Fitness Fun Fridays #17

Did I say Happy November already? Well, Happy November. It's getting cold, and winter is starting to roll on in. I've seen cars with snow on them already... crazy right?

So now that the candy overload is over, we're going to focus on something that is really, really simple... but yet many people just don't get a good grasp on it. Now I'm not talking about physics, or calculus, or Paula Abdul dance routines... I'm talking about water.

We (as a people), just don't get enough water. It's on supermarket shelves, the movie theaters, the fountains at the gym, but how much do you really get in a day? I remember years ago they said to get about 8 glasses... which equates to about 64 oz in American terms (sorry Europe kids). Now I'm going to tell you something that might make you scratch your head and laugh...

That's no where near enough. Not at all.

Water is 60% of your bodyweight, and fluctuates more than your heart rate when you see football captain Joe Cool at the school dance.

If you don't believe me... ask the scale in your bathroom. You lost 3 pounds this morning from last night? Or you gained 2 after eating a slice of chocolate cake? Well, while hard work/guilty pleasure may have played a role... there's no way your made that much of an impact in one day. Remember there's 3500 calories to a pound. So wait a minute... what gives?

Water gives. Your body gains and flushes it out at a constantly regulated rate, depending on the situation. You need it for nutritent transportation, chemical reactions, body tissue structure and as a lubricant. Your blood is made up of water... think about it :)

I was recently thinking about doing a water post because after eating candy or salty foods many people feel bloated. Sodium tends to hold onto water, and gives you the appearance of being much heavier than you are. All you have to do is "debloat" and you'll feel and look much better. While there's many ways to do this, I like to keep it to only two simple steps:

• Drink more water
• Avoid sodium, and artificial ingredients, including sweetners, because they hold on to water molecules
  

Now, this may sound surprising, but drinking more water will actually make you look thinner. To make this less confusing, I like to give this analogy:

Let's say you have one dollar to your name. One lonely dollar... and I want to take it from you :) Now, the odds of you giving it to me are very, very low, because hey, it's your last dollar ever. Now let's say you get a steady hourly paycheck, and you have constant money coming on in. Can I have a buck? Please? Awesome, thanks :)

Your body works the same way with water. If it knows that water is going to be coming eventually, it's more willing to part with the stored water you already have. But if it's in a constant state of dehydration (no matter how mild) it's going to hold on to it like a life depends on it... because it does :)
Here are some clinical signs of dehydration:

1. Headaches and fatigue
2. Decreased appetite (usually not a problem for us)
3. Light headedness, dry mouth
4. Increased heartrate, and small volumes of concentrated urine

As far as weight control goes... drinking water is your friend. The ability to reconize hunger vs. thirst is very difficult, if not impossible to distingush from each other... so when you feel hungry 30 minutes after you just ate... there's a chance you might be thirsty. Drink a glass and see if the feeling goes away. You might suprise yourself :)

On a personal note, I used to get killer headaches during my workouts. Funny thing was, when I started drinking more good old water, it all went away. Pretty cool, huh?

So now you might be wondering, well how much? Recent reserach says about 35 ml per kg of bodyweight. This averages out to like 2 - 2.5 liters per person. I would say that this is an absolutle minimum. I like to get about a gallon, or 3.75 liters per day, with probably most of it centered around my time at the gym. Do I pee alot? Yeah probably, but it's not too bad. I just trt make sure I'm not stuck in an elevator or a bubble :)

Annnnd I'm done. Remember, water... it does a body good. Have a fantastic weekend, and for all of my Facebook friends who wished me congrats and good luck with my soon to be graduation, thank you so very, very, much. You are all awesome... and it feels amazing knowing that everyone is really rooting for me :) Thanks.