Lose Weight by Eating!

I get several e-mails, comments and messages both here and on my facebook page each day asking “I want to lose weight, how do I get started?” I give them four tips, the 1st and most important is: “Drink a gallon of water a day.”

I know it sounds like a lot to drink, here are some tips to make it easier:

• Drink  two 8 oz glasses of water with each meal. That gets you 1/2 of the way there for the day.

• Get a 23.7 oz Smart Water bottle (or which ever medium sized bottle you like best) and drink a little over 5 a day you are done, that for me is the easiest way. I drink one with each meal and carry it with me all day. It is so easy and most days I drink 6 or 7 exceeding my water intake goal for the day.

• Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to drink a bottle of water, this is great for people who have a busy schedule or who just forget.

• Tally it on your food journal or planner. I did this religiously for a while when I first started on my weight loss journey, I kept a food journal on my fridge with the calorie count and at the top I tallied how many glasses of water. It actually kept me from snacking too, I would see the food journal and instead of grabbing a snack I would tally my water, pour myself a glass and walk away.

• Add fruit to your water, I have a number of Flavored Waters you can check out or create your own. Using frozen fruit is more fun and delicious than ice cubes. I have a friend who loves the berry mix in the frozen fruit section, she adds it to her water.

• Fizzy water is one of my favorite ways to drink water, and I love it when a restaurant has Club Soda on the unlimited Fountain Sodas. Sometimes I put my fizzy water in a wine glass at dinner and sip it like I would sip wine. Guilt free and fun! Add fruit and make your own sodas like my Strawberry Lime Spritzer.

More water related weight loss tips:

• If you are hungry and want a snack go drink two 8 oz glasses of water and wait 15 minutes. If you are still hungry than your body needs food and you should have a healthy snack, if not good for you! You just saved yourself some calories, use that surplus to enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner or to shave  200 calories or more off your daily total.

• Drink two to three 8 oz glasses of water or one 23.7 oz bottle before you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. You will be fuller and eat less, therefore saving calories. Ideally we should all only eat 75% of what is on our plates anyway.

• Tea counts!! Going to Starbucks with your friends? Order a tea!! You can count it as water and your beverage will be zero calories. Most independent coffee houses have their own specialty teas, once I had a coconut tea, it was so delicious and much better than my husband’s 500+ calorie coffee drink!

Once you start drinking a gallon a day you will notice you are more thirsty and will crave it, your body will help you along if you can stick to it for a week or two. Our bodies need water to stay cool and hydrated, you will also notice clearer skin, stronger hair and nails and best of all water fills you up and it is zero calories!

My other three tips for people who are starting their weight loss journey:

Cut all processed foods and fake sugars out of your diet, read all about processed foods and what to look out for.

Move your body more, read some of my fun antics on working out.

Count your calories, here is a great post I wrote a while back which includes the calorie count guidelines and more great weight loss tips.