Project H2O

It's that time of year again.  Everyone is talking about their New Year's Resolutions.  "Next month, I'm going to join the gym."  "Starting January first, I'm never going to go to McDonald's again!"  Only in America, the home of the procrastinators and dreamers.  We're all guilty.  We say we're going to do something about our beer bellies, start a fad diet, make it through a week, and fall right back into our miserable days of tacos, orange chicken, and deep-fried mozzerella.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a magic potion that we could take and bam!  All of us have Jessica Alba-esque figures?  Well, kids, I have some good news for you.  There is.  And it's free.  And it comes straight out of your kitchen faucet.  Water.

I've been doing quite a bit of research on the benefits of drinking more water and I don't really know why it never hit me before.  Water is the cure for almost everything:

• Obeisity
• Dry Skin
• Fatigue
• Wrinkles
• Laziness
• Headaches
• Nostalgia
• Bad Breath

The list goes on and on and on...  Ok, by this point you're probably rolling your eyes.  This is something health teachers, nutritionists, and your mom have been telling you for years!  I'm just as guilty as the next guy.  I personally don't drink nearly enough water in my day-to-day.  But what do I have to lose, other than some weight and that feeling of sheer exhaustion?  I'm taking on a project.  Not starting January first.  Starting right now.  Today.  In this moment.  (excuse me while I go fill up my glass)

Goals for how much to drink and when:

• A glass when I wake up
• A glass before and after my make-up routine
• A glass before leaving the house
• A glass at the top of every hour
• One before meals, during, and after
• At least one before, during, and after exercise
• A glass when I come home
• Two before bed

Holy mackerel!  I know it sounds a little daunting, but I'm curious to see how well I do.  There are going to be some issues.  Lots of bathroom breaks at first:  when you're dehydrated, your kidneys don't function properly and they send their slack to the liver, forcing it to work overtime.  It doesn't metabolize as much fat as it could, filling your body with extra cushion and the water you do drink gets stored around the your cells, adding even more excess weight.  Your body is in survival mode.  It doesn't know when the next glass of H2O is coming, so it hangs on as long as possible.  When you start drinking water again, the storage gets released...and often.  There is hope, however.  The more you drink, the more your body will trust that you will continue to hydrate.  According to several blogs, news clips, and documents, you will reach a breaking point, and you will start to notice a lot of positive changes.  :)

Don't you worry now, I'll keep you updated with the progress!  Happy water guzzling, folks.