Bright Morning Light May Be A Weight Loss Strategy

The latest secret to successful weight loss could be as simple as not hitting your snooze button.

A study by Northwestern University suggests getting up early and catching those morning rays helps your fight against fat. The morning light essentially "wakes up" your body's metabolism and regulates the internal body clock - which affects energy balance and the way we process food.

The study's senior author explains, "If a person doesn't get sufficient light at the appropriate time of day, it could de-synchronize your internal body clock, which is known to alter metabolism and can lead to weight gain."

Previous studies suggest setting an earlier alarm boosts productivity because there are less distractions in the morning. It can also result in less stress - early risers tend to have a healthier routine in the morning because they give themselves more time to get ready for the day. And, when you're up earlier, there's more time to fit in a workout.

The researchers recommend 20 to 30 minutes in the morning light to help keep a healthy body mass index. And if you're not one of those early birds, don't worry, the researchers say you can snag that early sun anytime between 8am and noon.