Jen I'm going to cheat and just copy a post from my blog where I addressed the drinking water topic after a conversation on someone elses blog.

"Firstly, if you are having a balanced diet which people losing weight in general are, you get a lot of water from the food you eat. Secondly, our kidneys are extremely efficient at regulating the water content in our body. If you have any interest in biology you should totally check out how the kidneys work, they are amazing! You can get fluids from other drinks as well, a glass of milk or a cup of tea. Yes if you have a cup of coffee there is the effect of the caffeine but it is not that much, it just means that you may not get as much fluid as a glass of water.

Where did the idea of 8 glasses come from? Well back in the 1940s there was a study that concluded you should have 1mL of water for every calorie you consume. This translates into around 8 glasses if you eat 1800-2000cal a day, so it makes sense that you should drink 8 glasses right? Wrong. Again there is the water content in food that whoever made the suggestion for didn't account for.

Its not to say that we don't need water, and I do believe it is better to drink water than soda, fruit juice etc. But don't try and make yourself drink 8 glasses a day people, drink what feels right. Oh and another myth about water, drinking too much doesn't cause bloating nor water retention because yay, awesome kidneys!"

oh thanks for that jitter. yes, kidneys are really cool. You can really appreciate them if you visit a dialysis center.

well today, i feel really off plan, but don't know why? I did eat alot more carby foods today, i'm trying to limit my carbs to 200, but got to 275, i still will have a cup of tea with honey.

I really feel alot better than i have in a few days though. I also did my 2 mile walk tonight.

i'm trying to wind down, but it's hard, that is why i drink the tea.

i didn't post a goal for this week: For the rest of the week I want to keep my carbs under 300. I am really struggling with that.

oh yeah, my darned scale said 201.2 this morning. So apparently no progress??? my friend told me my stomach looked slimmer though. I need to retake my measurements.

ok, yay. scale read 199.0 so still bouncing around ONEderland. Today is shake day. I just need to remember to keep my dinner sensible.

ok so dinner wasn't so sensible, but my dinner time kept getting pushed back and pushed back. the plans basically went awry. So i probably ate more carbs then i should. still don't feel too bad about it since all I ate during the day were 2 breakfast shakes. blah for not staying op for dinner though.

ladies, where are you. i'm strugglin. I woke up to 203 on the scale this morning, can I get a big what????? I tried to do better today. man, oh man. my goal seems so far away. i drank a little tonight. I need to stay away from danger foods. sometimes I wish, i could just not eat all day....and then i'd lose weight.

ok, i don't know where everybody is, so is this thread dead?

ok, well, i'm having a HARD time getting into onderland and staying there. I actually decided to IF it today. I do feel alot better. I feel like my insides are gummed up from the fourth of july from all the meat I ate. I haven't been to the bathroom like normal either. probably seeing that on the scale too, but I have been 2 lbs up! walking 2 miles every day, and not binging..and i'm still GAINING. really my legs are getting very nice definition and i've lost inches, but still. NO GAINING anymore.

Many apologies, jen ... went out of town this weekend for my birthday (yay, me!), and I didn't check in via smartphone. Keep veggie crunchin', girlie! You can do this -- I find I'll hit the pavement later in the evening. I plug in my iPod, strap on my tennies and go! Sometimes it's just nice to clear your head, you know? But have faith!

On another note, I have a ONEDERFUL photo to share with y'all:


It's just a toenail, but it's there!

omg, cute tootsies. I am so proud of your ONEderland photo!!!

yeah, i like to walk at night too.

well, i did a trial day of IF. I shouldn't expect any miracles...but hoping the scale would be gracious. It was alot easier to stay under the carbs, and get about 1500 calories.

I'm soo tired, and turned in my first paper tonight. I know i will be seeing red all over it, but at least it is done.

I'm bouncing all over 200 too. I go under and I spring back over. Oh well, big picture I'm getting fitter and the weight has got to go.

I had hoped to be in the 80s but nope.

So this weeks goals:
- No chocolate (its my weakness, and this is a stress week)
- More fluid (water or herbal tea)

Good reminder, jitter. Goals for this week:

1) Get to the gym at least twice (maybe not TurboKick, though -- perhaps Zumba?)
2) Stick with the bars. IMO, they're actually tasty. And the more water I drink, the tastier they are. Why is that, do you suppose?

jen, I've seen a couple of your posts with IF, and I swear my eyes turned it into something else in my brain. Remind me again what it means? "Intermittent fasting", is that it?

Jen, Good luck with IF. I"m having a lot of luck with it. I am currently doing research on IF combined with low carb...paleo style. I've lost weight with both so I'm thinking... Why not combine them?

I can't post links yet but if you Google "intermittent fasting and low carb" one of the first links is Justinowings dot com. I learned more there about both diets AND the benifits of combining them that I've learned ANYWHERE else.

one the subject of onederland... I was solid 197.2 for several days last week. This weekend we went out of town and I decided that I would take Saturday and Sunday off for fasting but not for calorie counting. I did really well and even included the wine from the wedding we attended in my daily count and pased on cake at both a baby shower and the wedding. This morning the scale said 203.2! Are you kidding me?! The only thing I can think of is that by eating "normally" I forgot to stay hydrated (I am SO sensative to salt and food adatives) and that I started my period this morning and I"m just really bloated.

So, today is back to IF and I will be combining it wif a low carb eating plan when I do eat. I guess I'll be sipping all day in hopes to get the scale back down to where I was all last week.

goal for this week
ab exercises every day, alternate obliques and rectus

continue to walk 3/7 days
follow IF all week.

jitter, i hear you about getting fitter. I'm looking alot better in my underwear. I've designated a pair of size 10 maternity jeans as my goal jeans and started taking pics. I fit these jeans except for the waist. I'm all muffin top and it's not pretty.

Amber, I have had success with fasting period. When I tried Fast5 a few years ago, i loved how it changed my body and my energy levels. Same thing this time.

I have elected to have a glass of tea with a tsp of sugar and a tbsp of milk during my fast times. And i have great energy during the fast, when i eat, i start slowing down and needing a nap.

MissSea, which bars are you talking about? Yes, IF is intermittent fasting. I'm using a 7 hour window of eating/day. Hopefully, i'll start seeing results and having better energy again.

Interesting info about the IF -- for Atkins, I remember reading you need to eat within one hour of waking (for me, a meal bar), then every couple of hours. I have a meal bar between 7 and 8 (depending on when I wake up), a snack bar at 10, eat another meal bar at 12:30 or 1, a snack bar at 4-ish and dinner after our girl goes down around 7. Normally my window is 12 hours. I also got a Camelbak water bottle from Target that's 24 oz. of water. I down at least two of those a day. I don't stress about getting 64 oz. of water (thanks, jitter, for giving me rebuttal information for my cray-cray SIL who harps on me about drinking DC and not having "enough" water). Instead, I try to drink a glass of water before I eat. I also HAVE to drink cold water with ice. OCD, I know, but it gets me hydrated, so I go with it!

I stepped on MY scale today, and it said 200.3. Yay for my scale! I think of it now in dog years. My scale is the adjusted "dog years" weight; every other scale is my correct weight, which means I'm probably under 200. I'll still follow my scale on the ticker, but I'll go weigh in with my doctor one of these days to see if I'm really down.

Amber, I'm big on weighing at the same time every day. I try in the mornings before I eat breakfast (and normally after I've peed). That way, there's a consistency for the weigh-ins. Otherwise, I drive myself crazy. If you've gone overboard one day, wait until the next morning to weigh yourself. Sometimes your body will just naturally deal with the extra input without you having to worry yourself into a dither over it.

day 2 of IF completed. I have some hunger pangs right now, but i remember when i was at my lowest weight I used to listen to my stomach growl as I went to sleep. so must be a good sign.