Skip to main content

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. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it?  After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...
6 comments
Read more

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is  still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n...
6 comments
Read more

An important note to women about men and attraction

I was raised by my mom, grandma, and two older sisters.  Growing up, never did I ever take any interest in the girls at school who tended toward exposing more skin. I always treated them as I would my female family members -- with the utmost courtesy and respect.  And anytime I suspected that a male friend or acquaintance of mine adopted a hump-and-dump attitude toward women, I nixed them from my life. I held men who treated women as objects in very low regard, and still do to this day. If women feel empowered to show off their bodies because they love and work hard on their physique, more power to them. In other words, if they're doing it to please THEMSELVES and no one else, good for them.  However, those who do it specifically to curry men's favor are making a big mistake. It sends the wrong signals and actually makes it less likely that a man will want to stick around for a committed relationship (if that's what you want as anyway).  Granted, if you're not lookin...
Post a Comment
Read more