Water is the single most important nutrient needed to sustain life. While you can go weeks without food, your body simply cannot function properly if it does not get water every single day. In fact, your body is made of approximately 60 percent water. Your muscles are made up of 80 percent water. Drink eight 16-oz. glasses of water, or as close to 1 gallon as possible, every day. If you are petite, you should aim for eight 12-oz. glasses of water.
Step 1
Drink 2 full cups of water immediately upon waking to start your day well-hydrated and stimulate your natural metabolic processes. Besides being essential for proper cell functioning, balancing body pH levels and transporting nutrients, water is a potent energy booster and thermogenic.
Step 2
Have 1 full cup of water with every meal of the day. Assuming five or six smaller meals, which also helps to boost metabolism, this would equal a considerable portion of your daily water intake, with little effort involved. Drinking adequate water helps to curb the appetite.
Step 3
Do not count coffee, tea or soft drinks toward your daily total. If anything, you should follow each of these types of drinks with a cup of water to avoid dehydration. Coffee and tea, in particular, contain higher amounts of caffeine, which is a natural diuretic that causes our bodies to lose water. When you do not drink enough fresh water, your body actually tries to adapt by retaining excess water in unwanted places, making us appear bloated or puffy.
Step 4
Sip water from a bottle periodically throughout the day. Water is a fat burner and it is essential to the process of making and using energy. Refill as needed from a water cooler or filtered water source. Home water filters can save you money and limit the accumulation of plastic bottles.
Step 5
Drink 1 or 2 cups of water before your workout. Hydrated muscles are less prone to injury. A preventable injury can sideline your weight-loss efforts for months.
Step 6
Consume 1/2 cup of water during your workout for every five to 10 minutes you exercise. This will help replace water lost through sweat, prevent fatigue and keep your metabolism going strong.
Things You'll Need
- Distilled water
- Water filter
References
- "Optimum Anabolics;" Jeff Anderson; CQC, LLC; 2007
- "Combat the Fat;" Jeff Anderson; CQC, LLC; 2009.
- Bodybuilding
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