The 1 Habit You Need to Break to Lose Weight

Are you on the cusp of reaching your weight loss goal and keep coming up short? You probably already exercise every day, so why can’t you lose those extra pounds? It turns out, one of your everyday habits may be to blame for your weight loss woes. Are you guilty of this bad habit?

First off — weight loss is about more than just exercise

One key thing to remember is that what you eat plays an even bigger part in weight loss than exercise does. You can adopt an intense training regimen, and you still won’t be able to out-exercise a bad diet. Trust us — the term “abs are made in the kitchen” is very true when it comes to reaching your weight loss goals.

Losing weight starts right when you wake up in the morning

Oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts is a great way to start your day. | iStock.com

You should always be conscious of what you are eating throughout the day. And you should be the mostconscious about what you are eating for breakfast. Eating a balanced breakfast is the best way to kick-start your metabolism. Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, your drive to reach your weight loss goals is likely being derailed by this one bad habit …

The one habit you need to break

Staying up late watching Netflix does nothing to help your weight loss goals. | iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages

Surprisingly, your habit of not getting enough sleep has a massive effect on weight loss. Staying up for one more Netflix episode or to text with your best friend for hours on end is impacting your weight loss goals even more than you might expect.

How this habit affects your eating habits …

You’ll probably reach for one of these after a late night. | iStock.com/Ozgur Coskun

DailyBurn.com explains that sleep deprivation causes levels of the stress hormone cortisol to spike in your body. Cortisol is also, coincidentally, responsible for fueling your appetite. Your body then craves feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin, which may cause you to reach for refined carbs and fatty fair to make you feel better. In other words, that donut is a lot more tempting. On top of it all, sleep deprivation robs your body of the ability to process sugar, making your blood sugar shoot through the roof.

… and your workout regimen

Are you texting more than you’re actually working out? | iStock.com

Remember, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. And if you have started your day off sleep-deprived and full of bad food, you’re already in for an uphill battle. The goal for weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume, which is more difficult if you’ve been munching on bad food. Plus, if you’re tired, you are going to be less inclined to exercise, completely throwing your weight loss plan off track.

Beware — this bad habit leads to health issues

That bad habit may have long-term consequences. | iStock.com/Tharakorn

Not getting enough sleep doesn’t just affect weight loss — it can open the door to other problems. WebMDpoints out that sleep loss is connected to higher rates of heart disease and diabetes, both of which can be made worse if you are overweight. And if you can’t lose weight due to a lack of sleep, you’ve already set yourself up for trouble.

How to break this habit

Getting a good night’s sleep is key. | iStock.com/tommaso79

Luckily, the solution to this bad habit isn’t too difficult: Set yourself a bedtime every weeknight. That’s right — you have to treat yourself like a little kid and put yourself to bed at a decent hour. This seemingly cheesy trick can help you to wake up refreshed and ready to tackle your day of eating healthy, exercising, and reaching your weight loss goals.

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