What new fruits and vegetables did you try for last week's challenge? I've had a few bad ones and a few good ones, but I'm glad I tried them. This may be controversial, but I'm not a fan of jicama. Just putting that out there. Probably not the greatest timing on this challenge because a lot of places I went had signs stating they were low on produce due to the cold weather.
So what is your next challenge? Drink more water. Yep, you probably knew it was coming some week and here it is.
Why do I want you to do that? Â Dehydration keeps your body from losing fat and gaining strength after weight training because it increases stress hormones and decreases testosterone. Also, a study from University of North Carolina showed people who regularly drink water consume 200 less calories a day. That may not sound like much, but that is equal to a weight loss of 21 pounds over a year's time.
You may say, but I'm already bloated I can't drink water! That is a common misconception, but the truth is when you are dehydrated the body holds onto the water and makes you bloated.
With the weather being colder you need to drink even more water than normal because your body will be getting rid of more water as a part of the process that keeps your body warm. It is much easier during the summer to drink water, but make it a point to drink more water now. For the women in our boot camps in Huntsville and Madison, we encourage them to drink water every few rest breaks to stay hydrated.
Some more situations that increase the need for water are:
-When you fly (cabin pressure is equal to the air in a desert it is so dry)
-High altitudes
-When you eat a lot of salt
-Drinking alcohol
-Increasing your activity level
-Some medications
So how much do you need? Tough to say exactly, so let's shoot for 8-12 ounces an hour from the time you wake up until 3 hours before your bed time. So let's say you get up at 6 am and go to bed at 9 pm, that will get you 12 hours of water drinking time and will get you 96-144 ounces of water a day. Now I realize the whole peeing every 5 minutes is not cool and not do-able for everybody. The main thing is drink more water than you are now!
Speaking of peeing the best way to know you are drinking enough water is when your urine is clear or just slightly yellow. If it looks like a neon sign, you are dehydrated. Disgusting and effective.
If you need a goal, shoot for the 8-12 ounces per hour, but if you get bogged down and obsessed about that kind of thing just drink more water than you do now!