Can drinking water help to lose weight

xx1chloe5xx

Hello so I keep hearing that if you drink 2 or more litres of water a day you will lose weight. I have drank 8 pints of water for 2 days and I felt good and actually managed to go to the toilet naturally which is rare for me not to have to rely on laxatives so that was nice however today I have a birthday party so will be eating unhealthily and no water. But I’m just curious if I drink 8 pints of water for a week will I lose weight

harper16

Weight loss is caused by being in a calorie deficit.

quiksylver296

Only if you are replacing drinks that have calories with water. You have to create a calorie deficit somehow.

Don't get me wrong. Drinking water is good for you and you should do it. But the benefits aren't weight loss.

sijomial

How exactly is drinking this or any other amount of water affecting your calorie balance?

Is the tap or the bathroom a long way away?

briscogun

The long answer is: no

NovusDies

The fastest way I know to lose weight is to stop looking for a fast way to lose weight.

nanastaci2020

My opinion: the body works better when it is hydrated. So avoiding dehydration can lead to benefits that encourage weight loss. Not thinking you're hungry (which can lead to unnecessary eating) when you're actually thirsty. To feel fresh and able to push on to complete a workout. Or to replace drinking calorie-heavy drinks by drinking more water, for example.

quiksylver296

NovusDies wrote: »

The fastest way I know to lose weight is to stop looking for a fast way to lose weight.

I love this, @NovusDies. It should be posted in every thread that asks, every time.

lemurcat2

No, it won't, unless for some reason you eat less or move more.

It's better for you to be properly hydrated, though. Speaking of which, how does a birthday party prevent you from drinking water during the day? (Technically, one can be properly hydrated drinking other beverages, but I'm just curious.)

holly8312

You might initially lose some water weight if you suddenly up your water intake drastically, but it won't cause you to lose weight long-term

CeeBeeSlim

@NovusDies - Thanks for that. I’ve been contemplating doing some stupid stuff given I’ve been .6 -1.2 pounds away from my goal weight for the last two weeks. I wanted to reach it by my birthday on Sat. Wise words!

Lildarlinz

Keeping hydrated will help if you are exercising to help lose weight.Eating less calories helps you lose weight...but if your going to eat less calories and exercise, water will be your best friend xx like novus said, don’t concerntrate on losing it too fast, as you will just put it all back on again
Losing weight is good, that’s what we are all here for, but it’s making me realise that the eating lifestyle I had, is bad...too much candy,chocolate,junk food etc.And now I have replaced it with good foods or less foods (calorie deficit)
I do have days where I have treats but I don’t eat them on a daily basis xx

magnusthenerd

xx1chloe5xx wrote: »

Hello so I keep hearing that if you drink 2 or more litres of water a day you will lose weight. I have drank 8 pints of water for 2 days and I felt good and actually managed to go to the toilet naturally which is rare for me not to have to rely on laxatives so that was nice however today I have a birthday party so will be eating unhealthily and no water. But I’m just curious if I drink 8 pints of water for a week will I lose weight

Besides your water intake, what is your vegetable and fiber intake like? It is concerning if you feel the need to rely on laxatives to have a movement.

As everyone said, weight loss will come down to getting the calories you take in lower than the calories your body uses. More water might help with that both in terms of increasing your use (moving more), and decreasing your intake, but it isn't a guarantee.

cwolfman13

As an aside...why wouldn't you have any water just because you're having a birthday party. I had a poolside BBQ last weekend and drank plenty of other beverages...but I also drank water, especially earlier in the day. Having a party doesn't preclude you from drinking water that day.

As to losing weight...drinking water doesn't really have anything to do with that outside of staying hydrated makes your body just work better in general. Weight management is about energy balance or lack thereof.

xx1chloe5xx

@cwolfman13 because I will be drinking alcohol or coke so won’t have time for water and Even if I do I don’t fancy having to run to the toilet every few seconds at a party

ccrdragon

xx1chloe5xx wrote: »

@cwolfman13 because I will be drinking alcohol or coke so won’t have time for water and Even if I do I don’t fancy having to run to the toilet every few seconds at a party

Okay, but even regular coke is like 90% water so it counts towards your water goal for the day (as do the foods you eat, coffee, diet coke, etc)

janejellyroll

xx1chloe5xx wrote: »

@cwolfman13 because I will be drinking alcohol or coke so won’t have time for water and Even if I do I don’t fancy having to run to the toilet every few seconds at a party

It takes three seconds to drink a bit of water and you can always alternate water and alcohol. It's okay if you don't *want* to drink water at a party, but let's not pretend that you literally won't have time for it. And if drink reasonable amounts of water makes you have to urinate with inappropriate frequency, you should probably get that checked out by a doctor.

hipari

Drinking water in general: no, it will not make you lose weight. It might, however, create side effects that end up helping you lose weight. Such possible effects include water making you feel fuller so you end up eating less, water replacing sugary or otherwise high-calorie drinks and thus reducing amount of calories consumed, and in more unusual cases where the bathroom is a longer distance away, increased burn from having to walk to the bathroom and back more.

Drinking water at parties: for me personally, drinking water is a major factor in staying healthy-ish (or at least not catastrophic) in parties. My partying involves alcohol, so this experience/advice is based on that. I usually have a glass of water as every other drink, and switch to water completely between midnight and 2AM. Here are some benefits:
- less calories consumed, while still having a beverage glass in my hand at all times if I feel like it
- Less or no hangover, so I’m more likely to make good choices the following day, both in food and in activity
- I get drunk on the first two drinks, and then consuming alcohol slower maintains that small buzz but prevents getting too drunk
- Switching to water completely helps me sober up by the time I’m heading home, so traveling home is safer and going to sleep is easier because the world isn’t spinning
- Not being too drunk prevents the drunk munchies, so there’s less calories consumed
- Saving money

xx1chloe5xx

@janejellyroll no.

harper16

xx1chloe5xx wrote: »

@janejellyroll no.

What is no about the advice she gave?

Redordeadhead

janejellyroll wrote: »

xx1chloe5xx wrote: »

@cwolfman13 because I will be drinking alcohol or coke so won’t have time for water and Even if I do I don’t fancy having to run to the toilet every few seconds at a party

It takes three seconds to drink a bit of water and you can always alternate water and alcohol. It's okay if you don't *want* to drink water at a party, but let's not pretend that you literally won't have time for it. And if drink reasonable amounts of water makes you have to urinate with inappropriate frequency, you should probably get that checked out by a doctor.

Yeah, it's fine if you are choosing not to drink water during the party, but be aware that it's your choice. If you wanted to, you could easily grab a glass of wine/beer/whatever in one hand and water in the other, or alternate as mentioned.

But since water doesn't magically produce weight loss, for one party I wouldn't worry about it (personally, I'd just make sure to drink a big glass of water afterwards to try to prevent a headache from the alcohol).

manyasin

Water is important to keep your body hydrated and all your organs functioning properly i.e. it can improve your digestive system. Some people also feel more full after drinking a glass of water, which is why a lot of people drink a glass of water before eating a meal to prevent overeating. But just drinking water without any change to your diet isn't going to do much more than make you need the toilet more often!
For the party, that's your choice. One night of drinking alcohol isn't going to have any long standing effects on your weight.

SeanD2407

Easy answer, it's possible. Drinking more water could lead to eating less. So yes.

SeanD2407

Drinking water doesn't directly cause weight loss. But it drinking more water could absolutely help you lose weight.

janejellyroll

xx1chloe5xx wrote: »

@janejellyroll no.

Hahaha, what are you disagreeing with? That you get to decide when you drink alcohol and how much? That it doesn't take much time to drink water? That having to urinate too frequently is potentially associated with a medical condition?

HeidiCooksSupper

If drinking more water made it so you could poo without a laxative then you need to regularly drink more water. Pooing should occur naturally if at all possible. Some folks can't do it but you have found a simple and healthy solution for you. Drink enough and you poo enough.

cwolfman13

xx1chloe5xx wrote: »

@cwolfman13 because I will be drinking alcohol or coke so won’t have time for water and Even if I do I don’t fancy having to run to the toilet every few seconds at a party

Alcohol is a diuretic...so the whole not going to the bathroom thing doesn't really hold water...pun intended.