Over the next four days, I will detail my plan of attack for 2010. I’m excited and ready for the challenges of a new year. 2009 is almost gone. It was a difficult year, health wise, for old NCN, but I’m back, and more determined than ever to get in shape.
Water –
According to the Mayo Clinic, the average adult needs between 2 and 3 liters of water, per day, to stay hydrated. This includes plain water and water that is contained in various foods. This water consumption calculator over at About:Nutrition suggests that, for someone my weight who plans to workout / exercise 90 minutes per day, I need as much as 4 liters of water per day. Other articles I’ve read suggest 8 cups of water per day, plus an additional cup for each 25 pounds that a person is “over their desired weight”. For me, that would mean 8 cups + 4 cups, or 12 cups of water per day. 12 cups equal 96 ounces.
A liter is equal (roughly) to 33.5 ounces. So, it looks like I need to drink between 3 and 4 liters of water each day. That’s between 12 and 16 cups of water. Knowing my proclivity to eat a bit more sodium than I should, I’m going to shoot for 14 cups of water, per day.
Drinking this much water means that I will not have room for other “drinks”. I am (once again) giving up sodas (and caffeine). Frankly, I’ve grown tired of how sodas make me feel, and I’m actually looking forward to going water-only again.
If you want to keep track of my progress, feel free to subscribe (via rss or free daily email) to No. Calories Needed. Also, don’t forget to follow me, over at Twitter. Finally, if you are looking to ask or answer questions about weight loss, head over to a brand new site, Slimmify. Be one of the first to sign up and learn more about this exciting new site. Rock on.
Please note – I will also count “water” from other sources, such as fruits and vegetables. Too much water can be dangerous, so I will not go crazy. I’ll simply replace the soda / tea / coffee that I used to drink with water, and hydrate before and after exercise. I am not a physician, nor do I play one on the internet, so do your own research to determine what you should eat or drink.
While trying to get that 14 cups of water in, remember it doesn’t all have to come as a glass of water. Liquid in your milk counts, as does liquid in your veggies. We actually get a lot of water thru our food, so don’t overdo it and over hydrate yourself (it can be done!) If I were to guess, 7 cups of plain water plus the liquids you get in your food will probably be plenty. A better indicator that you are getting enough is whether your urine runs clear or yellow. Clear being the goal.