Nutrition
34 tips for drinking more water
Nutrition
34 tips for drinking more water
Drinking water is important for weight loss
Bob – a participant in one of my workshops – has a waterful weight loss story worth sharing. He was a reasonably healthy man who exercised regularly and ate mostly healthfully but he had a vice that was impacting his weight. He had a big, bad soda habit.
Six months earlier Bob had started a new job that necessitated an early start and long days. To keep his energy up he started drinking cola – four or ï¬�ve 18-ounce bottles every day. His excuse was that he didn't like coffee.
He bought flats of soda and had bottles stashed in his car, and in the fridge at work and home.
At 218 calories a bottle, the sodas accounted for over 1000 extra calories every day that his body didn’t need. Those calories went straight to Bob's belly. He wanted to lose about 25 pounds.
On his 47th birthday Bob's present to himself was to give up cola cold turkey. At �rst he suffered from sugar withdrawal and admitted to the occasional diet cola when he needed a caffeine jolt, but other than that he drank water.
He was astonished by how quickly he saw results. In the �rst week alone Bob lost three pounds, noticing that the absence of sugary cola in his diet decreased cravings for other sweets as well.
What are the benefits of drinking more water?
Not only that, but by drinking water instead of soda he had more energy, not less. The energy he gained from the sugary, caffeine-rich sodas was often short-lived and left him jittery. Water seemed to help him stay alert and energized all through the day.
The hydrating bene�ts of water were so apparent that his work day and his workouts gained energy-driven momentum and added to his results.
In one month Bob lost 14 pounds – more than half of his goal weight – simply by replacing soda with water and riding the energy wave to an even healthier lifestyle.
Bob also �gures he's saved hundreds of dollars every month not buying soda. If you're a soda drinker, try Bob's waterful whatever it takes weight loss method.
Page 1 of 3 -- Check out some easy tips for drinking more water on page 2
Quick and easy tips for drinking more water
1. Spice up plain old water by adding fresh mint leaves. Mmmm, refreshing.
2. Instead of setting down an empty glass, re�ll it with water and keep sipping.
3. Every time you pass a water cooler stop and take a sip.
4. If you're feeling hungry and you've eaten recently, drink a cold glass of water, and wait a minute or two. You could just be dehydrated.
5. Make your water more interesting by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime.
6. Add ice cubes to your water – this helps to burn calories when your body brings the water temperature up.
7. Dilute your juice (apple, grape, or orange) with water. It's usually too sweet anyway. More hydration with less calories.
8. Make it a morning ritual. Start your day by drinking one or two glasses of water. Start early, feel better, set the trend for the day.
9. Eat water-rich foods like watermelon (92 per cent water by weight) for a refreshing, hydrating break from sipping. Just be sure to include the calories in your daily plan.
10. Have a big glass of water at every transitional point of the day: When you ï¬�rst get up, before you leave the house, when you sit down to work, when you go to lunch…
11. Get a glass you love. My water mug says "Today is the start of a new journey" and I'm inspired to sip from it every time I look at it.
12. After each trip to the restroom, drink some water to replenish your system.
13. Okay, I know it's less fun, but every now and then when you're out for cocktails ask yourself "Do I really want this?" At some social functions choose sparkling soda instead.
14. Drink water or diet drinks instead of high-calorie, sugar-sweetened drinks.
15. Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, save your money and the environment and invest in a �lter for your home faucet. Or get a portable Brita. Make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.
16. Have a glass of water with your meal, especially when you're drinking alcohol.
17. Take a bottle of water with you on your walks.
18. Carry a bottle you like. Mine is a traditional plastic Nalgene that I've covered in stickers. I bought an easy-sip mouth piece so it doesn't spill when I'm sipping on the go.
19. Freeze little bits of peeled lemons, limes and oranges and use them in place of ice cubes -- it's refreshing and helps get in a serving of fruit.
20. While at work, �ll a big glass with ice and keep �lling it up from the of�ce water cooler.
Page 2 of 3 -- Check out 14 extra tips for drinking more water on page 3
14 extra tips for drinking more water
21. At home always keep a glass of water handy while watching TV, doing laundry, making dinner or sur�ng the net.
22. Replace your coffee or tea with a cup of hot water and a drop of honey.
23. Keep water cold. Some �nd it tastes better and your body will burn some calories bringing it to body temperature.
24. Room temperature water is better if you're dehydrated. Your body absorbs it more quickly.
25. Drink through a straw and you'll take bigger gulps and drink much more.
26. Build up your water levels. Start with one or two glasses �rst thing in the morning and add on.
27. Carry a small reï¬�llable water bottle at all times and drink while you wait…standing in line, sitting in trafï¬�c or even waiting for the elevator.
28. Track it. Once I started keeping track of my water intake it went up. One check mark for every glass consumed.
29. Visualize your healthy, glowing skin.
30. "I have to pee every ten minutes." As you run off to the restroom yet again, remind yourself of the extra exercise you're getting as you do.
31. Add water to your daily skincare regimen. Drink, cleanse, moisturize, then drink again.
32. Remember that the more water you drink, the less hungry you will feel and the less likely you will be to snack.
33. Water by itself doesn't contain any calories or fat and has so many health bene�ts hidden in its plainness.
34. Don't allow yourself a diet soda or another coffee until you’ve had two to four glasses of water.
Excerpted from
Energy Now!, copyright 2012 by Michelle Cederberg. Used by permission of Sentient Publications.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.
Page 3 of 3
Bob – a participant in one of my workshops – has a waterful weight loss story worth sharing. He was a reasonably healthy man who exercised regularly and ate mostly healthfully but he had a vice that was impacting his weight. He had a big, bad soda habit.
Six months earlier Bob had started a new job that necessitated an early start and long days. To keep his energy up he started drinking cola – four or ï¬�ve 18-ounce bottles every day. His excuse was that he didn't like coffee.
He bought flats of soda and had bottles stashed in his car, and in the fridge at work and home.
At 218 calories a bottle, the sodas accounted for over 1000 extra calories every day that his body didn’t need. Those calories went straight to Bob's belly. He wanted to lose about 25 pounds.
On his 47th birthday Bob's present to himself was to give up cola cold turkey. At �rst he suffered from sugar withdrawal and admitted to the occasional diet cola when he needed a caffeine jolt, but other than that he drank water.
He was astonished by how quickly he saw results. In the �rst week alone Bob lost three pounds, noticing that the absence of sugary cola in his diet decreased cravings for other sweets as well.
What are the benefits of drinking more water?
Not only that, but by drinking water instead of soda he had more energy, not less. The energy he gained from the sugary, caffeine-rich sodas was often short-lived and left him jittery. Water seemed to help him stay alert and energized all through the day.
The hydrating bene�ts of water were so apparent that his work day and his workouts gained energy-driven momentum and added to his results.
In one month Bob lost 14 pounds – more than half of his goal weight – simply by replacing soda with water and riding the energy wave to an even healthier lifestyle.
Bob also �gures he's saved hundreds of dollars every month not buying soda. If you're a soda drinker, try Bob's waterful whatever it takes weight loss method.
Page 1 of 3 -- Check out some easy tips for drinking more water on page 2
Quick and easy tips for drinking more water
1. Spice up plain old water by adding fresh mint leaves. Mmmm, refreshing.
2. Instead of setting down an empty glass, re�ll it with water and keep sipping.
3. Every time you pass a water cooler stop and take a sip.
4. If you're feeling hungry and you've eaten recently, drink a cold glass of water, and wait a minute or two. You could just be dehydrated.
5. Make your water more interesting by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime.
6. Add ice cubes to your water – this helps to burn calories when your body brings the water temperature up.
7. Dilute your juice (apple, grape, or orange) with water. It's usually too sweet anyway. More hydration with less calories.
8. Make it a morning ritual. Start your day by drinking one or two glasses of water. Start early, feel better, set the trend for the day.
9. Eat water-rich foods like watermelon (92 per cent water by weight) for a refreshing, hydrating break from sipping. Just be sure to include the calories in your daily plan.
10. Have a big glass of water at every transitional point of the day: When you ï¬�rst get up, before you leave the house, when you sit down to work, when you go to lunch…
11. Get a glass you love. My water mug says "Today is the start of a new journey" and I'm inspired to sip from it every time I look at it.
12. After each trip to the restroom, drink some water to replenish your system.
13. Okay, I know it's less fun, but every now and then when you're out for cocktails ask yourself "Do I really want this?" At some social functions choose sparkling soda instead.
14. Drink water or diet drinks instead of high-calorie, sugar-sweetened drinks.
15. Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, save your money and the environment and invest in a �lter for your home faucet. Or get a portable Brita. Make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.
16. Have a glass of water with your meal, especially when you're drinking alcohol.
17. Take a bottle of water with you on your walks.
18. Carry a bottle you like. Mine is a traditional plastic Nalgene that I've covered in stickers. I bought an easy-sip mouth piece so it doesn't spill when I'm sipping on the go.
19. Freeze little bits of peeled lemons, limes and oranges and use them in place of ice cubes -- it's refreshing and helps get in a serving of fruit.
20. While at work, �ll a big glass with ice and keep �lling it up from the of�ce water cooler.
Page 2 of 3 -- Check out 14 extra tips for drinking more water on page 3
14 extra tips for drinking more water
21. At home always keep a glass of water handy while watching TV, doing laundry, making dinner or sur�ng the net.
22. Replace your coffee or tea with a cup of hot water and a drop of honey.
23. Keep water cold. Some �nd it tastes better and your body will burn some calories bringing it to body temperature.
24. Room temperature water is better if you're dehydrated. Your body absorbs it more quickly.
25. Drink through a straw and you'll take bigger gulps and drink much more.
26. Build up your water levels. Start with one or two glasses �rst thing in the morning and add on.
27. Carry a small reï¬�llable water bottle at all times and drink while you wait…standing in line, sitting in trafï¬�c or even waiting for the elevator.
28. Track it. Once I started keeping track of my water intake it went up. One check mark for every glass consumed.
29. Visualize your healthy, glowing skin.
30. "I have to pee every ten minutes." As you run off to the restroom yet again, remind yourself of the extra exercise you're getting as you do.
31. Add water to your daily skincare regimen. Drink, cleanse, moisturize, then drink again.
32. Remember that the more water you drink, the less hungry you will feel and the less likely you will be to snack.
33. Water by itself doesn't contain any calories or fat and has so many health bene�ts hidden in its plainness.
34. Don't allow yourself a diet soda or another coffee until you’ve had two to four glasses of water.
Excerpted from
Energy Now!, copyright 2012 by Michelle Cederberg. Used by permission of Sentient Publications.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.
Page 3 of 3
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