How much does water help increase your weight loss?

mshopey
mshopey Posts: 125 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Obviously, everyone says how much it helps,
But i was just wondering about personal experiences.
And how much do you drink?
I've heard some people say they drink 8 litres!!!!
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Replies

  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    I try to drink at least 8 but usually around 10-12 glasses per day.
  • helenmelon29
    helenmelon29 Posts: 787 Member
    I drink about 2 litres of water. (Plus few cups of tea and glass or 2 of juice).

    I do feel better when drinking plenty each day
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Water does nothing to speed up or help weight loss beyond feeling full if you drink a lot and the extra exercise of running to the bathroom. You need enough fluid for your urine to be pale yellow, beyond that you're just wasting time. Water doesn't flush out fat or toxins or any of the other magical things I've heard it can do. It hydrates your body and when that is achieved you pee it out.
  • mabelbabel1
    mabelbabel1 Posts: 391 Member
    Water does nothing to speed up or help weight loss beyond feeling full if you drink a lot and the extra exercise of running to the bathroom. You need enough fluid for your urine to be pale yellow, beyond that you're just wasting time. Water doesn't flush out fat or toxins or any of the other magical things I've heard it can do. It hydrates your body and when that is achieved you pee it out.


    ^^^This^^^
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Water does nothing to speed up or help weight loss beyond feeling full if you drink a lot and the extra exercise of running to the bathroom. You need enough fluid for your urine to be pale yellow, beyond that you're just wasting time. Water doesn't flush out fat or toxins or any of the other magical things I've heard it can do. It hydrates your body and when that is achieved you pee it out.

    Basically this.

    Some will tell you that it helps flush out sodium, and thus your retained water weight will be less. I can argue both sides of that... but regardless, it has no impact on fat, body composition, or anything else meaningful. It's just something people like to blame for lack of progress.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    Water does nothing to speed up or help weight loss beyond feeling full if you drink a lot and the extra exercise of running to the bathroom. You need enough fluid for your urine to be pale yellow, beyond that you're just wasting time. Water doesn't flush out fat or toxins or any of the other magical things I've heard it can do. It hydrates your body and when that is achieved you pee it out.

    This as well.. besides keeping your body hydrated you won't lose weight just because you drink water.
  • lima013
    lima013 Posts: 80 Member
    I drink around 8-12 glass of water during the day. It is one of the reasons I am losing weight; along with exercise and eating at deficit.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I drink around 8-12 glass of water during the day. It is one of the reasons I am losing weight; along with exercise and eating at deficit.

    You're losing weight mostly because you eat at a deficit, a bit because you exercise and not at all because you drink 8-12 glasses of water.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    Personally, I didn't find that water had any impact on my weight loss. It's a better drink choice than soda since it has no calories/sugar, but water doesn't really have any magical weight loss properties.
  • BringingSherriBack
    BringingSherriBack Posts: 607 Member
    Proper hydration is important, but as far as making you lose weight that's not unless you replace your calorie laden drinks with calorie free water and don't eat the calories somewhere else.
  • ANDRE_DOE
    ANDRE_DOE Posts: 113 Member
    I drink 13 to 17 glasses of water a day. I do Intermittent fasting and t helps to keep the hunger away. I think it also helps me to eat less at times
  • jbella99
    jbella99 Posts: 596 Member
    Water does remove waste from your body. That's it's purpose. However, drinking water alone is not going to make you lose weight. Your body needs to be hydrated to function properly. Drinking enough water to stay properly hydrated will give you a feeling of well being, help avoid tiredness, headaches and other woes from being dehydrated. There is no magic number as everyone is different. The best way to to increase weight loss is eating clean, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and avoiding stress as much as possible. There is no diet or magic pill that will increase weight loss without truly changing your lifestyle.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I drink around 8-12 glass of water during the day. It is one of the reasons I am losing weight; along with exercise and eating at deficit.

    if by "one of the reasons" you mean .000001%, then yes... you're probably right.
  • daftthoughts
    daftthoughts Posts: 88
    The reason you lose weight by drinking water is usually because you end up cutting out soda and other drinks out of your diet that contain calories (because you're not that thirsty after you drink all that water), creating a deficit. It also helps with your bowel movements to make them more frequent, meaning that your body becomes more efficient at removing the waste and preventing a build-up of it (we can hold around 7lbs of food waste in our bodies if we don't take care of that).

    Because you end up putting less sugar and fats into your body from drinks, you have more room in your calorie goal for proper foods that contain more nutrients and vitamins, which can boost your overall health and make your body perform more efficiently.

    Water itself does little to make your weight go, it's the circumstances surrounding the plenty drinking of water that usually does it.
  • rlp2891
    rlp2891 Posts: 9 Member
    I drink about 2 gallons a day, but I always have. I like water and I don't drink anything else. It certainly didn't keep me from gaining the weight and I don't think it's making me lose any faster, so just drink enough to stay hydrated.
  • aprilwilliams2729
    aprilwilliams2729 Posts: 107 Member
    While I agree that water in and of itself doesn't make you lose weight, often we mistake thirst for hunger. Being properly hydrated can keep this from happening. I'm trying to drink a glass of water if I feel hungry but know that I really shouldn't be (I've eaten recently for example).
  • seriousgirl
    seriousgirl Posts: 16 Member
    Not sure about the debate here if it helps cleanse, remove waste or cause weight loss, or just make you full but I see results when i up my water intake, so I will take it! I feel better. I can get through work outs. I have less headaches. Only downsize is using bathroom frequently, but I am a fan of H20.
  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
    I haven't found that water helps me with weight loss, but it does help with feeling more energized. I drink on average 100-125 oz of water a day (3.5 Liters), and if I do not I definitely feel a difference. It also helps with hunger pains a tremendous amount. I will drink at least 8 oz before each meal, and it helps me to not over-eat.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Water does nothing to speed up or help weight loss beyond feeling full if you drink a lot and the extra exercise of running to the bathroom. You need enough fluid for your urine to be pale yellow, beyond that you're just wasting time. Water doesn't flush out fat or toxins or any of the other magical things I've heard it can do. It hydrates your body and when that is achieved you pee it out.

    Agreed, except for the pale yellow part.

    I drink tons of water (because I like to) and eat a normal diet, and my pee has never been pale yellow. So darker pee isn't necessarily an indicator that you aren't drinking enough water.
  • powerpuffgirl66
    powerpuffgirl66 Posts: 143 Member
    ...often we mistake thirst for hunger. Being properly hydrated can keep this from happening.

    ^^ This.

    Here's a link to one of many, many references: http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Water does nothing to speed up or help weight loss beyond feeling full if you drink a lot and the extra exercise of running to the bathroom. You need enough fluid for your urine to be pale yellow, beyond that you're just wasting time. Water doesn't flush out fat or toxins or any of the other magical things I've heard it can do. It hydrates your body and when that is achieved you pee it out.


    ^^^This^^^

    Well, it does kind of help with those things because that's what your kidneys do. And proper hydration is essential to a body functioning properly. So it's healthy to stay well-hydrated (this is especially important if you eat a lot of fiber or protein!). But it doesn't have to be water -- pretty much any liquid hydrates and there's a lot of water in the food you eat -- and it doesn't have to be a LOT of water (or whatever).

    I know I'm drinking enough when I don't wake up parched at 3 a.m.
  • daftthoughts
    daftthoughts Posts: 88
    Not sure about the debate here if it helps cleanse, remove waste (....)

    When I say remove waste, I mean feces. It's a pretty well know fact that drinking enough water is very beneficial to your bowel movements because it makes it easier for the body to push it through your body, so I wouldn't really call removal of waste much of a debatable topic. :)
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    WATER is often the missing link. It's important. Hydration is essential. There are lots of articles you can read, this is a good one.

    http://www.coachcalorie.com/drinking-enough-water-is-the-secret-to-fat-loss/

    I drink water, not necessarily for WEIGHT LOSS. I drink it because it does the body good. I essentially drink nothing but water. Iced tea once in a while. Once a week'ish - a dark drafty beer but of course ! And red wine. Seriously. WATER. Water has no empty calories. Our bodies are made up largely of water. Many of us walk around under hydrated. My skin has never looked better since I upped my water intake. I really do believe that the leaner we get ( LeanER - not necessarily LEAN) - it's the little things that are difference makers. After all, we've tackled the biggies. ya know?

    Even if you are skeptical and think NAH .. it doesn't matter. I offer this: What if WATER is the difference maker? Wouldn't you hate to have missed out? and for WHAT? Diet Coke? Just drink the water. :) Why NOT ? I aim for 2 - 3 liters a day. Basically that is 2 - 3 32 oz. containers. I have a big green Nalgene bottle. I drink from that throughout the day. Easy to keep track.

    Cheers !
  • Desterknee
    Desterknee Posts: 1,056 Member
    Water helps you to stay hydrated. Proper hydration contributes to your bodily functions and muscles working at optimal rates. When your bodily functions and muscles are working at optimal rates, you can work out more efficiently. When you work out efficiently, your changes of weight loss increase, assuming you are eating in a caloric deficit.

    Other than that, water in and of itself does not increase weight loss. You will need a caloric deficit and ideally some form of exercise.
  • lonnieart
    lonnieart Posts: 24 Member
    While I agree that water in and of itself doesn't make you lose weight, often we mistake thirst for hunger. Being properly hydrated can keep this from happening. I'm trying to drink a glass of water if I feel hungry but know that I really shouldn't be (I've eaten recently for example).

    THIS THIS THIS.

    I mean, what everyone else is saying... but this.
    I never used to drink water. At ALL. I pretty much got my fluids from soup, lol (and you would probably underestimate how much soup I used to eat).

    Water DOESN'T help you lose weight, but it MAY help you keep from over-eating. Also, if you were ever like I was, increasing your water intake is good for you in general. I have less leg cramps and other things now because I think I was often slightly dehydrated.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I have never felt hungry, had a glass of water and then wasn't hungry anymore.
  • lonnieart
    lonnieart Posts: 24 Member
    Technically, I have never been HUNGRY (felt the sensations of hunger) and had water satisfy that, but I HAVE had the urge to eat and had water satisfy that. Hence the mistaking thirst for "hunger."
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Technically, I have never been HUNGRY (felt the sensations of hunger) and had water satisfy that, but I HAVE had the urge to eat and had water satisfy that. Hence the mistaking thirst for "hunger."

    So you didn't feel hungy. You felt the urge to put something in your mouth. Were you bored, stressed or sad (or something) at the time?

    I've never had that experience. I know when I'm thirsty. I know when I'm hungry. And I know when I just want to dump something down my gullet.
  • callmehoots
    callmehoots Posts: 15 Member
    I used to rarely drink water, and I have to say, I often felt pretty lethargic without even realizing or knowing why. I recently began drinking 8 to 12 ounces a day in straight up water, and I /feel/ better. I don't consider the water itself to be weight loss magic, but this water habit definitely helps me because now that I'm always fully hydrated, I don't get thirsty like I used to and reach for other drinks with a bunch of sugar in them like fruit juices or carbonated drinks. I like to drink 8 to 16 ounces first thing in the AM before my breakfast/caffeine.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Water does remove waste from your body. That's it's purpose.
    ...

    Not so much. Or at least, only one of many.

    Water is used in most of the metabolic reactions of the body and is one part of the equation to maintain osmolarity and tonicity of individual cells and tissues. It is needed to maintain fluid levels as well - blood, cerebrospinal fluid, etc. It's used in transport of nutrients and temperature regulation.

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