Slow and steady wins the race...

Another pound down!

We've been having a heat wave here in the lovely San Francisco Bay Area, which reminded me to talk about water.

You remember water, right? Water consumption is essential to weight loss, and most people in the United States are dehydrated. Yep, that means you are probably dehydrated. When I was eating Optifast only, I was drinking a gallon of water a day, and my blood tests still showed me to be slightly dehydrated.

So, what are some signs of dehydration?

1. Thirst. If you feel slightly thirsty, your body REALLY needs water!
2. Hunger. If you feel hungry, even though you have eaten in the last three hours, you are probably thirsty. The sensors in your brain for hunger and thirst are right next to each other and overlap.
3. This one is gross, so beware. Yellow pee. That's right! Your pee should be almost clear. If your pee is anything other than pale yellow, you don't drink enough water.
4. Dry skin. Your skin should not be flaky, unless you have a skin condition like eczema.
5. Really loose skin. Your skin should plump up a little, unless you are above the age of 90. Even people in their 70's and 80's should have some basic elasticity in their skin.

The rule of thumb is 8-8 ounces of water a day...if your BMI is in the normal range. Be careful, caffeinated drinks have a diuretic effect--so limit caffeine. For those of us who are in the high normal, overweight, or obese categories, you should drink an extra 8 ounces of water for every 25 pounds you are overweight. So, at 230 pounds, I needed to drink 5 extra glasses of water a day. Now, I need to drink 10 glasses of water a day.

You should also eat your water. Fresh fruits and veggies have water in them, so munch away--especially if you are getting hunger signals. Sometimes water rich food can stop both hunger and thirst signals.

The numbers:

Starting weight: 224
Current weight: 166
Goal weight: 140

The goals:

Outer goal--I want to wear a size 8.
Inner goal--to stay strong and focused during my hernia surgery!