October 26, 2017
Why Can’t I Lose Weight? Part 1: Water
Clients, friends, and family members alike will often come to me with one very general, but very frustrating complaint. Brittany! They exclaim. I have tried everything. Everything! And I just can’t seem to lose weight! They tell me about the newest, latest, greatest (and really-expensive-but-think-of-all-the-money-I’ll-save-on-booze) fad diets they have attempted. Unfortunately, results tend to be fleeting at best, and once again they end up with their hand in the cookie jar and the bathroom scale stashed somewhere under the stairs to collect dust bunnies (where it belongs). They list off the decadent desserts and fancy martinis they’ve been sacrificing in order to get down a few inches, and throw their hands up in despair when they end up in their stretchy pants with a gallon of ice cream and a spoon, promising themselves they’ll start again as soon as they get through all these Friends reruns.
Sound familiar? Then you’ve come to the right place!
I’d like to welcome you to Part 1 of our 5-part series that answers one of Canadians’ most asked questions: Why Can’t I Lose Weight?!
Our first focus is on the absolutely most important nutrient you can put into your body. It is a liquid, and you should drink a whole lot of it. Hint: It is not wine. (Shucks.)
Our star of the day is water.
The number one thing I want you to remember is this: If you think you are drinking enough water, drink more. I’m serious.
If you are trying to lose weight, or trying to maintain your weight, or trying to gain weight, or trying to only eat dessert on Sundays, or trying to not eat any dairy, or trying to not eat any carbs, or you eat gluten free, or paleo, or vegetarian, or vegan, or you’re just a straight up human with a heart beat – your body needs more water.
Here are 3 of my favorite reasons that drinking water will help you both lose weight, and more importantly, will help you become much healthier. Remember – you are more than a number on a scale.
- If you drink lots of water, then your body won’t hold onto “water weight.”
Ahh, water weight. AKA the reason my scale jumps 5 pounds after a night of pizza and chocolate cake. How do you lose water weight by drinking more water? Sounds backwards doesn’t it? Long story short, water goes where salt goes. Salt (sodium – and lots of it) is found in all foods that come from a restaurant, box, can, or bag. When you eat lots of salt, your body tries to get rid of it by dissolving it in water. The only problem is, if you don’t have enough new fresh water to flush out the salty water, you just end up holding onto all that salty water, feeling extra bloated, and pushing the scale up a few pounds. The more water you drink, the more your body trusts that it can flush out its toxins, the less water you will hold onto, and the lighter you will be. (Sorry — this rule doesn’t apply to Cab Sauv 🙁 ).
*My favorite tip for getting your (minimum) 2-3 Litres of water in per day: Buy a large (1L) thermal insulated water bottle that will keep your water cold all day. Carry it with you everywhere. It will change your life.* - You won’t confuse thirst with hunger.
Ok, I know I like to kid around a bit, but this one is serious business. One of the biggest reasons we as a society overeat is because we are sooo out of tune with our hunger signals. We’re not really sure when we are hungry, and we certainly aren’t too sure when we’re full. Our hunger and thirst centers in our brains are located in the exact same spot. This means that whether you are hungry or you are thirsty, it feels the same way to you. We don’t like to feel that grumbly tummy, so most of the time, we will reach for a snack instead of our water bottles. And by the time we actually feel thirsty? Well – it’s too late by then; you only feel thirsty once you’re already dehydrated.
*My favorite tip for knowing if you are hungry or thirsty is twofold. 1) Assume you are thirsty. 2) Buy a large (1L) thermal insulated water bottle that will keep your water cold all day. Carry it with you everywhere. Drink from it all day every day. I’m serious, it will change your life.* - Symptoms of dehydration are surprisingly similar to symptoms of depression: sluggishness, tiredness, lack of energy, inability to concentrate…
More serious business. You don’t have to feel like crud. Nobody wants to feel like gum on a shoe. If you do, then you probably aren’t exercising, and you probably are eating lots of junk food, cause it always feels the best when you feel the worst. But if all you had to do to feel better and get active and be healthier was to drink some measly water, then why wouldn’t you? I don’t know about you, but that’s a really, really inexpensive fix that I can get on board with.
*My favorite tip for drinking more water so you can be happier and feel better, especially for people who don’t really like water, is to put some fresh lemon or lime wedges, or fresh orange peel, or fresh mint leaves, or cucumber slices in your large (1L) thermal insulated water bottle that will keep your water cold all day. Drink liberally. Embrace your healthy changes. Love your healthy body.*
(Also: If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, please seek the expertise of the medical and mental health professionals who know how to help. You are never alone.)
Final word of advice: Your pee should be a really pale yellow colour, and it should be clear. This is the absolute best way to know if you are properly hydrated. You’ll burn way more calories on your extra trips to the bathroom each day. You’ll also have way more time to be on your phone each day without your boss knowing. The last Snap you got of me? I was peeing when I sent it.
