30 Day water challenge for weight loss? Years ago I would have laughed at the thought. At one time I was addicted to the Route 44 Dr. Pepper with Vanilla. Those Dr. Peppers were so good on a hot summer day. When I decided to lose weight, I knew drinking calories was one of the most wasteful things I could do. It took a little while to get used to drinking plain water, but now, I can’t imagine not drinking plain water.
Maybe you are still hitting that Sonic drive-thru for your Route 44, but you know it’s sabotaging your weight loss efforts ten-fold. Would you believe me if I told you 44 oz of Dr. Pepper has 94 grams of sugar! My entire daily sugar goal now is 45 grams. I don’t even want to think about how many grams of sugar a day I had back regularly back then.
No worries if you are right up there where I was. You may have to just trust me right now when I say get off all of that sugar and you will feel so much better. Really. I promise!
This 30-day water challenge for weight loss is exactly what you need to make that difficult but necessary change for losing weight. 30 days, even less is ideal for creating a long-lasting habit.
Here’s the deal, most of my healthy habit changes were done gradually. It’s what worked for me. So if right now you are loving your sodas or whatever you may be drinking other than water, I say don’t stop cold turkey. Taper it down along with the water challenge. Give yourself a few days or a week to slowly taper down to only water. There are options – healthy options – for filling the soda or fun drink need that I will give you below.
How Much Water Should I Drink in a Day to Lose Weight?
This is a little bit of a sticky question because there really isn’t a definitive answer for everyone. It depends on where you live, how dry is the climate, how much exercising or sweating you are doing, and how much you weigh are some of what you base your answer on.
As a rule of thumb, on average you should drink .5 ounces to 1 ounce of water daily for each pound you weigh. Check out this post on staying hydrated for weight loss.
For me, I start to feel sluggish and wiped out of energy as soon as I get a little dehydrated. I’ve even started to add some BCAAs to my water first thing in the morning to rehydrate quickly.
I always carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go. These bottles make it easy to refill, stay cold and convenient to throw in your purse.
Of course, as you know, drinking water isn’t the only thing you need to do to lose weight, but drinking more water is a big part of it! Weight loss for women over 40 is a lot of small changes over time that results in long-term weight loss and healthy living.
30-Day Water Challenge for Weight Loss
There are so many aspects of a lifestyle that contributes to losing weight, and drinking at least 64 oz of water daily or more is right up on the top of the list.
This 30-day water challenge for weight loss is pretty straightforward. You make sure to drink 64 oz of water each day spread throughout the day.
Drinking an 8 oz of water first thing in the morning is a great way to start of the day. Think about it, you have just spent the last 8 hours or so sleeping and not drinking water, so you are kind of starting off dehydrated.
Make sure to print off the tally sheet to keep track of your daily goal. I have found the visual is both motivating and necessary to track myself accurately.
Healthy Alternatives to Soda
I rarely desire to have a soda anymore. I find them heavy and too sweet. However, not too long ago I tried a La Croix Sparkling Water and really liked it. Most of the time I keep a couple of them in the fridge for when I am in the mood for one. They have carbonated water (from CO2) and extracted flavor (natural essence oils) from the fruit named on the particular packaging. So, they are water, haha.
Starting the 30-day water challenge for weight loss? Let me know in the comments!
Additional 30-Day Challenges for Weight Loss
30 Day Plank Challenge
30 Day Walking Challenge
30 Day Arm Challenge
30 Day Butt Challenge
30 Day Fitness Challenge
30 Day Weight Loss Challenge – A great resource for more guidance. Includes workouts, recipes, tons of tips that Stephanie used to lose weight and keep it off years later.
