HERE’S SOME INTERESTING INFO – MOVING FORWARD – NEXT CHALLENGE
The amount of water you need will depend on your age, health, activity level, environment and diet.
Water leaves the body through several routes – the evaporation of sweat, in the moisture of exhaled breath, in the urine and in the faeces. It is also used to facilitate all the previously mentioned functions in the body.
This amount equals between 1.4-2.8 litres per day.
Adults are advised to consume 1-1.5 ml of water for each calorie expended daily.
For example: if your daily energy expenditure (BMR x activity level) is 2000kcal per day, then you would require 2-3 litres of water per day.
Water consumption throughout training should be a given, and it is suggested for every pound in bodyweight lost between the start and finish of training, 500ml of water per pound should be replaced.
When recommending daily water intake, these general guidelines work very well:
Get hydrated ASAP in the morning
Continue to sip throughout the day
During high heat and exercise, drink enough to compensate for lost fluids
Listen to your body – it will tell you when it needs more water. Don’t wait for thirst cues, that’s your body’s way of saying it’s been too long.
If you are feeling thirsty, that doesn’t mean you’ll need water soon, it means you’ve needed it for a while.
You can also check your pee: a pale yellow colour means you’re optimally hydrated, and a darker yellow colour means you need some more water.
REFLECTION
We’re now at the end of the ‘Drink water with every meal’ habit challenge – nice work.
By now, the habit should start to become more automatic if you’ve been at least a little consistent.
You don’t need reminders to start the habit, and it’s feeling a bit easier, more part of your ‘normal.’
But every few days, pause and reflect on this habit and check in to see that everything is still going well.
After a while, you need to reflect on the habit less often, as it becomes ingrained in your life.
Are you ready for my next challenge?
Jayne ?