The morning routine I use whilst cutting. 

If you’ve been on a cut, you know that your focus can waver as you run low on energy, affecting your ability to get things done.

But by starting the day off on the right foot, you can tick off the day’s tasks on top of achieving your dream body.

Here’s the morning routine I continue to use.

The Importance of a Morning Routine 

Your morning routine sets up the mood, the appetite, and the quality of the entire day.

Starting with bad habits leads to playing catch-up, and being on the back foot is morally draining. 

An ill-thought-out routine is a recipe for laziness and eventually failure of your goals, including fat loss.

A good routine on the other hand optimises for your targets and helps you build momentum to stroll through the day's challenges.

Here’s what I do every morning. 

My Morning Routine 

1. Wake Up and Get Up

As soon as the alarm sounds I get up.

Sounds simple right? Well it is, but I struggled with this for years.

I’d wake up and scroll on social media for up to 30 minutes while listening to music.

Breaking that habit was a matter of will and purpose. When your goals are high on your priority list, you practically jump out of bed.

The get-up and go mentally sets the tone for the day, and doing things like exercise feels more natural. Exercise is just something a person like you does.

2. Drink 500ml of Water 

In your sleep, you lose water through sweat, and that should be replaced as soon as possible.

This is especially important during a cut as staying hydrated will regulate your mood and hunger, helping you avoid any unplanned snacking later in the day.

Keep a bottle of water next to your bed, it should be the first thing you reach for.

3. Meditate

Losing fat, daily tasks, and general maintenance activities are as much a mental challenge as they are physical, and that’s where meditation can give you the upper hand.

Meditating in the morning helps you declutter, organise, and calm your mind.

You can think of meditation as a mental warmup, and the rest of the day as a mental workout.

Meditate and avoid “cramps” in your headpace as you go about the challenges of today.

4. Light Outdoor Cardio

Light morning cardio serves two purposes: burning calories and getting some fresh air.

I usually go for a 30-minute walk, but during the later stages of a cut, this might turn into more of a run to elevate the heart rate and burn more calories.

Other than burning calories and assisting you with fat loss, morning cardio has another purpose: going outdoors. 

Getting caught in the rain, slapped by the wind, or warmed by sunlight are all good ways to get rid of the morning grogginess before starting the day.

5. Breakfast

Arguably the most important meal of the day.

This meal is my fuel for the next 4 to 5 hours of deep work before lunch.

The breakfast I’ve had for years now is a bowl of protein oats with blueberries and a coffee.

High-volume, high protein, slow-burning carbohydrates, some simple sugars, and a hit of caffeine. 

There’s no better way to stave off hunger and stay focused in the process.

Takeaway

If you want to succeed in your goals, whether that’s fat loss or anything else, a good morning routine is essential.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or longwinded, as long as each habit serves the purpose of your current priorities.

Create a morning routine and stay consistent, everything will start to fall into place.