Water is your friend, not your foe

Water... is it my arch nemesis ?  I have this love/hate relationship with it.  I camouflage it in tea, coffee, ice in my smoothies but rarely do I sit down and enjoy a tall, cold glass of it.

As most of us know, we are made up of a significant portion of water - some say 90%, some say 70%... whatever the percentage it is up there.  And most of us also know that the drink of choice should be water.  Hydration is essential to survival.  It is also essential to weight loss.

How does it help us lose weight?  Well first of all, it fills you up.  Drink a glass of water before each meal and then check your hunger levels.  You simply won't be able to consume the same amount of food as you would have without the H2O.


Water also helps the body flush out toxins, maintain muscle tone and move that fiber along.  Without it you may spend a few days grimacing while you visit the washroom.  Water and fiber go hand in hand!

A common misnomer is that water will cause you to bloat. Quite the opposite.  Low carb diets flush out water.  You need to maintain your water intake to ensure you avoid dehydration plus it keeps weight loss going down - in the right direction!

There are a ton of articles out there that discuss all the benefits associated with drinking water while following a low carb eating plan.   How much water is always under debate. I push for 6 cups per day not including herbal teas.  Do I get that quantity daily? Nope but like I said, I push for it.  What I find really works for me is a tall glass of water first thing in the morning flavored with a slice of lemon. That seems to start the day off right.  Then whenever I go for a snack I will have a glass of water along with it.  Plus, if I remember, I will shoot for a glass before each meal.  If you add that all up, you can easily reach your desired water consumption.  Unfortunately I tend to forget to drink it !

Whenever you hit a plateau first take a long look at your water intake.  Up it to 8 glasses a day and check back in with the scale (if you and the scale get along) after 1 wk to see if you have broken through that plateau. Chances are your water consumption was the culprit all along.