Weight Loss Tips: Hydration

So we have covered the 4 reasons why weight loss is so difficult, and now you know them it will be easy!  Hopefully you’ve done the mindset exercise (this is a must), and set sensible goals using lots of different ways of measuring your success.

Now point 2 in the 4 aspects to cover for successful weightloss was Hydration.  There isn’t much point in getting the exercise and nutrition right if you don’t get the hydration right, because you’re poor old body will just think that it’s on a desert island which is getting worse and worse, and try to hang on to everything!  That’s why it is point 2 after the mindset exercise.

Ok, so I know some of you don’t like water, but there are loads of ways of increasing your water intake that will work for you, so all you need to do is find some.

Do you know why you need water?  Does your car work without oil?  Nope.  Well your body needs water, and sleep.  You’ll die sooner of dehydration and sleep deprivation, than you will from lack of food.  If you don’t drink enough water, your body thinks it’s in a desert and tries to hold on to everything it can.  Plus, even if you are eating healthily etc, you wont be getting all the goodness you could from the food or supplements, because your body needs water.

(Bear in mind I’m not talking about drinking litres and litres of water in one go, as that can kill you too).

Here are ways that I’ve increased my water intake that works for me:

• Glass of water first thing in the morning when brushing my teeth
• A quick glass of water before each meal
• Cup of hot water with lemon or slice of ginger root in the morning; seems to get my thirst going for the day
• Keeping water in the fridge so that you can have a glass of cold water when you are thirsty (I know that warm water is meant to be better for you, but I don’t like it).
• Glass of cold water with a slice of lemon
• Bottles of water on the push chair and in the car, so I’m constantly sipping (I’m not organised enough to use a water bottle and wash or fill it up regularly enough.  But remember to replace bottles that have gotten really hot in the sunshine unless they are in non-plastic bottles)
• There’s a lot of water in fruit surprisingly, so that can be an extra way of getting water into your system.

If you aren’t keen on water, then try to add at least some, and then compromise with a really good fruit juice (not from concentrate) and a good weak glass of squash (without sweetener or preservatives).

If you think that there is a chance that you have been terribly dehydrated, then use a sports drink for a couple of days first to get your electrolyte levels up (sugars and salts), then replace them with water.  They might have a few nasty’s in them, but otherwise you can actually start drinking more water, but because your electrolyte levels are out, it will just go straight through you and not get used.

How can you tell if you are drinking enough water? Now I have heard someone disagree with this, and suspect that it might depend on the person; but basically if you can see that you peed in the loo, then you didn’t drink enough water.  In the morning it’s bound to have colour, but from then on you are looking for water coloured, or a light yellow.  Or you can keep an eye on how much you drink; some professionals recommend 8 glasses of water a day, others recommend 1.5-2.5 litres of water a day (here is a wiki answer with more info).  You will need to add water after exercise as well.

What is and is not water?  I have been told that for every one of these you need to add an extra glass of water, it’s easier not to drink them much in my opinion ;o)

• Coffee
• Fizzy drinks
• ** Diet Drinks
• Alcohol!

** In fact I’m not a fan of any diet stuff at all as they have sacharrine in them.  If I was going to drink a fruit squash or fruit juice, I would prefer going for the full sugar one, than the diet one.

Let me know how you do, and feel free to ask for help if this doesn’t get your water drinking improved.

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