It’s HOT out here in NYC. Dallas, Chicago, how YOU doing? I have a feeling this summer is going to be brutal. Sooooo….
You know what I’m going to say next, don’t you? Yes. That’s right. DRINK. MORE. WATER. You — yeah you with the diet Snapple! Put it down and grab a water. Not that little pint-sized bottle, either. Grab the biggest bottle and start chugging.
We all know we should drink more water in theory but never really take steps to increase our water intake, do we? In fact, I bet you’re reading this and already starting to feel guilty that you don’t drink enough water.
Let’s change that. Guilt is bad. Stop reading. Now. Go get a big bottle of water. Yes, now. Done? Good. Resume reading.
Ahhhhh. Doesn’t that crisp cold water taste great? It’s almost as if the water is exactly what your body needed, right? During the hot summer, your body will start to crave more water, but if you’re in the habit of drinking iced coffee or diet soda, you may not recognize the “Give me water!” signs coming from your body. So just do it. We eat what we crave, we crave what we eat — the same is true for what we drink. You will start to crave water if you drink water.
About 60 percent of your body weight is water. You’ve been hearing that statistic since health class in high school. If we know how important it is, why are most of us still walking around dehydrated (and over-caffeinated) on a daily basis?
Dehydration is bad, folks. It means that your body isn’t getting enough water for basic, essential body functions. But what does it mean for you and YOUR body on a fat-loss journey?
As far as weight and fat loss goes, drinking enough water is extremely important. Here is a quick summary of some benefits for making lots of water part of your daily healthy routine:
1) Digestion and metabolism are pretty important for a healthy, happy body. To lose fat, these systems need to be working properly. Water is vital for these processes. Not enough water in your day, and you could be sabotaging yourself.
2) The thirst-hunger response. When you are dehydrated, your body may signal you to eat when what it really wants is water. As I mentioned before, you have to learn your body’s signals, and also learn to listen to them! If you’re hungry, but 1) have had enough food and 2) haven’t had enough water yet today, go for the water before any food. Don’t fall for artificial hunger. You’re too smart for that.
3) Better workouts – You can exercise more effectively and at higher levels when you are getting enough water. I had a client quit on an exercise early into our 6 am session, just today. We went through a few reasons why she would be feeling that way, and both concluded she was dehydrated from the day before.
What else? Thats not enough for you? How about water’s filling effect? It’s a natural appetite suppressant. Water can fill you up so that you don’t overeat.
So – how much should you drink? At least 100 oz a day. Yup, you heard me. This is almost 13 “glasses.” Try it. See what you can get up to. I use a 20 oz. container from GNC and by 9 am yesterday I had filled it up three times. That’s 60 oz by 9 am (oh, I start my day at 4 am, so that’s not as impressive as it sounds). All you have to do is choose water instead of other beverages and see what it adds up to.
And yes, you will go to the bathroom more often. And NO, thats not a reason to not drink more water, because although inconvenient at times, going to the bathroom more is a good thing! That’s your body ridding itself of waste.
Trust me. Drinking more water can make a huge difference in your fat-loss journey. Give your body more water and you’ll feel a difference in your skin, your brain, your muscles, your digestion, your energy level — every part of your body will say “thank you”!
Downsize Fitness Blog 
Leave a comment