is water really that important for weight loss??

froggerhkc

Drink when you're thirsty. Drinking 8 cups a day is totally unnecessary/excessive and bad for the environment!

Seriously?

You NEED water, at least 8 glasses a day.

If you drink when you are thirsty, you have already started to dehydrate (especially as you get older).

We are made of water and it's important that we drink enough, EVERY DAY.

SRHelicity

There is no proof that drinking lots of plain water helps weight loss.

God why the hell is everything related to weight loss a myth?! I've ran across more myths than cold hard facts while losing weight. This leads me to believe weight loss is a completely random and arbitrary phenomenon

Seriously though any care to counter the argument I quoted?

For what it's worth, confirmation bias seems to be massive in nutrition, dieting, and weight lifting "advice"/journalism/broscience on the internet. From Wiki:
"Confirmation bias (also called confirmatory bias or myside bias) is a tendency of people to favor information that confirms their beliefs or hypotheses.[Note 1][1] People display this bias when they gather or remember information selectively, or when they interpret it in a biased way. The effect is stronger for emotionally charged issues and for deeply entrenched beliefs. For example, in reading about current political issues, people usually prefer sources that affirm their existing attitudes. They also tend to interpret ambiguous evidence as supporting their existing position. Biased search, interpretation and memory have been invoked to explain attitude polarization (when a disagreement becomes more extreme even though the different parties are exposed to the same evidence), belief perseverance (when beliefs persist after the evidence for them is shown to be false), the irrational primacy effect (a greater reliance on information encountered early in a series) and illusory correlation (when people falsely perceive an association between two events or situations)."

I've learned a lot about nutrition and diets since I made the decision to drop fat and try to work on body recomposition, but it's been very difficult for me to learn much since one can, almost literally, find anything on the internet that confirms or refutes any diet "advice", guidelines, or "best practices". There is enough medical research and are enough studies that one can very easily cherry-pick the information he/she sees fit to fit one's "program" (see confirmation bias). Obviously, moderation is almost always the best method in these cases (eat a lot / eat a little, fast a long time / eat every 3-4 hours, do a lot of cardio / do no cardio, lift at 10-15 reps per set / lift at 4-5 reps per set, etc.), but there's also a "truth" out there that may or may not be extremely nuanced and complex. I've found a few folks whom I've come to refer for pretty objective, science-based observations for these topics (Alan Aragon, for example). Since I'm not an expert in this field, I will always end up having to refer and defer to others, which is tough since there's a lot of money being made with special diets, exercise routines, etc., that can very easily mask junk science and real science.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I'd like to see someone lose weight and NOT drink water... see what gathers in the gut... you need it. your body is made of it.. drink it or die. :P

I probably only drink about a glass of actual water a day.

I drink diet soda, coffee, milk and eat food (which has water in it).

cwolfman13

Water is important for hydration; hydration is important for nutrient absorption; nutrient absorption is important for overall health and well being. Suck it up and drink your water...I swear, first world problems are the most annoying.

RepsnSets

I drink about 4 litres a day. I really enjoy my first glass of water when I roll out of bed. It just seems to revive me and gives me a boost becuase Im probably dehydrated lol

FitGuyWillDoIt

We are made from mostly water. It aids in most of our biological functions such as food absorption, waste elimination, air conditioning (sweat). Every physical fitness, athletic and health site, book, magazine, I've seen recommends drinking enough water.

My experience is that I drink it constantly all day long. When I'm hydrated I feel energetic and powered up. Since I workout regularly, my body needs more than the rule of thumb eight glasses. Bottom line: I drink it. I feel good :drinker:

FitGuyWillDoIt

Water is important for hydration; hydration is important for nutrient absorption; nutrient absorption is important for overall health and well being. Suck it up and drink your water...I swear, first world problems are the most annoying.

Very good point!

MadeOfMagic

if your pee is clear or just slightly yellow than you've sufficient amount of water in your body, if it's yellow or dark yellow than you're extremely dehydrated. Now drinking 8 glasses of water does help reduce chances of getting certain cancers and diseases according to studies (some studies done by water companies are bogus a lot of the time), water does clean toxins out of your body. The amount of water you need varies on your weight and how much you exercise, water also does aid in weight loss because it reduces appetite. Drinking enough water can only help you, it won't hurt you, but not drinking enough can damage your organs and especially your kidneys.

Shawnzgirl78

Yes, for a million reasons.
Also, when I drink more I eat less

DaughterOfTheMostHighKing

I'd like to see someone lose weight and NOT drink water... see what gathers in the gut... you need it. your body is made of it.. drink it or die. :P

Good to meet you.

I don't force myself to consume anything I don't want to consume. What people forget is that food has water in it, too. I'll have a glass now and then, but really, if I'm not thirsty I don't drink it.


Edited because I wanna make sure everyone knows I'm not anti-water. It's good for you. I'm just saying for the majority of my weight loss I haven't had a lot of water...so obviously water does not equal weight loss, and a small amount of water does not equal no weight loss.

you admitted that you drink water!!!! lol!!! what i meant is that you have to have some water within your diet so your body doesn't 'dry up'. you can get water from the fruits and veggies you eat. watermelon and cucumbers are awesome!

babydiego87

Drink when you're thirsty. Drinking 8 cups a day is totally unnecessary/excessive and bad for the environment!

dumbest thing ive ever heard.

ive upped my water intake because it makes me feel fuller.

jfsears

The dietitian told me to take my body weight and divide it in half and that is how many ounces of water I need a day.

not QUITE right!

1/2 body weight less 20% that you normally intake through food.

add 3 oz more for each caffeinated drink
add 10 oz for each 30 minutes exercise

ANy liquid is good - it doesn't HAVE to be Water only

Sorry if it wasn't quite right...its just what I was told- I thought it was sound advice since they go to school for years :S

LeeshLove

There are many reasons why it is important to drink water, especially if you are dieting:

Initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water, and you need to drink an adequate amount of water in order to avoid dehydration.
The process of burning calories requires an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process.
Burning calories creates toxins (think of the exhaust coming out of your car), and water plays a vital role in flushing them out of your body.
Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume; a reduction in blood volume causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles; and a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles can make you feel tired.
Water helps maintain muscle tone by assisting muscles in their ability to contract, and it lubricates your joints. Proper hydration can help reduce muscle and joint soreness when exercising.
A healthy (weight loss) diet includes a good amount of fiber. But while fiber is normally helpful to your digestive system, without adequate fluids it can cause constipation instead of helping to eliminate it.
Drinking water with a meal may make you feel full sooner and therefore satisfied eating less. Note, however, that drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated (not hungry), our bodies need bulk, calories and nutrients.

You have probably heard that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. How much water you actually need depends on your weight, level of activity, the temperature and humidity of your environment, and your diet. Your diet makes a difference because if you eat plenty of water-dense foods like fruits and vegetables your need to drink water will be diminished.

You can do some research and use a calculator and measuring cup if you like, but nature's pretty good at letting you know the right amount to drink. When you drink enough water, your urine will usually be pale yellow, though vitamin supplements and antibiotics can discolor it. On the other hand, you shouldn't need to run to the bathroom too frequently. When in doubt, drink a little more.

Do not worry that drinking water will give your body a bloated look. There are a number of causes of water retention, including consuming too much salt. But drinking water is not one of them.

rdjamis

drink drink drink.. then try water!

okieladybug

I am a saltaholic and stay concerned about that terrible addiction so my doctor has my sodium levels checked every time I have blood work done, which is about every 4-6 months. My sodium levels are always normal. He asked one time how much I drink a day, not water, but liquid. I told him "probably a gallon and a half at least" and that is in the form of milk, water, tea, diet coke (down to one a day WOOT WOOT!), etc. He said he the amount of liquid I was drinking kept the sodium flushed from my system. I asked if straight water would make a difference and he told me no because there was water in each of the things I was drinking.

alexsmommy00

I am a water hater as well. I have lost plenty of weight in the past (and put it back on, thanks yo-yo diets!) without drinking water. The LIQUID you take in everyday counts as water. An average water intake for an average person is 2.5 liters a day, but only 60% of that comes from liquids. 30% is from food and 10% is by products of the krebs cycle. Our bodies are made of about 60% water, so drinking non-alcoholic beverages is important, it just doesn't have to be water. (Just finished the electrolyte chapter in Anatomy and Physiology 2 )

Yes, liquids are important. Will never disagree there. It doesn't have to be water though. Most say plain water because there is no sodium, calories, caffeine, or sugar in water. Those things can inhibit weight loss. My dietician professor last semester said water is best, but if you are going to drink more by drinking low sodium, low calorie drinks, that was fine too. Coffee, tea (green especially) and naturally flavored water are the best. But anything you drink counts! Don't get down about not drinking plain water.

DopeyDudleyDursley

Yes. Essentially like 70% of the population is slightly dehydrated. It is true you can get water from many sources (fruits and veggies are high in water), I would suggest drinking as much water as you can throughout the day. Through lemon juice etc. in the water if you really just can't stand the taste of plain water. Personally, I drink a lot of water. That said I also average about 3 cups of tea/ coffee a day, thus as those are diuretics I need more water.

SteelySunshine

You don't need to drink water to lose weight. But, your kidneys need it to flush. I hate water and don't drink enough. I am going back to diet sodas at least I will be getting some liquid in me.

jnnfrch

well whooooooo knew "water" would open a whole can of worms lol