Surprise Saturday/ Importance of Water in fitness

My husband and I love to surprise each other and the kids on occasion. Today we will be surprising the kids by taking them to the movies on base and probably out to lunch.  

I also think we may grill some steaks tonight that we marinated and put in the freezer…Mmmm they should be sooo good. 

Being on this fitness journey I have learned to really understand and embrace the do not deny yourself attitude….lol. In the years past I thought that I had to cut things out completely in order to see results, but that is not the case at all. 

It is all about learning your body cues and really understanding what your body wants or needs and moderation. Also, honestly when you are serious about bettering your health and not just weight loss you tend to crave better foods...instead of the salt, sugary cravings you crave vitamins and nutrients in certain foods. 

You may have heard this before or not but a lot of times when we think we are hungry it is actually thirsty. The thirst trigger is very similar to hunger. Now it does not mean grab a soda when you are thirsty because sodas will just dehydrate you more. I no longer look to soda as a thrist quensher but as something I want to taste. Pepsi is definitely my weakness. Whenever I slip or crave something I shouldn’t really have it is almost always Pepsi but I no longer beat myself up about it. I just make sure I have a tall glass of water after the fact and keep track of what I eat/drink from then on. 

Water, water, water is the key. I never realized how dehydrated my body was until after I made a conscious effort to drink enough water. It is more than you think….that rule of 8- 8oz. glasses of water a day is for an average weight sedentary person. Ideally you should take your weight divide it in half and that is the amount of oz. of water you should be drinking daily. WHAT!?! For me that was over 150 oz. of water a day. How could I ever drink that much? Well I do. I have a travel blender cup that is 20oz. and I have that cup with me at all times. I only have to fill it about 7-8 times to get my water intake daily. 

A few benefits I have noticed since drinking a lot more water is I feel less sluggish on the days I have a high intake. My skin is so much nicer…that was a bonus I was not expecting but after reading up on it I guess it is a common thing when you are hydrated. I never get to a point where I am “dying” of thirst and I honestly eat a lot less as far as portions. 

So whenever I feel that twinge of “hunger” I am learning to drink a small bit of water first. If the twinge goes away I was just thirsty. If it does not go away in about 5-10 minutes then I am obviously hungry and will fuel my body. 

Tonight, I will enjoy my grilled steak, roasted potatoes, (by the way here is the recipe I use for my roasted potatoes they are very simple and come out oh so yummy! ) and a salad and relish in the flavors and not feel one oz. of guilt because I am learning my body cues and stopping when I get full. I DO NOT HAVE TO CLEAN MY PLATE! (Besides, that is what Tupperware is for, leftovers!)

(If anyone has any questions or topics they are interested in me blogging about feel free to leave some suggestions or email me)