Water is required in almost every one of the different processes in the body. The human brain is 95% water, your lungs are 90% water, your blood is 83% water, your muscles are 76% water and your bones are 22% water—and we are 100% sure that staying hydrated is essential for optimal health. If fact, that may even be an understatement. Yet, Americans are chronically dehydrated. It is reported that nearly 75% of U.S. adults are dehydrated on a daily basis. It is no wonder that when we fail to prioritize drinking enough water, we also struggle to reach our health and fitness goals.

If you’ve ever had a health problem, you’ve probably been asked if you’re drinking enough water. Well, the same goes for weight loss. Not seeing the scale budge? Ask yourself if you’re drinking enough water.

When we’re on a health and fitness journey, we tend to focus on eating clean and working out—so much so that we often overlook water consumption. However, water plays such a huge role in weight loss that it could be the one thing holding you back from reaching your goals. Even if we are consistent with hitting the gym and dedicated to eating healthy, we still may not see the results we want to see if we are not consuming enough water. So, for the 75% of us who fall under the chronically dehydrated group, and for those of you out there who are working to lose weight, it’s time to better understand what role water plays in weight loss and some simple ways you can stay properly hydrated every day.

Reduced Appetite

Water helps us reduce our appetite in a few different ways. Your body struggles to differentiate your feelings of hunger and thirst, which means that sometimes when you feel hungry, it could be a sign that you are dehydrated. Have you ever felt hungry, eaten something that usually fills you up and still felt hungry afterward? It’s most likely because your body didn’t need food, it needed water. Thirst disguised as hunger is common for a lot of people who are dehydrated. The problem is, when we confuse the two, often we reach for a snack instead of a glass of water, leading us to consume more calories than necessary. While calories in versus calories out isn’t everything when it comes to weight gain and weight loss, and it certainly isn’t the only way to lose weight, it still plays a role. If we are constantly eating a surplus of calories and our goal is to achieve a healthier BMI, we most likely won’t see the results we are looking for.

Solution: The next time you finish a full, balanced meal and still feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water and wait 20 to 30 minutes before you eat more food. That’s about how long it will take for your body to process the water and for you to know if you are hungry for more food or not.

Bonus: When your stomach feels like it is full, it will send signals to your brain to stop eating. Water takes up space in the stomach, resulting in feelings of fullness, signaling to the brain that it is no longer hungry, therefore reducing hunger.

Fat Burn

Water is necessary to burn fat. It is required in the process of metabolizing stored fat and carbohydrates. Without water, your body won’t be able to convert excess carbs and fat into usable energy. This process is called lipolysis. Being dehydrated slows down your metabolism because it won’t have the water it needs to process what you are consuming.

Solution: If you want to keep your body in a consistent fat-burning mode, being properly hydrated should be a priority.

Bonus: Staying hydrated encourages you to drink water instead of sugar-filled drinks, so you’ll also be cutting out empty calories.

Energy

Dehydration is one of the main causes of daytime fatigue. When you hit that mid-afternoon slump or you feel like you don’t have the energy to work out, you don’t need to reach for a second coffee or energy drink—you may just need to drink some water! Staying hydrated is going to help keep your energy levels high throughout your entire day, ensuring you have the energy you need to push yourself to work out.

Solution: Put down the energy drink and try sipping on a cup of water. You may find that you don’t even need the extra caffeine anymore.

Bonus: If you do have the energy to work out, staying hydrated will help your muscles recover faster and reduce your feelings of soreness. So, you’ll be ready to go crush another workout sooner than you would if you weren’t properly hydrated.

Need-To-Know Water Facts

Something important to know is that when you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. You don’t want to wait to drink water once you feel thirsty. You want to avoid those feelings of thirst. Drink water regularly throughout your day to make sure you prevent dehydration.

Just as important: There is such thing as drinking too much water. In this case, more doesn’t mean better, and it won’t make you healthier, either. When you drink too much water, it can cause your body to expel essential vitamins and minerals you need, throw off your electrolyte levels and dilute your blood.

At Burn Boot Camp, we like to stick to the rule of thumb that you should drink your body weight in ounces of water every day. It may be difficult to suddenly start drinking that much water if you aren’t already regularly drinking enough. In that case, start with drinking half your body weight in ounces and slowly increase that number each week until you reach your water intake goal.

We also realize that drinking plain water isn’t necessarily “fun,” but there are a few ways to make water more exciting.

Tips To Make Water More Exciting:

• Squeeze a lemon into your water.

Bonus: Lemon water is anti-inflammatory, helping to reduce bloating.

• Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with some cinnamon.

Bonus: ACV helps boost digestion.

• Sip on fruit-flavored herbal tea.

Bonus: If you prefer a sweet beverage, you can sweeten any of these with stevia.

• Switch it up with sparkling water, as long as it is free of artificial flavors and chemicals.

Bonus: Clean sparkling water is just as hydrating as regular water.

If you loved this post, we know you will also love…

We were working around the yard one day in the summer heat and he looked right at me, wiping sweat from his brow and said “find what you love. Do that and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

IT CAME FROM NOWHERE!

To my young mind the concept sounded so simple and so pure. And the truth is that it is!!!! Although, just because it’s SIMPLE doesn’t make it EASY. That’s why so few of us pursue our purpose in life, or even get the opportunity to know ourselves on a fundamental level! The demands of life are many, so you must CREATE the space in your life to get to know yourself!

You see, I think we often UNDER value the importance of getting to KNOW ourselves; our wants, aspirations, goals and deepest desires in life. So many of us are busy running from task, to appointment, to meeting, to errands that we never really sit with ourselves and gather our thoughts long enough to take inventory. Instead we stomp on our dreams, and squash our desires and stuff our hopes where they never catch the light. My dad’s simple words of advice carried an impact far greater than either of us could’ve realized in that moment. I feel blessed to have received such guidance and direction early on in my life and it has lead me to this journey. For that I am forever grateful.

As we continue our MOST exciting challenge yet, Commit2Fit, I want you to steal 20 minutes of your own time and pursue the following exercise to get to KNOW YOURSELF better.

Put Your Goals on Paper

1. Go to a quiet or dark room
2. Play some relaxing music on your headphones or sit in silence (your choice here…)
3. Clear your mind and relax your shoulders (your mind will have thoughts that come and go, this is normal, just don’t react to anything you think about. If a worry comes to mind, tell yourself you’ll get to it in a few minutes! NOTHING is important right now!)
4. After 4 minutes (you can take a timer with you) break out a journal and a pen.
5. Write down your top 3 goals for the following time frames: one month, three months, and one year! They can be fitness related or not, it’s completely up to you!
6. Then ask yourself the MILLION dollar question What do YOU really want? List your values and priorities in order! Keep writing! You will be surprised at the number of things that are drawn out in this exercise. The clarity you find will provide you with massive strength to pursue your goals!

As your trainer and expert in everything fitness related I would NEVER ask you to do anything I cannot do or haven’t personally tried myself. I’ve done a variation of this exercise many times in my own life and it’s always AMAZED me at the amount of energy, focus, and clarity that this brings into my life! Knowing yourself is so powerful and grounding!

You see, it is often not a lack of sleep that fractures our energy, it is simply the amount of demands PLACED on our energy that dilute our true strength!

For more inspirational fitness information from the most ELITE group of trainers, sign up below!

Are you ready to take the next steps in becoming a Burn Boot Camp Athlete? Fill out your info below and we’ll give you all the details!

What is your resolution for 2017?
I want to work on my weaknesses – in and out of the gym. I’m going to focus on how I can improve and continue to grow and get better at the things that take me outside of my comfort zone! I’m not allowing myself to skip workouts, and I’ll develop my personal skills by reading more books and listening to other leaders in my industry.

How do you go about making sure you will follow through with your resolutions…
Writing my goals down so I can see them everyday. Right now, I have goals written on my bathroom mirror so I am reminded of them every time I look in it!

Why is it important to set personal goals?
If I never set goals for myself, I never grow. It’s easy to become complacent in your life and never strive to become a better version of yourself. I like to challenge myself to step outside of my comfort zone, whether that be in the gym, in my workplace, or at home.

Once you accomplish a fitness goals, how do you stay motivated to set a new?
Tell a buddy that you reached your goal – a spouse, workout partner, or friend. Make sure it’s someone that will challenge you to set more goals in the future!

What is the most difficult fitness goal that you’ve ever achieved?
Getting back in shape after I had my daughter Cameron. I knew going into my pregnancy that I wanted to stay fit and active throughout my pregnancy but once she came, life got busier than ever and it would have been easy to let my fitness fall to the wayside. With a fitness franchise tripling in size by the month, a newborn baby, a household to run, and a gym to manage I often put myself last. However, I knew I wanted to feel better, look good, and prove to myself and my clients that being a mom doesn’t mean you can’t have it all. My clients motivated me to be in the gym consistently, eat healthy, and get back in shape. I am happy to say that I lost all my baby weight, plus some and feel better than ever! It was a difficult journey and one that is never “over”, but a journey that is always worth it!

What are you most looking forward to in 2017?
Growing as an individual. Becoming the best version of myself as a mom, wife, trainer, business owner, and friend!

What is your favorite inspirational quote for this year?
“Set impossible goals, and then prove yourself wrong.” – I love this quote because it challenges me to set goals that I need to work hard for, not just goals that I know will be attainable.

Are you ready to crush some new fitness goals in 2017? Start now!

Emily McMillan – Burn Boot Camp – Cornelius, NC

“After a few years of giving every excuse under the sun as to why I couldn’t work out anymore, I had reached a point where I no longer liked how I felt about myself. I knew I needed to change something, but wasn’t really sure how to do it. As a coach of young girls for the Carolina Rapids Soccer Club, I knew I needed to get fit and healthy to be a good role model, but years of stress and being constantly on the go had led to bad eating habits and excuses for not exercising, and I was lost as to how to get started. A friend who worked out at Burn offered me a 3 month membership she had won at an auction as a gift to help me get going, and despite my protests she didn’t give in until I said yes. Best decision of my life!

At first I was worried that I was so far gone that I would be embarrassed by how little I could do. As a former athlete, I didn’t want to have people surprised by how weak I was. What I found at Burn was the complete opposite of what I anticipated. There were so many women of different sizes and walks of life, and everyone there supported and encouraged each other. In a world where you constantly feel judged, Burn is a place where no one compares you to anyone. The trainers are incredible at pushing you and encouraging you to do more than you ever thought possible. I love how uplifting everyone is! I was encouraged to come five days a week to start, which seemed impossible, but now I can’t miss Burn. It has quickly become my favorite part of my day! I’ve lost over 40 pounds, 7% body fat, and 7 inches in my waist in 8 months. The best part though is how I feel! I have more energy, which has made me a better coach for my girls. I also love that when I talk to the soccer girls about my journey, I don’t discuss it in terms of weight loss, but in how strong I’ve become. They love to hear how many pushups or burpees I did that morning when they get to training. When I accomplish something for the first time, like my unassisted pull-up, I’m showing them that if you work hard and believe in yourself anything is possible!”

When you’re facing a problem it can seem very overwhelming. Challenges have a tendency to boggle our minds and send us into a tailspin the moment they hit our plate. They can easily turn a good day into a bad one, and derail all of our short and long term goals. Today we’re going to talk about my latest video How To Love Your Problems. This video teaches you how to tackle obstacles head on by asking yourself 5 simple questions. These questions will help you flip your problem into something that can teach you valuable lessons as you continue on your journey in life. Remember, as I always say, problems are simply unanswered questions! Let’s break it down…

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnae9j5c188[/embedyt]

What To Ask Yourself

What’s Great About This? How are you going to turn this so called “problem” into something that is going to benefit you in the long run? What are some of the positive effects that could come from this negative situation?

What’s Not Perfect Yet? Why is this problem happening? What is it teaching us? How is it insinuating that we should change and improve?

What Am I Willing To Do? What are the steps you’re going to take now? What can you do to make this situation turn into something beneficial? Make a game plan.

What Am I Not Willing To Do? What are the circumstances that you want to avoid? How are you going to stand strong in yourideas and not let this problem change the path you’re on?

How Can I Enjoy This Process? How is this problem going to change my attitude and perspective? How am I going to let this trial influence my life for the better?

These 5 questions are simple, straightforward and guaranteed to deliver success. They teach us how to LOVE our problems, love the outcome, and love a challenge. They remind us that change is inevitable, and problems are simply unanswered questions waiting to be resolved. So now it’s time for you to take action. Don’t let those challenges knock you down. Keep moving. How are you going to LOVE your problems in 2017?