Oh water… can’t live with it, can’t live without.

If any of you are like me, you choose flavored beverages over water anytime of the day. I must admit, Diet coke is my guilty pleasure and it gets in the way of my 8 cups of water a day, leaving me dehydrated and feeling sluggish. I know, I know… Diet Coke is horrible to drink and I shouldn’t be drinking it. I am working on it people… ok, maybe not as much as I should. I guess this post is more for me than it is for you guys!

Water works in so many different ways throughout our body. Just look at how water affects our body

There are so many benefits to drinking water besides the obvious of staying hydrated! Drinking at least 8 cups of water a day aids in weight loss, moisturizes skin to make it look younger, relieves headaches, fuels to brain to function better, aids in energy to exercise longer, prevents cramping and sprains, and helps fight against the flu.

So with this in mind, how can we get more water in throughout the day?

Here are 7 great tips to get in more water:

1.)  Buy a fun water bottle and NEVER let it leave your side

1. Rule: Only fill up with water

2.)   Drink one glass of water prior to every meal

3.)  Spice up your water with a slice of lemon or lime.

1. My friend taught me to slice up cucumbers and throw them into a pitcher full of water the night before. The water soaks up the flavor of the cucumbers to give a nice taste. You can do this is all sorts of fruits!

4.)  Straws… They work wonders

1. Who would have known that straws help in drinking water? I find myself drinking so much more when I drink from a straw.

5.)  Drink and Drive… water that is

1. Ok, this is the only time on my blog that I will ever encourage you to drink and drive. Keep your car cup holder full with your fun water bottle and make it a priority to drink your water while on the road.

6.)  Add your vitamins

1. Kill two birds with one stone by getting in your vitamins and water at the same time.  There are several different vitamin supplements made to be mixed with water

7.)  Filter your water

1. I don’t know where you live, but Arizona has the worst tasting water in the world. Brita Filters have saved my life ever since I moved out here. They aren’t too expensive either. Speaking of filtered water… Starbucks has the best water ever! From what I hear it’s triple filtered

Find what works for you. Hopefully some of these tips will help you cross the finish line of 8 cups by the end of the day.

Cheers and drink up!

Question: How do you fit in your 8 cups of water a day?

I have find that the kitchen has become my best friend lately. I guess it might be due to the fact that I am not in school, waiting to hear back from a possible job, and my husband is at work. Boredom… it gets me every time.

Between days of boredom, feeling like a bottomless pit other days, or being full and just desiring every cracker box in the cabinet, I have found the kitchen never lets me down to meet my needs. Can anyone relate?

Here are a few ways to prevent those binge eating kitchen dates:

Water

Sometimes we confuse hunger with thirst. Before you reach for that box of crackers, drink a bottle of ice-cold water and wait a few minutes. Then ask yourself if you are still hungry. If you truly are hungry you will feel it in your stomach, where as if you are thirst you will feel it more in your throat.

Gum

Pop a piece of gum into your mouth busy to prevent mindless munching or right after a meal to prevent further eating. Mint gum has also been known to suppress the your appetite and keep your mouth busy during those slow boring days.

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Blog / Read Blogs

I have found inspiration from other bloggers by simply reading about their  dedication and motivation to lose weight. Blogging is also an outlet to hold  you accountable, knowing that people will be reading your post and giving  your encouragement to say no.

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Get Away

Is the kitchen calling your name? Get away from the kitchen. Either go into another room where the kitchen is not visible or if that isn’t even enough, go window-shopping with a friend.

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Exercise

Did you know that exercise affects two hormones, ghrelin and peptide YY, which suppresses your appetite? Not only are your beating boredom but you are suppressing your appetite and getting in a good workout.

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Hope these 5 tips help during those binge eating times! It’s not easy to say no during those moments… it’s a battle and you just got to push through and not give in!

What do you do to prevent the mindless munchies?

Do you ever wonder why you have more energy some days than others in your workout?

I know there are several days a week that I am dragging myself through my workout, wishing I could find that burst of energy to get me through. At times I find my workout a waste of time because I am not able to put out 100% effort. Well research has shown that drinking water 1-2 hours prior to your workout can increase stamina and ultimately burn more fat and calories.

You should be drinking an ounce of water for every 10lbs of body weight prior and continue sipping during and after your workout to replenish what you lost through sweat as well as cleanse out your body of toxins released during your workout.

So make sure to get your 64 ounces of water in each day!

. . . drink up!