How Much Water Do You Actually Need?

Do you know about all the crazy things that can happen to you if you don’t drink water when you exercise? Lots of crazy things. Many people show up at the gym without a bottle of water, and worse, some people show up for high-intensity spinning classes without water, thinking they’ll actually make it through 60 minutes of sweating without needing so much as a sip.
What could happen to these people?

• You could pass out from dehydration, which means that you’ll be known as “the person who passed out and needed an ambulance that one day” at the gym. LABELS ARE FOREVER.
• You won’t have the energy you need to sustain yourself through your workout, or to work out at the best energy level you can. In other words, your workout may become a waste of your time.
• You open yourself up to a number of ailments; I knew a woman who had a virus in her body that spread to her muscles and began eating them – simply because she doesn’t drink water during her workouts. (The woman is fine – the problem was caught quickly, but it could have been devastating if she hadn’t been encouraged to visit the ER). The virus wasn’t caused by not drinking water, but it was allowed to spread faster because she didn’t hydrate.

The standard rule of thumb is one ounce of water for every minute you work out. So, a 60-minute session means 60 ounces of water. But that’s just during your workout on a perfectly average day. There’s more to it than that:

• Is it hot out? Drink a little more.
• You really should drink (WATER) and be well-hydrated before you start working out.
• Are you thirsty already? You waited too long. Get drinking.
• Are you not thirsty? Congratulations, you’re well-hydrated! But, you know, drink anyway.
• Just because your workout is over doesn’t mean your drinking is. Continue to have a few glasses in the hours after your session, especially if it was a grueling one.
• Don’t drink too much, though – having too much water sloshing around in your belly can lead to cramps and nausea.
• Gulp, don’t sip.
• If you’re not training for an Ironman (or just acting like you are), you really don’t need energy drinks (or bars, for that matter). Water works just great, and it's cheaper. Save your money.

Glug, glug, glug.

Grilled Tuna With Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry

Stir Fry Adapted from Cooking Light magazine.
Stir Fry is 2 Weight Watchers Points; Tuna is roughly 2 Weight Watchers Points for 3 oz.; Rice is 4 Weight Watchers Points for 1 cup

If you're one of those unlucky souls who doesn't own a grill, I highly suggest you get one. Okay, I can't grill worth a damn, but D sure can. We made this meal several years ago, but it's still one of my favorites. It's so simple: seared tuna steaks, lightly coated in olive oil (so they don't stick) and dipped in festive black and white sesame seeds, with a side of jasmine rice and stir-fried vegetables that are fresh and packed with flavor. This recipe is so easy and tasty, you might smack yourself. No, really.

The best part is, you can have this entire meal for about 8 Weight Watchers Points. Make it now! Or, you know, whenever you're ready. No pressure.

Weight Lifting 101: 9 Tips to Get You Started

Some of the most frequent questions I get from my friends concern lifting weights. I get it. The gym is an intimidating place as it is, but sauntering onto a floor of thick-necked guys grunting as they bench-press 350 pounds, it's downright frightening. Plus, lifting weights isn't as intuitive as hopping on a machine is. There's a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

If you get over your fears of being mocked while lifting weights or of "doing it wrong," you'll see that it does wonders for your body shape and your weight loss efforts. So without further ado...here are some general tips and ideas for hitting the weights:

• No One Is Laughing At You. Let's just tackle this one right away, because this fear is what keeps people from going to the gym regularly or branching out and trying new exercises. No one wants to look silly, I know. But let's face it - most exercises look ridiculous. Have you actually ever watched people doing squats or lunges? It's hilarious. It looks insane. But the truth is, everyone is afraid of looking like an idiot at the gym. They're so worried about it that they're not paying any attention to you, unless you really do something nuts, like scream as you're lifting. 

• Free Weights or Machines? If you're just starting out and don't know proper form, I highly recommend machines. They will guide you on a path and keep you from overextending too much or injuring yourself in other ways. But free weights are so much better, because they call in other supporting muscles to help. This means that while you're, say, working your biceps, your shoulders and forearms will be called into action, too. It's like three workouts for the price of one. The potential for injury is a lot higher, though, so be careful. I've thrown out my back a couple times doing free squats (talk about looking like a dork). A great way to learn proper form is to take group classes at your gym; the instructors are great about giving tips. You can also opt for a personal training session - many gyms offer one free one when you sign up for a membership. Just be ready to resist a huge sales pitch when you're done.

• The Magic Number: 15. Everyone starting out with weights wants to know how much they should lift. The answer lies in 15 repetitions - if you can easily breeze through 15 reps, your weight is far too light. If you struggle to make it to 10, your weight is way too heavy. To get the true weight you need, you have to be honest with yourself about the effort it's taking you to get there. Your muscles should burn a little. When you hit that 15th rep, you are so ready for that break. If that's not how you feel, keep adjusting your weight until you feel like you've got it.

• Doing Sets. You didn't think you were just going to do 15 reps and be done with it, do you? You're so cute! Any weight-lifting exercise should involve ideally three sets of 15, with breaks of between 30 and 60 seconds in between each set.  

• Increasing Your Strength. Carefully watch how you feel after 15 reps whenever you work out. Is it becoming easier? Are you not burning as much when you're done? It may be time to crank up the weight by another five or 10 pounds.

• Mythbusters. Ladies, you are not, I repeat NOT, going to bulk up. I know you've seen those massive women in the weight lifting competition, but there is no way you're going to look like that unless you start sticking syringes full of anabolic steroids in your arm. What weight-lifting will do is tone you. You'll see more definition in your arms, legs and abs. But it is biologically impossible for women to bulk up simply by doing 30 minutes of weights a few times a week.

• Take a Break. Never work the same muscle two days in a row. Always, always have at least a full day of rest. I'll explain why in the next bullet point. An efficient way to get a full-body weight workout each week while still getting the rest you need is by breaking it down: do upper body and abs one day, legs the next.

• What's Happening? I'm more likely to follow the rules if I know why they're the rules. So, I'll go ahead and explain what's happening to your muscles when you lift weights: You're damaging your muscles. You're creating tiny little tears. As those tears repair themselves (on your day off, you see), you're gaining new muscle tissue. If you don't rest, you risk fatigue and painful injury.

• Stre-e-e-e-tch. Always stretch the muscles you just worked, holding each stretch for 20 seconds or longer. You'll help lengthen them and minimize soreness the next day. And I know you like that.