16
Dec

Water and Weight Loss

I just recently went through a 7 Day Healthy Cleanse (lost 6#!) and loved it. One of the benefits of it was my commitment to drinking water as part of the program. I was following directions about what I could eat each day and drinking water was a huge part of the program. This interested me and I began to research why.

Did you know that being dehydrated decreases your body’s ability to burn calories by 2% each day? And that your thirst mechanism often does not kick in until you already dehydrated? Simply drinking two glasses of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner, can help you lose weight and keep it off. “As part of a prudent, low-calorie weight-loss diet, adding water may help with weight-loss success,” says Brenda Davy, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and an associate professor of nutrition at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg.

We all know now that dehydration can slow down the fat-burning process; other facts about water and weight loss tips include fatigue ~ without proper hydration our blood volume gets reduced which then impacts the supply of oxygen to our muscles which creates that feeling of tiredness; soreness in our joints and muscles is another factor caused by lack of hydration; we all tend to eat more fiber when we want to lose weight including those great veggies; however, without a good amount of fluids, we can easily become constipated; and of course we know that by drinking those 2 glasses of water before each meal ~ we definitely will feel fuller and eat less!

Research shows exercise under warm or hot and humid conditions can cause dehydration in as little as 30 minutes. So it’s important to consume fluids not only during and after exercise, but also before a workout or strenuous activity. And we all know how important exercise is in losing weight and inches. It is recommended that athletes drink 8 to 10 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes during exercise

A study of overweight women examined the effects of increasing water intake to over 1 liter (34 oz) per day. They found that over a 12-month period, this resulted in an extra 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of weight loss (8).

Since these women didn’t make any lifestyle changes except to drink more water, these results are very impressive.

Additionally, both of these studies indicate that drinking 0.5 liters (17 oz) of water results in an extra 23 calories burned. On a yearly basis, that sums up to roughly 17,000 calories — or over 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of fat!

Changing our preferred beverage away from sodas and calorie-laden drinks to simply water can make a huge difference in our weight loss goals. Drinking more water might simply make people less likely to drink a lot of high-calorie sugar-filled beverages, said Barry Popkin, director of the Interdisciplinary Obesity Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

I detest plastic bottles of water so filter my own water and fill my own water bottle. When possible I carry this water filter with me when I travel so I can always depend on safe, healthy water to drink. It also tastes better! What about you? Does water fit into your daily routine? For more information about weight loss, check out my e-book, 7 Big Secrets To Losing Weight, here.