Early Morning Conversation

My latest challenge that I have for myself is to be a 5am riser, daily.  This week, I promised myself a soft launch (my marketing lingo) into embracing this new day part.  I'll admit, today was the first day that I actually did it. Next week I'm going to push myself on this one...no sissy excuses allowed.  One thing at at a time though, right?

Upon rising, I drank my two liters of water and began my breakfast prep.  Mr., who is a frequent 5amer was already awake and into his routine as well...which isn't exactly aligned with mine - he gets right up and at it (in terms of work).  My morning routine - no matter what time I rise - is all about my body, and getting the proper fuel.  Six egg whites and 1/2 cup of oats later, I get myself in the shower feeling like I'm way ahead of the game with the early start.  See, this is why I want to be a morning bird...feeling so accomplished, so early? I'll take that!

Today was a rare day that Mr. & I rode into the office together...leaving the house a little after 7am.  On the commute, I mentioned that I was feeling ravenous.  He looks like me, and even in the dark I can see the confusion on his face, as he says, "You just ate a massive breakfast!"  In the words of my mother-in-law (as she so often says), I thought to myself, did you just meet me?  First of all massive?  Nah, that was one of my first of five to six small meals of the day...secondly, I don't need a clock to tell me that it was more than two hours ago!

I didn't say any of that though...as clearly he has to already know those things...this isn't exactly a new gig for me.  Instead, I just looked at him, smiled and said, "I know, weird, right?"

The joys of being a clean eater.  Eat often. Adhere to the quantities that others define as "massive" and get this, you'll still lose!

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,

Mrs. Skinny Fat

PS.  It's My Favorite Thing Friday today!!  Stay tuned

My Favorite Thing Friday

Who doesn't love Fridays!  Today seems like the perfect day to kick off a new weekly feature called, "My Favorite Thing Friday".  As the name unveils, every Friday from here on out I will feature something that I just can't live without!  From kitchen appliances, to supplements, to my favorite foods, we'll uncover all my best discoveries.

Today's favorite is so simple but it is truly my BFF.  It's none other than my favorite water bottle.  I have learned over the years that not all water bottles are created equal.  I have tried a variety of the seemingly best water bottles - from Siggs to the glass favorites - and while I oddly felt "good" about spending $20+ on a water bottle, I hated drinking out of them.  Yes, my water bottle has to be safe - BPA Free - but I also need to be able to down the water easily. 

Every morning, I jump start my body with drinking a liter of water and this carries on throughout the day 4 to 5 more times. My water bottle never leaves my side.  So while my cupboard is filled with all of the market's best, my go-to bottle is the Nalgene OTG (on-the-go) BPA Free bottle found at any major retailer. As the website describes, the Nalgene OTG bottle offers a easy one handed operation so you can pop the top and take a drink without letting go of your momentum...or anything else for that matter. They normally run around $10, but I was able to stock up recently for half-off.  A steal! 

                                  


What's your favorite water bottle? 

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,
MSF

Drink Water All Day - Each and Every Day

I'm still amazed by how many people don't drink water regularly.  When someone tells me that they struggle with drinking water or that they simply don't drink water - my reaction is equivalent to as if they told me that they are a chain smoker or an alcoholic.  We all know smoking and heavy consumption of alcohol are horrible for our health...but so is neglecting our bodies of water!   I cringe when I see someone drink a soda or Gatorade as if it's water....I can't help but think of the movie Idiocracy...how scary would a world like this be?

For those of you who wear soft contact lens, before you go to bed take out your contacts and lay it on the counter.  The next morning, go take a look at what happens the contact lens.  What do you see?  The once soft, flexible lens is now hard and brittle.  Imagine that happening to your body when you don't drink water.  Our bodies are made up of more than 70% water...70%!  Most of it is stored in our skin. So, next time you choose not to drink water, picture the cells within your body crinkling up like that contact lens.

Drink my friends, drink.
You should also note that weight loss depends on your water intake. Your body needs to be hydrated to function properly - plus staying hydrated will help curve cravings and help you feeling satisfied.  In Tosca Reno's The Eat Clean Diet Stripped, she writes, "Water regulates your body temperature, keeps joints mobile and maintains tissue health. When you become dehydrated the trillions of cells housed in your body are threatened with breakdown and damage in the face of insufficient water. You need water to survive."

Each and every day, I drink around 4 liters of water. Sometimes more!  When I wake up, I drink a liter - before I do anything else!  That's when my body needs it most.  I have a cupboard in my kitchen devoted to my water bottles (all BPA free of course). Then throughout the day, my water never leaves my side.  My husband will pick on me a bit because of my "obsession" with drinking water.  Even if we are leaving the house for 2 minutes, I will have to run inside and grab my water.  Now that I am so accustomed to drinking so much throughout the day... to be without water for 20 minutes is like "dying of thirst"! 

For those of you who hate the taste of water....
Honestly, get over it!  You were made to drink water!  It's the most basic "good" thing you can do for yourself!  Water helps flush toxins out of your vital organs, carries required nutrients to cells and provides hydration for tissues like that in your ear, nose and throat. You will acquire the taste for it...I PROMISE. If you want to be healthy...happy...and fit -- You gotta drink the good stuff.

You can enhance the benefits of water by adding lemon.  Add a couple of slices of lemon to it in the morning or mid-day for a refreshing taste and you'll also reap some other fantastic health benefits! With just a couple of lemon slices to your water you can help boost your metabolism and aid in digestion, making weight loss more efficient.  More to come on the benefits of adding lemon....

While writing this post, I have consumed a liter of water with lemon slices added.  How about you?  Pledge to do something good for yourself today:  Drink Water!!!  

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride!
MSF