Water

Wonderob

I have religeously followed the advice to drink minumum 8 glasses per day. Then slipped back to my old habit of drinking only when thirsty - 3 or 4 glasses. Here are my findings:

When I force myself to drink when not thirsday I feel bloated and uncomfortable.
I drink water when exercising - an absolute must for me
How much water I drink has NO effect on my weight loss, the way I feel, my overall health or anything at all
I never mistake hunger for thirst

So that's it for water with me - I will drink it when I'm thirsty, drink it when exercising, but no way will I force myself to drink a minumum amount - no benefit whatsoever for me

LisaWilson2012

How do you know that they water you have drank has not helped your achieve your current weight loss of 15lb?

yarwell

I will drink it when I'm thirsty, drink it when exercising, but no way will I force myself to drink a minumum amount - no benefit whatsoever for me

or to numerous subjects in trials designed to measure the effect of water on weight loss. Useful info.

coliema

How do you know that they water you have drank has not helped your achieve your current weight loss of 15lb?

^^^That.

I love water, and I'm always at 8 glasses or more a day. I drink it in the morning in place of coffee, I drink it before I eat, while I eat, and after I eat. Water has made me feel more awake, and it has also cleared my skin up, and made it "glow". There are a lot of benefits to drinking water.

yarwell

How do you know that they water you have drank has not helped your achieve your current weight loss of 15lb?

Because there is no evidence to suggest it's even likely ?

It's like asking "how do you know water doesn't flow uphill under its own power".

coliema

Function
Water contributes to the way the body's organs function. Water aids in digestion, regulates body functions, transports nutrients, removes the body's waste material, reduces blood pressure and cholesterol, improves skin tone and lubricates joints.

Significance
Drinking the right amount of water affects weight loss. The To Lose Weight website states that an adequate amount of water increases the rate at which the liver burns fat as well as reduces water retention. The body stays hydrated (which is important if you exercise and for your metabolism) and food is digested properly.

Drinking water before, during and after every meal helps you to stay full longer, which will decrease your appetite and help prevent unnecessary overeating. Water is also very accessible and calorie-free.

Quantity
The average person should drink 8 cups of water daily, which is equivalent to 64 ozs. If you are physically active, the Kraft website suggests drinking the following amount of water: Drink 2 cups (16 ozs.) about two hours before your activity; drink 1 cup (8 ozs.) every 15-20 minutes while you exercise; weigh yourself before and after exercise, and for every pound you lose, replace it with 2 cups (16 ozs.) of water.

Considerations
Drinking eight glasses of water everyday is difficult for some people to swallow. A slice of lemon can add flavor to water without adding significant calories. Other options are vitamin water and seltzer water. Eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetable servings daily, as they contain water.

Misconceptions
Although drinking water is beneficial to the body and contributes to weight loss, overindulgence in anything can lead to unbalance. The Health Benefit of Water website states that drinking water in excess (known as over-hydration) can cause an imbalance in electrolytes.

Wonderob

How do you know that they water you have drank has not helped your achieve your current weight loss of 15lb?

Experience

Over the last 30 years I have had a number of times where I have had 15-20 lbs to lose

My experiences and time periods are always pretty similar - 1-2 lbs per week weight loss. The amount of water I have drunk has made no difference to this. This time I started off (because of MFP) drinking 8 glasses. One month in I reverted back - again no difference to the rate of loss

Wonderob

How do you know that they water you have drank has not helped your achieve your current weight loss of 15lb?

^^^That.

I love water, and I'm always at 8 glasses or more a day. I drink it in the morning in place of coffee, I drink it before I eat, while I eat, and after I eat. Water has made me feel more awake, and it has also cleared my skin up, and made it "glow". There are a lot of benefits to drinking water.

I'm not suggesting that for others, drinking 8 glasses is beneficial - some say it helps with hunger too - not me though unfortunately

However I do concede that replacing pop, coffee, alcohol, sugary drinks etc. with water will not fail to produce benefits

prism6

once you are thirsty you are already dehydrated

KristyHumphrey

I concur - once thirsty-you are dehydrated. I know this may seem gross-but pay attention to your urine color and you'll know when you've had enough. Pale yellow is good.

6spdeg

typically first thing you are losing is water weight especially on a calorie cut which is typically coming from muscle tissue.. then when you try to then hydrate yourself it supercompensates and holds more thus bloating feeling etc.. takes sev days for your body to then adjust to come to normal so that your body is not in survival mode. drinking half your body weight in oz's is easy start in drinking water amount and if exercising then you need to replenish what is lost usually about 16oz's ave.

Wonderob

once you are thirsty you are already dehydrated

Yes I agree - first thing in the morning you are going to be dehydrated - nobody would advocate setting your alarm to get up and have a drink middle of night though

Dehydration will also cause a significant loss of performance during exercise so yes, I make sure I drink regardless of feeling thirsty

I rarely feel thirsty though as I get plenty of water from food sources as well as habit drinking - such as my glass of milk before bed, coffee at 11, drinking whilst exercising etc etc