I think the most surprising aspect of my "diet" has been to increase my water consumption. There are several reasons why I felt I should increase my water supply as I started trying to lose weight.
Water weight, or bloating--if you drink enough water, your body will flush the water it is retaining. This can often be 5-10 pounds, and it can happen in the first week!
Appetite repression--Often, especially if you're a mom and you're in the kitchen a lot, you may feel hungry, but it's not a low blood sugar hunger, it's just an appetite, usually for something sweet. This is probably your body telling you it's thirsty. If you wait for thirst as your cue before you drink, you're already dehydrated. Instead of grabbing gummy bears, drink 8 oz of water. It helps curb your snackiness, and you just avoided all those wasted calories!
Regularity--Water and fiber are great for any lifestyle, but especially for weight loss. You want to get rid of unwanted stuff in your body. Where does it go once it escapes your body? Usually the toilet. Plus, it's hard to exercise when you're constipated.
Fat Metabolism--I wasn't sure how, but I theorized that increased water consumption enables your body to metabolize (or turn into energy) fat better. And it turns out I was right! Check out this awesome article.
(Tomorrow we can go over how much to drink and how to drink it.)
Background
Maia Appleby is a certified personal trainer specializing in weight loss consultation who manages a fitness center in Florida. She is certified in:
* Weight Training
* Fitness Assessment
* Mat Science
* Lifestyle Consultation
* CPR and First Aid
Maia created the website www.bodybuilding.com/fun/maia.htm in April, 2001 to give real information, honest advice and productive support to people who want to lose weight.
Why Drinking Water Really is the Key to Weight Loss
by Maia Appleby
Don't roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can't get rid of a little paunch here and there, you're probably just not drinking enough water.
No need to get defensive. You're actually quite normal. Most people don't drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can't seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature's magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here's why:
"What on Earth is 'metabolism', anyway?" People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you'll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, "The process by which a substance is handled in the body." A little vague, but that's really all it means.
There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs.
Unfortunately, another of the liver's duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can't metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you're also setting yourself up to store fat.
"I've tried it and I couldn't stand it!" The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It's understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you're running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it's going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless.
Do take heed , though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of "survival mode". It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn't need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn't need to save these stores anymore; it's trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It's true. This is called the "breakthrough point."
One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body's fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn't doing your heart any favors, either. It's already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It's a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system.
Water is the best beauty treatment. You've heard this since high school, and it's true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated.
In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you're blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won't notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you'll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin.
"Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!" It's really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you're overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.
This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It's not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don't let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you're already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you're not thirsty yet.
Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren't what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you're going to be consuming a lot of this fluid.
It's probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why.
"How cold should it be?" This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning.
On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it!
When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just be what's missing.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
How to Do It
I'd like to start you off with a GREAT article. One of our contestants sent this to me during third season. This is the best published overview I've found of my philosophy on diet lifestyle to lose weight and become optimally healthy. Everyone may have differing opinions on what's best for your body, but for me, this hits it right on the head.
Way to go for taking the first step to becoming a new you!
Amy
Eight Eating HabitsThat Will ChangeYour Life!
by Zonya Foco and Stephen Moss
Never underestimate the power of One Good Habit. It’s time to ditch the diet
mentality and master diet-free, guilt-free weight loss. These seemingly simple
habits, when adopted one after the other--at a pace that works for you--will become an
invisible force that will change your life. And since these are habits that you apply at
your own pace, according to your lifestyle and circumstances, the pounds you lose will
stay off. So begin living--today!
1. Drink water. Water is the body’s most important nutrient…for better concentration,
fighting disease and flushing fat. Begin drinking water first thing in the morning and
add [slices of a citrus fruit] for a refreshing taste change throughout the day. Replace
calorie-filled sodas with water because unconsciously drinking high-sugar beverages
can account for up to 50 extra pounds you may be carrying around. And just one can of
soda per day can double your chances of type-2 diabetes.
2. Include breakfast and stop eating two or three hours before bed. Studies show that
people who include breakfast eat 100 fewer calories a day than people who don’t. And
if you stop the unconscious evening snacking, you’ll save another 200-500 calories
each day….But after a full year of including breakfast and eliminating evening
snacking, you can be up to 30 pounds lighter!
3. Eat often and include a fruit or vegetable each time. Eating often keeps your hunger
hormones under control and prevents you from feeling starved and then overeating. By
including a fruit or vegetable with every meal or snack, you’ll be satisfied with fewer
calories while loading up with disease-fighting, fat-flushing vitamins, minerals and
antioxidants….
4. Tame your sweet tooth....First, put a halt to your sweet cravings by eating three
fruits a day. Fruit is nature’s candy and a natural way to give your brain the simple
carbohydrates it needs to prevent sweet cravings. Then, learn to dial down the level of
sweetness you desire by gradually choosing lower sugar cereals, unsweetened beverages
and desserts made with half the sugar…you’ll naturally eat less sugar without
feeling deprived….
5. Find the fat and know the good, the bad and the ugly. Choose foods that are as low
in fat as possible, then add back limited amounts of good fat….Choose lean meats,
low-fat cheeses and skim milk. Clear your pantry of anything labeled “partially
hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated.” Then add back limited portions of unsaturated and
omega-3 good fats found in foods like nuts, seeds, olive oil and salmon….
6. Replace processed, chemically-enhanced foods for wholesome, close-to-the-farm
foods…Choose whole-grain breads, rice and pastas instead of white. Go for fresh
meats and cheeses, not processed. And don’t be suckered into thinking fruit-flavored
snacks or vegetable chips are healthy alternatives to real fruit and vegetables. Wholesome
food means less sugar, fat, sodium and chemicals and provides more fiber and
natural nutrients…and provide greater hunger control than processed and
chemically-enhanced foods.
7. Eat only until you are no longer hungry….This is the most difficult habit to
master and the most important to adopt. Share an entrée, quit the “clean plate club,” eat
slowly and savor every bite. Learn to enjoy feeling satisfied and light on your feet
instead of unbutton-you-pants stuffed….When you regularly stop eating just when
you’re beginning to feel full and don’t taken even one more bite, you can save as many
as 500 calories a day…!
8. Every once in a while, when the urge or circumstance dictates, it’s all right to
eat outside the guidelines of the other habits. And understand that this habit is just as
important as the other seven. All the other habits are designed to make your body lose
weight, and when that happens, your body compensates by slowing down your metabolism.
To keep your metabolism stoked and burning calories at the appropriate rate, this
habit tells your body there’s no need to store calories because there’s no pending famine.
This habit makes the other habits fit into your life and eliminates the diet mentality
of feeling deprived and guilty…because this isn’t a diet--this is living!
Way to go for taking the first step to becoming a new you!
Amy
Eight Eating HabitsThat Will ChangeYour Life!
by Zonya Foco and Stephen Moss
Never underestimate the power of One Good Habit. It’s time to ditch the diet
mentality and master diet-free, guilt-free weight loss. These seemingly simple
habits, when adopted one after the other--at a pace that works for you--will become an
invisible force that will change your life. And since these are habits that you apply at
your own pace, according to your lifestyle and circumstances, the pounds you lose will
stay off. So begin living--today!
1. Drink water. Water is the body’s most important nutrient…for better concentration,
fighting disease and flushing fat. Begin drinking water first thing in the morning and
add [slices of a citrus fruit] for a refreshing taste change throughout the day. Replace
calorie-filled sodas with water because unconsciously drinking high-sugar beverages
can account for up to 50 extra pounds you may be carrying around. And just one can of
soda per day can double your chances of type-2 diabetes.
2. Include breakfast and stop eating two or three hours before bed. Studies show that
people who include breakfast eat 100 fewer calories a day than people who don’t. And
if you stop the unconscious evening snacking, you’ll save another 200-500 calories
each day….But after a full year of including breakfast and eliminating evening
snacking, you can be up to 30 pounds lighter!
3. Eat often and include a fruit or vegetable each time. Eating often keeps your hunger
hormones under control and prevents you from feeling starved and then overeating. By
including a fruit or vegetable with every meal or snack, you’ll be satisfied with fewer
calories while loading up with disease-fighting, fat-flushing vitamins, minerals and
antioxidants….
4. Tame your sweet tooth....First, put a halt to your sweet cravings by eating three
fruits a day. Fruit is nature’s candy and a natural way to give your brain the simple
carbohydrates it needs to prevent sweet cravings. Then, learn to dial down the level of
sweetness you desire by gradually choosing lower sugar cereals, unsweetened beverages
and desserts made with half the sugar…you’ll naturally eat less sugar without
feeling deprived….
5. Find the fat and know the good, the bad and the ugly. Choose foods that are as low
in fat as possible, then add back limited amounts of good fat….Choose lean meats,
low-fat cheeses and skim milk. Clear your pantry of anything labeled “partially
hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated.” Then add back limited portions of unsaturated and
omega-3 good fats found in foods like nuts, seeds, olive oil and salmon….
6. Replace processed, chemically-enhanced foods for wholesome, close-to-the-farm
foods…Choose whole-grain breads, rice and pastas instead of white. Go for fresh
meats and cheeses, not processed. And don’t be suckered into thinking fruit-flavored
snacks or vegetable chips are healthy alternatives to real fruit and vegetables. Wholesome
food means less sugar, fat, sodium and chemicals and provides more fiber and
natural nutrients…and provide greater hunger control than processed and
chemically-enhanced foods.
7. Eat only until you are no longer hungry….This is the most difficult habit to
master and the most important to adopt. Share an entrée, quit the “clean plate club,” eat
slowly and savor every bite. Learn to enjoy feeling satisfied and light on your feet
instead of unbutton-you-pants stuffed….When you regularly stop eating just when
you’re beginning to feel full and don’t taken even one more bite, you can save as many
as 500 calories a day…!
8. Every once in a while, when the urge or circumstance dictates, it’s all right to
eat outside the guidelines of the other habits. And understand that this habit is just as
important as the other seven. All the other habits are designed to make your body lose
weight, and when that happens, your body compensates by slowing down your metabolism.
To keep your metabolism stoked and burning calories at the appropriate rate, this
habit tells your body there’s no need to store calories because there’s no pending famine.
This habit makes the other habits fit into your life and eliminates the diet mentality
of feeling deprived and guilty…because this isn’t a diet--this is living!
Amy's Weight Loss System
You are all here because you want to lose weight. A lot of you have found things that work for you personally, and I don't want to break your system. If you want to change things up, or don't know how to lose weight, I will tell you what I have done. My husband and I came up with this, based on many factors we thought were intelligent and thought we'd experiment to see if it worked. And guess what--it did! It was fascinating and encouraging to try it, find it works, and also to research why it worked and find all sorts of supporting evidence from experts.
Here it is in a nutshell:
1. Drink water--LOTS of water!
2. Eat "whole" foods--natural, God-made, not packaged, full of fiber and protein and vitamins.
3. Cut overall food consumption--my method involves smaller meals separated by 3 to 4 hours.
4. Don't eat 3 hours before bed, and eat something small in the mornings before exercise.
5. Cut out sugar and all refined carbs--white bread, white pasta, white rice, desserts, candy, cake, and (I know) cookies! If you need one treat a week, do that, but that's just to keep you from going crazy and completely blowing your diet. It's not diet-approved food.
6. Get moving! Exercise somehow six days a week if you can.
I'll be sending specifics, but that's the basic idea. It's not revolutionary. The water is the biggest thing that people don't think will be a life-changer, so they don't do it, and they don't lose weight. So start out by drinking more this week!
Amy
Here it is in a nutshell:
1. Drink water--LOTS of water!
2. Eat "whole" foods--natural, God-made, not packaged, full of fiber and protein and vitamins.
3. Cut overall food consumption--my method involves smaller meals separated by 3 to 4 hours.
4. Don't eat 3 hours before bed, and eat something small in the mornings before exercise.
5. Cut out sugar and all refined carbs--white bread, white pasta, white rice, desserts, candy, cake, and (I know) cookies! If you need one treat a week, do that, but that's just to keep you from going crazy and completely blowing your diet. It's not diet-approved food.
6. Get moving! Exercise somehow six days a week if you can.
I'll be sending specifics, but that's the basic idea. It's not revolutionary. The water is the biggest thing that people don't think will be a life-changer, so they don't do it, and they don't lose weight. So start out by drinking more this week!
Amy
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