Could drinking more water be the key to reaching your goals? We all know it’s “good for you” but how important is it really and how can we add more water into our days?
Week 1 of our November 30 Day Nutrition Challenge at CrossFit Long Haul in Maddington is focussing on upping our water intake and keeping it super consistent – I think it’s going to have a huge impact on the results we see throughout the month. Water is one of the most under-utilised tools in the weight loss playbook! And it’s not just about weight loss, it supports your energy levels and your workouts so no matter your goals – you need that H2O!
There are a number of reasons why water helps us lose weight. The science is still out on whether drinking more water causes weight loss or just aids it. Regardless – we know it helps!
It helps keep our energy up.
Being sluggish and tired is about the most guaranteed way to skip or waste your workout and the fastest way to end up in the Maccas drive thru!
It stops our cravings.
When we’re dehydrated – our body will start sending out what we often mistake as “hunger signals” and we reach for food when in fact we might just need water. Worse, we end up in the hangry danger zone and we’ll start thinking of all the sugary treats we can get hold of!
It helps us focus.
Mental clarity is pretty essential to sticking to our diets!
It increases our metabolism.
Water has been proven to boost your metabolism, every time you have a drink. Easy sell!
How to get more water in throughout the day:
Keep It Close.
This is probably the most simple and effective approach – keep water bottles EVERYWHERE you go. On your desk, in your car, in your gym bag, in the lounge, in the fridge. Try and build a life where you are NEVER stuck without water close by!
Get A Big Bottle.
Having a 1L+ sized bottle will help you keep track of how much water you have had today and motivate you to keep filling it!
Check If That’s Really Hunger You’re Feeling.
As we mentioned before – “hunger” signals are sometimes just dehydration in disguise. Have a nice big glass of water and let it settle before making any big decisions. In the very least it might buy you some time to make a sandwich instead of going straight for the bag of chips!
Drink Water Before Every Meal.
Pour yourself a big glass or have your water bottle with you before or while you prepare each meal. If you eat 4x a day that’s probably already going to get you close to the 2L mark!
Try Some Amino Acids.
Amino’s are delicious. Usually sugar free, you can mix them in with a huge bottle of water and drink them all day (or all workout!) long. As well as helping you get the water down they’ll also help your recovery and your sugar cravings!
Try these ones from our friends at International Protein >>>
Get drinking team, good luck!
If you’d like to get involved with our 30 Day Nutrition Challenge – Check out the details here!
>>> 30 Day Nutrition Challenge >>>
Coach Feebz
Head Coach / Personal Trainer
CrossFit Long Haul – Maddington, WA