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How to Will Power Your Way Through a Bad Day

 

Will power

 

How to Will Power Your Way Through a Bad Day

Today did not start off to be a good day…

I was only ten minutes into my day and the kids were already wearing me out! My workout, that normally finishes at 8:30am, had not even begun and I was just sitting down to breakfast. In addition to that I hadn’t been able to drink my allotted amount of water before breakfast and I still wasn’t in workout clothes. Today was not looking good and the worst part of all was my mindset.

Our minds are very powerful tools, but how many times do we actually use the power of positive thinking?

When it really comes down to it, how much do we realize positive thinking effects our day? More importantly, how can you change your mindset to both improve your day and give yourself the extra boost to get in the mindset that you need?

The power of our mind isn’t a new concept. In A.D. 58, a man named Paul said something extremely relevant even to us today, “Do not imitate this world, but be changedby the awakening of your mind, that by challenging and changing your thoughts, you can recognize the path in which you should take, what your purpose in life really is.”

Following the norm, following the natural weakness of our own selves without tapping into the powerful tools we were given, weakens our day-to-day accomplishments . . .  

. . . like filling up that mason jar of water and actually drinking it all before we leave the house for work.

It’s those simple, down to earth, every day (dare I say, mundane?) things that lead to greater triumphs in our daily lives.

I admit I did go back to bed, but only for a few minutes. I cried. I snuggled with my boyfriend and I told him I just wasn’t feeling good. It wasn’t my body that didn’t feel good. It was my mind. I told him that I just didn’t feel like I could be a mom today.

He said something to me that stopped me in my downward spiral to continuing on my bad day . . .

He said, “I know. But we have to do it. We are the strongest people they know”.

I started to think. If I don’t go out there with a smile and fake it till I make it, I will ultimately ruin their day and make it more difficult for themto have a good day. That is a lot of responsibility for one human!

I managed to drive them to school without lecturing, though I wanted to, and I managed to keep my tone calm. I hugged them all before they went to school and smiled, told them they looked and smelled great, and told them I loved them, and that I knew it would be a great day.

They laughed at me and said, “You just made that up.” And I said, “I certainly did not! The sun is shining, and it’s going to be a beautiful day!”

While I admit, inside, I was trying to convince myself of the same thing, but once I said it, I began to believe it. Seeing the kids leave for school with smiles on their faces reminded me of the power of positive thinking and positive words. Also, the results of our positive thinking can generate encouragement not only in our selves, but also in others, brightening the day for more than just us.

This morning, when I walked back inside, I did something as simple as making up my bed to put me on a productive beginning to my day. I knew that if I didn’t do that, I would probably get back in it and sleep all day long. I wouldn’t get my day going, would never work out, I wouldn’t blog, I wouldn’t make lunch, I wouldn’t feel good when I got up and I would be disappointed in myself.

Choose your own kick-start. Mine was making my bed. Yours could be completely different. The point is, make that first step.

Here are a few tips on how to will power your way through your day. It worked for me today, and all I can focus on is today, so let’s start with today!

 

  1. THINK POSITIVELY. 

    Be grateful! It all starts in our minds. The number one way to begin the process of will powering your way through a bad day till it brightens up, is thinking positively.Nothing will change until you change your way of thinking.

 

  1. SPEAK POSITIVE WORDS.

    When we tell others how good we feel, we begin to realize how good we really do feel. It turns our focus to searching for the good because, if we say it, we end up showing it. Once we say it, somewhere in our subconscious minds, we start to realize that things really aren’t as bad as they could be. The mere fact that we are alive is a wonderful reason to think and speak optimistically.

 

  1. KNOW YOUR GOALS FOR THE DAY, SIMPLIFY THEM, AND STICK TO IT. 

    If your goal is to workout and you know for a fact that doing it will feel like a major accomplishment for that day, then focus on that one thing only and do it. Decide what yourprimary goal is and break it into bits to help you get started.

 

  1. ACT – EVEN IF YOU START OUT AS A ROBOT. 

    You have to force yourself to go through the motions here. You might feel like a robot. But immediately attack the things that are roadblocks to your accomplishments for the day. For me, I knew if I didn’t make my bed, I’d get back in it. I had the day off work, which means it’s my day to blog. I made my bed and opened my computer, turned it on, and set it dead center on my bed. Then promptly went and filled my jar of water and set it beside my workspace. As soon as I sat down, I pulled up my website. I will admit, I kept getting distracted with Instagram and Pinterest, but I kept coming backto what was most important until I finally silenced my phone and threw it across the room. (I don’t recommend that exact plan of attack).

 

  1. ACCEPT THAT YOU AREN’T PERFECT 

    It’s okay if you don’t perform at your ultimate capacity today, but aim to tomorrow, and make it happen!

We all have our days. Just because we’re less energetic or less positive one day, doesn’t mean we have to focus on that negative energy. Put your focus on accomplishing smaller, less taxing undertakings for the day, set your goals at a reasonable and attainable platform, and push through, even though it’s not easy.

Accepting where you’re at is part of positive thinking and willing your way through a less energetic day. Even if that’s all you do, if you’ve kept a positive outlook on a lower energy day, that is an accomplishment in itself, that a lot of people don’t achieve.

 

  1. LISTEN OR READ 

    Find a quote on Pinterest, a podcast, a YouTube video, or something that not only distracts you from your current state, but plants positive thoughts in your mind when it seems too difficult to do on your own.

Nourish and protect your positive choices and thoughts. Don’t allow outside influences to pull you down. If you don’t have the energy to summon your own positivity, go find it.

For a little help on motivation, check out Shlomo Jesmer. His YouTube video How Can We Become More Self-Motivated is great if you don’t know where to get started!

 

  1. ADMIRE YOUR ACCOMPLISHEMENTS.

    Once you’ve accomplished one thing, even if it is simply making the bed and showering for the day while squeezing in a positive podcast while doing these activities. Congratulate and compliment yourself for what you have done.

 

  1. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, NOT WHAT YOU HAVE NOT DONE.

    Nobody can be you as well as you can. Keeping your focus on the task at hand, then admiring what you have done, gives your will power a pre-workout, so-to-speak, for the next task at hand.

 

  1. FOCUS.

    Over and over and over, until focus takes hold. You can do it. We all can. Will power isn’t easy and it is not going to grow over night. Try and fail, and learn, and try again until you succeed

For a little more on motivation, how to stay on course, and tips on how to make working out from home actually work, check out my article Five Ways to Stay Fit at Home!

Please feel free to comment below, contact me on social media and follow me here! I love hearing from my readers. 🙂 I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

       

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The Bright Side of Sunshine

 

There is a bight side to sunshine, in case you didn’t know. Sunshine is one of natures greatest gifts to our health.

Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense, though. Sometimes, even when you get your super duper, power, packed, nutritious, delicious, breakfast and your daily exercise, and even manage to drink your first 32oz bottle of water, you still feel . . . meh.

I know; I’ve been there.

Sunshine can help brighten up our mood even when our day started off sort of . . . bad.

There are just some days when we are off. And this happens to all of us, so there’s no judgment here.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m having an off day or two, my first thought is, “I need a trip to the beach for some fun in the sun!”

There’s always going to be that one friend who rolls their eyes, with that perfect skin, and never goes to the beach because sun is bad for your skin!

Is sunshine really bad for your skin? 

Our universe is naturally giving to those of us who want to receive its gifts, and sunlight is one amazing gift that fits into the figure eight on our journey to a balanced, healthy lifestyle!

My twins were recklessly riding bikes down a paved driveway a few years back and fell, resulting in a broken arm and a trip to the ER.

The doctor put a bright colored cast on his arm and told me to go buy some calcium gummies.

So we did. And we played in the sun, too.

You know why?

. . . Because just ten minutes of sunshine provides the daily allotted amount of vitamin D that we need.

What you may not know about vitamin D is, that it aids in calcium absorption, in fact without it our bodies will not absorb calcium.

There are many, many reasons why sunshine is essential to our happiness as well as our health and wellbeing in mind, body and soul.

I find it ironic and sad that most people in our busy world today have to take a vitamin supplement simply because they’re way too busy sitting in an office chair to get outside in the sun for at least ten minutes of the day.

A trip to the beach would be nice, but ten minutes in the sun on your break is all you need for a happier, healthier you.

As we journey together through the figure 8 of balance for a lifestyle change that fits in our daily life of crazy busy, I’m here every step of the way, helping you find your sunshine.

But . . .  I’m still up for a trip to the beach! Any takers?

Before I go, how would you like to take a look into the future? There are some awesome things coming up. Firstly, I would like to introduce you to an article I wrote called Balance8life in Motion. Here I show you how to live in balance, rotation through all 8 methods during your day for a balanced day.

I would also like to point out that this is one of my first articles, as I am a new blogger. But I have also been back around to revise, edit, fix and fluff. Here is a quick link to every blog article I have written, and will write in the future. I am sure that once my blog makes a few dollars, I will upgrade to an easier layout, but right now, this is all I got. So if you click on Blog, and scroll all the way down to the bottom, those are my very first articles. (I know, it’s a little annoying). The journey begins at the bottom and works up. I have all sorts of great beginners guides to healthy living, gym life and weight lifting, and healthy grocery shopping for newbs! Please explore, enjoy and share with your friends. Social media is the bomb diggity!

Speaking of! I’d love to hear from you! Hit me up on any of the social media platforms you enjoy the most. I’m on (almost) all of them. . .  Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

 

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Is Exercise Really Essential?

 

 

Is Exercise Really Essential?

At 28 years old, I had incredibly high cholesterol, was having serious, constant, back pain, insomnia, couldn’t do a quick sprint to catch the ball my son had thrown, ride a bike, or any activity that exerted any sort of energy past cleaning house, without discomfort and instant exhaustion.

. . . But I ate right and I wasn’t overweight.

I didn’t think I needed to exercise beyond an occasional walk with the kids.

It didn’t really dawn on me until I was thirty years old, that exercise is not only not overrated, but it is essential to being and feeling whole, healthy and happy.

When I was thirty-years-old, I went to the beach with a friend of mine and we did what we’d been doing the past fifteen years of our lives: a fun, goofy, photo shoot.

We have albums of moment in our lives from the age of fifteen on, of fun hikes, beach trips, weekend excursions to the park, museums, etc.

This time, when we returned from the beach and uploaded the photos to my computer, I was truly horrified.

I had no idea how badly I had let myself go. I wasn’t overweight, as I have already stated, and in clothes, nobody would guess that I was so unhealthy. I was a vegan and I did everything right. I thought.

But I had hit that mark. The “older” mark, and I’d had 5 children. My unhealthy state of being hit me hard. I had finally reached a point in my life where I had to actually do things to keep my body looking good.

Mind blown.

Exercise isn’t just about looking good. It’s about feeling great, too, but on an even deeper, more important level, exercise is about being truly healthy.

It doesn’t matter what you look like or how you feel, if you don’t include exercise in your daily routine, you aren’t going to be balanced in your journey to a healthy lifestyle.

When my friend returned to the great state of Washington, we talked about how we looked in the photos, and he and I made a commitment to each other to keep each other motivated and accountable, even though I was alllll the way down in Georgia.

We decided to exercise and get in shape.

I didn’t know where to begin.

I had no knowledge of the world of fitness. I was a stay-at-home mom that lived out in the woods, alone, and had no idea what exercise meant beyond going for a walk.

As you come with me on this journey to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle, I will show you what I did to lower my cholesterol, lose inches where it mattered, and gain them (also where it mattered) and reach my goals to a happier, healthier me.

Now, let’s get started on this journey! In order for exercise to be a part of your health journey, you need to:

SET GOALS

I can help you with How to Set Goals That Last  here!

OUTLINE THOSE GOALS

In my article,  6 Steps on to Setting Goals That Last , I show you exactly how to go about doing this, and it’s just 6 steps, nothing overly complicated!

START HERE

If you’re at home and don’t have much, or any, equipment, read my article Working Out At Home, to see what I did when I had no money, no equipment, no gym, no time and didn’t know anything about fitness!

KEEP IT UP

It isn’t always easy to know exactly how to go about keeping up a new habit. Read my article about consistency and how to do just that!

Later on, once you’ve got this started, go to my blog for more on diet, what is and isn’t good, diet myths, fitness techniques, and tons more!

I would love to hear about your journey and goals! You can comment below, or, if you want to follow me on social media, come on over! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

 

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The Rest in Your Story

 

 

The Rest in Your Story

 

I. Am. So. Tired. Period.

Today was one of those days.

I have a schedule. I get up every morning at 6:15-6:30am and I fill a Mason quart jar with hot water and drink that while I get dressed for the gym. I tell my 11-year-old he’s got 10 minutes until we have to leave to catch the bus. When I get back inside, I eat breakfast and head to the gym by 7:30am. By 9am I am heading back home to shower and get ready for work, which is between 10 and 10:30am.

I have a high-energy job that requires me to be on my feet non-stop until I get off work between 2:30-4:00pm. When I get home, it’s eat lunch, cook dinner, kids homework, laundry, make the next day’s breakfast, do some dishes, run some errands, grocery shop, and get kids winding down for bed by 7:00pm.

This sort of day takes a lot of energy of which I haven’t had lately because I have been watching Game of Thrones with my brother and boyfriend until midnight. But it’s soooo good, I can’t stop!

Problem.

One can only do this sort of thing for so long before you have a day like I did today.

I couldn’t function. I slept in. We missed the school bus. I missed my workout. I got to work late. I couldn’t get on my game at work and when I finally got home, I was grumpy and said some things that weren’t nice to my boyfriend, because all I wanted to do was nothing, and I wanted to come home to everything done for me.

Rest.

We have to have good quality sleep, or else the rest of our day falls apart and the balance is off.

It doesn’t matter how much coffee you drink or what you take to go to sleep. If you don’t get enough, your energy is going to be low, which affects the rest of your day and all that surrounds it. A grumpy mom makes for grumpy kids and husband or partner.

Rest is one thing. But good rest is another.

Wait though… I’m not just talking about sleep. There’s also the sort of rest that we need to take from the gym for our muscles to repair. There’s a mental time out that we need to re-set for the week. Our minds need rest from all that is coming in, away from electronics, noise, kids, etc.

Come along with me on this journey to a happy, healthy lifestyle of balance and learn how to put the rest in your story! You’ll be surprised how you start to achieve goals simply with a good night of sleep and some mental time out.

I’ll even show you some ways to get that fabulous night sleep and make time to rest, without chugging a bottle of wine before bed, or sacrificing your favorite TV show. (Well, maybe).

More coming soon!

Please feel free to comment below, contact me on social media and follow me here! I love hearing from my readers. 🙂 I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

 

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Fresh Air For Your Mood

 

 

Fresh Air For Your Mood

Yesterday my son came home from school saying that a kid in his class threatened to hack his IEQ, internet and security and put his “mom and dad in jail”.

That’s some serious business. We got out the computer and Googled IEQ. We figured out that there was no such thing as an IEQ and that he meant ICQ. His threat was that he was going to hack our internet and get ahold of our SSN’s and do some damage. This coming from a 5thgrader, I knew it was no serious threat, but as time crawled and the tears and worry and pure anxiety would not cease, I realized something major had to be done.

I went to great lengths to explain that this classmate could not hurt us. I explained that he didn’t even know our names, where we lived, or anything about us, and therefore couldn’t do anything even if he wanted to. I also explained what a SSN is and what an IQ is and that it takes a good bit of IQ to do such damage.

But alas, the anxiety grew and his thoughts kept going to darker and darker places.

It was time for some fresh air!

You might be wondering why fresh air is such an important element in the progression to complete balance in having a healthy lifestyle, and I get it.

The thing is, when you’re a mom with a kid, or a bunch of kids, locked up in your house with all of the windows closed and no fresh air circulating, the air gets stale, and so can your mood. It also affects the moods of our little ones, as I mentioned above. This applies to the working mom (or dad) as well.

Any time in doors with little to no fresh air is 
detrimental to the mental state as well as other things.

I know for myself that if I am indoors for too long, I start to think too much about all of the things I am doing wrong and all of the things I wish I could do, or do better, or even things I want (but don’t need) and I become unhappy. I feel lazy and get tired. I feel dull and my creativity plummets. I start to even feel down about life in general and down about myself, comparing myself to others. It can be a downward spiral to a place that’s not too fun to be in.

And this happens to our children as well.

Yesterday was one of those days. It has been raining non-stop these days and my kids have been inside way too much. But yesterday the sun was out! So we packed up two sets of light weight dumbbells, two Nalgene bottles of water, a rip stick and a skateboard, and hit the park. Just the mention of going to the park lightened the mood of all parties involved!

Within 10 minutes we had tears turned to smiles. Negativity had ceased and the bigger picture engulfed the worry and turned it into irrelevant apprehension.

Of course getting our minds off our troubles cannot happen that quickly and easily for all of us. But the importance of fresh air is significant for balance in our lives. And it’s rare that some free things really are that amazing! Wink.

Read more about how to Will Power Your Way Through a Bad Day here, and how to Be Real (Positive)!

We all need perspective and quiet time to let things go and focus some place else. Getting outside in the fresh air is a great place to start.

As we journey down this path to healthy habits and lifestyle, you’ll start to see how a little fresh air is not only a great, natural, mood enhancer, but is super easy to get! Add that with the fact that it’s FREE! Who can beat that!?

How have you managed to get your fresh air today? And did you feel a difference in yourself, or see a difference in your children? I’d love to hear from you! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

 

 

 

 

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Who Needs to Count Calories?

counting calories

 

Do you need to be counting calories to lose weight? Or stay the weight that you want to be at once you’ve lost the weight?

ABSOLUTELY NOT

Counting calories is not as important as making sure that you’re eating properly. Meal planning can help with this because with meal planning comes grocery shopping lists and thinking ahead.

Don’t shop when you’re hungry. 

For help on how to grocery shop for healthy food, check out my beginners guide here!

I will be the first to say that meal planning is a great…. Idea. It even works, for some people. But for some reason, I just don’t have the patience to cook a bunch of food, divvy it out and in proper portions, put it in labeled containers and plan out my entire week of meals.

It’s exhausting just to think about . . . in the traditional sense of meal planning, anyway. But I do meal plan. I keep it simple. I write down a vague idea of what I want for 1-2 meals a day for the week. Then I shop for just that week with those meals in mind. 

People ask me all the time, “how do you stay so fit? How do you stay so healthy?”

Well, it’s actually quite simple.

Proper nutrition.

I don’t like things to be difficult and don’t particularly have time for that. I cook in large quantities and make my meal plan very simple and leave it with some wide open space for change. Having an exact plan isn’t my thing. I like to have a basic idea. But I recommend doing what fits you best. If having it all planned out down to 3 meals a day, the type of salad you’re preparing, have it on a chart and printed with cute stickers, do it.

Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I take that seriously. Counting calories, doing portion control, making lists, and making meal plans, all of that can be great if you have the desire, the time, and the patience to do this, but again, it is not entirely necessary if you’re not into that.

What is necessary though, is to have a plan, of some sort, and then stick to it. Be sure that you have a variety of foods that include fresh fruits and veggies, complex carbs, dense, whole grains and plenty of naturally fatty things such as nuts and seeds.Fat burn

It is important to take the time to do some sort of planning. Counting calories shouldn’t be the focus. 

Proper nutrition is key to feeling and looking great. Overcomplicating it is key to failure.

Pay attention to what you’re eating; pay attention to eating at regular times in your day, and pay attention to how much you eat. Not in measurements, not in calorie counting, but in how you feel. Don’t eat until you’re stuffed, eat until you’re satisfied, and eat good, nutritious foods.

Counting calories is just a waste of time if your nutrition isn’t what it should be.

As we go on this journey together, I look forward to showing you how to eat for satisfaction and what nutrition really looks like; cause, really… who’s got time to count calories, anyway?

For more information on what proper nutrition looks like for vegans, I’ve written an article all about protein and where to get it! Go here for more.

Please feel free to comment below, contact me on social media and follow me here! I love hearing from my readers. 🙂 I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

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Meditation Simplified

 

meditation

Welcome to Balance8life! This is an introduction to the overall idea of meditation and why it is so important.

Meditation simplified is taking a quiet moment to clear your busy mind.

Meditation simplified When I lived in Washington State, our house was at the base of a hill. Behind that hill was a privately owned farm with acres of valleys, hills, and streams. There were wide open fields that went on forever!

The driveway to the farmhouse was a long, gravel road. It forked off in three different directions and we were allowed to wander all over.

So I did.

I often packed myself a sandwich and a blanket. I would walk out into the middle of a field and hide in the tall grass. Lying there and looking up into the sky is a forever lost moment that I often miss.

There was a spot that I liked the most, next to a clear, fast running creek.

Photo by Tamo Zhizhiashvili

It was so peaceful. I didn’t know the meaning of the word meditation at that time.

All I knew was that I felt calm and peaceful when I had time alone in nature. This is meditation simplified. This time away from everything else that had to be done was all it took to feel renewed.

When I first heard the word meditation I pictured Buddha and yoga poses.

Reflection time doesn’t have to be this image. Meditation simplified is simply that, it is not complicated.

meditation simplifiedMeditation is being mindful, thoughtful, aware, reflective, and if you’re religious, being prayerful.

 

 

And, meditation simplified is taking time out of the business and being still. A time to be alone without distraction. And a time to consciously making an effort to clear your mind of all those things you feel like you need to be doing.

Focus on the simplicity of just being.

You need meditation to have balance in your life.

What you meditate on, where or when you do it, and how . . . that is up to you.

Meditation simplified is a time to take a break from life. Even just for five minutes, center yourself, and pull away from all that is feeding your mind, body, and soul.

Get your mind and mood back to a balanced, healthy place.

Meditation simplified
Photo by Nikola Majksner

If the word meditation is something that sounds boring or tedious, I encourage you to try to think of it more as time for yourself.

Think of meditation as a time to rejuvenate and restore your energy.

Get your focus away from all the things you need to do. Sometimes a moment of peace is the key you need to make your day, and your life, more productive and less stressful.

It may feel like you could be doing something more worthwhile with  that time; all those dishes or the laundry piling up, or that email you need to send to your boss.

Your to-do list needs to be done, but a centered and balanced mindset is important to accomplish each and every task in our day-to-day life.

Next time you feel stressed take a moment, sit on your porch and breathe a few deep breaths. Still your mind and appreciate that moment. It will make all the difference.

MEDITATION AND POSITIVE THINKING

Photo by Yannic Laderach

If you are new to meditation, Meditation for Beginners is a great place to start!

For help with positive thinking and things to do that will take your mind away from the negativity, read, Regularity is Overrated.

If you have any positive vibes to share, please send them my way!  I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

 

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How Much Water Should I Drink?

How much water should I drink?

I am sure you’ve asked the question, “how much water should I drink?” And I assume you’ve probably received the same basic answer, you should drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day.

But, a grown man of 250 pounds needs more than a woman that is 100 pounds. Never mind the weight, men need more than women, and adults need more water than children.

Your activity level, weight goals, gender, age, and the climate you live in, all effect how much water your body needs to stay hydrated.

There are so many variables to figuring out the answer to the question, “how much water should I drink?”!

How much water should I drink?
Photo by Henri Meilhac

Some doctors say six to eight 8oz. cups of water a day is enough, others say up to twelve 8oz cups of water a day.

It is also advised that men drink about 13 cups of water a day, and 1-2 1/2 more if you’re working hard and sweating a lot.

Women are advised to drink about 9 cups a day and also add 1-2 1/2 cups if you’re exercising, or doing something that makes you sweat more than usual.

CELLULAR DEHYDRATION

My chiropractor has a body fat percentage scale that uses bioelectrical impedance. In my pursuit of reaching my ultimate body fat goals, I would jump on it periodically to measure my body fat. It seemed that no matter how much I exercised, I was consistently at a much higher body fat percentage than I thought I should be.

Just to give you some perspective, I am a 5’ tall, 100lb female who eats a (mostly) vegan diet and exercises at least 5-6 days a week.

I thought my body fat percentage would be around 12-18%, because that’s what I feel like I look like I should be.  But I was so frustrated. My body fat percentage was sitting at 24%.

I asked my chiropractor why my body fat percentage always read so high. I assumed his machine was broken.

He explained to me that the bioelectrical scale gauges the amount of lean mass, water, and fat in your body by sending a current from the metal plates under your feet through your body.

He said that at the cellular level, I was probably dehydrated, which will throw the accuracy of my body fat numbers off.

I quickly countered with, “but I drink eight, 8oz cups of water a day! That isn’t possible!” (This is 64 ounces of total water).

How much water should I drink?
Photo by Laura Mitulla

He chuckled and told me that ideally, I should be drinking a minimum of 12, 8oz cups of water a day, (96 ounces).

Of course, he said this also depends on the amount of exercise I am doing, as well as other factors that play in, (as I mentioned above).

He said that if I am drinking water regularly, it’s probably cellular dehydration that is throwing me off.

Sigh.

So I went and bought myself a 32oz Nalgene water bottle. (My new best friend, I’ll have you know).

I was determined to get my ninety-six ounces of water in a day by drinking 3 of those bottles of water a day.

This is not easy, but it is possible. I am here to testify that it can be done.

What most people think is enough water, really isn’t enough. 

When I am training clients, my number one piece of advice is always, drink your water.  I usually get a reply like, “I’m doing so good! I drank two 16oz bottles of water yesterday!”

My proverbial flower petals just wilted and I smile weakly, but encouragingly nonetheless, and say, “good job! Lets make that 3 tomorrow!”

Many simple health problems can be reversed with an adequate, daily intake of water.

When you drink 8-12 cups of water a day, your risk of kidney stones and UTI’s go down significantly. So do troublesome things such as, digestive problems and weight gain. When you stay hydrated, you’re also less likely to feel tired and low in energy.

More water throughout your day also helps with bad breath, poor sleep, dry splotchy skin, lackluster hair, sore muscles, muscle cramps, and prolonged sickness, (i.e. flu and cold).

All of those pesky things can be less troublesome simply by drinking plenty of water. Preferably 92oz a day (I suggest this for man or woman. It’s a safe starting place).

If you’re not sure, always ask your doctor what he/she advises for your daily water recommendations.

Eight to 12 8oz cups of water a day won’t hurt you. This is a  great starting point. I find that I feel better when I get twelve (12) 8oz cups per day.

In the blogs to come, I show you how to drink 96oz of water in a day.

Fruity Water

I also talk about how to make water taste good. I personally love how refreshing water tastes. However, I have met some people who cannot stand the taste of plain water. So for those of you who hate the taste, this is for you.

How much water do you drink in a day? How do you make it happen? You can comment below, and, if you want to follow me on social media, come on over! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

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