Real Facts About Daily Water Consumption

After looking through multiple reliable sources, I realized something this morning that I was incredibly misinformed about. Water intake guidelines!  Most of us are taught to be sure to drink our 64 ounces a day for good health.  However, the truth actually is this: 64 ounces is minimal to what our bodies need daily of water.  It is like saying, "You need 20 grams of fiber a day" when your body would work much more efficiently on 30 or 35.  Let me break it down to everyone the way it was broken down to me ... It really shocked me how much I was lacking in water my body needed but I wasn't giving it!

The truth in numbers is simply this equation:  We should consume half our body weight in ounces of water spread out over the day, for our bodies to function at their best.  So, in other words, if a man weighs 180 pounds, he should be consuming 90 ounces of water over the course of a day.  And if he is doing strenuous activity during the day he should add even more to that number to compensate.  Note please that I'm not saying, "Hey!  Drink 40 or 60 ounces of water in an hour until you reach your goal!" ... That is dangerous!!!  Instead, your water consumption needs to be spread out evenly over the day.  Take the ounces you need and divide it out by how much you should drink per hour or even every two hours.  Consistency and not chugging huge quantities at a time are two totally different things.  An easy way I do my water intake is by using my trusty Styrofoam McDonald's large size cup for my ice water ... And make sure to drink ICE water because it actually helps burn calories if you do!  Anyways, I fill up my cup, which is 32 ounces.  That is four cups of water right there!  Think of how fast we all can drink a large soda lol.  Drinking the same size amount of water isn't really a big deal.  Don't get caught up in how much more you have to drink to reach your ideal intake.  Instead, jot down how many times you've emptied that cup and feel good about it!  Getting to our goal isn't something you can just jump out and do either.  You have to step up to it.  Going too much too fast will make you feel sickly and spend all day in the bathroom lol.  But I guarantee you that when you get closer to your ideal intake, your hunger almost diminishes!  That's because people so commonly mistake thirst for hunger.  They actually can stimulate our brains the same way.  Weird, I know, but it is true!  And to be totally honest, my body felt about a zillion times better having had a much higher than typical water intake.  Please trust me here ... I promise I will never feed you promises that don't help or are unreasonable.  I've been on the receiving end of that many times and it just makes you more frustrated!  Right?  Right.   So give this a serious chance friends.  I bet you will be thanking me soon enough for the information ... I hope!

That's all for tonight ... See you all tomorrow!

No Excuses! Part Two

Just because you are eating low carb foods, it doesn't mean that you have to over indulge in high fat protein rich foods.  I make chicken, fish, and pork and save red meats for twice a week at most.  Also, I use my grill almost every day!  It cooks the meat in a healthy way, and it has such a good flavor.  I add seasonings to my meats, but you have to be sure and check that your seasoning is not a secret carb hoarder lol.  Look for sugar in the seasoning ingredients.  If you see it, don't use it.  Remember, sugar equals carbs.  Also, I really limit our salt intakes.  So use salt sparingly, because too much sodium is bad for the heart and also will cause water retention!  I know that I am spilling a lot of information and fast, but take your time when you read it, and make notes!  That is how I learned :)  I had to do a lot of research to set us up for all of this, and it makes me happy to offer you all a one stop shop for information about this lifestyle change. 

Something that I think helped us is that we don't really "count calories" ...  We keep them in mind, and try to be conscious of them, but we keep our focus on sugars and carbs.  When you eat that way, your body will eat lower calories on it's own, without you having to stress about that as well.  I don't know about you but I need all the stress relief that I can get lol!  My rule of thumb right now is to make sure that we do not eat more than 100 carbs a day, and usually we eat much less.  I know that it sounds overwhelming, but it is easier than you think.  The only carbs that we get are complex carbs, from things like our veggies and fruit.  Make sure that you keep track of what you eat during the day.  That is VERY important.  I also recommend using a free online program called Fit Day to help you track and manage your eating.  Fit Day is also great with tracking exercise and it shows you how many calories your body burns during rest and activities.  It also helps you keep track of your weight loss progress.  :)

Another thing that is important is to make sure that you are getting dairy in your diet.  Your body needs calcium!  Get those three servings in each day and you will see some carb content come from that but it is minimal.  Also make sure that you are taking a daily vitamin to ensure that you are getting all the vitamins and nutrients that you need.  Remember that water is your friend! Try to get those 64 ounces in there.  My husband and I have a water bottle with us all the time.  If you don't like the taste of plain water, add lemon to it.  We find that makes it taste better and not so bland.  Also, if you feel hungry, drink a glass of water first.  Most times when we feel hunger it is actually thirst. If after drinking eight ounces of water, and waiting a few minutes see if your hunger goes away.  More often than not it does.  Also, another helpful hint: drink ice water.  It helps hydrate you PLUS it helps burn calories!  I will admit that a guilty pleasure of mine is a fountain pop.  There is just something about them that I crave.  I will allow myself one per day (diet of course) and it makes me not feel like I am so deprived of everything.  But I always make sure to drink my water first, and never drink more than one soda a day.  Diet soda is better than regular soda for many reasons, but ideally you don't want to drink them either, as they are hard on your body.  My ultimate goal is to get off the fountain pop addiction sooner than later lol.


I know that I have posted several "don't do this" posts, and so now I am going to get into what we eat every day so you see the plan in action.  I will also update periodically on our weight loss progress.  And by all means, if you have any questions, please ask!  I will do my best to answer them and if I can't myself, then I will find the answer out from a reliable source for you!  :)