Copyright: Kim Beardsmore If I were asked, “what is most difficult thing many people find to do when they start a weight-loss program?”, I would have to say right near top of list is this – they don’t drink enough water!

Few people realise at first just how essential water is to success of their weight-loss program. In fact, essential place of water in our diet extends to everyone – whether they want to lose weight, gain weight or stay same weight! We all know we can’t live without water, but just why is it so important? Well there are many reasons. Read on and discover why water can help your loss weight and why it is your essential life-force.

Apart from 60-70% of your body being composed of water, water has an extensive range of functions essential to life.

·Assists digestion, absorption and assimilation of food. If you don’t drink enough water you can’t get full benefit of nutrients in food you eat.

·Assists excretion of waste from bowel and kidneys. If you don’t drink enough water you get constipated and put your kidneys under stress.

·Regulates body temperature. If you don’t drink enough water you compromise evaporation process you skin uses to keep you cool.

·Your blood is 92% water. This is your body’s transport system distributing nutrients around body.

·Body secretions and digestive juices are almost entirely water.

Why should you drink water when you want to lose weight?

Water is a natural appetite suppressant . Do NOT underestimate power of this statement. Lack of water can lead to over eating. You brain does not differentiate between hunger and thirst. So, when you think you are feeling hungry, your body may in fact be signalling to you that you are thirsty! If you are not consuming enough water each day and you feel hunger pains, chances are, your body really is crying out for water. In many instances people will find what they thought were hunger pangs were in fact, satisfied by water. Try it! You have nothing to lose, except some weight.

How do you know whether you are drinking enough water each day? Well answer is not difficult. The average person needs around 6-8 large glasses every day.

Well then, how should you drink 6-8 glasses per day? The aim is to drink water consistently. If you drink too much all at once or too fast, it will simply pass through you, with little or no benefit to your body.

If you are someone who enjoys ‘taste’ of water, then perhaps you could fill a 1 litre empty soft drink container with water drink through it twice during day. Room temperature or cold water, even warm as some people like - whatever you prefer. Place it on desk at work in front of you as a constant reminder to sip continuously throughout day.

Other people find they need a water ‘diet’ to help them keep on track. So for you, here is a program easily followed to ensure you are well hydrated every single day.

·When you wake up you will often be thirsty because your body loses water while you are sleeping through breathing and perspiration. Drink a large glass of water with a slice of lemon for zing.

·Drink another glass of water with breakfast or a cup of herbal tea before setting off day.

Copyright: Kim Beardsmore

Are you a ‘look-and-lose’ dieter? Have you studied every diet ever created, read a zillion diet books, and yet are still unhappy with your weight?

Has your quest for holy grail of dieting become a substitute for actually making changes required to take ill health out of your current diet?

If so, you may not realise your thoughts are key to your happiness and success.

Do you look at yourself and say, “I’m fat”, or “My hips are too big”? Many of us look in mirror and immediately compare ourselves to those ‘perfect’ human specimens we see every single day on TV, in magazines and in newspapers.

Often we talk to ourself and make excuses, “It’s my genes”, “I’m much too busy to get fit”, “I like myself this”, as a way of protecting yourself from way we see ourselves now and way we want to be.

If we were to be truly honest with ourselves most people actually want to lose a few pounds – if we only knew how.

The good news is you CAN achieve your desired body shape with right thinking about yourself, an understanding of how to get optimal nutrition, healthy eating habits and how to incorporate activity into your lifestyle to keep your muscles toned.

But most important of all, you need a regular mental workout to keep your self-image in shape.

Self-image is closely connected to success or failure of any goal you choose to seek after, but none more so that goal to get yourself fit and healthy.

So how do you go about strengthening your self-image? Well fortunately your self-image, just like your muscles, will respond well to a regular work out. You can actually strengthen your self-image with a few daily exercises.

Exercise One – Self Examination

Start by compiling a list of all those negative thoughts your have about yourself…I’m undisciplined, I can’t manage my time, I let people down, I can’t succeed, I don’t exercise enough. You will need to decide before you start this process that you won’t get discouraged….these are things that you will admit to yourself but they most certainly don’t have to control your life.

Next, compile a second list including everything you LIKE about yourself. Keep going until this list is LONGER than first list you compiled. You might include things such as, I am a good cook, I can make people laugh, I contribute to soccer club, my daughter loves way I decorate her room.

Then, take your ‘negatives’ list and turn it into your ‘potentials’ list. You do this by creating a positive self-image to every ‘negative’ you listed. Instead of “I can’t succeed”, write a counter belief, “I will succeed”.

Ceremonially throw out ‘negatives’ list – you are saying goodbye forever! Burn them, trash them, destroy them….they are no longer going to be a part of your thinking about yourself.

Now, keep your list of potentials in a prominent place. On your refrigerator door, in your daily journal, or in a picture frame on your desk. Make sure you have them in front on your every single day so that you are reading them constantly and reprogramming your daily thoughts.

Exercise Two: You Can Be What You Want to Be

Now that you have your list of potentials… run your own visualisation stories so that you can ‘see’ yourself in a new light. For example, if your list of potential includes “I eat just right portions”, visualise yourself with a moderate portion on your plate, and feeling completely satisfied at conclusion of your meal.