We have learned about health and fitness our whole lives and as adults we continue to look for easier explanations on how to lose weight and keep it off. We know we need to eat healthy, exercise, and drink lots of water. So why do we continue to search for that magic pill or diet fad?

One stumbling block could be too many high expectations at one time. For example, changing diet and adding exercising to the day is a bit stressful. Then when your favorite drink is replaced with water it seems as if there are too many changes all at once. To keep from being overwhelmed, a good place to start is replacing a few of your favorite drinks throughout the day with water.

Start slowly, replacing a few of your sweet drinks with one or two glasses of water. Do this for a few days and add more water throughout the weeks until you have eliminated all high calorie drinks out of your diet. It may also help to drink water from a smaller, 8 ounce container instead of a 12 or 16. The smaller container is equivalent to baby steps in reaching your goals.

Another water drinking strategy for dropping some pounds is to have an 8 ounce glass of water 10 to 20 minutes before eating. One study contributes drinking water before meals to eating less food at meal time. The water in your stomach aids in digestion and also makes your stomach feel fuller while you are eating.

Having a water bottle with you at all times is another way of fulfilling the recommended daily intake. Additionally, keeping a glass of water by your bed will help ensure that it is the last thing you drink at night, and the first thing you drink when you awaken.

A 2010 study by Brenda Davy Ph.D. reports definite weight loss over a 12 week period for participants who drank 16 ounces of water before eating a meal. Participants in their mid-forties and older ate 75-90 fewer calories at meal time, contributing to an extra 5 pounds of weight loss compared to participants who didn’t drink water 10-20 minutes before their meal.

Drinking water helps our organs function properly, filters out toxins, and increases energy levels. It also constitutes 60% of our body weight. In the past, “8 by 8″ was the slogan to help people remember how much fluid to drink in a day: 8 ounces 8 times a day. However, the most recent recommendations are segregated by gender: 13 cups for males and 9 cups for females.

These daily recommendations are for all fluids, including water, coffee, tea and soda. Additionally, humans consume water in their meals. Now it gets a little more confusing, doesn’t it? How does a person know if they have had enough fluids in a day, or maybe even too much? Most people do not consume the right kinds of fluids in a day. For example, drinks with caffeine may get you to the recommended amount per day, but the caffeine will work to dehydrate you, eliminating the healthy purpose of drinking fluids.

Drinking too much water and becoming ill from the consumption is very rare, but it has happened. Water drinking contests have been known to cause an illness called, water intoxication. Water intoxication happens when high volumes of water are consumed in a short period of time. The body needs time to recover by using what it needs and expelling the rest. Drinking water or other fluids throughout the day in a normal fashion will not cause water intoxication.

Not consuming enough water is a much more common ailment than water intoxication. In severe cases, dehydration can be deadly. It causes confusion, heart palpitations, cramps, weakness, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms are the result of the body compensating for less blood flow to vital organs. Without the proper amount of fluid, the body will eventually shut down.

We often think of our mind and body as a machine working together to accomplish daily tasks. When you think of the way consuming fluids aids our bodies, it is easy to see how this comparison is right on target. Without proper maintenance it just isn’t going to work efficiently.

A Quick Summary

• Drink 8 ounces of water 10-20 minutes before eating meals

• Males should drink 13 cups of fluid throughout the day. Females should drink 9 cups.

• Keep a water bottle on your person to keep you on track.

• Keep a glass of water by your bed. Drink water first thing in the morning and the last thing at bedtime.

You just learned a trick on how to lose weight in 30 days. Challenge yourself to drink more water and see what goals you can hit in the next month.

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