#AGallonOfWaterADay

This week, I decided to join the #AGallonOfWaterADay challenge, which in short means I have been aiming to drink one gallon of water a day.

I am already a massive fan of water as you might have figured out if you have read many of my other beauty posts. I am not the biggest juice drinker, don’t enjoy fizzy drinks – to be honest, aside from water, the only beverage I would normally enjoy is a black coffee or tea.

So why did I decide to do the challenge?

Water as we all know is one of the greatest things we can do for our body. It cleanses, helps the body to function properly and keeps us hydrated, which can have a positive affect on skin, hair, nails and weight.

Many Celebrities have been doing this for years to help them achieve flawless skin, healthy hair and desirable bodies.

 

Paris Hilton, Gabrielle Union and Beyoncé are few of the multitude of celebrities who drink a gallon of water a day. You can see from their makeup-free skin, how a gallon of water can really give skin help to beautify.

 

Paris Hilton – picture taken from disneynewsreview.com

Gabrielle Union – instagram.com/gabunion

Beyoncé Knowles/Carter – celebwithoutmakeup.com

 

But even the average “Jane’s and John’s” who have taken part in this challenge have had spectacular results.

 picture taken from thedailymail.com ©WARRENSMITH2013.
shows SARAH SMITH ‘BEFORE’ shot
Water Feature

 << picture taken from allthattishe.com

 

 

You can see again the improvements of these two volunteers who have taken part in the challenge for yourself. They both look alert, skin looks beautiful, hair looks healthier.

 

As my bio suggests, I am a bit obsessed with skin health and as I said I already enjoy water, so I decided to take up the challenge for myself to see what results I will get.

After one week of doing this challenge, I have already seen a huge improvement in my skin. I have combination skin verging on oily skin in the summer, so as my previous posts have highlighted, I rely heavily on setting powders and blotting sponges to get me through a day at work. When switching off my computer end of business at 5pm, my skin normally looks tired, stressed and shiny. After 3 days of successfully drinking one gallon of water a day, at 5pm after switching off my laptop, my skin was clear, completely free from shine and felt soft to the touch. I also started the week with an annoying hormonal spot on my chin which literally vanished by day 2.

At work I have a snacks drawer (which I am totally ashamed to admit to the world) that gets me through my day. All week since doing this challenge,  I have felt absolutely no desire whatsoever to snack or pick at anything. On one occasion when I forced myself to snack because of the sell by date, I felt uncomfortably full to the point of wanting to be sick. I am so happy that my desire to snack has completely disappeared!

Furthermore, I have been replacing my cup of morning coffee with water and was worried that I would get the normal headache pangs and fatigue that comes every time I attempt to wean myself off. I have suffered no consequences at all. I feel alert, fresh and on the ball.   

I was worried when starting that my already weak bladder wouldn’t be able to bare all the water and would end up spending most of my day in the toilet. Although I have been going to the toilet more frequently, it has been completely bearable. I remember telling a nurse once, “I don’t like drinking water because I feel the constant need to go to the toilet.” Her response surprised me. She said, “People always think that, when in fact it is the other way around. You are going to the toilet more because your body is dehydrated. The more water you drink, and the more hydrated your body is, the less you will need to go.” I can completely understand what she means now due to this challenge. There has been an increase, but it has only been small.

The one and only con I have under a whole array of pros, is that it has made me bloat significantly. I look and feel chubbier, but I am certain within a few weeks that will change as my body begins to get used to it.

 

I would love to challenge you all to do the #AGallonOfWaterADay challenge with me. Here are the rules if you are interested.

1.  You do not need to change your diet or exercise routine.
2. You can still drink other liquids such as black coffee or unsweetened tea, but no juice, fizzy drinks or adding sugar to hot beverages.
3. My number 1 tip is to ease your body in to this, as drinking too much water can have an adverse effect on the body. I would encourage you to sip through out the day instead of gulping a whole litre in one sitting for the best results.
4. 1 gallon = 4.5 litres approximately
5. Take a picture of body at the beginning and face then each week see if you look compareably different

 

A few things to consider when starting, when starting just like I did you might feel an increase of weight. This is just your body going through shock mode, therefore starts retaining water as it isn’t used to being fed a surplus. Some have even experienced break outs, but you must remember your body is in detox mode and a lot of toxins are being pushed out of your body. By the time the 30 days are up, it should all pass. Of course be prepared for more toilet breaks.

Please be safe if you are interested in taking up the challenge. It is recommended to drink no more than half a litre an hour. Have a read here on things to consider medically when taking up the challenge here.

If you are still interested in doing this along with me, let me know how it goes and your results. I will definitely be sharing mines by the time the 30 days are up. Thank you for reading and will hopefully see you soon.

 

 picture taken from noexcusemom.com