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This can prevent you from losing weight

You exercise. You lower your food portions. You eat healthy. You do everything you know you're supposed to do in order to shed some pounds.

And yet, you step on the scale and, to your dismay, your weight doesn't go down; in some cases, it even goes up!

Doesn't make any sense, does it?

I have found myself in a similar conundrum over the years. Eventually, it dawned on me that my near-obsessive habit of drinking Diet Coke was probably working against me. When I probed even deeper, I realized that depriving my body of water was likely making it more difficult to lose weight.

I mistakenly assumed that drinking more water would make your body retain more of it. But the exact opposite is true: The less water you drink, the more your body hoards whatever water you have in your system, thereby making you heavier. 

I learned years ago that my dark yellow urine likely meant I was dehydrated. (A pale color with a tinge of yellow, on the other hand, suggests the body is sufficiently hydrated.) Regrettably, I never considered changing my eating and drinking habits accordingly. Had I done so sooner, I might be far slimmer and healthier today. 

Two weeks ago, I finally decided to make a lifestyle change: I had no choice but to cut back on the soda and learn to enjoy -- or at least tolerate -- drinking water. 

Like many people, I've always found the taste of water plain and boring. I never really drank it unless I was exercising and/or really thirsty and could not get my hands on a can of Diet Coke. I've tried using lemons, limes, and other enhancers to give the water more of a kick, but it doesn't make me any more receptive to drinking it. 

So I had to resort to training my mind to actually want water. How, you ask? By ingraining in my mind that water is something my body needs. It's not a matter of wanting anymore. If I want to lose weight more easily and feel better overall, water is no longer optional -- but essential. 

Granted, I don't drink the recommended eight 8-ounce glasses of water every single day. But in my view, the turnaround has been astounding. I now drink as much water in a day as I would over several weeks (gym water notwithstanding). And it's already paying off, as I've dropped a few pounds over the last month. 

Some people think exercise and eating less/healthier is all it takes to lose weight. (I was one of them.) But little do they know that upping their water intake can go a long way. 

If you're not a big water drinker and are struggling to shed some pounds, try increasing your consumption of it for a few weeks and see if it helps you lose weight quicker. Though that might mean cutting back on the soda, juice, and/or liquor, you'll be glad you did. 
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