Another diet plan down the drain, you lost a couple pounds and the excitement wore off. You hit a plateau and you no longer want to eat the food that taste like pure cardboard?! The truth is there is an easier way to cut the pounds, and it’s free. Water is the healthiest thing that you can put into your body and by doing so more often your body feels more nourished and craves less food, results- you are eating less calories. I can’t tell you how many times I have reached into the cupboard for something to eat only realizing that my body was really thirsty. It’s common to get the two confused and we are more likely to reach for food than a glass of water.
An Easy Way to Speed Up Your Metabolism
Simply drinking water increases the speed of your metabolism. This is one of the best ways to kick your body into gear. You need to speed up your metabolism in order to burn calories and drinking water does that.
I remember my nephew coming to my house one day. He is thirteen years old and already over six feet tall, he is a giant. The kid eats non-stop, we sat down to have a sandwich and he asked me to have another one, of course I knew he would want another one, so I already had it prepared. He ate the two sandwiches, which were actually quite big, and then he proceeded to ask me for another one. I had been watching him curiously and noticed that not once had he had anything to drink.
“Have you had any water today?” I asked him.
“No, I don’t think so.” He said looking at me expectantly, waiting for his third sandwich.
I placed a big glass of water in front of him.
“Drink this first and then I will make your sandwich.” I said, and I went about finishing my first sandwich and cleaning up.
After giving me a sideways glare, he drank the water. I noticed him leaving the table and putting his plate and cup by the sink. He didn’t even ask me for the third sandwich. A couple minutes later I did ask him if he wanted that sandwich and he said he was no longer hungry. I knew his body was thirsty but he wasn’t able to tell the difference, and often our bodies do that because we do eat foods that contain water and our body can be nourished with those foods, so the lines of hunger and thirst can get confused.
The next time my nephew came over I gave him plenty of water, and he ate much less. I also tried to tell him how important it was to make sure his body had enough water to function, and lucky for me he is a great listener.
Watch the Habits of Your Kids Water Drinking, It will Usually Mimic Your Own
I began to observe my young kids and their eating habits a little closer after this day with my nephew. My daughter would often walk into the kitchen complaining that she was hungry when we had finished a meal just fifteen minutes ago. Each time she did this I handed her a glass of water, I told her that after she had her water she was welcome to have something to eat. She listened to me because she had to, but getting a five year old to understand the importance of water was a little more difficult than explaining it to my nephew. The best way or my daughter to learn how important water was; was to watch her mom drink water regularly.
So I do agree with the saying ‘listen to your body’ but when your body is telling you that it is hungry, it is always good to try and drink water first.
Remember, our bodies flourish when taken care of correctly and one of the easiest ways to nourish your body is to drink water. If you are trying to lose weight it is even more important and you should consider drinking 10-12 eight ounce glasses daily.
Reasons to drink more water:
- Speed up your metabolism
- Helps lessen appetite
- Improves your skin
- Has been known to help with joint pain
- Helps to boost your energy levels
- Flushes toxins out of your system
- Helps fight diseases
Helpful Ways to Increase Your Water Intake
1. There are creative ways to help us drink more water, I know that it can be a tedious task and challenging at times, that’s why most of us aren't doing it. Here are some ways to make it more creative.
2. Get the family involved by making it a game. The first person to drink their allotted amount of water gets to chose dinner for the night.
3. Get a water bottle sports coach. You can now purchase products that keep track of how much water you have consumed for the day. These water bottles a great way to see how much more water you need to drink and how much you have already had.
4. Set an alarm on your cell phone. In the middle of the day have an alarm go off reminding you to drink your water.
Give it a Try
So go ahead and give it a try, you really have nothing to lose. Drink water before and after you eat and see what it does for you. It really is one of the most efficient way to shed some of those unwanted pounds and the best part is there are no gimmicks, diet pills or costly subscriptions. So stop reading and go have a nice big glass of water.