What’s 1 Thing You Can Do To Push Past a Plateau?

nutrition Jun 02, 2019

DRINK MORE WATER!!!

DRINK WATER is the #2 factor I highlight in my FREE Pushing Past the Plateau EBOOK.

In this EBOOK I highlight 7 factors you can alter in your current fitness/nutrition routine to push past your plateau and keep you reaching your fitness goals.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE INSTANT DOWNLOAD TO FIND OUT WHAT #1 IS

How much water do you drink in a day?

Do you track it enough to know exactly how many ounces you drink?

Do you know how many ounces you SHOULD drink daily?

Everyone talks about how important water is but why is this so and how can it help avoid plateaus?

Too often, drinking water is understated. Yes, yes, yes, I know I should be drinking water but why?

LET’S GET TO IT

The amount of water in the human body ranges anywhere from 50% - 75% depending on your age and gender. However, the average adult male is composed of 60% water and the average adult female is composed of 55% water.

This percentage of water depends on your HYDRATION level. Thirst occurs when they have lost around 2-3% of your body's water and mental performance and physical coordination start to become impaired before thirst kicks in, typically around 1% dehydration.

Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluid than you take in. Your body can become dehydrated with vigorous exercise, excessive sweating, hot weather climates especially if working out in hot weather, diet and illness such as vomiting or diarrhea.

When the normal water content of your body is reduced it impacts many functions responsible for daily life.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOU BECOME DEHYDRATED?

Some of the side effects and risks of dehydration include:

A lack of Energy
Tiredness
Injury, like heat cramps or heatstroke
Brain Swelling
Seizures
Hypovolemic Shock
Kidney or other Organ Failure
Death

WHY IS WATER IMPORTANT?

Maintains Body Fluids - Some important body functions of bodily fluid include digestion, absorption and regulating body temperature.
Helps with Calorie Control - By helping you feel fuller for longer by avoiding high calorie sugary drinks. Also, choosing foods that are high in water-content such as fruits and vegetables help you feel full without packing in the calories.
Helps Keep Muscles Hydrated - When muscle cells don’t have adequate fluids, they don’t work as well and performance can suffer. This is why hydration during exercise is key for success.
Keeps Your Skin Healthy - Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. Dehydration makes your skin look dry and wrinkled. Furthermore, water is necessary to keep skin clear and free of pimples or blemishes. Water can help wash out toxins in the skin, helping decrease the appearance of pimples.
Maintains Kidney Function - Kidneys cleanse and get rid of your body toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate. The more water you drink, the less concentrated the waste is. This is important in order to avoid contracting urinary tract infections which can also lead to kidney infections, kidney stones have also been related to chronic dehydration.
Bowel functions – Water helps maintain normal bowel functions. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation.
Energy - Dehydration can lead to excessive tiredness and lower performance
Lubricates Joints - Our joints are surrounded by cartilage which is made up of 85% water. Cartilage helps make our movements smooth and pain-free and is also an important protective material for our bones. Adequate hydration is necessary to keep cartilage healthy.

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU DRINK?

The amount of water needed varies greatly from person to person based upon their amount of daily exercise, age, sex, health and environmental conditions. However, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:

About 15.5 cups (124oz) of fluids for men
About 11.5 cups (92 oz) of fluids a day for women

These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages and food. About 20 percent of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks.

WHICH FOODS CONTAIN WATER?

Fruits and vegetables with the highest amount of water include:

Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Watermelon
Lettuce
Cabbage
Celery

Other foods that contain a high amount of water include:

Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Pasta
Shrimp
Salmon
Chicken Breast

Consuming foods high in water will help prevent dehydration. However, food alone isn’t likely to provide an adequate amount of water to sustain you in the long term.

HOW CAN DRINKING MORE WATER HELP ME REACH MY FITNESS GOALS?

There are many claims that increased water intake may reduce body weight by increasing your metabolism and reducing your appetite.

According to two studies, drinking 17 ounces (500 ml) of water can temporarily boost metabolism by 24–30%. (CLICK FOR SOURCE)

The researchers estimated that drinking 68 ounces (2 liters) in one day increased energy expenditure by about 96 calories per day.

Additionally, it may be beneficial to drink cold water because your body will need to expend more calories to heat the water to body temperature.

Drinking water about a half hour before meals can also reduce the number of calories you end up consuming.

One study showed that dieters who drank 17 ounces (500 ml) of water before each meal lost 44% more weight over 12 weeks, compared to those who didn’t. (CLICK FOR SOURCE) Overall, drinking adequate amounts of water, especially before meals, may help reach your weight loss goals especially when combined with a healthy diet.

As you can see, maintaining an adequate amount of water in your body is vitally important to your life. Without water, you’ll only be able to survive a matter of days and can dramatically hinder your body's daily functioning. In this article, I highlighted the #2 way you can push past a plateau to reach your health & fitness goals. In my Pushing Past the Plateau FREE EBOOK, I discuss 7 ways in which you can alter your current fitness/nutrition routine to avoid plateaus and keep reaching your goals. If water is #2… CLICK HERE to instantly download your FREE copy and find out what the #1 thing you can do is to reach your goals.

PRO TIP: Hate drinking plain water? Try infusing it with strawberries, mint, lemon, lime or anything else that will add some flavor and help you achieve your daily water intake.

With Love,

Elise Borelli