I know that you’ve heard this before, but drinking a lot of water is actually one of the few bits of conventional wisdom that is actually true for increased fat loss.
One of the biggest assets to helping you burn fat and lose weight is drinking is water.
If you are not drinking enough water each day, your nutrition plan will without question be much less effective in transforming your body than if you were drinking enough.
Our bodies are approximately made up of 70% water by weight, and it is needed for nearly every body function, including digestive processes.
We lose about a liter of water per day just through our skin and lungs (and that amount can easily triple if you are consistently working out).
If you’re not getting enough, your body will not be metabolizing fat and digesting food as efficiently.
HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED DAILYThe average person needs more than the standard 64oz of water to function optimally. Because we are training at high intensity multiple times per week you want to shoot for 80-100oz of water per day.
Measuring Your Water Intake Daily: Below is a breakdown of how much water you should drink (not including during your workouts) each day in order to facilitate fat and weight loss per measurement.
2500ml 6-8 Glasses of Water 84oz 4-5 20oz Bottles of water 10 cups of water
Watch this video I shot in Thailand that talks about one way you can start to get more water into your body on a daily basis
Here are 5 Reasons Drinking Water will Help you Burn more Fat and Lose More WeightReason 1. Increase Your Metabolism
When you are not drinking enough water your body’s metabolism will slow down. Since water is needed for almost all bodily functions, without the optimal amount your metabolism and other systems are not working at full potential. The slower your metabolism the less fat and calories you will burn. Drink more water to help improve your body functions including metabolism.
Tip: Drink cold water when you are NOT training, as the body has to metabolize the water to bring down to body temperature increasing your metabolic rate.
Reason 2. No Water = Increased Cortisol
Lack of water consumption has anti-catabolic effects. When you are dehydration this stimulates catabolic (muscle destroying) hormones and increases the cortisol response to exercise. Cortisol is a fat storage hormone and responsible for weight gain, especially in the abs and waistline
Reason 3 – Prevent Water Retention
There is a big misconception out there about water retention and that if you if you drink too much water it will cause retention. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact it’s the lack of water that causes water retention.
The reason is that your body sees the lack of water as a shortage and because of this will go into “survival mode” and will try to retain everything that the body has to offer. When you body is in this “mode” it will automatically store any water that you drink resulting in water retention
You can prevent this my providing your with more than enough water it needs and in time it you will flush the excess water out of your body. Remember the lack of water can be a main reason your have retention so drink enough each day.
Reason 4 – Prevent Fat Storage
Water can help your body metabolize stored fat. When you are not drinking enough water each day your body does not have good enough water supply to perform it’s daily physiological tasks and is forced to take water from your bodies cells including fat cells.
If your body is drawing water from fat stores then they are less likely to metabolize and burn off as energy, which results in more fat stores over time. The more water you drink and the better hydrated you are the less fat your body will have to store.
Reason 5 – Keytones
Keytones, a natural byproduct of fat burning, are flushed out of the body through urine.
High water intake is necessary to flush excess ketones through the kidney to prevent the negative effects of their accumulation. By flushing them out, you will improve your fat burning process.
Conclusion
I hope this has helped you understand the importance of drinking water of you want to burn more fat and lose weight. You will no doubt burn more calories and fat, rid you body of toxins and waster, improve your metabolism and prevent your body from storing fat. Add decreased water retention and increased energy and the your reason for drinking more water on a daily basis is undeniable and must in your overall nutrition.
H2O NOTE water does NOT include tea, coffee, juice, alcohol or anything else, which simply ‘has water in it’. If you are training in the gym you should in fact drink MORE than the recommended amount each day, as your body needs to stay hydrated at all times.Tips On When, Where and How You Can Incorporate You Water for the Day – Laura D – Fit to Eat
• Immediately when you wake up
• While you are getting ready in the morning
• To and from work (on your commute)
• While you are watching television or a movie
• With your meals
• At your desk
• While you are in meetings
• In place of coffee or soft drinks
• When you are travelling – on the bus, on a train, on the subway
• In your car to and from any destination
Keep well hydrated by finding creative ways to incorporate water throughout your day. Here are a few ideas how to make sure you get your 10 cups a day:
In this video I will continue to go over the good carbs (complex), 3 reasons to stay away from bad carbs (Simple), Portion Size and Conclusion. Make sure you copy and print the Carbs list below and pick up the BLUEPRINT to Carbs Cycling for fat loss and NEVER worry about Carbs making you fat again.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FIT TO EAT CARBOHYDRATES REPORT EBOOK AND FULL LIST BELOWFit to Eat Carbohydrates – Funk Roberts Fitness eBOOKVideo Notes
Portion Size – For carbohydrates, a portion‖is the size of your clenched fist. Think of an apple, orange, or other piece of fruit of approximately that size, or a portion of pasta, rice, beans, etc., similar in size.
COMPLEX CARBSList of Complex Carbs (Good to eat)– This is a short list of the Carbs that you should be eating on a regular basis. Please do not forget to download your FREE EBOOK Fit to Eat Carbs for a list of Carbs you can eat and the ones to STAY AWAY FROM!
Whole Grains
Whole grains are high in fiber, have moderate protein levels, are low in fat and are also a good source of complex carbs. Specific examples include Quinoa millet, oats, wheat germ, barley, wild rice, brown rice, buckwheat, oat bran, cornmeal, Oatmeal and amaranth. Any product that is made from these grains is also complex as well. Whole grain bread, bagels, buns and rolls are examples of these
FruitsFruits are high in water content, fiber, vitamins and they have virtually no fat at all. Fruits packed with complex carbohydrates include apricots, oranges, plums, pears, grapefruits and prunes. apples, oranges, apricots, peaches, pears, grapes, kiwi, mango, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, rhubarb, plum, pineapple, papaya, grapefruit, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, cherries
VegetablesVegetables are high in water, low in fat, have multiple vitamins and minerals, and most varieties are complex carbs. Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, turnip greens, eggplant, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, carrots, onions, all types of lettuce, celery, cucumbers, squash, cabbage, artichokes and asparagus, beets, pumpkin, rutabaga
Legumes
Legumes are oftentimes called pulses. These are characterized by seeds that have an exterior pod surrounding them. Beans are a type of legume that is a complex carbohydrate. Specific examples include lentils, kidney beans, black beans, peas, garbanzo beans, soy beans and pinto beans black-eyed peas, lima beans, red beans, marrowfat peas, chickpeas, butter beans, navy beans, lentils.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FIT TO EAT CARBS REPORTFit to Eat Carbohydrates – Funk Roberts FitnessEAT MORE CARBS – LOSE MORE FAT? (STEP BY STEP PLAN)If you’ve ever dieted before, then there’s know doubt you’ve probably dealt with the pain and frustration that comes with trying to cut carbs and calories at the same exact time.
How do I know?
Because just like you and hundreds of thousands of other people, I’ve dealt with the SAME frustrations as you have for the last 10+ years of being a fitness professional.
I’m sure you’re probably very familiar with the painful list that comes with using the “traditional” dieting approach – just like I am:
Living in a huge calorie deficit and feeling hungry all the time.
Constantly feeling run down and carb depleted with zero energy.
Depriving yourself of your favorite carbs and all the foods you love to eat.
Missing out on all the fun stuff like social events, parties, and family gatherings.
Feeling restricted and inconvenienced with limiting food choices day after day after day.
A sluggish and slowing metabolism.
Suppressed fat burning hormones that block your body from burning fat.
Loss of strength and even precious calorie burning lean muscle tissue.
Unhealthy obsessions over food and constantly worrying about what you’re putting in your body.
Perhaps you’ve heard that in order to avoid all these painful consequences and lose belly fat you should just avoid carbs altogether and eat more like a caveman. Wrong.
Or maybe you’ve heard that you need to cut calories later in the evening and stop eating carbs late at night before bed. Wrong – AGAIN.
In fact, these are the EXACT opposite steps you should be taking in order to “reboot” your metabolism and keep your hormones “healthy”, happy, and burning belly fat.
And if you’ve ever tried to “diet” by cutting carbs and calories, research now shows there’s over a 90% change that your metabolism has been radically altered and damaged.
But not anymore.
That’s because my good friend Shaun Hadsall just released his brand new 4 Cycle Solution.
An eight week Step-by-Step carb cycling system that uses a brand new nutrition method called Macro-Patterning™, which shows you exactly how to overcome all this dieting nonsense and heal ANY damage you may have done from previous crash dieting.
In fact, when you use Macro-Patterning™ it’s easy to eat LOADS of carbs and NEVER store them as fat.
And in addition to the fact that Shaun is already discounting this new system at HALF off, he’s also throwing in Fast Start Video Lessons for anybody who orders today.
So through today (and today only) you’ll get the ENTIRE course, which includes a Quick Start Session AND all four proven Macro-Patterning™ Cycles on video. This has a real value of $300 and right now it’s yours 100% *FREE*.
==> 4 Cycle Solution System HALF off + Fast Start Video Lessons *FREE*Cycle 1 – The 7 Day Carb Depletion Diet: “Shut off” your body’s dependence on sugars and make belly fat your “go to” energy source to visually SEE your belly get flatter in just 7 short days. Cycle 2 – The Macro-Patterning™ Cycle: Use LOTS of carbs to accelerate fat-loss and maintain a fat burning environment round the clock 24/7. No more plateaus. No more metabolic slowdown. No more suffering from traditional low carb trendy diets. Cycle 3 – The Accelerated Fat-Loss Cycle: Because your body is super smart it can adapt very quickly. This is the first fat-loss cycle ever designed to overcome EVERY type of plateau of sticking point the body uses to stop you from losing weight so you STAY on the fat-loss fast track. Cycle 4 – The “Diet Break”: By this point you’ll have overcame every type of adaptive response related to burning stubborn body fat. Now it’s time to put your fat-loss on cruise control by enjoying happy hour every Friday and even using all your favorite Cheat Foods through the weekend – WITHOUT suffering any rebound weight gain. ==> HALF off 4 Cycle Solution Fat-Loss PLUS Fast Start Video Lessons *FREE*
So let’s recap so you fully grasp what’s going on at the above link…1. Shaun’s new 4 Cycle Fat-Loss Carb Cycling System is on sale this week only at HALF price to celebrate the “official” release. This program has already received a TON of national attention, so it’s proven to work like gangbusters. 2. If you pick up Shaun’s new program TODAY, you’ll also get the entire system (ALL 4 proven cycles) on video 100% FREE.This is literally like your very own “mini” PhD on how to eat MORE carbs and NEVER get fat. Now truth be told, almost everybody who tries to start ANY type of rapid fat-loss plan messes up their hormones, damages their metabolism, and literally forces their body to gain the weight right back.
But when you use this particular carb cycling approach based on the unique (and proprietary) Macro-Patterning™nutrition method — you’ll see how simple it can be to finally get and keep a flat belly.
What are thermogenic foods and do they really increase your metabolism and help you lose weight?
The answer is YES THEY CAN! Thermogenic foods contain components in their structure that cause your body to use more energy (calories) to breakdown and digest the three macronutrients you intake on a daily basis; protein, carbohydrate and fat, and as a result, your body burns extra calories when these foods are consumed.
When ingested, thermogenic foods aid to stimulate body fat to be released and used as energy. All foods require energy to be broken down but some foods require more energy than others. Protein is a perfect example of a macronutrient that utilizes the most energy, almost 30% more than carbohydrates and fat. Examples of high protein choices would be chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, lean beef, and eggs.
In simpler terms, increasing the amount of protein in your diet will not only increase your metabolism but it will keep you feeling full longer because protein, unlike carbohydrates, gets broken down in the stomach and takes roughly 3-4 hours before it moves into the intestines where the absorption process begins.
What does this mean? Well, if you consume 100 calories of lean protein (chicken and turkey breast, white fish, egg whites, etc), this means that 30 of those calories (30% of 100) are being used as an energy source for digestion alone!
Protein is known to have 4 calories per gram, therefore you could even go as far as presuming that since 30% of those calories are being used in digestion, a protein in actuality only has 2.8 calories (30% of 4 grams) by the time your body has worked its magic and digested the protein for assimilation. Why wouldn’t you incorporate more healthy proteins in your diet!
Protein is not the only thermogenic food however! Many vegetables and some fruits also have a thermogenic effect on the body and your metabolism.
Cruciferous vegetables such as arugula, broccoli, spinach, Brussel sprouts and cabbage can increase your metabolism when consumed in larger quantities and on a regular basis as they are loaded with nutrients necessary to get your cells and liver to do their job and burn fuel efficiently.
A diet poor in vitamins and minerals does not result in the same energy expenditure.
Low glycemic index fruits such as berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) as well as grapefruits and apples also have thermogenic properties and do not affect a rise in blood sugar levels as do other fruits, especially dried or tropical fruits which can increase your insulin levels and may cause carbohydrates to be converted to fat.
Condiments such as apple cider vinegar, hot sauces, hot peppers, spicy mustards and chili’s are a definite must and add fuel to the fire increasing your metabolism even more. Try adding some to your next meal!
I know you have heard this a thousand times but… drink your water! Water, yes plain water, can also increase your metabolism; especially if you drink it cold since your body has to expend so much energy to warm it up before it passes through the digestive system.
All of the above mentioned foods can be readily found during your next visit to the grocery store if you don’t already have them hiding in your pantry, fridge and freezer. So be sure to include as many of the above mentioned thermogenic foods as possible and get your metabolism in gear!
By Laura Discepola, RNCP and ROHP
Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner and Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioner
Can-Fit-Pro PRO-Trainer, NWS & CPR Instructor
Personal Trainer (PTS) & Chef
www.fittoeat.calaura@fittoeat.ca
p. 647.408.7142
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fit-To-Eat-Nutrition/173707265981688
Check out these great Protein Smoothies put together by Registered Nutritionist Laura D.
I drank these before I went for my runs, but you can use these for breakfast, as a mid morning or afternoon meal or post workout.
CHOCOLATE MONKEY PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
CHOCOLATE MONKEY PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (made with stevia)
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 a medium banana
1 cup water
6 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender; blend until SMOOTH. Pour into a chilled glass and serve.
WILD BERRY BLAST PROTEIN SMOOTHIEWILD BERRY BLAST PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (made with stevia)
3/4 cup mixed frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 1/4 cup water
6 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender; blend until SMOOTH. Pour into a chilled glass and serve.
CONTACT LAURA D
Laura Discepola, RNCP/ROHP, PTS
Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner
Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioner
Can-Fit-Pro PRO-Trainer, NWS & CPR Instructor
Personal Trainer (PTS) & Chef
ldiscepola@rogers.com
Certified Holistic Nutritionist Laura D answers the question “Is juice good for you?” Listen up closely and pay attention to this video, you may be SHOCKED!!!!
Contact Laura D and set up a face to face or online nutrition consultation/assessment
Laura Discepola – lauradnutrition@rogers.com
RNCP/ROHP, PTS Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner
Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioner
Can-Fit-Pro PRO-Trainer, NWS & CPR Instructor
Personal Trainer (PTS) & Chef