Tiff Hall's hack to stave off hunger and hit your fitness goals

Whenever I work with a new client and they have a goal to lose weight, gain more lean muscle or tone up, I always start by asking them how much water they drink, rather than how often they snack, because snackiness is often disguised as thirstiness.

As far as survival instincts go, thirst is one of the most important, as our bodies are basically cucumbers – made almost entirely of water. If you’re dehydrated, you’ll feel lethargic. In training, you’ll lose speed and strength; you’ll have constant brain farts and feel light-headed. And here’s the lemon twist: when you’re dehydrated, you’ll feel more snacky.

This is because the part of the brain that regulates and triggers thirst in the body is the same part of the brain that motivates hunger and cravings. So, it means you may not need a snack right now, you may just be thirsty.

This thirst/hunger centre of the brain is called the hypothalamus and it also regulates your body temperature and sleep (along with thirst and appetite). Sensors in the hypothalamus constantly monitor the blood’s concentration of sodium and other substances. So, after a big workout when you’ve sweated a lot, or after eating a lot of salt, your hypothalamus realises you’re dehydrated and sends out a strong message: Hey! Drink a glass of water, stat!

Try my Water Week to...

Accelerate smart snacking

For the next seven days, you can snack, eat meals and exercise as normal, but try prioritising drinking only water. Think about all the kJs and sugar you’ll be saving: soft drinks, juices, milkshakes, tea, coffee and alcohol can really add up.

Just one can of soft drink can have more than 15 teaspoons of sugar!

DURING WATER WEEK...

Espresso coffees are sanctioned. (I would never take your morning coffee away!)
You can have herbal teas, black teas and black coffee.

Mineral water is a go. Smoothies and juices that are snacks worked into your meal plan for the day are just fine. Feel free to add flavour to your water with cucumber, lemon, lime, mint or berries.

AND TRY TO AVOID...