Water!

AmyWininger
AmyWininger Posts: 150 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
You need water. I get it. That's all I ever drink(aside from the occassional glass of almond milk; mainly for protein smoothies), and some green tea, but that's practically water, right? Anyways, I was just wondering, why do we need water? Is it better to drink a lot of water? Does it help with weightloss in anyway?( I realize, you just need to eat a deficit, I as just curious.) Say, you never drink water, you only drink, um, soda, and you stay within your calorie limits. Does it matter?(I dont and will not drink soda, just a little scenario. :D) Lol. I'm just curious about it. Oh, and on average how much water do you drink a day? Or, how much do you think someone should have a day? Sorry for the ramble!!! :)

I'm 5'8, 156 btw. Female, if you couldn't tell.

Replies

  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
    Your body is 1/2 to 3/4 water and you lose it continuously through perspiration, respiration, and urination. So you need to restore the water that is lost through these processes.

    You can get the water you need by drinking...water. And/or by consuming foods and beverages that contain water. Milk is almost 90% water. Watermelon is over 90% water. Sodas are almost entirely water, as are tea and coffee.

    You should consume enough water so that your urine is pale yellow. Nothing more, nothing less. How much water this is varies from person to person to such an extent that it makes no sense to discus how much water any individual person might need.
  • othello1786
    othello1786 Posts: 3
    Yeah it can be a little confusing at first. Like the old cliche says though water is life. Water helps with keeping your joints healthy, circulating spinal fluid, secretion of harmful wastes and many other things. Its important for muscles because when muscles work they use cellular respiration for energy. I';; try not to bore you with the science, but basically if there is not enough oxygen in your blood then your body can't break down glucose all the way and it creates something called lactic acid. which just sits on your muscle cells, (this is where muscle soreness comes from). Water filters all this acid out, which is good because it is harmful to have acid sitting on your muscles, doesn't promote growth. So in the long run it keeps muscles hydrated and healthy.

    Overall water by itself does not make you lose weight, a hydrated body is a healthy body though and thats important for other functions. You are right though, soda and other things are made with water and do hydrate your body, however these drinks are filled with countless other things, and are by themselves very acidic. So the water in the soda that you drank would basically be used to cut down the acidity of the soda itself. it's counter productive. Plus you have to deal with all the sugar thats in soda... its basically a mess.

    as for how much water to drink? it's said that you should drink at least 2 liters a day. Which is immense but attainable, and considering how much water we lose every day its necessary.

    But to answer your question water does not directly help you lose weight, but indirectly it might since drinking alot of water makes you feel full you will be less inclined to snack. Also since your drinking water you will feel hydrated and will be less likely to grab a soda or something. Also water is just vital for everything, you'll feel better and overall that's whats most important anyway!! :)
  • Roaringgael
    Roaringgael Posts: 339 Member
    All of the above.
    Also all food has a % of water.
    Excessive water intake can lead to electrolyte imbalances, however the amounts ingested have to be very large.
  • jensiegel39
    jensiegel39 Posts: 163 Member
    Thanks for such a complete and easy-to-understand answer!
  • AmyWininger
    AmyWininger Posts: 150 Member
    Awesome answers guys!! :D And i love the science behind it. :)
  • nicenhealthy
    nicenhealthy Posts: 61
    Yeah it can be a little confusing at first. Like the old cliche says though water is life. Water helps with keeping your joints healthy, circulating spinal fluid, secretion of harmful wastes and many other things. Its important for muscles because when muscles work they use cellular respiration for energy. I';; try not to bore you with the science, but basically if there is not enough oxygen in your blood then your body can't break down glucose all the way and it creates something called lactic acid. which just sits on your muscle cells, (this is where muscle soreness comes from). Water filters all this acid out, which is good because it is harmful to have acid sitting on your muscles, doesn't promote growth. So in the long run it keeps muscles hydrated and healthy.

    Overall water by itself does not make you lose weight, a hydrated body is a healthy body though and thats important for other functions. You are right though, soda and other things are made with water and do hydrate your body, however these drinks are filled with countless other things, and are by themselves very acidic. So the water in the soda that you drank would basically be used to cut down the acidity of the soda itself. it's counter productive. Plus you have to deal with all the sugar thats in soda... its basically a mess.

    as for how much water to drink? it's said that you should drink at least 2 liters a day. Which is immense but attainable, and considering how much water we lose every day its necessary.

    But to answer your question water does not directly help you lose weight, but indirectly it might since drinking alot of water makes you feel full you will be less inclined to snack. Also since your drinking water you will feel hydrated and will be less likely to grab a soda or something. Also water is just vital for everything, you'll feel better and overall that's whats most important anyway!! :)

    Thanks for sharing. :)

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