How Water Helps You Lose Weight

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Everyone tells you to drink more water and how you could die in a short time without it! I know what you’re thinking: “blah blah blah!” Boring, right? Hang on. It really does play a key part in weight loss. Let me explain.

Now before you start chugging down a couple gallons of water, hear me out! You don’t need that much.

Water does help you lose weight! Here’s how:

  • Two glasses of water prior to a meal helped middle aged and older adults feel full longer, research studies found.
  • Cuts out a ton of calories when you replace your regular beverage with water!
  • Guess what? A hydrated body looks leaner. Why? Because when you’re dehydrated, you retain water. Yikes!
  • I bet the magazine rack has at least one headline screaming “Rev up your metabolism with this one trick!” Well, here’s a good one. Just drink enough and your body will be able to metabolize properly. When you’re dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. We all know what that means for weight loss!

So how much water should you be drinking?

It depends.  The suggested guidelines for water consumption used to be sixty-four ounces per day.  While it is still a good amount of water for some, others may need more. Here are some guidelines to help you decide:

Drink more when you are in situations where your body loses water:

  • in warmer climates,
  • during more intense exercise,
  • at high altitudes.

Try to be more aware of your water intake:

  • if you’re the type of person who usually doesn’t notice thirst; or
  • when you are very busy and likely to forget to drink.
  • If you talk for a living.  Water is lost though saliva.
How do you know when you’re drinking enough water?
  • The best way to tell if you are hydrated is the color of your urine.  Clear to pale yellow is ideal. Yellow to dark yellow means you need water, and if it looks like tea or beer you are dehydrated!  Supplements can also cause urine to be dark yellow. So keep that in consideration.
  • Start by drinking a half ounce for each pound of your body weight.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink seventy-five ounces of water throughout the day.
  • Avoid allowing yourself to get “thirsty”.  If you are getting a thirst signal then the body is already too low on water!

Five tips to increase your fluid intake:

1) Have a water bottle in your car, at your desk, or in your bag, and sip it throughout the day.

2) Eat lots of fruits and vegetables!

(3) Replace soda with sparking water.  If you like sparkling water, consider getting an in home soda machine. They take up very little counter space. You also save money and there are less bottles to recycle. This helped my husband Matthew go from not liking water to drinking plenty of it!

4) Add fruit or cucumber to your water for flavor.

5) Have water with every meal.

At first it may seem like you have to go to the bathroom a lot. This is normal when you up your water consumption. It is not uncommon to have to use the restroom every hour.

If you sit at a desk, this will encourage you to get up and move every hour. It also allows you to monitor your progress!

Here is a fun recipe for Raspberry water courtesy of Face Magic in Albany, CA.

Raspberry Water

  • 1 Pitcher of Water
  • 1 bag of Frozen Organic Raspberries
  • Place the raspberries in the water and allow it to turn the water a pinkish red color.  Pour in nice glasses and enjoy!

I hope this helps you with your weight loss and management program.  Please feel free to comment below or ask me a question.

I’m going to go get a glass of sparkling water!

Blessings!

Jennifer Ledford

 

 

How Fiber Can Help You Lose Belly Fat

Fiber is one of my secret weapons to help combat belly fat.  Unfortunately, most Americans only get half the fiber they need on a daily basis!

How does fiber help you lose belly fat?

  • Fiber rich foods need to be chewed longer which can allow you time to notice you are full
  • You get “high volume low calorie” meals which helps the body feel full longer
  • It helps stop over eating
  • You are regular with your bowel movements eliminating bloating

Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet has other health benefits as well, such as:

  • Lowers blood cholesterol levels
  • Helps control blood sugar levels
  • Helps maintain bowel integrity and health

How much fiber should you be getting?

The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, which provides science-based advice on matters of medicine and health, gives the following daily recommendations for adults:

Men: 50 and younger 38 grams, 51 and older 30 grams

Women: 50 and younger 25 grams, 51 and older 21 grams

If you are not getting enough fiber then you will want to add more to your daily food intake.

Types of foods that are high in fiber are:

  • Grains and whole-grain products
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Beans, peas, and other legumes
  • Nuts and seeds

Refined foods are lower in fiber content.  Make sure to check the labels.  Anything that is 4 grams or above of dietary fiber per serving is considered a higher fiber food.

By paying attention to the labels, you will begin to notice that white breads, white pastas, and other processed foods are lower in fiber.

Limiting the more processed foods will help you reach your goal of  shrinking that belly fat!

How to add more fiber to your diet:

1)  Eat Breakfast!  One of the easiest ways to add more fiber to your diet is to start the day with it.  Oatmeal is a quick easy way to get a jump start on your daily fiber intake.

I use the quick cooking oats.  If you prefer the steel cut than go for it!

Here’s my recipe:

Jennifer’s Breakfast Oatmeal

  • 1 serving of oatmeal
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds (can use ground flax instead)

The total fiber for this meal is 8 grams.

Note:  I usually make a 1/2 serving of oatmeal and use a full serving of the chia seeds and coconut oil.  An entire serving of oatmeal is more than I can eat because I also have two eggs for protein.

Experiment and make sure you are eating enough.  A healthy breakfast should be around 300-400 calories for the person who wants to lose or maintain their weight.

Feel free to get creative!  Berries are another great add.  If coconut oil is not your thing, use 1/2 tablespoon of real organic butter.

2) Cook with it!  Substitute with higher fiber foods in recipes.  For example, use whole wheat pasta when the recipe calls for white.

Pick recipes full of vegetables and fruits.  Or, serve steamed vegetables and salads with every meal.

3) Snack on it!  Healthy snacks help you shrink belly fat.  The trick is to eat high fiber food at each snack.  For example, whole wheat crackers and a piece of light cheese, or an apple instead of a cookie.

I hope this has been helpful to you!  Have a great tip, recipe, or a question?  Please comment below.  I’d love to hear from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Obesity. How to Stop It!

 

You’ve probably heard obesity is on the rise again!  The Center for Disease Control is predicting an American obesity rate of 42% by 2030.  That’s close to half the population!

So, how do you avoid becoming part of these statistics?  Or, maybe you have quite a bit of weight to lose and realize you need to take action.  Read on my friend!

Studies are showing that 97% of the overweight population is overweight due to lifestyle.  The remaining 3% have been diagnosed with a medical issue that causes weight gain.  If exercise and healthy eating have not moved the scale I suggest you talk to your doctor.

For the majority, poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, lack of time, automation, and chemicals in our food are all some of the things that contribute to being overweight.

I’ve been a personal trainer for over 20 years.  I have seen many successful weight loss stories.  My own thirty pounds of weight loss included!

I can tell you the success was not due to any government initiated program by itself. Information like www.myplate.org is a good resource.  However, you cannot lose weight without action.

Successful long term weight loss occurs when an individual makes a decision to lose weight.  Followed by consistent repetitive behavior.  That change must come from within!

The tips below will help you lose and/or maintain your weight.  They have helped me and my family stay slim for years!

1) Knowledge is key!  Tap into health and fitness professionals that are results oriented and not selling you a bunch of hype.

Learn about healthy eating habits rather than the latest fad diet.

Learn portion sizes and how to read labels.  See my article Portion Control vs. Elimination Diets for some easy tips to follow.

2)  Eat Fresh!  Do the majority of your grocery shopping around the perimeter of the store.  Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy, and whole grains are all good choices.

Avoid the processed foods with high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils.

Tip:  If you can’t pronounce the ingredients you may not want to eat it!

3)  Exercise!  Push the stroller, walk the dog, walk to work, walk to the bus stop, take the stairs.  Just start moving.

It hasn’t been until recently (right around the 1950’s) that planned exercise even became necessary.  Up until then, people were pretty active in their every day lives and/or jobs burning calories throughout the day.  “Working out” just for the sake of it was not the norm.

Every day tasks have been automated.  Removing the need to use the calories and muscle power.  While I have no plans of getting rid of my dishwasher, it helps us understand the need for intentional exercise.

Most of us stay more consistent when we have a purpose to exercise.  “It’s good for you” is generally not enough unless you’ve had a life threatening visit to the emergency room.

Choose things like hiking a beautiful trail, walking your dog, doing errands on foot, or train for an event.  These types of activities give you a reason to exercise which helps you stay on track.

4)  Avoid a common trap!  One of our relatives stopped eating fast food and lost 20 pounds!  She didn’t even exercise!

You may not be a fast food person,  However, the average American eats out 4-5 times per week.  By cutting this in half you can seriously cut back on calories.

I hope this is helpful for you!  Care to share a success story or have a question?  Please comment below!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer