The A - Z of a Fitter You; W is for...

Did you know, 1 litre of water weighs 1 kilogram?

This is like an episode of 'How2' isn't it. Anyway, think about that for a second. (I know you won't, you'll keep reading - that's fine, it was just a literary 'device'). For optimal health and body functionage, I would encourage you to drink three litres of water a day. The Vorderman-esque ones among you will have spotted that's 3kg in weight. So when people get on the scales and go "oh fiddlesticks, I've put on 1.5kgs" (or whatever), it really has very little bearing on what their body is actually doing in the gaining/losing weight department. That is, having a weight-loss-using-scales goal isn't really of use, and certainly not day-to-day, as you should be gaining (and losing) 3kg everyday due to the water you're drinking. I've discussed different ways to track your progress previously, but just to say that normal scales that just track your overall weight are the last in line for ways to do this. If they track your body fat %/weight too, then that's a different story, as fat-loss is a much more important and useful goal. But still don't measure that more than once a week - the numbers that pop up on a screen should not define your happiness for that day. This is especially true if you're in the habit of stepping on the scales first thing in the morning - and then being disappointed at the number that appears. That could then have a direct knock-on effect to your behaviour - especially your eating behaviour - that day, creating/reinforcing a vicious cycle. In summary, ditch the scales, drink the water! Best wishes, Matt "weight a minute" Boyles PS. If you've missed the previous 22 - twenty-two! - emails in the series, they're all available on my blog