Tips, Tricks, and Tidbits Part 3

Here are a few more things that I have learned over the course of my weight loss journey.  And I have to warn you they may be a tad bit personal.  But all are absolutely things that have to be talked about, and the third one is extra personal.  Double if you are a woman.  So guys if you want to skip the last tip go ahead, I would recommend reading it though so that way you can be a little more sensitive about what we have to go through as women.

First up...WATER!  You have to drink it.  It's essential to life and it's important to weight loss.  I drink probably about a gallon to a gallon and half a day.  I can not even begin to stress how important it is to stay hydrated. I run into people who say they don't like water, and then there are those who don't drink water.  I always wonder how they are still alive and walking around.  A person  can go several weeks without food...if you have water.  Not that I would recommend it.  But a person can only live 3-5 DAYS without water.  That's under normal circumstances.  Someone who is physically overexerted in the heat without replacing any fluids can actually die within a period of several hours.  Scary.

How much water should we be drinking a day?  The old stand by is 8 cups a day.  But after doing lots and lots of research I have found several different places that say what you should do is take your body weight divide it in half and that is the number of ounces you should be drinking in a day...at least. Example:  Let us say you weigh 150 pounds then you should be drinking AT LEAST 75 ounces of water a day.  If you are physically active then you should drink more.  Drink during workouts and after especially if you got really sweaty.  These are my two glasses.  The Dallas Cowboy glass holds 4 cups or 32 ounces, and the Texas Made glass holds about 3 1/2 cups or 28 ounces.  I drink 3 Dallas Cowboy glasses through out the day, one with breakfast, one with lunch, and one with dinner.  I drink two Texas Made glasses, one at the gym and the other one when I go to pick up my daughter from school.  When I was at my heaviest 280 I had to drink 140 ounces of water a day and I just got used to it. So that's why I still drink that much water.  Besides I always loved water so it wasn't that hard for me to get used to drinking so much of it.  Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink.  By that time your body is begging for water.

If you are having trouble drinking your allotted water throughout the day there are a few things you can try.  Try drinking it through a straw.  This will help you drink it faster and you will be able to finish it quickly.  Also you can try squeezing a wedge of lemon into it.  And now there are water bottle infusers.  They have a section where you can add fruit or vegetables or even herbs or a combination of stuff to make flavored water. Here is a website dedicated to infused water. http://nutritionstripped.com/simply-infused-water/  As for me I prefer my water with nothing in it.

There are certain fruits that have a high water content. Watermelon and strawberries are among the highest. Other fruits with high water content include grapefruit, cantaloupe, peaches. Also included are pineapple, cranberries, oranges, and raspberries.  The list goes on and on with apricots, blueberries, plums, apples, pears, cherries, grapes and even bananas  And if you eat your daily servings of fruit can also get water from them.  And don't forget about vegetables. On top of the vegetables list are cucumbers and lettuce. Zucchini, radish, celery, tomato, cauliflower, eggplant, red cabbage, peppers, spinach, broccoli, carrots, green peas, and white potatoes.  http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/list-fruits-vegetable-high-water-content-8958.html  And water is just one thing you get from fruits and vegetables.  Don't forget about all the other benefits from getting your daily servings of both of those.  But don't rely on just fruits and veggies for your water intake, you need actual water, and in case you're wondering, coffee, sodas, and tea do not count toward your daily intake of water.  Sorry.


How does water help with weight loss?  http://www.ehow.com/facts_5499258_drinking-water-lose-weight.html  It keeps you hydrated and can keep you from overeating.  You should drink water before, during, and after a meal.  And there are many times that we confuse thirst with hunger.  If you find you are hungry but it's not time to have something to eat, then drink water and wait 30 minutes or so if your still hungry then have a piece of fruit, that way you can get even more water in your system.  And if you are well hydrated then you shouldn't get those hunger pangs until it's the actual time to eat.  Water also aids with digestion.  http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/does-drinking-water-help-you-lose-weight  It helps lower blood pressure, and cholesterol.  Not only that it's so good for your skin.  After years and years of battling pimples and using all kinds of creams and potions, water is what finally cleared it up.  It also helps your liver burn fat.  And we are all for burning fat right, so drink up!  Being in a good health is vital if you are trying to lose weight.  And nothing does it better than drinking water. It washes out the toxins, making your body cleaner and healthier. Which is a very important condition under which your body will be able to restore its balance and get into shape. http://allwomenstalk.com/10-ways-how-water-helps-you-to-lose-weight/   You should also drink before, during, and after a workout.  Water helps build muscles and it will also help with soreness.  And you may think that drinking all that water will make you feel bloated, but actually if you don't drink enough water it can cause you to be dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to water retention which means you’ll be bloated and have extra water weight.

If you are wondering if you're well hydrated then the simple rule is pale yellow pee.  Check it, it's not gross it's important to know that you are drinking the amount of water you need.  

So let us say you are retaining water. One thing you can do is cut back on your sodium.  All that salt will make you hold on to extra water.  Every month I have this problem, yup when I'm on my period (I told you it was going to get personal).  One day I was talking to my fitness sisters about how I retain water during my  menstrual cycle.  And one of them told me this little nugget.  Try drinking powdered fiber.  It worked for her sister although she cautioned me that it doesn't work for everyone but even if it didn't work for me at least I would be getting extra fiber and it's something that our bodies need any way.  So I tried it and IT WORKED!  It's 2 teaspoons (not 2 tablespoons) in at least 4 ounces of water.  You can put it in tea but not into anything that is fizzy.  And it doesn't dissolve very well if the fluid it is really hot or cold you get big clumps of powder swimming around your water.  No amount of stirring or shaking will make those suckers dissolve.  The reason I say not 2 tablespoons is because my dear sweet mixed up husband one day accidentally used a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon.  And it says it right on the back  2 TEASPOONS! He's so crazy.  I also have the On the Go packets, in case I'm not at home.  Recently I bought the gummies but I have not tried them yet so no verdict on if they work the same as the powder.  The fiber powder is also sold in orange flavor but like I already said I like my water flavorless.

WARNING THE NEXT SUBJECT IS OF A SENSITIVE NATURE

We as women put our bodies through a whole lot.  And if you have had a baby then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you laugh too hard, or cough too hard, or even sneeze...you pee.  Having baby sure does a number on our bodies.  It seems that nothing works like it used to before baby.  Even without having a baby, age also has a way of taking a toll on our bodies, or if you have had surgery, and certainly being overweight doesn't help.  I had started using these pads a few years ago, after I got really fed up with accidentally wetting myself after sneezing.  Mind you, if there are still guys reading this, it's not like a whole stream of pee comes out, but enough to where I had to change my undies and I was sick and tired of doing that.  I found these pads at Walmart and I'm not ashamed to say that they have really helped me.  They are not for periods, they are for bladder protection.

After I started working out I found that they also help in the gym.  I had lost about 20 pounds and we were doing modified jumping jacks.  Well, I thought I would give regular jumping jacks a try and the first one popped one knee, the second one popped the other knee, but the third one made me pee.  So that was enough of that.  And I know I'm not the only one who has this problem.  I have talked about it once with my fitness sisters but it seems like it's a taboo subject.  I don't know why, it's not like we can help it.  It's just that after having a baby, and being so overweight for so long, those kegel muscles just don't seem to work like they used to.  Although there are exercises that women can do to try to strengthen them.  Here is some good info on kegels.  But I'll go ahead and recap what it says.  http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/kegel-exercises/art-20045283   Kegel exercises strengthen those muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum.  If you are wondering where your kegel muscles are they are pretty easy to find when you are using the potty and you are peeing, try to stop midstream. If you succeed, you've got the right muscles.  Once you find them here where is what you do.  Finish emptying your bladder and lie on your back. Tighten the muscles, hold it for five seconds, and then relax for five seconds. Try it four or five times in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions. For best results, focus on tightening only those muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or glutes.  And as with any exercises avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises. Aim for at least three sets of 10 reps a day.  And FYI, don't stop urinating mid-stream as your regular kegel exercise routine that's just for trying to figure out which muscles they are. Doing the exercises while peeing can actually have the opposite effect, weakening the muscles.  You can do kegel exercises, pretty much anytime.  I could be doing them right now...you don't know.

So that's about it for now.  After talking about all that water stuff, I got a bit parched.  Time to get a glass of water...please do the same your body will thank you.  Cheers!