There are two things that will halt your weight loss: water and sleep. If you’re not drinking enough water something is going on in your body. I’m not going to pretend to know the science behind this and get all technical. That wouldn’t be fun and that would be a step in the wrong information direction for me. I’ve read the articles and studies saying drinking water is better than drinking sugary drinks. Isn’t that a big “duh?” I’ve read consuming water before meals helps you eat less keeping the calorie intake lower than a person drinking alcohol or soda. Got that too! It’s recommended that everyone should have eight glasses of water per day. Do you drink this much water?
But why not just talk about basic hydration? We need water to live, right? Plus we’re in the middle of a very hot summer. Personally, I’m not reaching for anything but water (with some NUUN) to keep me hydrated. People ask me how much water I drink every day. It really depends! I don’t start each day thinking I need to drink x amounts of water every day. That would be a very daunting task if I knew I had to drink 3 liters of water a day. I drink when I’m thirsty unless I notice I haven’t been drinking enough water so then I force myself to drink water. I usually aid this by drinking my water with NUUN just to give me a little flavor to it. I do drink a lot of water every day but I’m not forcing myself to drink it! And I always have water with me when I workout. It’s important to stay hydrated during these times. On hot days, I’m always reaching for more water! When it’s cooler outside, I’m reaching for hot tea!
Also please keep in mind you can get water from other sources such as fruits and veggies. I tend to eat a lot of these things so along with my water intake I’m also getting it from my produce. Yes, water is boring and it may not have the pizzazz of drinking a soda, but would you rather have pizzazz or being healthy and natural? After all, it’s just a liquid you’re putting in your body. It’s not meant to be a party or fun! Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing WRONG with enjoying a beverage every now and again, but for the most part, I drink water. Occasionally I do have a diet soda but not often because now it just makes me bloated. We really cut out all juices and sodas from day one and just started with water. When I was drinking the sodas and juices, I found myself drinking more of that stuff then I would with anything else. Just think, every time you down that cup of juice you’re drinking 100 calories. Not really worth it to me. And I really did stop drinking alcohol which wasn’t a big deal to me. I was a social drinker so it was behavior I did around friends. Now I just drink water, occasionally, I’ll do SkinnyGirl.
Here are my tips to drink more water:
1. Just do it. Suck it up literally. Put it in the cup and just drink it.
2. Start your day off with a 16 oz glass of water. Drink it with your breakfast and get the day started off right. And if you’re one of those pizzazz people just drink your water with every meal. Enjoy the flavor of your food with a nice big ole glass of water.
3. Use a flavoring. Crystal Light, MIO, Nuun, off-brand, etc, just add it to your water and maybe you’ll enjoy it a little more. Those things carry very little calories but sometimes use artificial ingredients so be on the lookout!
4. Drink tea. I love tea! Green tea, black tea, white tea, herbal tea…I drink it all. I don’t drink a lot of hot tea right now because it’s summer time. Tea has lots of benefits for health so why don’t you try to mix it up too. Be care with sweeteners though. Find one that works for you and don’t pack on the calories doing it either.
5. Go natural and your own water flavorings. Put some cucumber and mint in water jug and set it in the fridge. You’ll get spa water at home. There are tons of flavor combos to use and it will make you a little fancy! Lemon and strawberries, blueberries and cucumbers…the possibilities are endless.
So how much water do you drink? Do you think you drink enough throughout the day?
