Why drink so much water?!

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Have you ever heard that many people are shedding weight  more throughout the warm summer months than the winter? This is mainly due to the fact that they are drinking more water.

It really pays to make note on how much water you are drinking in a day.

I have seen a few people who are discouraged by their weight loss whether plateaus or other things.

 I have been told from an experienced massage therapist that.... Water rarely ever reaches past your fat cells, the water that we consume first goes to support vital organs and assist in digestion, then muscle tissue and THEN will it reach the fat tissue and the skin. This is actually the main cause of cellulite, cellulite happens where your fat cells are thickest therefore they get less water even then other fatty areas. The lack of water around the fat cell and in it will cause a depression around a cluster of cells, this causes the "dimpled" look of cellulite.

Well BIG PROBLEM we rarely ever drink enough water to support that, drinking even six glasses of water a day rarely ever gets past your vital organs. Have any of you noticed that the more water you seem to drink the less shoulder and back pain you seem to have? Those tension headaches don't seem to come around so much anymore right? Well this is because your are finally drinking enough water that the lactic acid (the metabolic waste produced when muscles burn calories) is getting flushed out of your muscle tissue.

The more fat you have on your body the more water you need to drink to actually reach all of your fat cells past that muscle tissue. So check the numbers..

The recommended water intake for someone losing weight is HALF your body weight in ounces. so if you are 250 lbs then you need to be drinking 125 oz of water a day.

So currently they say you should drink 8 8oz glasses of water, but thats the MINIMUM, think about it that is only 64 oz's which would be the recommended water intake for someone who is 128 lbs, which I doubt is our target audience here!

Some theory on plateaus is that when your fat cells release enough waste from shrinking if you aren't drinking enough water then that waste which includes lactic acid, uric acid, and stored hormones doesn't just go away. it sits there, and sits there, and finally your body just shuts down the process cause that stuff just needs a place to go. Its not magic, that stuff doesn't just go away. So if fat cells don't get water supply unless you are drinking ALOT of water then that STUFF just does not go anywhere.

That's why changing your routine can cause you to break plateaus, you either take a break from exercise which gives your body time to process lactic acid that builds up, you start exercising which kicks your metabolism into gear. or you change your food which depending on the food can have either effect.

So, if you can eat 6 smaller meals a day, &   can change your whole outlook on eating, cut your calories down to less than 1000 a day, then I assure you you have the will power to drink a gallon of water. I know you will be going to the bathroom every five minutes, I know the taste can be daunting for some people. But just think every time you rush out of the movie, interrupt dinner, take a quick break during that meeting you are flushing away the pounds!

Things I have found that help!

Line up glasses or bottles of water you know you want to drink today and place them in a row in the fridge or counter.

Or  just buy a gallon jug  of water for $1 and just keep chugging away & then some.

Lets Get Ready for the New Year

Rosh Hashana is around the corner..Its tomorrow evening!!!

Time to get ourselves prepared.. Emotionally, Mentally& Physically

We always ask for a Good Year of Happiness, & Health..

So if we're asking for Health, then lets do our part.. Get Healthy & Be Healthy.
It takes committement to  reach a goal.

Holiday or not, its all about our choices..& making the right ones that we will be happy with even after we have made them with no regrets.

We may come up with the excuse that its Aw Cmon Its only once a year, but really so is the next holiday a week or two later, &so on

We will always be looking for an excuse if we want to find one..
Your choice: Eat till your hearts content, &gain 3-5 lbs after all these 3 day yom tovs,
or plan out what you'll be eating, be in charge of your actions, & not gain anything & possibly come away from all these yom tovim & actually lose a few.Its possible!!!!!!!

So, if you're having a crowd or are invited out, and you know that this holiday is one that involves a lot of the type of food that aren't the healthiest..

Are you just going to go into it without a plan?

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

In the past, most of the reasons we eat so much Challah & honey its nearly considered to be the first course! as we're waiting for the next course to be served..

Then theres the Apple N Honey..to follow..

Your stomach may be growling by now.. Hope you took some meal replacements along with you at shul.. You need to do this!!!! Take a quick break.. Have a bar with some water.. 

The solution is,  have your ammunition ready..

Honey & challah is a temptation of course its Delish. We've grown up with having an endless amount of challah with honey.

But then theres your committement...to being Healthy..

OK.. you know you'll want to eat something. So better plan out a better option to help you out..

A good idea may be to have a homemade eggplant dip (babaganoush on the table, or some salad..

Instead of serving the traditional Potato Leek Soup, why not try Zucchini Leek Soup? Its just as delicious.. (can make it into a meat soup as well)

Or if you just have to have some honey, try mixing it with some of the Medifast sugar free syrup?

Remember, Either way just keep your have to have something to less than a size of a tablespoon!

I found an item called Soy Wrappers which are very lightweight, 20 calories, about 2 carbs, & can be filled with just about anything inside.

It makes a nice  addition to an appetizer wrap or main course.

Other ideas to make is Stuffed Cabbage with Ground Cauliflower instead of rice, with ground chicken breast or low fat bison or low fat meat

Cabbage salad of any kind is a good option & is a nice crunchy option to have at the table...that will keep your mouth moving & happy.

When dessert time comes around, offer to clear off the table, ask who wants tea, & washing dishes or putting food away keeps temptation away..

Or if you have to sit at the table, push yourself away from the table!

Sit on the couch or easy chair...

Don't worry theres another meal coming along..

So with respect to that..you can try to eat half of your lean & green for lunch & half for dinner, or all for one & just do the minimal of whats required

So my 2nd night would be Simanim & Soup...with a tad of challah & tad of shehechayanu. Whatever works for you.

Take a walk after meals...It will make you feel a lot better...

May we all be inscribed in the book of life

Happy & Healthy New Year/Shana Tova
שנה טובה ומתוקה

~Shari

March 10, 2010
If you follow a program that works, then it will work.
All my clients who are on maintenance haven't gained anything back!
So for some reason, maybe I was just having an unmotivating Month all around, or maybe all the compliments of my weight loss, or the rainy weather, & junk around the house has caused me to pig out out on junk. Brainless eating really.. (cake, potato chips, etc just junk) and a lot of it. So it should be of no surprise to me really that I have gained a few pounds back..and that some of the smaller fitted clothing I had, doesn't fit the same as it did in January.
Thats when it hit me..I don't want to go back to what I was! Passover is coming around the corner & I wanted to be able to wear nie Springy outfits and look & feel good in them.

So happy that after piggin out & gaining back some pounds, I finally picked myself up & said I have to do it! Even on Purim day(holiday where we give & get a lot of goodies) I only had 1 hamentashen! (Most likely because I had had enough the week before)
So this past week, I actually lost back 2.4 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!

In a way even though I'm annoyed at myself, I'm trying to look at it in a beneficial way.
So if my clients/friends experience something similiar, I'll be able to convince them not to fall into the same pit I did...
Its amazing how you can feel the difference even just losing 1-2 pounds...My energy level has shot up again etc
So now I would just like to keep it going..Writing up a Passover Plan really helped me too.
Emptying out the house or all the garbage getting eaten up may have helped too..
So no more desserts in the house for now, or else keep it away from me..
Looking to set accountability for myself and others...
Having a better March than February.........

Superbowl Sunday..potentially hazardous..

Seems that the whole morning we were in a semi frozen status waiting for the Superbowl Party to commence. Okay it did rain in the morning which messed up my morning plans of walking around the Lake.

I had been to this party before and knew what would be there.. and knew if I didnt come prepared..I'd be in trouble..

Much to my surprise there was salad and tuna fish, which was thoughtful considering that there were a few of us there who are trying to follow a healthy eating plan..
But I brought some ammunition along with me..
Lately I've been craving more sweets like cake etc so I made some chocolate muffins that worked within the program.. and I also brought along some cinammon pretzels..
So with the combination of all of these I survived with not too much difficulty..
When theres a plan, its easier to committ.
Its better that you plan what you're eating then what you're eating plans you..

Losing..

I have always had to struggle with my weight..
Having 6 kids didnt help. I joined a gym after having my 3rd one in a row..& lost 12lbs..
but kept having kids..I achieved a decent weight loss after my 5th child, but not more than 15 lbs...and I said to myself..if I did it before I can do it again..Not knowing how it would be.
I tried South Beach ..couldnt get past phase 1..Tried Weight Watchers..lost 5 lbs and gained it back the following week..

Lost 10lbs on a program called the Diet Center..but 7yrs later, then got pregnant with my 6th

I found myself sitting at a computer, my back hurt, my hip hurt, my foot hurt..
I thought to myself, I could just sit here & wither away... I was lethargic etc.
My feet would hurt from standing all day long & cooking..

A little over a year ago, I finally decided to pick myself up & do something..
I joined a BootCamp..Hardcore exercise at the crack of dawn..okay 6:00am..
Taught by a wife of a Marine that I knew from the gym, and an inspirational person..
Over the next 2 months, I proceeded to lose 12lbs...and excersized doing push ups, sit ups, weight lifting, running.. you name it..

We were advised to follow Michael Thurmond's 6 day Body Makeover..which was eating 6x a day..Protein every 3 hours..with 3 oz protein & vegetables for inbetween meals, and 2 oz protein with vegetables and brown rice...

It was fine..But then Passover came along..and it was my first time doing it in 11yrs..and I cooked & baked alot..& gained a few lbs back..

All the while, I was thinking..that eating 6 smaller meals and eating protein every few hours seemed to work for me...but it wasn't easy preparing the fish, eggs, meat and taking it with me where-ever I was going..

At the end of May...I found out about a weight loss program via a friend from the Chamber of Commerce..She & her husband had lost some weight.....
So...I decided to give it a try...
and procceeded to lose 3-4lbs a week over the next few months.....

I wasn't hungry, & it wasnt always easy.. The meals are good for those who have a little sweet tooth, and it is fortified with vitamins..Dr reccommended..
I ate every 3 hours, and carried my very transportable meals with me..
Easy to go to Starbucks or Coffee Bean..or even to LA..

I went from a size 14-16 to a size 6-8! and have lost nearly 40lbs!
I am now fitting into my daughters clothing when she was in 7th grade! & can wear my current 8th grade daughter's clothing..

My size 6 daughter came into my closet this morning, asking me what she could borrow from my closet!
People come up to me all the time making comments that I've lost half of myself..etc

& I didnt do a lot of exercise in the process..

I did it through a program & decided to become a Health Coach for it to enable others to help them achieve weight loss goals, they never thought they could..as I did..

Currently half of my synagogue is on it and I am constantly getting calls from pp every Sunday/Monday asking me how they can lose it too...
I have clients/friends who have lost 70lbs!
All of a sudden everyone's doing it.'
My son lost 30lbs, my husband & daughter are doing it..

My coach went from a size 12 to a size 0!

This program really works.....