Importance of H2O

Benefits of Water:

1. It's a natural body cleanser and neutralizer.
Water is probably the most natural form of cleanser for your body. Scientifically speaking, it ensures your body is at homeostasis by maintaining its neutral acidity level so your organs can function the way they should. This indirectly means people who drink more water will generally live a longer and
 healthier life.

2. It strengthens your immune system
Drinking water not only maintains the neutrality of your internal organs but also flushes out any toxins that might causes illnesses or diseases. Through my personal experience, I was born with a very weak immune system. My tonsils were extremely easily infected  and that often lead to many long flus and colds as I was growing up. Recently, since I drink more than enough water, I rarely get colds anymore. Actually there was one time where I felt like a cold was creeping up so I chugged 3 bottles of water and woke up the next morning feel better than ever. Trust me, it works!

3. Drinking more water will improve the appearance of your skin
It is proven by intensive research that how much water you drink does directly affect how your skin looks since skin is your body's largest organ. It will hydrate, replenish an cleanse your skin from the inside in ways that even the most luxurious and expensive skincare products cannot.

4. You will most likely have healthier hair
On top have having better skin, your hair will also feel healthier. do you ever wake up from a night of partying and your hair feels gross and dry. It is because you're dehydrated from the alcohol! Speaking of, water is also the best cure to a hangover.

5. Number one factor to losing weight
There is a reason why they tell you to drink plenty of water on every guide or diet to losing weight. They speak the truth.  drinking water will trick your stomach thinking its full although it has no calories, so you wont be tempted to eat. I can guarantee that half of the time you mistakenly think you are hungry, it is because you are actually thirsty.

Hopefully by now I have somewhat convinced you how amazing water is and if  you don't have a cup of water beside you right now, GO GET ONE! 

6. It energizes your body/muscles
In addition to helping you lose weight by filling your stomach temporarily, it also fuels your muscles so you feel more awake and have more energy. Having this boost of energy will lead you to a more effective workout thus you'll see more successful results in terms of weight loss and body toning.

7. Improves levels of cognitive performance
Water brings oxygen for your brain needed to function properly. Research has shown that water supplementation positively impacts mental performance such as memory and attention. Maybe this might be psychological effect but I also think better during an exam when I have a bottle of water with me.

8. It helps with digestion
 Next time you feel constipated, chug water! Believe me, it actually helps.

To sum it up, I want to you think about it this way....toxins have to get out of your body somehow right? So the more water you drink, the more you pee and that is how your toxins will be released, painlessly. Now on the contrary, if you don't drink enough, it will find another way out. This could in a lot of different horrible forms  such as acne or getting the flu. You want to lose weight? Start by drinking more water. It is that easy!

Now how much water do you really need to drink? They say 8 cups a day (2L) but it really depends on a whole bunch of different factors including but not limited to: your body type, body fat percentage, age, climate/weather, level of activity in your day and the other types of fluids and foods that you consume.
This means that a person who is living in areas of extreme heat and has a very active lifestyle should drink significantly more water than a person who lives in, say, Antarctica.
Another example is, personally, I love eating watermelon for breakfast in the summer. This would substitute for 1-2 glasses of water because if I was to drink more water on top of that, I think my stomach would explode. Just listen to your body and you will know.

*DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional nor a doctor. This is what I learned from research and my personal experiences. 

My weightloss story

My "battle" with my weight has been on going every since I could remember.. Well I guess it started in my early teens.

Let me give you a little background on my body type. I am medium/average built (height: 5'5 weight:62kg - BMI: 22) with a fairly dense bone structure and I have:

-wide shoulders

-small hips (size 25/0-2 in pants)

-longer torso/shorter legs

-average boob size (34C)

-larger upper body

Already you can probably tell that gaining weight on my body type will make me look even more unproportionate. With that being said.. It is EXTREMELY difficult for me to lose weight. 

My thighs then waist/tummy are the areas where I tent to gain/lose weight first. Do you know any good ways to tone the upper body?

Anyways, in middle school I guess I was the average weight/height although most of my friends were skinnier than me which sometimes make me self conscious. I had my growth spurt in grade 8 and it basically stretched me out quite a lot. I was pretty happy with me body going into high school.

Then I became best friends with food. (WHY DOES FOOD TASTE SO GOOD?!?!) At first I didn't realize that I was packing on the pounds but eventually it was way too noticeable to ignore. Although I must confess I'd have a really hard time accepting the fact that i gained all this weight even though the evidence was right there.... With all it's FAT glory. I would get very insecure about it and extremely hurt when people, especially my parents, mention my weight. (TIp: It's important to have people in your life that will motivate you and support you through your goal)

I think it was during the summer going into grade 12, I just couldn't take it anymore. I was so uncomfortable in my own body that I would never wear shorts; I basically lived in sweatpants and baggy clothes. I was even scared to go to the doctors for a physical check up because I knew that I was overweight.  When I finally stepped on a scale, I was speechless at how much I weighed. I think that was a breaking point. So I got a membership to a gym and I stayed committed to it for about a month and lost 8 pounds. I was delighted and pleased with myself as it was hard work. Commitment is everything. 

Although I did lose quite a lot of weight I was still very unhappy with my body. It's really not just about how MUCH I weight but more about how I feel about how my body looks. I was also becoming more lazy and unfit and I think it even affected studying and other aspects of my life. So It came April (two months before prom)  I set myself a goal and I was serious about it. I bought my prom dress a size smaller than what I needed as a motivation... If it doesn't fit I wouldn't go, simple as that. So I started going to the YMCA almost every weekday and my endurance improved dramatically. By prom I had lost about 18 lbs and of course I fit into my dress nicely. (Tip: Set your goals higher even if it might seem unrealistic. Setting your goals lower will only mean you will accomplish less than your full abilities.) I guess knowing that I'm capable and have the self control to stay focused in achieving my goal motivated me to go further.

I did hit a plateau for two months but summer break came and that changed my life. I got a full time job at a factory. There were so many benefits to that job I was so grateful. So being out of the house the majority of the day; working 8 hours a day standing up the entire time and lifting heavy objects not only toned me out but it also meant I didn't have that much time to eat. On top of hat, the factory was excruciatingly hot which forced me to drink at least 2L of water a day or else I would actually dehydrate. (Tip: #1 most important rule in losing weight is to drink plenty of water. Any die plan will have this)  I came home exhausted so I would sleep right away. (Getting a good's night rest is crucial in maintaining a healthy body).  Before I know it two months passed and I dropped another 15 pounds. (Tip: If you feel like you tend to eat when you're bored, find something to occupy yourself with. It can be a hobby or even just going out of the house to hang out with friends or family. ) That's when my body really showed the difference. I went down about 4 jeans sizes in total and everything was starting to fit loose. Even my feet got smaller! 

Just putting this out there, I did this for ME; no one else. I think thats one of the key things to succeed in losing weight. Do it for YOURSELF and for YOUR body. 

I was so proud of myself and I can't even begin to explain how happy I was. Except I was still not completely satisfied, I mean I guess I never will be unless I look like Candice Swanepoel. 

size 7 to size 1 in pants

I had originally wanted to continue to gradually drop some pounds and to tone out a bit more. Well I clearly wasn't thinking realistically because university came around and let me tell you... Never underestimate freshmen 15, especially if you live on residence. In about 4 months I gained back 7 pounds. It really makes me sad but what's done is done right? ...

But now 'm back to watching what I eat and going to the gym 5 or 6 times a week (hopefully). I used to DESPISE going to the gym (my friend Vicki had to literally drag me out the door) but now I'm starting to realize that it feels really good to go.

I know a lot of people are against counting calories but I don't see what's so bad about it. I mean it's better than going on those stupid fruit juice diets. (Tip: diets such as a fruit diet, juice diet, and etc 99% don't work because once you stop.. which trust me, you will, the weight will just come back) Not only does myfitnesspal track your daily calorie intake but also other important nutrients as well.

myfitnesspal app on Iphone

Ever since I've been logging all the foods I consume in a day I've been more aware of what nutrients I am lacking and which I have too much of (mainly carbs). That's when I began my research of foods with the most of a certain nutrient. Here's what I discovered:

Foods highest in Vitamin A

• lettuce
• sweet potato
• carrots
• chili powder
• cantaloupe
• peaches

Foods highest in Potassium

• spinach
• white beans
• yogurt
• baked potato with skin
• banana
• white mushrooms
• salmon (and other fish)

Foods highest in Iron (especially important for women)

• dried herbs
• dark chocolate
• raisins
• spinach
• red meats
• egg yolk 
• beans

Foods Highest in Fiber 

• corn/popcorn
• flax seeds
• kidney beans
• edamame
• avocado
• whole wheat bread/pasta
• lentils
• pears
• raspberries
• barley
• oatmeal

Polyunsaturated fats

• fish
• flax seeds
• nuts

I hope this helps any of you that want to change your diet and start eating healthier but don't know where to start. Also, I hope that to anyone reading this it will motivate you to the right direction by learning from my mistakes and using some of the tips I gave you. 

As to my own goal... I hope that in 3 weeks I will be able to go back to how I was before university started. Why 3? .. IM GOING TO MONTREAL!