WATER CONSUMPTION

I found this to be extremely helpful!!! I hope it helps you!!

Water & 20 Tips For Getting Your 8 Glasses Daily
How 8 Glasses a Day Keeps Fat Away
Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take it for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss!
Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. If the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and weight loss stops. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extra cellular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give the body what it needs.PLENTY OF WATER. Only then will the stored water be released. If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of un-needed salt is easy - just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys, it takes away excess sodium. The overweight person needs more water than the thin one! Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the overweight person needs more water. Water helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient. Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all the metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste. Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But, when a person gets enough water, normal bowel functions returns. So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:
The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.
Retained water shows up as excess weight.
To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.
Drinking water is essential to weight loss. How much water is enough??
On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry. Water should preferably be cold - it's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. And some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced. Once this happens you have reached the "breakthrough point". What does this mean?
Endocrine-gland function improves.
Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
Natural thirst returns.
There is loss of hunger almost overnight.
If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough".
By Donald S. Robertson, M.D., M. Sc
20 Tips For Getting Your 8 Glasses of Water Daily
Sometimes drinking our eight glasses of water a day can be a real challenge Here are 20 tips to help you accomplish that feat! It is said by many beauty experts that drinking your water is the cheapest, quickest way to look better! That should motivate us!

1. Make a bet with a co-worker to see who can drink more water in the course of a day.

2. Have a big glass of water at every transitional point of the day: when you first get up, just before leaving the house, when you sit down to work, etc.

3. Make it convenient - keep a big, plastic, insulated water bottle full on your desk and reach for it all day.

4. When you have juice (apple, grape, or orange) fill half the glass with water.

5. When you have a junk-food craving, down a glass of water immediately. You feel full quickly and avoid the calories, and it lets time pass till the craving fades.

6. Have one glass every hour on the hour while at work. When the work day is done your water quota is met.

7. Substitute a cup of hot water with a drop of honey for tea or coffee.

8. While at work, get a 20 ounce cup of ice and keep filling it up from the office water cooler. The key is drinking with a straw - you take bigger gulps and drink much more.

9. Freeze little bits of peeled lemons, limes, and oranges and use them in place of ice cubes - it's refreshing and helps get in a serving or two of fruit.

10. After each trip to the restroom, guzzle an eight-ounce glass to replenish your system.

11. Don't allow yourself a diet soda until you've had two to four glasses of water. You will find that you won't want the soda anymore or that just half a can is enough.

12. Let ounces of water double grams of fat: When eating something containing 10 grams of fat, I drink 20 ounces of water.

13. Drink two full glasses at each meal, one before and one after. Also, drink one glass before each snack so you don't eat as much.

14. Carry a small refillable water bottle at all times and drink during downtime; while waiting in a bank line, sitting on the train, etc.

15. Use a beautiful gold-rimmed glass and fill it with cold water from the tap.

16. Drink two glasses of water immediately after waking up.

17. Bring a two-liter bottle of water to work and try to drink it all before you leave work. If you don't finish, drink it in traffic on the way home - it's like a race.

18. Always keep a 24-ounce bottle of water handy while watching TV, doing laundry, making dinner, etc.

19. Add drinking two glasses of water to your daily skincare regimen. Drink, cleanse, moisturize, etc., then drink again.

20. Drink your water out of a big Pyrex measuring cup - it's a good way to keep track of how much water you are drinking.

I have a rough time drinking water too - If I force myself to carry around a bottle, then I'm more likely to drink it than if it's not readily available. Just keep one handy with you at all times, and you'll find yourself sipping out of it more likely than not!

There are some great recipes and such on this forum if you check out the Food and Nutrition threads! If you stick with fresh ingredients that aren't processed, you can't really go wrong

Welcome to myfitnesspal.com!

Athina

Hi April! I agree with Athina! I'm the same way. I just make sure I have a bottle with me at all times and, just like Athina said, you find yourself sipping on it when your not even thirsty! Drink water with every meal and try to drink at least half the glass right when you get it! It will get easier! I was like you and was lucky to drink ANYTHING, much less water, worth more than about 16oz, 32 oz at best but now I drink anywhere from 10-15 glasses of water a day. Just think, one water bottle is 2 to 2 1/2 glasses, depending on the size bottle!!!! 4 bottles a day and you are set!!!

Do read up my blog article that talks about how much water you should ideally be drinking and how can you slowly build up your body to start drinking more water. You have to train your body to drink water and once you've started practicing this - you'll be more thirsty than hungry.

http://thesupergal.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/water/

You need water and oxygen to keep your body cells alive. This is why you need to drink more than what you are drinking right now (and work out gets your body the oxygen it needs to function well and normally).
Hope this helps!

I'm right there with you girl! For the longest time I wouldn't drink more than 2 cups a day and my weight loss was very slow. Then, I started drinking more, but with the artificially sweetened drinks like Crystal light, diet cokes... Although this increased my liquid intake, my blood pressure shot up and I started getting bloated - my weight loss stalled for 2 weeks. After evaluating what was going on and what I might be doing wrong (I was staying withing my calorie range) I realized that I wasnt drinking straight water.

Sure enough, I started on just water, at least 6 cups a day and that week I lost 2 lbs! I know understand and believe that water is essential to our well being and weight loss!

Good luck and keep it up!!

I get a Super Big Gulp from 7-11, it is a 32 oz fountain drink. I know you all must be thinking, how many empty calories a fountain drink has in it. However, they now have Unsweetened Ice Tea in the fountain machine, it's BW Coppers Unsweetened Tea. My HR manager and myself are addicted. I try to drink water out of a 20oz. party cup during the morning at work and then at lunch time I get my Super Big Gulp of Tea and drink that for the rest of the afternoon. My goal is to have it finished before I leave work so that I leave the cup at work so I do not have to remember to bring it back to the office the next day. Since it is cheaper to just get a refill at 7-11 rather than buying a new cup each time.

I know straight water would probably be better for me, but I figured drinking unsweetened tea is better than the Super Big Gulp of Coca Cola.

Welcome to MFP,
i HAD a gard time w/ water too, not only did I hate it b/c theres no taste, BUT I buy the squeeze bottle lemon and w/ every bottle of water (which = 2cups of H2O) I squirt some lemon juice in it. Its so refreshing!!!! and better tasting than plain water!!!!.
Good luck!

for some ODD reason this works for me. i also use a lemonade mix to put in my water sometimes. but i don't count it on MFP unless it's straight water.

Those "mixes" have calories, so make sure to count them on MFP..

yeah, i know, but i meant i don't count it as water consumption unless it's straight water. so i may drink 1glass of lemonade mix & 5glasses of straight water but i'll only count 5glasses of water consumption even tho i had 6glasses.

sorry 4 the misunderstandin :blushing:

p.s.: i don't have the lemonade everyday, i made some a few days ago & i have yet 2 drink any (altho i took 1 tblsp for taste that was it & yes it was 1 tblsp b/c i measured lol :laugh: )