I just had to add something to the issue of how much water a person needs everyday. It is something that depends on your weight and you do have to get a certain amount everyday. Our bodies our 70% water and when you don't get enough of it, your body has to hold onto what it has - which causes bloating and depletes water from the other areas of your body. Brain function actually decreases when a person is not hydrated enough.
The reason water is so beneficial for losing weight is b/c when a person is dehydrated obviously their kidneys are not going to be functioning 100% due to the fact their kidneys aren't doing what they are meant to be doing since not enough water is being taken in. Therefore the liver has to start to pick up some of the slack of the kidneys; rather than metabolize fat like it is supposed to do (one of the many functions of the liver). Once a person who is struggling with their weight adds 8 - 10 glasses of water a day to their diet not only do they tend to eat less but all systems of the body start to do what they are meant to do. I met a man at my gym who lost over 200 lbs and one thing he said to me that really stuck was that water was a "magic elixer for weightloss". I would trust this advice coming from someone who used to weigh 400 lbs, who is now under 200 and totally fit .. you would never have known he had been obese at one time. Obviously he exercised as well and had to watch his calories but he said that drinking enough water was the most important thing he did for himself to lose the weight. It helped him control his cravings, it helped him have the energy to exercise and in return he was able to shed an extraodinary amount of weight.
I know when I am not drinking enough water that I get headaches and I am more lethargic. When you first start drinking more water than you are used to, of course all that is going to happen is that you are going to be runnning to the bathroom every 10 minutes but eventually your body adjusts after a week or so and you don't have to pee as often.
As for the 5 or 6 small meals a day, I think it is quite beneficial if you are trying to drop weight. It keeps your bloodsugar levels from dropping (as long as you aren't eating simple carbs - cookies, crackers, anything "white" basically) and eating at those intervals does increase a persons metabolism. It's not for everyone though and if eating 3 times a day is what works for someone then that's what they should do. My dad was a bodybuilder and eating at regular intervals is very important if you train. Of course the amount of calories for each "mini meal" depends on what your golas are. If it is to lose weight all a person has to do is cut out 500 calories a day which can be as easy as cutting out 250 calories from food and burning the other 250 through daily exercise.
Anyway .. that said I think most people have offered some great adcie to eating healthier. I think the biggest thing is stay away from fast food, highly processed foods and sugar (that's a hard one for me). Drink how ever much water is right for you (I personally don't think anyone should have less than 6 glasses a day) and lay off the salt. On a persoanl note .. I started to cut sugar out of my diet and I could not believe how much better I felt and how much more energy I had .. it was night and day. Unfortuantely I got back into my old ways after my dad tragically passed away earlier this year but I'm trying to get back on track again and I can tell you that it makes a world of difference, regardless of if a person needs to lose weight or not. Sugar is bad news and doesn't benefit our bodies in any way, shape or form.
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