You know you should be drinking enough water, but exactly how much is that?

The Eatwell Guide recommends we drink 6-8 glasses of fluid each day. It’s not just water, low fat milk, sugar free drinks, tea and coffee count too. Remember, it’s a guideline so it varies according to weight, lifestyle and activity level. If you’re more active, you’ll need to drink more.

Water makes up a whopping 60% of your body and it’s lost through sweating, peeing and even breathing. Being hydrated benefits your digestion, circulation and complexion. Fats are more easily broken down and converted into energy by a hydrated body, even more reason to find a way to keep hydrated.

Top tip: Often we feel hungry when we’re actually thirsty. If you’re feeling a little peckish, try drinking a large glass of water and then see how you feel. This can cut a snack or binge session off at the pass.

How do you know if you’re dehydrated?

Symptoms of mild dehydration include thirst, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and cramps. We don’t need to explain how that can impact your potential on the pitch.

Severe dehydration can lead to dry skin and lips, sunken eyes, fainting spells, rapid heartbeat and rapid breathing. You’re also more likely to get dehydrated more quickly if you’ve got diabetes, it’s a hot day, or if you’ve sweated a lot.

Can you drink too much?

As with most things in life, you can overdo it. Water intoxication (hyponatremia) is a thing, albeit a rare thing.

Drinking vast amounts too quickly leads to an abnormally low concentration of sodium in the bloodstream. This damages the kidneys and liver and can even be fatal. It’s very rare and you’d have to drink an absolutely huge volume of water, but it’s worth knowing about.

Regular glasses or bottles of water throughout your waking hours won’t put you in the danger zone, just don’t down 4 litres of water in one go.

Starting to drink more water will make you pee a lot, especially if you’re not used to drinking enough. And that’s okay – although it is a little annoying, we’ll give you that.

How do I know if I’m hydrated?

Check your pee. If urine is a pale yellow and you’re peeing frequently, you’re hydrated.
If it’s a darker colour or you’ve not been for a few hours, fill that glass up and get sipping.

It’s nerve-racking turning up to something new, so you’d be forgiven for feeling a little anxious about your first MAN v FAT Rugby session. But we’ve got your back – and here’s why you don’t need to worry.

I’ll stick out like a sore thumb

You might think this, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Remember, every guy at your MAN v FAT Rugby club is in the same boat as you: everyone wants to lose weight and get healthier. Besides, you can guarantee that you’ll receive a warm welcome from your coach, and by the end of the session we reckon you’ll be revelling in your team’s camaraderie.

What if no one talks to me?

We’ve all had this worry at some point, and it can be especially worrying if you’re naturally a bit of an introvert. But there’s never been a better place to strike up a conversation – you know you’ve got at least two things in common (rugby, and wanting to lose weight), so you’ve instantly got an in. Be bold and say hi!

What if I’m awful at rugby?

Want to lose weight? Good. Like rugby? Great. That’s literally all that matters. No one’s going to judge you on your fitness level or rugby skill. We’ve got guys on MAN v FAT Football leagues who are surprised they can even kick a ball, and it doesn’t hold them back in the slightest.

The important thing is that you turn up, try your best, and support your teammates.

You’ve probably heard that you should be getting 10k steps a day, but where did this number come from, and does it have any basis in science?

Setting yourself a target to reach 10,000 steps a day started as a marketing effort, created by a Japanese company selling pedometers in the run up to the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. A genius move if you ask us. The company’s pedometers, called manpo-kei (which means ’10,000 steps meter’ in Japanese), were a huge hit and did a lot to get the Japanese public more active.

But why has this 10k target endured? Well, the original marketing campaign was created because doctors were concerned about low levels of activity among Japanese people, and the push to 10k steps definitely helped improve activity levels, and so it stuck.

It’s not so much that 10,000 is a magic number, more that having a goal to work towards helps to get us more active. Even if you don’t manage to get to 10k, something is better than nothing.

How to get 10,000 steps a day

If it feels like a difficult target, start small. Rule number 1? Get up! You could go for a quick walk before breakfast, explore a local park at the weekend, and if you work at a desk, you could get up for a walk each hour for 5-10 minutes.

Of course, it might not be easy for you to go for a walk, depending on where you live. If you’ve not got many good walking options around, you could always get your steps in on a treadmill.

Walking pads are popular right now because they’re cheaper and tend to be easier to store than treadmills – if you work from home, consider investing in a standing desk and walking pad to really get your step count up.

There are also workout videos on YouTube that help you increase your step count by walking in place at home.

Track your steps using your smartphone (many have a built-in pedometer, or you can download dedicated pedometer apps), or consider buying a smartwatch like a Fitbit, Samsung Watch, or Apple Watch.

Don’t forget that every small effort adds up over time. Even just taking the stairs instead of the lift and parking further away from the shop entrance and walking across the car park can have an impact on your activity levels.

The benefits of walking

Studies have shown that walking can have a significant impact on your health, including reducing blood pressure and improving glucose levels. Walking outside has also been shown to have a positive effect on mental health.

What if I can’t reach 10,000 steps a day?

If you find it difficult to reach 10,000 steps a day, don’t worry. Like we said, it’s not a magic number and there are many other ways to get active that will burn the same number of calories and have the same impact on your weight loss.

Any increase on what you were doing before is worth celebrating, though, so don’t let that 10k target intimidate you into inaction.

If you’re dining out, but feel in the dark about what the healthiest choices are, go in prepared with our guide to decoding restaurant menus.

Eating out can be a minefield when you’re trying to lose weight. Even when you’ve seen the menu beforehand, it can be hard to figure out dishes are a healthy option and what’s deep fried and swimming in grease.

If you learn the lingo, you’ll be much more likely to make better choices. Here are what some common menu terms mean.

Sauces

Sauces that are made with butter and cream are going to be higher in calories than those that are tomato-based. Examples of butter-based sauces include béchamel sauce, béarnaise sauce and hollandaise sauce. Tomato-based sauces include puttanesca sauce, marinara and arrabbiata. If you are going to have a buttery sauce or a dressing, ask for it on the side so you can control exactly how much you have.

Ways of describing dishes

• Basted – food that has had fat or oil poured over it while cooking, typically seen with meat.
• Battered – food that is coated in batter and deep-fried.
• Braised – food that’s cooked slowly, first in oil and then in liquid.
• Breaded – food that’s covered in breadcrumbs and fried. Breaded is usually a better choice than battered but may still be deep fried.
• Creamed – food that’s cooked with plenty of cream
• Crispy – usually means fried.
• Crunchy – fried, unless it’s vegetables, in which case they’ll be raw.
• Flambéed – food that’s covered with alcohol and then set alight. Like a Christmas pud set alight with brandy.
• Glazed – food that has been brushed with a sticky coating, usually some kind of honey or syrup
• Golden – fried.
• Loaded – topped with loads of extra things, usually cheese, bacon and sauces.
• Marinated – food that is soaked in a liquid seasoning before cooking.
• Pan–fried – fried.
• Refried – usually describes beans, which are mashed and then fried.
• Sautéed – food that is fried lightly and quickly in hot oil.
• Sizzling – fried.
• Seared – food that’s cooked quickly at a high temperature so that the surface forms a crust.
• Smothered – covered in something, usually a heavy sauce or cheese.
• Tempura – deep fried, but Japanese.

Lower calorie choices

Restaurants use a lot of oil and other fats to cook dishes – it’s part of what makes restaurant food so delicious. So while you should be prepared for your meal to involve some high-calorie methods of cooking, there are some things you can look for that indicate a healthier way. Look for dishes that are described in the following ways, as they’ll be more likely to contain less oil:

• Baked
• Boiled
• Grilled
• Poached
• Roasted
• Steamed

If in doubt, ask your waiter for information. You’re the one paying for and eating the meal, so you deserve to know how your food’s made if it’s important to you.

With so many myths about nutrition doing the rounds, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction, but we’re here to help.

Myth #1: fat is bad for you

Fats get a bad rap, but our bodies do actually need some fat. Healthy fats like those found in oily fish, avocados, nuts, and seeds can help to support our memory, vision, bone health, and even reduce inflammation.

There are many different types of fat and it’s important to know which ones are healthy and which ones are best swerved.

Trans fats can be found in some hard margarines and deep-fried foods. Trans fats are linked to heart disease, high cholesterol and Alzheimer’s, so best avoid these where possible. Luckily, it’s increasingly rare to find trans fats in food sold in the UK.

Saturated fats (or sat fats) are found in processed meats like sausages and ham. They’re also in dairy products like whole milk, cream and butter. Eating too much saturated fat is linked with an increase in cholesterol so you should aim to swap saturated fats for healthier fats.

The two healthy fats that we want to consume in small amounts are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. They both help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and can be found in foods such as avocado, almonds, oily fish, flaxseed, olive oil and olives.

Myth #2: Superfoods are pricey

Good news, you don’t have to fork out for expensive goji berries or chia seeds to boost your antioxidant intake. Guess what? Carrots are a fantastic source of antioxidants too, and they’re a lot cheaper. Carrots are especially rich in beta-carotene, which has protective effects for your skin and converts to vitamin A in the body.

Myth #3: Coffee keeps you energised

There’s no denying that coffee can give you a buzz and help get you into gear, but in the long-term coffee can drain your energy, especially when you start feeling you need to drink more and more to feel the same effect. To get some of the same buzz, try matcha green tea: it provides some natural caffeine to give you a gentle lift, plus theanine which can help calm the mind and encourage focus and concentration.

Myth #4: weight loss is easy

Theoretically, weight loss is simple. It all comes down to maths and consuming less energy than your body uses. That’s not to say it’s easy though.

As well as the science behind weight loss, weight loss has a lot do with our feelings, thoughts, state of mind and patience, all of which can be difficult to predict and control. If you struggle to lose weight, take heart knowing you’re not alone in finding it tough. As long as you keep pushing on, you’ll get there.

Be honest, do you warm up before exercising? Well, you should. Warming up properly gets your body ready for movement, and it’s an important measure to help lessen the likelihood of injury.

If you think about warming up, you might think about stretches. Y’know, stuff like putting your arm behind your back and stretching it. And while these movements do have a place, they’re static, still stretches, and dynamic movements are much better for preparing to get moving.

Active movements help our bodies limber up and prep muscles for the strain to come. A lighter intensity version of the exercise you’re about to do can really help too.

Not sure where to start? Begin with trying these 5 simple dynamic warm-ups to get the blood flowing and get your primed for action.

Leg swings

• Standing straight, hold a wall for support.
• Swing your left leg back and forth gently.
• Repeat for 10 swings, then swap legs.
• You should find that each swing allows your leg to go a little higher, increasing the range of movement at the joint.

Lunge rotation

• Standing tall, gaze forward with your back straight.
• Take your left leg forward and bend the knee.
• Drop your right knee to the ground as you do so.
• Then rotate your torso to the right and turn your head to look over your right shoulder.
• Hold for 2-3 seconds, then release and come back up to standing.
• Aim for 4-5 rotations on each side.

Walkouts

• This is great for engaging your lower and upper body. Stand tall and bend at the hips, keeping your legs straight.
• Drop your arms down to the floor and walk with your hands forward until your body is in a plank position, with hands under your shoulders and body in a straight horizontal position.
• Then slowly walk your hands back towards your feet, eventually coming back up to standing.

Arm circles

• Keeping your arms straight, raise them forward and rotate them all the way behind you in a big circular movement.
• Repeat 5 arm circles forward, then 5 arm circles back.
  Glute bridges

Waking up your glute (bottom) muscles is important as they’re generally incredibly inactive from long periods spent sitting down. If your glutes aren’t woken up prior to exercise, other muscles in your legs may end up working harder to make up for sleepy bum muscles, and this can lead to injury.

• Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
• Slowly lift your hips up from the ground, keeping your upper back firmly down on the floor.
• Once your hips are lifted, hold the position for 5 seconds, squeezing your glutes, then slowly lower yourself back down.
• Aim to repeat this 10 times.

Not prepared enough and want more? No problemo.

Bodyweight squats

With your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees and drop down slowly, keeping your back upright and gaze forward. Keep your heels glued to the floor. Then, pushing through your heels, rise back up to standing. Aim for 10-15 repetitions.

Skipping

No rope? No problem! Simply act out the movements with an invisible rope. Aim to do this for 1 minute, whether your rope is real or imaginary. Get ready to feel the pump in your calf muscles!

Jumping jacks

AKA star jumps, there will wake up your entire body and raise your heart rate too.

Jump both feet out simultaneously while lifting your arms out to either side of your body and touching your hands up above your head. Then drop your arms back down to your side as you jump your feet back together. Aim for 20 repetitions.