Best Morning Routine for Weight Loss

Having a morning routine that helps with weight loss isn’t as hard as it sounds. Exercising in the morning, having a good breakfast and starting your day on the right foot can help you make better choices throughout the day and support any healthy living or weight loss efforts you have.

I’ve tried all types of exercise programs. I’ve worked out in the gym, I’ve done it at home and I’ve worked out outside.

I’ve also exercised at almost every time of day you can think of – before the kids wake up, with the kids, nap time, post dinner – you name it, I’ve tried it.

On top of experimenting with workouts and routines I’ve also tried out all types of eating plans, intermittent fasting, and every diet out there on the market.

There are a few things I’ve found during my journey these past 8 years – some that work and some that don’t.

The things that I have learned have ultimately helped me lose 70 pounds before i had my daughter, exercise and have two healthy pregnancies, and work to get my body healthy again post baby.

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Benefits of exercising in the morning for weight loss

There have been times where I’ve had to workout at night before it was the only uninterrupted time I had.

I don’t love working out at night and for busy moms, I don’t always recommend it. Our evenings are the time we have to wind done, close out the day and get ready for tomorrow. Adding in a 60 minute workout that gets your heart going right before bed isn’t always the best idea. That being said, I’ve done it when it was my only option.

And as much as we might not want to hear it, exercising in the morning truly works for a bunch of reasons.

The earlier you get your movement in, the bigger metabolism jump you can have. If you workout first thing, your body will be burning those extra calories all day long.

Exercising in the morning also helps give you more energy throughout the day. In the beginning you might get stuck in that cycle though. You know the one, “I’m too tired to exercise but exercise gives me energy”

Your body needs time to adjust and I promise, if you give it just a few weeks soon you’ll start to see how much more energized you feel on the days you get your workout in right away.

Working out first thing in the morning also means you’re more likely to shower and get dressed which is always a mood boost. Even as a work at home mom, I make sure I get up and get dressed before I take the kids to school every day. It makes me more productive and feel better about myself.

Taking care of yourself by adding exercise into your morning routine is also just a great way to start the day. If you take time in the first few hours of waking to take care of you, you’re going to show up differently for your family and all that the day puts before you.

How to get up earlier

It can be hard though, to get up earlier so that you have time to exercise in your morning routine. Truthfully I don’t work out first thing – but I do it by 7am so that I can be showered and ready to go by 9 am.

My kids wake up between 5:00 – 6:00 am so to have quiet time, I need to be up around 4:30 am. Truthfully though, I am still a work in progress in this area! While many days I can get out of bed and moving before them, depending on how sleep was the night before, it can be tougher.

And you might be thinking that you’re not a morning person – I get you! I wasn’t either. I had to train my body to become one!

I used the habit stacking method to get my body used to getting up early and it can work for you too!

First, determine your end goal and what time you want to be getting up (if everything was ideal) and compare it to where you are now.

You’ll then need to do some simple math and figure out how long it might take you get to get to your goal. It is possible to change your morning wake up time within as little as one month!

Next you’re going to slowly start to wake up earlier – seriously, just 5-10 minute changes every few days. This allows you body to get used to getting up earlier and doesn’t feel as scary and daunting as attempting to wake up 2 hours before you do now.

For example, say now you wake up at 7am and you want to wake up at 5am. You know that you ned to make up the 2 hour gap and want to do it within a month. That means you have to wake up about 5 minutes earlier every other day to hit your goal.

So tomorrow, wake up at 6:55, two days later 6:50, two days later 6:45 and so on. You’ll do this until you hit that time you are aiming for. By telling yourself you only need 5 more minutes, you can get rid of excuses and take action!

Types of exercise for busy moms

There are lots of different exercises that you can do as a busy mom and they are simple to add into a morning routine.

You can choose to workout at the gym or at home. If you are working out at the gym, sleep in your clothes so that you can wake up and be out of the door before the kids wake up.

This doesn’t work in my house because my kids get up so early and my husband has to be out of the door at 6:30 so I couldn’t leave them with him. But if you have a spouse who goes into work later than that – this is a totally doable plan!

Predetermine what you’re going to do so that you aren’t wasting any time once you’re at the gym. Find a class or download a workout plan that puts you in a good mood and you won’t dread! If you are attempting to do a workout you don’t love, it’s going to be so much easier to hit snooze then get up! Find something fun and energizing like morning yoga or a dance class!

If you choose to workout at home, you have a ton of options too! This is what I do because I don’t have to worry about childcare or driving anywhere. I have days where I workout in my pajamas and look a mess but I don’t care because no one sees me.

I use Beachbody on Demand to stream my workouts and have for the past few years. I actually haven’t worked out in a gym in YEARS! I love working out at home and I found that there are workouts I can do with my kids around that encourage them to get involved.

I like to lift weights so I got a pair of speed weights to change the weight faster. We have this set here and have used them for years! I bring these into our playroom each morning and my kids watch their TV show and I get in 30-40 minutes of a workout. Since I use Beachbody on Demand it is easy for me to figure out what to do because each program has a schedule and I just follow it.

Fasted vs non faster cardio

When I started working out in the morning I worried about working out on an empty stomach. I typically was someone who had breakfast as soon as I woke up and worried I would get hungry or not have the energy to get through the workout.

I’ve since moved to following an intermittent fasting schedule where I eat my first meal at 10:00 am and last meal at 6:00 pm and now do a fasted workout.

I find that fasted workouts work better for me and my metabolism and weight loss. If you need to eat something pre workout, this is a great time for a small carbohydrate and protein combo. A small piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter should be enough to give you the energy to push through.

I also have times where I take a pre-workout when it’s been a long night and I’m extra tired. I like this fruit punch flavor of Energize. I tried the lemon and din’t love the taste as much but this fruit punch is delicious! I don’t get jittery like with some pre-workouts and it really gives me an extra push.

Whenever you decide to workout, know that it’s possible to create a good routine around it. I suggest doing in the mornings to take care of you first, but know that ANY movement is better than none! Make sure you PIN this post for motivation when you need it to get that morning routine and exercise done!