Ah, Water…

We have all heard how important it is to drink at least “8 glasses a day” of water everyday, but why exactly is that and why is it so difficult for some people (me included!) to do so?

Water is vital to just about every bodily function from cellular communication, to hormone balance, to lubricating joints – just to name a few! But, most importantly (for the purposes of this post, anyway) it is crucial for fat metabolism!

Let me explain:  The liver is the filter of the body, everything must be processed through it, including all the fat your body is “burning”. If you aren’t drinking enough water to allow your kidneys to flush toxins & waste, the liver must take up the slack. And when that happens, fat metabolism has to stop in order to do so!

Also, did you know water is the best diuretic? If you aren’t drinking enough water your body will hold on to every drop causing water retention. So, even though it may seem counter-intuitive, you need to drink water to lose water!

The best tips I can give to reach your daily water goals are:

•   Have a bottle handy at all times (I even keep one at my bedside for when I get up in the morning)
•   Make mini-goals to get your water in throughout the day (I try to get at least 2 bottles in before noon)
•   Get your last bit in well before bedtime, unless you want to be up all night making bathroom trips! (my cut off time is 6pm)

It wasn’t always so easy for me to be a water drinker. I swear, I must have been a camel in a past life! I used to go all day without drinking anything (well, okay, maybe just coffee) and never felt thirsty, but now my natural thirst has returned and I feel much less tired (it has been proven that even slight dehydration can make you feel tired).

So, drink up and feel good knowing you are doing something great for your body and for your weight loss efforts!