When making a lifestyle change we often focus on eliminating the food problems. We often tend to stop buying as much junk food and start eating more healthier. We start buying more whole foods, eating more vegetables and fruits but we often forget one of the most important things. And that is drinking Water.
IF YOU FEEL THIRSTY YOU ARE ALREADY DEHYDRATED.
YOU SHOULD NEVER FEEL THIRSTY!
I hear all the time people say that they are giving up soda to replace it with diet soda. They think this will help them lose weight when they are completely wrong. People drink soda with their meals not even realizing that the soda neutralizes the stomach acid. So when this is happening your body is not breaking down the food properly.
People do not drink enough water on a daily basis (me being included) until I started realizing what was happening to my body. People often mistake thirst for hunger.
Some of us walk around dehydrated thinking their light-handedness in the gym is a result of their bodies not being use to healthier food. The common rule of thumb is to drink eight glasses each day. One glass equals eight ounces of water. So that would be 64 ounces per day. But if you want to know your exact amount multiply your body weight by 60%. And the number you come up with is the amount you should be drinking in ounces. Example (If a 200 pound person were to calculate their daily intake they should be drinking 120 ounces of water per day.)
Now before you start thinking to yourself that is a lot of water here is something you should know. Your body is 75% water. Our bodies need water to make blood and other bodily fluids. It is also needed to flush fat out of our systems by sweeping it through our digestive track before your body has a chance to absorb it.
I say all this to say, water is the single most important element when it comes to losing weight. The more water you drink the less you retain, if you see yourself having a lot of water weight that is your body letting you know that it is does not get that much water so it better keep whatever amount it already has in its possession.
So the next time you want to think about getting something to drink, make sure you reach for the water not the soda!