If you are the one looking for weight loss, then you might not be alien to the accepted notion that drinking water helps in weight loss. Scientifically, yes, proper hydration does help in weight loss. The human body is made up of 70% water and thus, it is the key component required for many important metabolic functions. Weight loss is one of them.
Water can aid weight loss in a variety of ways, including helping you feel fuller and revving up your metabolism. Here is a quick guide on how you can lose weight by drinking water.
Benefits of Drinking Water
According to research, an optimum intake of 8-10 glasses of water every day is necessary to restore the lost fluid and electrolyte stores and maintain an optimum hydration balance. Dehydration can cause many health complications and symptoms like muscle cramps, dry skin, and lips, headaches, mental confusion, etc.
There are numerous benefits of drinking water listed as follows-
Maintains proper digestion
Our digestive system is highly regulated by our water intake. If you are dehydrated, it will readily affect your digestion and bowel system and as a result, you may experience bloating, acidity and indigestion. Thus, it is advised to consume lots of sources enriched in water and electrolytes.
Keeps a clear and glowing skin
Water flushes out all the toxins from the body and as a result, your skin becomes clear and flawless. That’s why the first line of solution to every next skin disorder is consuming enough water and water-rich food sources.
Regulate the body temperature
When the body heats up, the inner mechanism of the body switches to cooling. Heat storage increases when the body has too little water, and the individual is less able to bear heat strain.
If heat stress occurs during exercise, a large amount of water in the body may help to alleviate physical strain.
Improving performance in sports
Dehydration reduces the performance capacity to a very large extent. Excessive sweating due to heavy workout sessions leads to fatigue and reduced immunity. A post-recovery consumption of water-rich foods and drinks, especially water helps in replenishing all the water and electrolytes.
Maintains blood pressure
This might sound uncanny but water balances the blood pressure and prevents many health problems. Water deficiency can cause blood to thicken, raising blood pressure.
Does Water Help In Losing Weight?
Yes, water helps in losing weight by boosting the metabolism and also burning the excess fat. Here are some explanations as to how water can aid in shedding a considerable amount of weight-
- Firstly, water helps in bringing satiety. When you are dehydrated, you assume you are hungry. Instead, it is the lack of water that is making you eat more. In simple terms, drinking water half an hour before and after a meal prevents overeating and thus reduces the incidences of being overweight. This is because water tends to pass through the body more quickly than solid food which makes us feel quicker than we are full.
- Lipolysis is a process in which the body naturally burns fat and converts it to energy and this process has water as its mediator. The first phase in this process is hydrolysis, which involves your body adding water to fat to aid in its breakdown. In this way, the weight remains balanced.
- According to research, drinking cold water boosts your metabolism by making your body work a little harder to warm up, allowing you to burn more calories and shed weight.
- When you consume sugary drinks or soft drinks, you are gulping down hollow calories which increase the weight. However, if you replace these harmful drinks with water, you are at the edge of consuming important nutrients and almost no calories. This, in turn, helps in weight loss. You can also resort to electrolyte drinks, a liquid diet for a limited time period, healthy homemade energy drinks, etc.
How Much Water You must Drink To Lose Weight?
Your weight and the amount of water you drink scientifically have a correlation. In general, around 8-10 glasses (around 2 liters) of water is recommended for an individual every day. However, it depends on the weight and metabolism of every individual that how much water he or she needs.
Remember that water can be found in a variety of foods and beverages, including coffee, tea, meat, fish, milk, and, especially, fruits and vegetables. Always drink water when you’re thirsty, and drink enough to satiate your thirst, as a general guideline.
To maintain hydration balance, it is recommended that males should consume around 15.5 cups (3.7 liters or 124 ounces) and women must have around 11.5 cups (2.7 liters or 92 ounces) for women, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
It is advised not to over-consume water. Overdrinking might lead to toxicity and can even lead to death in some cases.
Quick Tips To Boost Hydration
- Consume optimum amounts of water. Do not drink only when you are thirsty. Keep a regular check on how much water are you drinking every day.
- Try involving other water-rich sources in your diet like healthy electrolyte drinks, ORS, water-rich fruits, etc.
- Limit the intake of diuretics like coffee, tea, alcohol, etc.
Bottom Line
Consuming water in optimum amounts does help in losing weight. Maintain your hydration balance and consume all the foods which can compensate for all your fluid and electrolyte loss.
