Week 1 of the 12 Week Challenge!

Week 1 Challenge: Water and Vitamins

(If you are already getting your water and vitamins, keep reading. I have added an extra challenge for you at the bottom of the page.)

Step 1: Weigh and measure yourself. Measure your thighs, hips, waist, arms, bust and anywhere else you can think of. Record results.

We have all heard before that we need to be drinking 8- 8 ounces glasses of WATER a day. How much are you getting? Be honest. 64 ounces of water a day sounds like a lot right? Well a bottle of water is 16.9 ounces. So drink 4 bottles of water a day and you are done! 

Water is so important. It has been proven to reduce the risk of cancer by up to 50% !With cancer being so prevalent today, why not cut your chances down by filling up on water. Water also serves as a lubricant for your joints, so if you have joint pain or arthritis, drink your water! It detoxes your body and helps with constipation. There are countless reasons to drink water and here are the top 10 from allaboutwater.org

1. Water is absolutely essential to the human body’s survival. A person can live for about a month without food, but only about a week without water.
2. Water helps to maintain healthy body weight by increasing metabolism and regulating appetite.
3. Water leads to increased energy levels. The most common cause of daytime fatigue is actually mild dehydration.
4. Drinking adequate amounts of water can decrease the risk of certain types of cancers, including colon cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer.
5. For a majority of sufferers, drinking water can significantly reduce joint and/or back pain.
6. Water leads to overall greater health by flushing out wastes and bacteria that can cause disease.
7. Water can prevent and alleviate headaches.
8. Water naturally moisturizes skin and ensures proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance.
9. Water aids in the digestion process and prevents constipation.
10. Water is the primary mode of transportation for all nutrients in the body and is essential for proper circulation.

Plus, if you are drinking your water, that means you are not drinking soda which can contain BVO, a flame retardant chemical that can cause memory loss, nerve damage and skin lesions. You will also be cutting excess sugars and dyes from your diet. Dyes have been linked to abnormal brain function and ADHD. Keep it away from your kids people! Do them a favor. Did you know that red dye #4 is the crushed up torso of an African Beetle. I am not making this stuff up. Read more about it and other gross things in our foods by going HERE. So we are also giving up soda. Feel free to drink a cup or 2 of coffee or tea, as long as it is not replacing your water. :)

So Part 1 of this week’s challenge is LOTS OF WATER and NO SODA! 

Get your 64 ounces. 8 glasses a day. To help keep track of how much water you get each day, print my free printable by clicking HERE! Hang it on the fridge, mark off every 8 ounces you get. See if you are really drinking the recommended value. 

Part 2 of this weeks challenge is incorporate vitamins into your everyday routine. Get a pharmaceutical grade vitamin. It is best to get them at GNC or Vitamin World or someplace that specializes in vitamins. They can help you pick what is best for you and have high quality products. Don’t buy cheap vitamins. They will pass through your system quickly with no absorption. Vitamin C  helps with absorption, so make sure you are choosing a multi with Vit C or taking it as a supplement. You can choose separate supplements or a multi. Multis are a great place to start. It is simple to get into a routine taking a multi. For more info and facts about what vitamins you need, go HERE. 

***Tips***

I am a big water drinker. But I don’t care for the water out of our faucet. So I have been buying bottled water. You can get it relatively inexpensively at Wal-Mart. I keep the bottles in the fridge, so they are nice and refreshing and easy to grab when going on the go. If my water gets warm, I just toss it back in the fridge and change it out for a new one. Next time I need a bottle, I grab the one that I replaced.  I drink so much water this way! It has helped me get my daily intake and keep track of how much I need to go before bedtime.

~OR~

64 ounces of water is equal to one half gallon. Find a half gallon jug or container and fill it up with filtered water. Keep it in the fridge. Pour your water out of it when getting a glass. This will give you a visual of how much you have consumed and how much more you need for the day. Plus, you will feel motivated to make that jug empty! 

Put your vitamins in a daily pill box. Ladies throw it in your purse. Men, stick it in your desk at work, or somewhere you will see it. Take them with food. I like to take mine with lunch. It helps to have them ready for the week! 

Good luck on Week 1!!!! If you are already getting all your water and vitamins and not drinking any soda, then I challenge you to amp it up by cutting one thing out of your diet and replacing it with a healthier option. For example, replace white bread with whole wheat. Replace chips with fresh veggies. Replace ice cream with yogurt. 

Let me know what you think and how you are doing! See ya next Sunday! :) :) :)