Water-The
Most Important Ingredient to Weight Loss and Fitness
Are you tired? Do you suffer headaches? Are you having
difficulty losing weight or performing up to par? You
may be neglecting an easy, yet important part of your
health and fitness routine.
We know that water plays
a very positive role on how our body functions, yet
many of us still aren't consuming the famous eight glasses
of water each day.
Habits
"Whenever
I go into the kitchen to get a glass of water, I end
up grabbing something else instead, like pop",
says Hilary.
Hilary is not alone
in her actions. Many of us opt out of consuming water
because we've never gotten into the habit of drinking
it on a regular basis.
"I don't
drink nearly enough water",
confesses Shelley. "I just don't think about
it. I drink a lot of coffee, so I don't get thirsty."
It's a matter of life
Drinking water is no
longer an option, it's a necessity.
Our body demands hydration
in order to perform optimally. In fact, because our
body is made of more than 75% water, we will perish
without it.
When you deprive your
body of water, it reacts in the same manner as when
we deprive ourselves of food.it holds onto what it
already has in store instead of eliminating it.
Susan Baumbach is now
a believer in the benefits of water. She's made it
a habit to drink eight glasses each day, even when
she is on the road.
"I'm really
aware of my water intake, as I have deduced that headaches
I used to get in the afternoon were actually my body's
way of telling me it was getting dehydrated."
If that's not reason
enough to start drinking, how about this?
Water Perks
At no cost to you,
water has multiple commercial benefits:
· quenches your thirst
better than any other beverage · acts as a beauty
product by helping to keep your skin blemish free
· cosmetically enhances your body by helping to keep
your skin firm · works as a fitness trainer by helping
to maintain your muscle tone
Saving the best for
last
"Believe
it or not, water is by far the most important element
of your weight loss program. If you want to lose weight
permanently, drink up"
says
Joanne
Bednar of
Motivation
Station.
We will spend money
on miracle pills and shakes. We'll purchase workout
videos and exercise machines. Shouldn't we take advantage
of the one tried and true method that costs nothing?
Water is as close as
your faucet, doesn't require exercise clothes or a
membership and doesn't take any time out of our already
jam packed day.
Suggested Intake
Joanne Bednar
of
Motivation
Station suggests
you drink 8-10 8-oz. glasses of water each and every
day. On the days that you exercise, she recommends
you consume 9-13 8-oz. glasses.
Need Help?
If you have a hard
time consuming the recommended daily allowance of
water, here are a couple of suggestions to make the
adjustment (and trips to the bathroom) easier.
- each day for a week,
replace one of your traditional beverages with a
glass of water. On the second week, replace two
beverages with water and so on, until you are drinking
your 8 glasses each day.
- fill up a large
juice container with water in the morning and attempt
to finish it by early evening.
- Try to drink a glass
of water before and during each meal.
- Carry a filled water
bottle with you whenever you leave the house.
