Does drinking water really help you lose weight?
Replies
-
coke is a great toilet cleaner.put it in your loo last thing at night and just be amazed the next morning,lol. that can't be good in your body.
your stomach acids would be at least as good as a cleaner, so that can't be good in ............ oh.0 -
It makes me a lot healthier, I know that! I have digestive issues when I don't drink enough water. I can drink pop all day long, but after awhile, the acidity burns my stomach and the artificial stuff is probably hard on my kidneys. I'm not saying diet drinks are the devil. I'm just saying that they are not a replacement for water. I still have a few pops and a ton of coffee throughout the day, but I try to get at least two quarts of straight water every day.
When I don't get enough water, I find myself wanting to eat more and I just feel sluggish overall. My whole body feels cleaner when I drink water.
Water to me, is like an oil change is to my car. Without it, everything runs slower and gets gummed up.0 -
coke is a great toilet cleaner.put it in your loo last thing at night and just be amazed the next morning,lol. that can't be good in your body.
your stomach acids would be at least as good as a cleaner, so that can't be good in ............ oh.
Exactly. It's the same with orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, etc. If you pour too much water on a plant, it will die. So let's not condemn liquids for properties they have that have NOTHING to do with this topic.0 -
For those of you who think that only water hydrates, what do you think your body does with the water in soda, coffee, juice, milk etc.?
If you know anything about how the body works, you would know that your GI system is able to extract the H2O from pretty much anything containing water including fruits and vegetables.
Also, studies published by Mayo Clinic have shown that caffeine has a minimal dehydrating effect.0 -
For those of you who think that only water hydrates, what do you think your body does with the water in soda, coffee, juice, milk etc.?
If you know anything about how the body works, you would know that your GI system is able to extract the H2O from pretty much anything containing water including fruits and vegetables.
Also, studies published by Mayo Clinic have shown that caffeine has a minimal dehydrating effect.
This.
I drink plenty of water. But I also drink soda because I enjoy the hell out of it. Does it provide any health benefits. Not really, but I don't expect it too. Just like every book I read isn't meant to expand my intelligence. (And gimme a newspaper, and I'm going straight to the funny pages.)
There have been periods in my life that the only liquid I consumed was soda, and if it dehydrated you, I'd have died of kidney failure years ago.0 -
Water and enough hydration is critical to health. The liquid your body needs does not need to come from drinking plain water. Much of the liquid your body needs, it can get from food -- especially if you are eating lots of healthy fruits and vegetables. That said, many find water useful. The people I know who have lost weight and kept it off, drink water.
On a personal note, my dentist could tell from my teeth the first time she saw me that I don't drink much soda or smoke.
I've collected a list of about 100 ways to make water more palatable and a bunch of research on the health benefits of drinking water (and some myths) at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin_Bin/view/water-2657610 -
Water is going to help with weight loss, if not for one reason than for another. As someone mentioned earlier, sugar free sweeteners can mess with your cravings, and can make you crave and over indulge without realizing it. After reading up on this subject I paid attention to my reaction to artificial sweeteners. Now I am not saying its going to effect everyone but for me once I started paying attention to my actions it became obvious that it was causing me issues. Personally I dont have taste buds for sugary things, I dont like chocolate, anything heavy sugar etc. I noticed after drinking certain diet sodas, within 24 hours I would be craving sugary things so badly, I would want chocolate bars (dont even like chocolate!) cake, cupcakes etc and yeah its hard to ignore those cravings. Some artificials seem to hit me worse than others, there was one diet drink I had that within hours I wanted to eat a whole candy jar. Once I completely cut out diet drinks and even diet type sweets (sugar free, low calorie etc), I noticed that the cravings for sugary things vanished.
Caffeine also dehydrates you. In moderation the effects of dehydration from caffeine are little to none, but if you drinking lots of soda then its going to cause you issues. Dehydration is another thing thats going to make you eat more than you should (your body will try and pull water from the food).
Now weight loss aside, its been discovered that a diet soda a day increases your risk of stroke and heart attack by 60%. While you may not be drinking that much its still bringing up your risks (sharply).
Diet soda is addictive, you will crave it and its effects will cause you other issues. Its your life and your choice, but I think if you took a challenge of not drinking any soda for a month (heck even 2 weeks) you would see a huge difference not only in the way you feel physically, but you will also find that you no longer crave, need or even want to drink diet soda.
I am not saying dont drink soda ever. But soda was created as a treat now and again, now its practically become a staple in everyday life. Personally I would rather drink a full fat soda once in a while (once every couple weeks or once a month) than a diet soda.0 -
Now comes scientific evidence that H2O really does help you lose weight. Researchers in Germany report that water consumption increases the rate at which people burn calories. The impact is modest and the findings are preliminary, but the researchers say their study could have important implications for weight-control programs.0
-
Drinking water before each meal has been shown to help promote weight loss, according to a new study.
Brenda Davy, PhD, an associate professor of nutrition at Virginia Tech and senior author of a new study, says that drinking just two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals helps people melt pounds away.
The study is being presented at the 2010 National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.
"We are presenting results of the first randomized controlled intervention trial demonstrating that increased water consumption is an effective weight loss strategy," Davy says in a news release. "We found in earlier studies that middle aged and older people who drank two cups of water right before eating a meal ate between 75 and 90 fewer calories during the meal."
She tells WebMD that many people substitute sweet-tasting calorie-containing beverages for water.
"If you look at research on beverage consumption trends, our average intake of sugar-sweetened beverages has increased dramatically in the past three or four decades," Davy tells WebMD in an email. "So, likely we are drinking other beverages in place of water."0 -
Feelings of Fullness
Your weight-loss success depends partially on how you control your feelings of hunger. In some cases, your body is actually craving fluids instead of food. Drink a tall glass of water, and reassess your hunger sensation afterward. If your thirst has been satisfied, you are one step closer to successful weight loss. Satisfy your real hunger with a healthy meal or snack.0 -
Water Retention Prevention
Consistent water consumption keeps your body hydrated and sets the stage for your weight loss. Aim for eight to 10 8-oz. glasses of water each day. Registered dietitian Andrea Wenger Hess notes that insufficient fluid intake actually results in your kidneys stockpiling the liquids they do receive. You therefore experience unwelcome water retention, which makes it more difficult to lose weight.
Measurable Benefits
Pre-meal water consumption has been shown to lead to weight loss, an August 2010 report, in which the National Women's Health Information Center summarized a study conducted by Virginia Tech professor Brenda Davy. The study followed two groups of overweight or obese men and women. One set of 55- to 75-year-old subjects followed a low-calorie, low-fat diet for 12 weeks. The other group followed a similar diet, but was asked to drink 2 cups of water before their three daily meals. The water drinkers lost 15.5 lbs. compared to 11 lbs. for those who did not have pre-meal drinks.
One year after the study, water-drinking subjects had kept the weight off. Davy noted that middle-aged and older men and women enjoyed success with this approach because aging digestive systems meant subjects felt fuller for a longer period.
Overconsumption Warning
Adequate water consumption helps hydrate your body and can help you lose weight. But too much water intake causes a significant health risk. Your kidneys cannot eliminate your body's surplus water fast enough. Your body's blood electrolyte levels become diluted, which leads to abnormally low blood sodium levels. Endurance athletes, who typically drink massive amounts of water quickly, are at a higher risk for this condition.0 -
ABSOLUTELY water helps lose weight. It metabolizes fat. It also, ironically, keeps you from retaining water, especially if you have a high sodium diet. If I lapse on drinking at least 10 cups of water a day, I stop losing. And it's so, so, so good for you. I highly recommend you make it a priority.0
-
Break up with the diet drinks! Seriously bad for you - way too many chemicals - I could elaborate, but just dont drink it.
Great way to get your water in every day....
Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal- helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack apparently drinking water at bed time helps prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.
Who knew?!0 -
Drink what you like to drink. If it has calories, fit them in, if it is diet coke that's fine too. Just drink. Especially with a healthier diet and increase in fiber you need the extra liquids to help move things along.0
-
Yes!0
-
I drink almost no water. I wish I could but I just can't seem to force myself to do it.
I have approx 5 hot drinks (normally tea, occasionally a coffee) per day, and a can of coke zero about once a week.
My skin etc is not dehydrated, and I rarely feel overly thirsty.
I have plateaued (weight-loss) for 3mths without changing my calorie intake, so yes sometimes I wonder if upping my water consumption would help, but I actually don't think it's likely. I just need to convince myself to give it a try & find out one way or the other, lol!0 -
Water has helped me because years ago I wasn't consuming enough liquids throughout the day to keep me hydrated. I mean I would drink coffee in the morning, maybe coffee in the afternoon, maybe one or two cups of water, and maybe some iced tea when I got home. So it's not that I wasn't drinking enough water...I wasn't drinking enough fluid period. I started developing pits in my nails (they were looking like golf balls). I went to my primary doctor and he said that the blood blow was good so he wasn't sure and told me to see a dermatologist. The derm. said in her experience it was one of two things-either psoriasis or some other disease that has a symptom of hair loss. I didn't have either so she shrugged her shoulders and said I don't know what it could be then.
I started drinking more water and now I get my 8 cups a day (sometimes more-on the weekends I might consume less) and over time I noticed my nails were looking better. Now I don't have a problem with them so the problem was dehydration.
So, drink water for other reasons than to lose weight. It does a world of good to your body in other ways too.0 -
I drink almost no water. I wish I could but I just can't seem to force myself to do it.
I have approx 5 hot drinks (normally tea, occasionally a coffee) per day, and a can of coke zero about once a week.
My skin etc is not dehydrated, and I rarely feel overly thirsty.
I have plateaued (weight-loss) for 3mths without changing my calorie intake, so yes sometimes I wonder if upping my water consumption would help, but I actually don't think it's likely. I just need to convince myself to give it a try & find out one way or the other, lol!
You get water from your tea and coffee. If you've been losing weight on the same calorie goal and have plateaued it might be time to raise or lower your goal maybe. By all means try getting more water in. It's easier for me if the water is ice cold and I can drink it very quickly or add a few drops of something like Mio or crystal light to flavour it.0 -
I tried the gallon-a-day gimmick for weeks... even over twice the recommended daily amount, I saw no significant change in my daily water fluctuation. What it did do was make my stomach hurt.... so even if I saw something I'd usually really like to eat, I didn't want it. Don't like throwing up. That is the biggest benefit to hitting your water mark... if you time it right, it kills your appetite.
If having a little taste keeps me out of a bag of cookies, a calorie free soda or a cup of plain coffee doesn't seem so bad either. In some places, even the water will give you cancer.
I found chugging near room-temp water, 1quart 4x a day, worked well to get the gallon down... instead of sipping it. I could usually put down a quart in under a minute so it really is a quick fix. If you're doing 8 cups, that's easy.
If this is all for losing weight, just eat one meal a day. Have some delicious water through the rest of the day. Fun.0 -
Drinking fluid will help you keep your body hydrated.
Whether it be diet drinks (ideally caffeine and sugar free)
Will it help you lose weight, probably if you acknowledge that you may be thirsty and not hungry?
Water is probably the best thing to drink as it has no (supposedly) additives.
Work out if you are drinking enough water by the colour of your urine.
If it is dark then you are dehydrated, if it is mainly light and clear then you are good to go.0 -
soda and diet soda does contain sodium, so it also makes u feel more thirsty and crave more soda.
drink water with lemon or lime0 -
Pure genius. Try thirty days no breathing and thirty days breathing, tell me which one helped you stay above ground....everything else being equal.try thirty days no water and thirty days water tell me which one helped u lose more weight..everything else being equal:)
How about a discussion of hydration that makes sense and is scientifically backed, rather than a bunch of myth and broscience?:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/821181-myths-and-facts-about-hydration-requirements0 -
No and no.
Water vs. zero calorie drinks will make no difference because they're both zero calories.
People go out of their way to complicate things, read silly pop culture pseudoscientific articles written by scaremongers, believe that garbage, and spin themselves into circles of panic. Then they start focusing on silly things like water intake rather than eating less and moving more, and fail.
Just my two cents.0 -
Word.No and no.
Water vs. zero calorie drinks will make no difference because they're both zero calories.
People go out of their way to complicate things, read silly pop culture pseudoscientific articles written by scaremongers, believe that garbage, and spin themselves into circles of panic. Then they start focusing on silly things like water intake rather than eating less and moving more, and fail.
Just my two cents.0 -
Source?Break up with the diet drinks! Seriously bad for you - way too many chemicals - I could elaborate, but just dont drink it.
Great way to get your water in every day....
Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal- helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack apparently drinking water at bed time helps prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.
Who knew?!
And I had no idea sleeping caused organs to deactivate. Do we die every night?
Also, um, drinking a glass of water right before bed will cause you to wake up multiple times in the middle of the night to pee, which will cause you to lose sleep, which CAN interfere with certain hormones and inhibit weight loss. If you stay hydrated all day, this should not be necessary.0 -
water has helped me shed the pounds.0
-
I drink one gallon of water each day. It has changed my weight loss significantly. Sometimes I do drink Crystal Light if I want a sweet taste, but other than that, it's either water or green tea. Just give it up completely. It takes your body about two weeks to detox from soda. It was hard for me at first because I used to be obsessed with Coke Zero, but after a while, your body starts to feel better. A diet soda every now and again isn't going to keep you off track. However, if you want to lose weight, just stick with water.0
-
I don't know all the science behind it but I can say drinking all 8 glasses a day plus some did me a world of good. The weight is gone and has stayed gone for two years now.
If I find myself "starving" I drink a full glass of water and normally within 15 minutes the hunger pangs go away. If they stay around I will have a little something to eat.0 -
There are still additives in those diet drinks that are not very healthy, such as the fake sugar. People recommend water because it is usually the purest way to hydrate yourself. Make sure to get a water filter if you live in the city to filter out contaminants though. Fresh brewed tea (without sugar) is an alternative.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions