Drink more water and bye-bye body fat, cellulite, and dull hair. HELLO, glowing skin, more muscle, fewer injuries, and better moods!
It still blows my mind a little bit how hard I have to fight with some clients to get them to drink an appropriate amount of water. But when they learn to drink more water it’s one of the biggest game-changers for their health, energy, and confidence. At the end of the day drinking more does everything I listed above and it keeps you alive (very important).
Being hydrated clears up your skin and makes it look gorgeous and glowing. It makes your hair healthy and shiny and gives you that “I just woke up like this” swagger. On top of all of that, it really DOES help reduce the appearance of cellulite (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with having cellulite, we almost all do.) But if you do want to reduce it, drink more water, and if you don’t want to reduce it… still drink more freaking water!
This was one of the things that I struggled with the most at the beginning of my health and fitness journey. I still struggle with this if I’m being totally honest. If I’m not on it and have my water bottle with me or a big glass of water isn’t sitting right in front of my face, I forget.
I used to never drink water and couldn’t think why it was such a big deal that I didn’t. But my workouts were terrible, I constantly felt like shit, I was always getting stomach aches and was super bloated. Plus my hair was really dry and frizzy and my skin was flaky, dry, and would randomly breakout. I never thought that any of this was from being dehydrated but it was.
As soon as I started really focusing and making myself drink a gallon of water a day. I FELT AMAZING! My bloating and indigestion nearly disappeared, my skin cleared up and started looking glowy and really soft. My hair got smooth and shiny and I started feeling so much more confident and attractive and happy!
I don’t know what else I can possibly say to get you to drink more water, but here are some facts just encase you need more convincing!
There have been studies showing that drinking more water decreased overall weight and body fat and increased muscle mass, REGARDLESS of a caloric surplus, eating more than your body is burning throughout the day, or diet.
Your body is made up of mostly water and runs on electrical impulses; water is what allows those electrical impulses to move through the body. So, if you aren’t drinking enough water your body has to work way harder than it wants to. It shuts down everything that it sees as nonessential to survival (fat burning being one of the main ones) and it slows everything down including metabolism!
Water also keeps your joints moving smoothly and keeps them from becoming brittle and easily injured.
The amount of water you drink also affects your brain! Being dehydrated slows how fast you can think and react to things around you. It also affects your mood. Not drinking enough water can make you sad… I don’t want you to be sad.
10 Tips and Tricks to Drink More Water!
These are the tricks I use myself and with my clients to drink more water and build good hydration habits.
- Set a goal! Start with 8×8 rule, see how you feel, and build from there!
- Buy a fun water bottle – that you will like drinking out of! This will help make sure you take your water bottle with you.
- Get a metal straw (or a water bottle that has a straw) I always drink more water if I am using a straw.
- Set timing for your water– For example, I need to have drunk at least 1/2 a liter by 10 am (it can be whatever time frame you want) or you can mark times and water lines on your water bottle.
- Get an accountability buddy- this is great for any healthy habit you want to build
- Remind yourself why it is important… cause it is. Find a reason that really resonates with you, write it down, or keep it in your head.
- Switch it up!- add cucumber and lemon or, anything you like to give your water a little extra oomph! (except sugar, don’t add sugar to your water.)
- Drink 2 glasses of water first thing in the morning before breakfast– this will help your body see that water is readily available and will hydrate you after 8ish hours of not drinking any water.
- Have at least one glass of water with every meal– this will help with digestion and also gives you an easy reminder and time frame to drink water.
- Pat yourself on the back and celebrate all the small victories– Reminding yourself that you are working on yourself and taking strides helps to not get caught up in the end game and it makes life more fun!
How Much Water is Enough?
If you’re reading this and thinking “but how much water is enough! TELL ME!” I’m gonna… right now. A lot of people go by the 8×8 rule (8oz of water 8 times a day) this comes out to about half a gallon. This can be a really good place to start. However, often this just gets you to the point where you aren’t deficient. I don’t want you to just be okay, average, or just barely out of the woods, this doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for error or life. I want you to be as optimal and healthy as you can be.
In my opinion, more is better. You should never feel thirsty, if you’re thirsty there are already negative effects of dehydration happening in your body.
I am about 5’2″ and drink at least a gallon a day. More if I am exercising, but I try for a gallon a day. (There are some individual differences, such as size, muscle mass, exercise regime, and climate; so you should always listen to your body but in general, more is better.) Study
I know I know.. there have been stories of people drinking too much water and dying or almost dying. But that comes from something called hyponatremia, which is a poor balance of electrolytes. BUT THIS IS EXTREMELY RARE. Especially if you are eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. This can become an issue for people on drugs such as MDMA, or people competing in extreme and elite sports. (If you are one of these people make sure you are hydrating with electrolytes as well as water. It is also extremely, extremely rare if you drinking the water at a normal pace (spaced throughout the day and not one gallon in 5 minutes.) Most of these instances we hear about come from people being on extreme and unhealthy diets and/or trying to chug gallons of water at a time (like for a contest.)
So have no fear, drink your water, and reap the benefits of looking and feeling gorgeous and healthy!
