Any tips for getting up early in the mornings?

linlinjay
linlinjay Posts: 66 Member
edited November 17 in Motivation and Support
I want to start getting in my workouts (a really long dog walk) early in the morning because i noticed that if i do it at night, i get SUPER HUNGRY! So i go snack after snack after snack until i go to sleep, i didn't go over my calories by 40 calories which is not going to benefit a "faster" weightloss. So any tips for someone who really loves to oversleep? I could sleep from 9pm to 11am!! Or even till afternoon. (i have night classes)
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Replies

  • LaceyBirds
    LaceyBirds Posts: 451 Member
    Actually, my alarm is on my PC which is in the living room, and I have my speakers set loud so I can't miss it. It's enough to keep me up rather than a snooze button.
  • ParanormaLauren
    ParanormaLauren Posts: 69 Member
    My dog sleeps in the bed with us and wakes us up like clockwork at 6am to feed her. Depending on the day, we'll either go back to sleep or just start our day right there. So what I'm saying is...once you establish a routine, your dog might help you out a little. :)
  • Teresa502
    Teresa502 Posts: 1,858 Member
    I have to "just do it." As soon as the alarm sounds, I have to make my feet hit the floor and then stumble to the bathroom, go through my morning basics routine. By this time, I'm awake enough to head out. If I lay in bed and debate about whether I really want to workout or not, the bed wins every time!

    I get ready at my office gym so I pack my clothes the night before so that I don't have to get up any earlier than necessary.
  • nickiphillips1
    nickiphillips1 Posts: 114 Member
    I go to bed at 8 PM each night and don't stay up late on the weekends. I swim every morning at 6:15/6:30 AM. The latest I will stay up is 10 PM on a Saturday night because I don't have to swim Sunday, but I still try to go to sleep before then. I am so tired after 8. And yes, I have no life...
    I also have MS and severe fatigue. If I don't get at least 9 hours of sleep at night, I get sick. I prioritize my sleep.
    I go to my room at 7 PM and watch tv and get ready for sleeping at 8.
    By Friday, I may go swim at 7:15 to get a little extra sleep.
    Get a routine!
  • kevinf2380
    kevinf2380 Posts: 256 Member
    It comes down to discipline. Plain and simple.
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    The earlier I get up, the more cals I burn, therefore the more food I get to eat. Works for me, at least on work days. I do like to catch up on extra sleep a bit on weekends.
  • Hooligan300
    Hooligan300 Posts: 5 Member
    omg im literally having a problem with waking up in the mornings to ugh im thinking about asking friends to call me so they can help wake me up and motivate me lol
  • catgb56
    catgb56 Posts: 13 Member
    It does come down to discipline! My better half wakes me at 5:30 every morning so I can get my 30 minutes of workout in. We're in bed by 10, and I'm up by 5:30, excepts for weekends - maybe by 6:30.
  • owa1s
    owa1s Posts: 273 Member
    Sleep early
  • skinnycow1234567
    skinnycow1234567 Posts: 167 Member
    Like others stated..Its all on you and how bad you want it. Back in the day when i was body building i used to get up no problem to train in the am... Now i hit snooze about 27 times.
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    Some years back I used to put my alarm on the other side of the room so I'd have to get up to turn it off.

    You can also try putting your primary alarm close to your bed, but a backup alarm across the room set for a slightly later time. Even if you hit the snooze button on your primary alarm, you'll have to get out of bed to turn the backup alarm off.

    Another tip that may work for some people is to drink a little extra water before going to bed. Needing to use the bathroom in the morning can motivate you to get out of bed instead of sleeping in. (Obviously, everyone is different, and this won't be practical for everyone.)
  • BeGrandLike
    BeGrandLike Posts: 184 Member
    I HEAR YA on wanting to snooze forever. I've had to put three steps in to get me up in time for morning workouts before work. Here's what works for me:

    1. My phone spends its nights charging in the kitchen. Not the bedroom next to me. The kitchen, next to the coffee machine. So I can't roll over when my alarm goes off and "just check my phone for a minute" that turns into 30 minutes ;)
    2. I've a dawn simulator light that I've set to brighten over 30 minutes before I have to wake up. It's not 100% effective but most mornings (unless I'm wrecked) I'll find myself drifting into awakeness about 10 minutes before...
    3. My main alarm is a radio. Without a remote control. At the opposite side of the room to my bed.

    So normally my waking first kinda-sorta happens with the light... then by the time the radio goes off I'm already half-awake anyway.. I've it set to slowly increase in volume so about five minutes or so later I stumble up to turn it off.. and by then I might as well go throw on my workout gear and go downstairs to check my phone which just so happens to be exactly where the coffee machine is so I can knock back a cup of liquid aliveness before heading out to the gym :)
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
    Don't tell yourself you'll see how you feel in the morning. You have to commit. Don't negotiate once the alarm goes off in the morning. You just have to go through the motions, as others have said. Putting your alarm far away from your bed is also a good idea unless you sleep through it.
  • jayv85
    jayv85 Posts: 142 Member
    If you're getting 7-8 hrs of sleep already you're just going to have to set an alarm for when you want to get up and just get up. It'll suck for the first week or 2 until you adjust, but you have to be consistent. There's not really any trick to it. You just have to learn to roll out of bed and stay out of bed after your alarm goes off. Or place your alarm away from you so you have to get up to turn it off.
  • Bex953172
    Bex953172 Posts: 4,158 Member
    I've got a puppy so if I don't get some pants on and get outside with him he's gonna wee on my carpet!!
    I go out looking like hell!
    But it's 7am so who cares!!!
    And I feel so much more refreshed before the kids wake up (I actually manage to have a brew and do 10 mins meditation)

    If I don't get up that hour earlier my day goes to pot, I don't get time for a shower, I don't get time for a brew I don't get time for meditation and I'm in some awful mood by the end of the day!

    Depends how much you want to do it. If you don't, then you won't do it.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It's just discipline...you just do it. I'm personally not a morning person...never have been and never will be...I loath getting up early, but in the summer my choices are get up and go for a nice ride with the crispness of a new morning on my face and watch the sunrise from my saddle...or fry in 100*+ temps. Anytime I sleep in I regret it later when I'm melting on an afternoon/evening ride.
  • nevadavis1
    nevadavis1 Posts: 331 Member
    Once I stick to a schedule for a while the dogs get me up (I get up at 5 AM every day as I have a long commute to work). Before this commute I got up at 6 and they started whining and crying at 6, but they quickly adjusted to 5. I give them canned food in the mornings, well everyone gets it, the dogs and the cats. I do set my alarm as sometimes they'll be 10 or 15 minutes late in getting me up and with traffic around here, leaving 10 minutes later means getting to work 30 minutes later.
  • croftie4
    croftie4 Posts: 221 Member
    What works for me is I just get up, I don't check my phone, or just think another 5 minutes or watch the news I just jump straight out of bed. Check the phone having coffee downstairs my mornings are much better for it
  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
    Wash your face with cold water when you get up. Really helps shock the sleepy away.
  • birgitkwood
    birgitkwood Posts: 486 Member
    I keep the automatic coffee maker, with timer, in the bedroom. Coffee maker is set to go off at 5:30am. I sit up in bed, drink my coffee, read the news on my phone, etc. When my mug of coffee is finished I get up, brush my teeth, get into my workout clothes and head out for an hour our more. It's a great way to start my days (but I've always been a morning person).
  • cessi0909
    cessi0909 Posts: 654 Member
    I literally forced myself and now I love it
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    i just turned from a person who'd set out for work at 9:30 or so, into someone who leaves at 7:30 latest. my motivation is different. i've suddenly become super-stingy about all that glorious after-work time if you get in early enough to leave early too.

    it's been a major shift but it's held for three months so far. still working out why it works, but so far i can think of two things. i don't turn on my computer in the am anymore, and i don't do my prep for the next day before i go to bed. what makes me leave on time is the fact that once i'm up i'm in motion. not vigorously, but i have things to do so i'm getting them done.

    then when they're done there's nothing to do except go to work, really. so i leave. i have terrible trouble with transitions, i think it would destroy me neurologically to try and be one of those people who can hit the road 10 minutes after their feet hit the floor. but on the other end of the scale, using internet/reading/personal activities to ease myself into the day was sucking huge tracts of morning time too. so this is my compromise.
  • whatlunasaid
    whatlunasaid Posts: 173 Member
    Make healthy habits as easy as possible so that the decision isn't so hard. Sleep in your workout clothes if they are comfortable enough. Sleep with a water bottle next to you so you can hydrate immediately upon waking. Have breakfast prepped so you're not worried about fuel or tempted to binge. And whatever workout you choose, start with one that doesn't require much thought. You should be able to do it in your sleep, at least at first, because you will still be sleepy for a while in the mornings.
  • StarvingDiva
    StarvingDiva Posts: 1,107 Member
    Uggh I was getting up at 4:30 to workout before work, but the time change totally screwed me up and I haven't been able to get out of bed, its really bad because I hate working out when I get out of work, I have no motivation.
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
    Some years back I used to put my alarm on the other side of the room so I'd have to get up to turn it off.

    This, make sure it is loud, and get to bed early enough.
  • AmyOutOfControl
    AmyOutOfControl Posts: 1,425 Member
    If your dogs are anything like mine -- Make yourself get up early and walk them for a week. After that, they will never let you sleep in again. Puppy alarm clocks are cute but obnoxious. :)
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