hours each week meal planning and prepping.

Research meals that contain all the macronutrients you need. Ensure your plan designates enough calories each day.

Avoid processed foods and sugar. Learn more here about losing weight in the kitchen; that’s where abs are built, right?  

During the week, follow your plan. You should have all your lunches packed and ready. When you remove the decision-making from your daily routine, you’re less likely to slip-up.  

3. Move Your Body

Have you ever noticed the first thing a dog does when they get up? Before giving you kisses or begging for food, they stretch.

Humans should do the same thing. Not only does it feel amazing, but it gets your muscled prepared for an active day. It promotes flexibility and mobility.

Everyone has a couple of minutes in the morning to stretch. You don’t even have to leave your bed.

Get a Workout In

If you have time before work, get in your daily workout. For many people, working out in the morning ensures they actually do it. If you leave it until later, you might cancel based on your emotions.

The type of workout you do matters less than ensuring you do it. If you like speed walking or running, do that. If you’re interested in CrossFit, join a gym.

The goal of your daily workout is to get your heart rate going. While yoga feels good, it shouldn’t be the only type of exercise you focus on to lose weight. Cardio exercises are extremely important.

Change Your Commute

Another way to get more activity in your day is to change how you commute to work. If you live within a couple of miles of work, consider biking or walking.

If you can take public transit, get off a couple of stops early. This way you have to walk further to get to your desk.

When you must drive, park at the furthest spot away in the parking lot. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Sit on an exercise ball at work instead of a normal chair.

4. Track Your Weight Loss

It’s important to keep your spirits high when trying to lose weight. When you feel like you always look the same in the mirror, you can get discouraged.

One way to maintain motivation is to track your journey.

Keep a food journal and enter everything you eat into it. Track the macros besides each meal. And, track how different foods make you feel.

Consider weighing yourself every morning. Seeing a change in the decimal amount of your weight can make you feel awesome.

You should also track your fitness ability. Take a physical test each week of how long you can hold the plank and how fast you can run. You may not lose weight right away, but gaining strength is just as empowering.

5. Prepare for Slip-ups

There will be days where you fall off the bandwagon. You’ll forget to bring your prepared lunch to work and will have to buy something nearby. You might sleep through your alarm and through your workout.

The most important part of being able to lose weight is your attitude.

If you let these slip-ups throw you off, you’ll never reach your goals. You must accept them with self-forgiveness. Yes, you made a mistake and that’s okay.

Whenever you slip-up, acknowledge it so you can ensure it doesn’t happen next time. Perhaps you should keep healthy snacks at work. Or, download an at-home workout to do later.

All that matters is that you never give up. Understand that losing weight is a journey. It results from maintaining a healthy daily routine.

Want More Daily Routine for Weight Loss Tips?

The things you do every day accumulate into weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance. One good day doesn’t achieve your goals. But, one day after another does.

Incorporate the tips above for a daily routine for weight loss. For more ways to improve your health, lose weight, and live longer, read the Health Section of our blog.