Have you ever come home after burning HUNDREDS of CALORIES at ZUMBA and felt FAMISHED! You are so hungry that you reach for whatever is convenient (chips, cookies, fast food... etc.)? But it doesn't seem to be satisfying... so you keep eating, and eating???
It's logical to think that after working-out so hard you should feed your body. And it's very true that you need to give your body what it needs to keep up your energy. But chances are good that what you're reaching for is NOT what your body really needs.
WHAT BODIES NEED
So, what does your body need? I'd bet you money that you are probably NOT really hungry at all... you are THIRSTY!!!SO MANY of us (me included) mistake hunger for thirst. That is why we all wander around our kitchens "munching" and "grazing" on anything we can get our hands on (which ends up being a lot of food, probably junk food) but we still don't really feel full.
Did you know that women need at least 9 cups of water/fluid per day and that men need at least 13 cups of water per day? AND after exercising for an hour (Hooray for ZUMBA) you need to ADD about 2 MORE CUPS of water each day to compensate for all that sweaty, calorie-burning fun!
So what this means is.....
LADIES = drink 11 cups (yes, eleven) of water/fluid EACH DAY!
MEN = Drink 15 cups of water/fluid EACH DAY!
WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP FEELING SO HUNGRY?
- Eat 3 solid meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)- Eat 1 or 2 healthy snacks between EACH meal (pick your favorites! fruits, veggies, yogurt, banana bread (Camille's recipe), mozzarella cheese stick, wheat toast, almonds... etc)
- And Drink BEFORE You Eat!
* * * Drink 3 BIG GULPS of WATER
before you eat ANYTHING! * * *
Yes, that means that even if you are just reaching for a snack, drink at least 3 big gulps of water before you eat it.... easy enough, right?
MY PREDICTION
Happy Body: After drinking more water throughout the day your body will feel much "happier" and not nearly as hungry. You will now be eating smaller portions (and will sometimes even be completely satisfied with just the water). For my fluids I try to drink as much water as possible (instead of sugary drinks), but milk, juice, and other low-calorie fluids definitely count too.
Weight Loss: If you are burning about 500-800 calories each ZUMBA class, and you drink 11 cups of water each day. I can GUARANTEE you that you will NOT FEEL AS HUNGRY! You will train your body to recognize and appreciate all that water and you will no longer mistake hunger for thirst. So, you will eat less calories while you are burning more calories and that means (drum roll please) LOSING WEIGHT! If you are not looking to loose weight (congratulations!) you need to STILL be sure and drink 11 cups of water/fluid and be sure that you are eating healthy foods to keep your body fueled and strong.
More Energy: When your body has sufficient water/fluid it functions better. Did you know that WATER is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 PERCENT of your body weight? WOW! No wonder we need so much fluid! Studies have shown that the body will have MORE energy if it is kept hydrated. Then, if you choose, you can use that energy to PUMP IT UP in ZUMBA and burn even MORE calories! Nice! (AND you will probably be getting a better night's sleep too!)
HOW TO DO IT - SCHEDULE
But HOW do I fit in all that FLUID! I have NEVER drank that much before!
This is what I do each day:
1 cup = Eat a bowl of cereal/oatmeal with a TON of milk (I am constantly refilling my bowl up with more milk until the cereal is gone... I love it that way! I really probably drink 2 cups of milk in the morning, but I'll keep it at 1 cup, just to be conservative)
3 cups = Go to ZUMBA. I bring a full water bottle and drink as much as feels good during class (I usually drink at least 1/2 of my 24oz water bottle (about 1.5 cups). Then drink the rest on the car ride home, (another 1.5 cups) which counts as my drink before my snack.
3 cups = Get home, eat a snack, and drink another glass of water (1 cup) (I am THIRSTY again after completely cooling down after ZUMBA). Prepare lunch. Eat lunch with my kiddos with a big, tall glass of delicious water (about 2 cups). Remember: drink at least 1 cup BEFORE you eat anything so you can see how hungry you REALLY are.
2 cups = Early afternoon - drink another glass of water (1 cup) and eat another snack. Late afternoon - drink another glass of water (1 cup) and eat ANOTHER snack (we eat dinner pretty late and the kids and I definitely need another snack to hold us over until then).
2 cups = Eat a healthy dinner as a family with a big tall glass of water/milk/juice (about 2 cups).
TOTAL = 11 cups!
TIPS and TRICKS
- Keep a full water bottle in your car at all times. Let it become part of the permanent car decor. Drink from it as you drive around throughout the day.
- Bring another water bottle to ZUMBA and be sure to fill it up before class and take plenty of "water breaks" and sneak in a gulp or two between songs.
- Keep a tall glass out on your kitchen counter and use that same glass all day. This is what I do and it's a simple reminder to drink before I eat (and less dishes to wash too).
DON'T GIVE UP!
If drinking water is hard for you because you don't like the "taste" of water, or you are too accustomed to your soda, coffee, or just are not used to drinking much of any fluid... that is OKAY!Build up to the 11 cups. Just start keeping track of what you usually drink in a day and start drinking a more and more each week until you reach 11 cups.
Check out this great article where I got my facts!
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283
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