Day 307 - Drinking Water, When Should I?

Water, we hear from many sources we should drink 8 x 8 ounce glasses a day for weight loss/maintenance. Some opinions suggest more, some allot more, some less, some say it is not so relevant.

My mind is not on the topic of water as a whole, but rather more specifically does how we drink water before, during and after eating impact up or down weight loss / maintenance?

BEFORE:
A popular position seems to be that we should drink a glass or two of water 15 minutes or so before eating. Doing so helps to trick the mind into a sense of fullness so we eat less. Not only that but I have also been told that this helps excess acids in the stomach before digesting the food about to be eaten. Seems to me we'd like our food to fall right into a pool of acid waiting to get busy breaking that food down.

DURING:
On numerous occasions I have heard that it is not wise to drink while eating, not even water. Now I don't don't know if true or not, but what I do know is that if this is true I may not be able to just stop drinking while eating. I've been doing it for a foursome of decades. It is natural to drink while I eat in my mind. To eat a meal start to finish without drinking would be as foreign to me as getting a bikini wax; I am going to need some serious convincing to go there.

AFTER:
Hmmm, then there is the school of thought that we should not drink after eating for at two hours so that we do not wash away of mix up the stomach acids thus making it harder to digest food optimally. On one hand, makes some sense, on the other, I really don't want to believe the human machine is that easily diluted.

Honestly, I do not know what to believe. For know, I am just focusing on drinking more water and less low-quality drinks. And I drink my water whenever I please until I feel I have real reasons to up my discipline as to when I drink it.

What's your take?

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 31 - Magic Fitness?

Have you see an advertisement lately that sounds something like this... 10 foods that burn fat... Or this... Our pill, powder or drink slims & gets you ripped... Or...

I'm sure we've all seen ads like these in magazines or websites, perhaps even on some of our favotite blogs. I've peeked into the details of a few of these ads over the years; usually at times when I wasn't dieting or working at getting healthy. Just a few minutes hoping to discover that magic to quickly returning to the fitness glory of my youth. Each time I've come away unconvinced & unwilling to go there.

But, still these marketing marvels get me wondering. Just last week I read up on two such popularly seen pills. After 30 minutes of reading I had more questions than answers, unconvinced again. Plus there seem to be some serious law suits alleging neglegence that may have resulted in harm to health including death. Justified legal action or not, I have no idea. But the risk doesn't justify the lack of certain & safe reward as I see it.

Therefore as I write this I doubt there is any way to do this short of earnest discipline & effort.

If anyone has opinion or experience to the contrary I'd enjoy hearing about it; do you?

Today is work out day, I took yesterday off. Thinking dumbbells after work. Maybe a walk too if I can, hope so.

Responsibility 199... Gotta Do It!!