Dieting Tips - Why You Should be Drinking WATER

Why WATER is important to your body:

According to the National Institutes of Health, Water makes up more than two-thirds of the weight of the human body. Without water, humans would die in a few days. All the cells and organs need water to function.

Water serves as a lubricant and is the basis of saliva and the fluids surrounding the joints. Water regulates the body temperature through perspiration. It also helps prevent and alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract.

You know that WATER is what you SHOULD be drinking. So, why aren't you?

Whether you are trying to lose weight or you are an old friend to the "diet" you should know the importance of WATER to your body. And I don't mean the "water" that is included in the soda you are drinking.

Sure, diet soda (or coke or pop or whatever you call it) is zero Points value. That doesn't mean it's good for you. BUT, I can understand your need to perhaps transition from full blown "regular" soda to the dreaded "diet" soda as you transition to WATER.

You may be thinking "WATER, YUCK! That stuff has ZERO flavor and I don't think I can make the transition even if I wanted to." and you would be in the same boat as probably 90% or more of people. Heck, everyone I talk to says the EXACT same thing. But I still tell them my story, which I am about to share with you.

When I first really decided that it was time to think about starting a family I knew I had to lose weight. I had really packed on the pounds since college. Everything made me tired and the only vegetable on my list was "potato". I also drank about a 6-pack of Pepsi a day. I knew that soda pop was empty calories and I knew that if I was going to be "all in" and make a change in my life that that change would involve ditching the soda pop and making the switch to WATER. That dreaded switch.

How could I possibly be satisfied with drinking WATER? It was flavorless and I liked having that "taste" to what I was drinking because it really made me feel like I was satisfied after consuming it.

See, I love food. I know everyone loves food since we all happen to be addicted to it (as it's essential for survival) but let me say again, I LOVE FOOD. It's all I would think about when I first started Weight Watchers; when is the next time I get to eat? Having to cut down on food was one thing but having to eliminate soda pop from my diet (which I KNEW was essential if I was going to do this) was something that was very hard to give up. I mean, it's fat-free, right? How can that be all bad? Well, the answer consists of two words: "empty calories". (Those are the same type of calories that exist in that beer or wine you enjoy.)

Empty Calories are calories that you consume that have ZERO nutritional value. So your body gets absolutely nothing out of them. Nada, zip. So, how do you even start to think about transitioning from soda to WATER?

In my opinion, the best tip is to start drinking diet soda. Sure, it tastes like crap. I don't care how many ads I see that tout how "it tastes like regular soda", they are LYING. There is hardly a hint of that lovely intoxicating regular soda taste in there, but (for me at least) it was an important part of the transition to WATER.

So, I started on the Diet Pepsi. And it was okay for a while. I s-l-o-w-l-y started drinking WATER. We got a Brita water filter and used that since if I was drinking WATER, it wasn't going to be directly from the tap with that weird taste. I wanted WATER that was tasteless and having that pitcher in the refrigerator keeping it nice and cold was good too.

They say you should be drinking 6-8 glasses of WATER a day. What they mean by that is 6-8, 8-ounce glasses of WATER or 48-64 ounces in a day. That's just about 1.5-2 liters of WATER. It seems like a lot when I put it that way, huh?

Believe it or not, as I started drinking WATER, I began to prefer it. No longer would I drink something and then be thirsty 30 minutes later. What kind of magic was this? Not only that, but I noticed my skin was clearing up. What a fantastic side effect! These days I only drink WATER. Sure, I have a soda or a beer once in a while. But after I drink those I am still thirsty and have to have WATER nearby.

So, PLEASE TRUST ME. If you just give WATER a try, I promise you will not be sorry. And heck, saving the money you would have otherwise spent on soda pop is a good thing these days too, right?

The one thing I plan to do with Willow when the time is right is get her addicted to WATER like I am. Milk and WATER will be her drinks. No soda pop, no juice. Not that she will never get those things but they will be a rare treat like they are for me and hopefully she will one day prefer WATER, like I do.