As registered dietitians and weight loss specialists, we’re sharing the habits that we’ve found to be particularly useful for not just reducing belly fat but also for keeping it off if you’ve ever wondered what the greatest daily routine to lose weight is.

These behaviours have scientific backing, and what’s even better is that you don’t have to stick to a strict daily schedule to achieve the long-term benefits of weight loss—incorporate these behaviours into your personal routine instead. The morning hours are when your regular weight loss regimen works best.

How can I kick-start my metabolism the moment I wake up in order to lose weight permanently?

Once you wake up, immediately sip 16–24 ounces of water. While we have nothing against coffee and acknowledge its health benefits, a daily habit of drinking it masks sleepiness and over time may interfere with your body’s ability to produce its own natural energy. Additionally, coffee releases cortisol, the stress hormone also known as the “belly fat” hormone. This is not the case with water, which is necessary for every cell in the body to function—it’s like a spark plug.

Consider it this way:

Breathing, sweating, and urinating all cause you to lose water over night, which can cause moderate dehydration and impair your body’s ability to perform at its best. Due to the body mistaking thirst for hunger, this mild dehydration causes headaches, sluggish digestion, a slowed metabolism, and hunger.

Since water makes up between 60 and 70 percent of your body and is necessary for every bodily function, drinking water gives your body the hydration it needs to function at its best. Your metabolism increases, your bowels begin to move, toxins are flushed out, hunger is reduced, dehydration headaches won’t stop you from exercising, and you’ll feel more energised and less depressed.

We do the following:

We have sixteen to twenty-four ounces of water as soon as we wake up. We are devoted to it because failing to do so leaves us lethargic and yearns for energy throughout the day. Every morning when Tammy wakes up, she always has a glass of water by her bed. Give it a shot yourself! You’ll develop a craving for water once you start drinking it in the morning. Additionally, Lyssie confronts Tammy for her awkward mishaps when she goes to fetch her water at around 2 minutes and 12 seconds into the video above.

Does eating breakfast aid in weight loss?

Sure, but no! There’s a solid reason if you’ve been unsure if including breakfast in your daily routine is necessary for weight loss that is sustainable.

Based on scientific research and working with hundreds of clients, we have found that individuality is crucial in this case. Some studies suggest that eating breakfast regularly can help you lose weight and keep it off, while other studies suggest that there is no weight loss benefit to eating breakfast and that skipping it can help you control your weight.

Regardless matter whether you have your first meal of the day at breakfast or a little later, there are some essential elements for long-term weight loss.

How can you determine whether to have your first meal right away or a little later?

Eating breakfast early is probably for you if you start your day with 16–24 ounces of water, wait a few hours to eat your first meal, and then discover that you’re hungry and/or find it difficult to concentrate until you eat that meal. You may also find that you end up feeling hungry all day because you neglected to eat breakfast.

Although the answer to whether you should eat breakfast may frequently be found by seeing how you react to missing an early first meal, we occasionally discover that in order to answer this question, we need to go further with our clients.

We look at their eating habits and what they typically consume because sometimes the food they eat the day before affects how their body functions the following day. In order to provide a more comprehensive response, we also examine the hormonal reactions they typically have to food as well as other lifestyle factors that affect this, such as how well they sleep and handle stress.

Some of our clients clearly don’t need breakfast; if you drink more water in the morning, feel energised when you eat your first meal, and finish it without feeling particularly hungry, then delaying your breakfast (or whatever you choose to call your first meal) is probably the best option for you.

Note: Although it may occasionally feel fantastic to skip breakfast, it’s crucial to know that intermittent fasting is frequently not the best option for a woman’s body because it might overstress the delicate hormonal balance. This is especially true for women.

What should be on your first meal if you want to permanently lose abdominal fat?

A healthy dose of fibre and at least 20 grammes of protein are essential for weight loss at your first meal of the day, regardless of whether you eat an early breakfast or a later meal (as many intermittent fasters do).

This is the bare minimum of protein required to maintain blood sugar homoeostasis, satisfy hunger, and keep you from overindulging during your next meal (as well as to kerb overindulgent snacking). The time of the first meal is meaningless without these two essential elements—protein and fiber—which when combined offer steady energy levels and satisfaction without spikes. These elements are also crucial for weight loss.

(Note that although 20 grammes of protein is the bare minimum required, individual needs vary and more does not always equal better.)

Oatmeal and sweet potatoes with skin are two excellent sources of high-fiber foods.

These healthy, high-fiber foods gradually supply the brain and muscles with energy, especially when paired with protein. It’s also crucial to remember that a lot of people who want to lose weight believe they should avoid the healthy carbohydrates because they serve as the body’s and brain’s fuel.

Usually, when you skip the healthy carb, your body craves sugar later in the day because it needs a quick pick-me-up and your brain wants energy. The secret is to choose healthy carbohydrates in moderation—you don’t want to eat too many. For instance, it only requires roughly 1/3 cup of cooked oats for men and 1/2 cup for women.

Interesting fact: Businesses with a stake in breakfast promotion have supported a large portion of studies on the topic. For instance, John Harvey Kellogg created the catchphrase “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” to promote his brand-new morning cereal (yes, you were correct—Kellogg’s).

That being said, a lot of people find that having breakfast aids in weight loss and maintenance. For many of our clients, including those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), we found it to be crucial.

At a dinner, how can I eat less without being hungry?

The ideal daily regimen includes strategies for preventing hunger while cutting calories in order to accomplish long-term weight loss. This is how you do it:

Recommendations for water: Staying hydrated is one of the best strategies to reduce hunger. As previously said, this implies that you should start drinking 16–24 ounces of water as soon as you get up (try different amounts to discover your sweet spot) and keep drinking water throughout the day.

Because the brain confuses thirst for hunger, if you don’t start your day off with water and make sure you stay hydrated (especially between meals), you’ll probably overeat both at your first meal and throughout the day.

Thirty to eighteen ounces should be consumed a half hour before meals. Actually, studies have indicated that drinking more water will marginally speed up your metabolism. In one study, young, overweight women drank 16.9 ounces of water three times a day, half an hour before meals, for eight weeks. When compared to not drinking water, they dropped a lot more body fat.

We’ve found that some of our clients require water to be consumed prior to meals rather than during them because it too greatly dilutes stomach acid, which is necessary for proper digestion and nutritional absorption.

What more can I include in my daily regimen to reduce belly fat more quickly?

Deep breathing is particularly beneficial if you want to reduce your tummy fat.

How can you eat less while you breathe deeply?

One of the best habits you can include in your daily routine to lose weight is deep breathing. It reduces stress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the body’s “rest and digest” system. This pulls you out of the “fight or flight” response, which lowers cortisol, also known as the hormone linked to belly fat, and also helps you relax so you can make more sensible eating decisions.

How does the “rest and digest” mode assist in the battle against inflammation, cravings, and visceral fat?

Before a meal, deep breathing exercises help your body transition from the “fight or flight” state to the “rest and digest” state. This is essential for both weight reduction and overall health because, in response to a threat, our bodies go into “fight or flight” mode, releasing a burst of hormones that help us get ready to flee from a tiger.

In our fast-paced, stressful lives, this is the state in which we spend the most of the day. The body shuts down digestion and concentrates its energy on the muscles.