The Liquid Lowdown

Week 1 is drawing to an end, and I am sure for a lot of you today is your Free Day! If so...ENJOY!
We are so impressed with how dedicated you all seem to be, it is very motivating to us. Remember what this challenge is about and why you chose to join. Whether it was to get on track spiritually/emotionally, loose weight or learn that you can do hard things we hope that you come to enjoy all aspects of this challenge and benefit from all areas of improvement that you will see in yourself. Please remember this is NOT a weight loss challenge. Yes, if you follow all the rules you will most likely lose weight and if that is one of your goals GREAT...but more importantly you will feel healthier!
Keep up the good work people!

We have had a lot of questions regarding the water and No Soda rules. So here is some clarification to hopefully help you out!

First up water...

64 oz of water!!
If you are like me it's easy to guzzle down a few glasses of water after a good workout, so take advantage of the moment and quench that thirst!! It will help you get through your 64 ounces. 64 ounces is a lot of water and you may be getting frustrated with all the middle of the night potty runs... If it makes you feel any better I am 7 months pregnant, and lets just say, me and the toilet have become midnight buddies :) This will get better as your body adjusts to your fluid intake!

We cannot emphasize enough how important water is for us.

Not convinced, here are 10 reasons that you should drink plenty of water -
http://thetaoofgoodhealth.com/10-health-reasons-why-you-should-drink-more-water-4/

So drink up!

Next up on the liquid lineup, SODA...a dog may be man's best friend, but woman's best friend is {diet soda}

I know after a week of NO SODA a lot of you are cursing Karli and I for convincing you to set that Diet Coke aside and replace it with water. There are a few reasons for this.

1st - we are MEAN and find joy in your misery {insert evil laugh}.

No, in all seriousness, how are you gonna get that 64 oz. of water in when you are guzzling your soda all day? But most importantly, this challenge is about just that "challenging" ourselves and proving to ourselves that we can do hard things. For a lot of us, giving up that caffeine or soda may be very difficult, but it will get easier. We are not going to go into all of the reasons why the NO SODA rule applies. Every person has a different opinion on the health aspect of drinking soda, so we will leave it at that. If you must have it, we are NOT forcing you to cut it out...you will just lose a point for that day. And FREE days are a great time to squeeze that Diet Coke you have been craving in. I'm planning on one at the movies tonight with my man! All things in moderation, right?

Lastly, JUICE!!

Juice can be great for you, but BE CAREFUL! There is a substantial difference between freshly squeezed juice {100% juice} and sugar packed juices!! Be aware when you are buying juices. This may be new information to some of you.  If you have been drinking juice this week and now realize it was one of the no-no juices, don't go back and dock yourself points.  But from this point on, make sure you drink "legal" juices.

Here are your options to make sure you are drinking challenge worthy juices.
1. Squeeze it yourself-DELICIOUS and refreshing.

2. But lets be honest, we don't always have time for that, so make sure you are buying juices that are 100% juice. Check the labels!

This picture will help you know what to look for (pretend the sugar line is circled not the potassium)
The First label is the "A-Okay" juice, it is made of 100% pure squeezed oranges. The 2nd label on the other hand has only 10% juice and is loaded with high fructose corn syrup {yes, I'm cringing} and other no-nos.
So there ya go, we hope that helps. As always, feel free to ask for clarification if in doubt.
And remember
You Can Do Hard Things!