Water the H20 Solution

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

11 Apr 2006 02:06 PM

Hi, my name is Heather Long. I write for the Fitness and Marriage Blog primarily here at Families.Com. But because weight loss is an issue that I am intimately familiar with, I wanted to share some of my experiences, my frustrations, my triumphs and my setbacks.

I've done a lot of diets over the years, I've done deprivation diets like South Beach and Atkins, I've done the moderation diets like Weight Watchers and I've done portion control like Lean & Fit. In the end, I never seem to latch onto a diet plan that delivers the guaranteed weight loss.

Like a lot of people I've known, I've been tempted by the Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig ads. I've watched friends try out Atkins and seen the weight melt right off. So why if it works for all these people, doesn't it work for me? Last summer, I found out one of the biggest problems I face where weight loss is concerned is that I don't drink water.

I mean I seriously dislike water.

You may wonder how I can say that, because -- water is the stuff of life. But I've never been a fan. 18 months ago when I started working out regularly, my water intake increased. My weight started coming off. But at one point, I slowed down on the water and drank gatorade, sports drinks and other 'flavorful' products. The weight came back.

Do we see a connection?

I did.

I went back to drinking water and the weight started coming off again.

Water is vital to our existence. It is probably the single most important nutrient we provide for our bodies when you consider that we are comprised of 60 to 65% water. We need it for everything from building muscle tissue to flushing waste products to hydrating our cells.

Water is important.

When you don't drink enough -- do you know what your body does?

It stores it.

It hoardes it.

It packs it up into every spare inch it can find.

You become a camel.

Right down to the humps.

So the next time you start thinking that your diet plan isn't working and the rest of the world is just full of bunk -- ask yourself -- how many glasses of water do you drink everyday?

I'm up to 5. It's a slow start, but it's working.

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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