drinking plenty of water, does it really aid in weight loss?

willywonka

I am also another person that has a hard time drinking down plain old water. This is probably a stupid question, but is drinking lots of water highly effective for weight loss? I get so confused by hearing about water retention, water weight, etc that I want to know the facts.
My weight loss has slowed down and I think I have hit a plateau so I'm trying to increase my water intake, I hope this helps!
Thanks!

willywonka

I am also another person that has a hard time drinking down plain old water. This is probably a stupid question, but is drinking lots of water highly effective for weight loss? I get so confused by hearing about water retention, water weight, etc that I want to know the facts.
My weight loss has slowed down and I think I have hit a plateau so I'm trying to increase my water intake, I hope this helps!
Thanks!

Renae_Nae

water does quite a few things...when you drink a lot of water it helps pull sodium out of your body otherwise the sodium keeps what water it can. Also water tends to fill you up so you are eating as much and a lot of people tend to drink a lot of calories through juices or pop, water for me eliminates that 500 calories a day. It also helps your body hydrate which is important in repairing itself after exercise too.

Try things like crystal light (watch the calories though)

racie3

I'm not sure of all the science behind it, but they say it helps.
If the taste, or lack thereof, is getting you down...try splashing a little lemon or lime juice into it. That seems to help me get it down. :flowerforyou:

neverbeenskinny

A lot of people think they are hungry when in fact their body is craving water to rehydrate. Try putting a lemon or lime slice in your water. If you absolutely need to, try adding a little Crystal Light, but not as much as the package says, I find that if I only use a quarter of what they say it still taste good, but there are carbs and sodium in Crystal Light, so use as little as possible.
:drinker:

krystalmoore1986

i use the albertsons brand of crystal light it has no calories or anything and my other alternative would be not drinking water at all. Its better to drink crystal light water than diet pop, coffee, tea, or anything else. I havent had any difficulty with my weight loss and I drink one pitcher of the crystal light albertsons powder mix a day.

sophialittle

i'm not all about the scientific stuffs, but i will say that i plateued (sp, eek!) and then i started watching my waters. it took me a while to work up to 8 a day. and i did start losing again. some days, i can drink plain water and sometimes i can't hardly stand it, so i use the little thingies like crystal light. actually the wal mart brand of those has 0 cals, 0 carbs, 0 everything but 5mg of potassium/serving. i always just keep a water bottle near me all day long and just gradually sip from it, rather than sitting down and drinking 8 oz in one setting. good luck :flowerforyou:

kerrilucko

Two things:

1. it keeps you from overeating by filling you up.
and
2. It's calorie free, so if you're replacing soda, juices, sugary drinks, iced tea etc. with it, yes, it will aid weight loss. Juices can be ok for you but I prefer not to drink them. Eating the fruit itself fills me up more and leaves me satisfied, usually for the same or fewer calories!!

dothompson

Absolutely, when I was in a collage health class the professer did a full lecture on this. I don't remember the details, but He went through the process of chemical changes that happen in your body when you lose a pound of fat. The process required an amazing quantity of water.

While plain water is the best thing for us our bodies do use the water it extracts from other beverages.

Anna_Banana

i use the albertsons brand of crystal light it has no calories or anything and my other alternative would be not drinking water at all. Its better to drink crystal light water than diet pop, coffee, tea, or anything else. I havent had any difficulty with my weight loss and I drink one pitcher of the crystal light albertsons powder mix a day.

Why do you think it is better than drinking Tea? It has artifical sweeteners in it. Green tea is rich in antioxidents. Which help prevent cancer.

krystalmoore1986

i use the albertsons brand of crystal light it has no calories or anything and my other alternative would be not drinking water at all. Its better to drink crystal light water than diet pop, coffee, tea, or anything else. I havent had any difficulty with my weight loss and I drink one pitcher of the crystal light albertsons powder mix a day.

Why do you think it is better than drinking Tea? It has artifical sweeteners in it. Green tea is rich in antioxidents. Which help prevent cancer.

Sorry i should have been more clear I was referring to caffinated tea which of course is a diuretic and dehydrates you instead of hydrating you :drinker:

whalomgirl

Drinking enough water also keeps your kidneys & liver running smoothly, which leaves them to metabloize fat more efficiently.

Fitness_Chick

Some great things water does to keep our bodies running efficiently.......

:drinker: :drinker:

sophialittle

Some great things water does to keep our bodies running efficiently.......

:drinker: :drinker:

very interesting. . . .never seen anything like that before, good to know

Fitness_Chick

Hm...just found this....:flowerforyou: OH...I can SO vouch for the joint pain being relieved with lots of water...I really can tell the difference as I've learned to increase my water intake.


Health benefits of drinking water


regulate appetite


increase metabolism


boost energy levels


less water retention


alleviate some headaches


help reduce blood pressure


help reduce high cholesterol


ease joint pain


decrease in risk of some cancers


less chance developing kidney stones


release toxic waste products


improves skin

Fitness_Chick

Pretty good article....interesting.......:drinker: :drinker: It makes me thirsty!!:drinker: :yawn:

Why Drinking Water Really is the Key to Weight Loss
by Maia Appleby
http://www.inch-aweigh.com/water.html

"Don't roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can't get rid of a little paunch here and there, you're probably just not drinking enough water.

No need to get defensive. You're actually quite normal. Most people don't drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can't seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature's magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here's why:

"What on Earth is 'metabolism', anyway?" People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you'll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, "The process by which a substance is handled in the body." A little vague, but that's really all it means.

There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs.

Unfortunately, another of the liver's duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can't metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you're also setting yourself up to store fat.

"I've tried it and I couldn't stand it!" The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It's understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you're running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it's going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless.

Do take heed , though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of "survival mode". It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn't need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn't need to save these stores anymore; it's trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It's true. This is called the "breakthrough point."

One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body's fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn't doing your heart any favors, either. It's already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It's a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system.

Water is the best beauty treatment. You've heard this since high school, and it's true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated.

In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you're blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won't notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you'll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin.

"Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!" It's really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you're overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.

This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It's not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don't let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you're already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you're not thirsty yet.

Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren't what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you're going to be consuming a lot of this fluid.

It's probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why.

"How cold should it be?" This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning.
On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it!

When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just be what's missing."