Weight Loss Tip: Drink Water

Okay, I know you've heard this before...from me (Dec 2008, Oct 2008, and Aug 2008) and from loads of other folks...but it really is true.

Water does a lot of good for our bodies, including keeping our skin more supple and helping us to feel more full without feeling stuffed.

Not everyone finds drinking water to be an easy habit to adopt...it can be especially hard if you are used to drinking things with loads of flavor or sugar. If that is the case you can ease into drinking more water by trying some herbal teas. Let them steep for a long time so you get loads of flavor.

Amanda Wicker, a fellow Lovelander, a weight loss inspiration and success story (she has lost 130lbs) wrote recently that she had a hard time getting enough water and felt it was a chore. I thought it would be good to share her perspective on drinking water.

"I found that I had to change my mind-set about it. When I started thinking about water as the conductor to flush fat and toxins out of my body, I was actually excited to drink my daily water."

This is an important point--we must change our mindset in order to lose weight. If we continue to think about them in the same way, we will have the same results.

Amanda points out some more benefits to drinking water:

• Helps control hunger and cravings
• Enhances fat loss
• Boosts metabolism
• Helps us look younger
• Flushes toxins from our bodies
• Key to disease prevention

Amanda's tips to increase your water

• Have a water bottle for home, car and work
• Add a piece of fruit or mint to your water for a splash of flavor
• Drink from a straw, it helps you drink more in a shorter amount of time
• Drink a glass of water before each meal, it will curb hunger and increase hydration
• Order water instead of soda at a restaurant

Amanda notes:

"We are literally exposed to hundreds of harmful substances daily. Our air, our foods and everything we touch has traces of harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, we can't keep toxins from getting into our bodies, but we can help our bodies get rid of them with water. Most of the degenerative diseases are the result of toxins building up in the body."

Tap water vs Bottled water

Water can be one of your best health and weight loss tools...but there is the ongoing debate over tap versus bottled water. Most tap water has a lot of chlorine in it...it will test "safe" but I don't like the way it smells or tastes. You might not even be aware of it--but that in itself may keep you from drinking enough water. Water should not have an odor or taste. Buying bottles of water can be expensive and it results in lots of little plastic bottles around which is not good for our environment. I recommend filtering your water rather than buying those expensive bottles...you get the same clean water without all the plastic.

So drink up! To your health and the health of our planet!