Why does water help weight loss ?

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strawberrysnap
strawberrysnap Posts: 71 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so.. I know that water can help you feel more " full" so you eat less but is it true water " flushes the fat away"- why is it important to drink water when losing weight? If anything it makes me feel more sluggish, bloated and heavy :/
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  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    It doesn't flush fat away, but drinking enough water helps you to not retain water (water pushes water), which shows on the scale. It isn't true weight loss.

    There's probably something else making you groggy. How much are you drinking daily?
  • strawberrysnap
    strawberrysnap Posts: 71 Member
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    Ohh thank you! Literally 3 glasses a day if that
  • strawberrysnap
    strawberrysnap Posts: 71 Member
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    Awesome this was really helpful thank you! I appreciate it
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    strawberrysnap wrote: »
    Ok so.. I know that water can help you feel more " full" so you eat less but is it true water " flushes the fat away"- why is it important to drink water when losing weight? If anything it makes me feel more sluggish, bloated and heavy :/

    In my non-scientific opinion, the body works better when its hydrated. Taken from the fact that it does NOT work well when dehydrated! And if the body is working better, I assume its more efficient, better able to do its regular daily tasks.

    Keep in mind there are lots of theories on how much water you need to drink daily. But you also get water in other forms. A general rule of thumb I go by: judge your hydration level by the color of your urine. If dark, you need to drink more water. If pale, almost clear: you are hydrated well.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    Some days I consume quite a bit of sodium, and the scale would reflect that as weight gain, when really it was water retention. Sometimes as much as 2 or 3 lbs. Now I drink at least 3 litres of water a day, and even on high sodium days I don't get that water retention. I'm not saying you need to drink that much, but you may need more than 3 cups a day.
  • strawberrysnap
    strawberrysnap Posts: 71 Member
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    I agree I mean I defo notice benefits when I'm hydrated I think I just need to get into the routine of drinking water more - thank you for the help :)
  • strawberrysnap
    strawberrysnap Posts: 71 Member
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    YvetteK2015 wrote: »
    Some days I consume quite a bit of sodium, and the scale would reflect that as weight gain, when really it was water retention. Sometimes as much as 2 or 3 lbs. Now I drink at least 3 litres of water a day, and even on high sodium days I don't get that water retention. I'm not saying you need to drink that much, but you may need more than 3 cups a day.
    Yeah I noticed that when I eat more salt I get bloated and when I drink water it kinda doesn't look as bloated ! Thank you for the reply :)
  • SarahStarr86
    SarahStarr86 Posts: 121 Member
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    Just for a quick tip on what helps me to drink more water...I buy the 32 oz reusable water cups from Target that come with straws (brands like Bubba and Aladdin). I notice that drinking water from a straw helps me get through it. I also don't like super cold water. A little cooler than room temp water is what works for me. Lastly, it seems like the more water I drink on a consistent basis, the more my body seems to ask for water. So if I've gone through a week of not drinking much water, it's so hard for me to get back into a routine of drinking it throughout the day. But once I'm back on my routine, I actually am looking for my water cup because my body is asking for water. Get what I'm saying? Hope this helps!
  • strawberrysnap
    strawberrysnap Posts: 71 Member
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    Haha thank you everyone! I appreciate the time and effort
  • monstar4kc
    monstar4kc Posts: 30 Member
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    Because then your not drinking away your calories!
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    edited May 2017
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    By weight humans are ~50-65% water - women less than men due to increased body fat %.

    Intake is a debatable issue and there is no agreed upon standard other than the general medical opinion to gauge off urine color as posted above.

    Yes - intake should generally increase as activity increases.

    No - there's no direct relation to water intake and weight loss. This is correlative.

    As your body metabolizes stored fat this breaks down into water and carbon dioxide, so you literally breathe and excrete the metabolized fat away.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    edited May 2017
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    I don't think it does anything for weight loss, just for overall health. I drink a ton of water, I don't know why. I have water with me, always. I just get thirsty lol. I like the tervis cups.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    Indirectly water helps in weight loss:

    1) Staying well hydrated helps all your bodily functions work at their optimum level which assists in whatever you are trying to do.

    2) Drinking water (or water like beverages) can satisfy the hand-to-mouth urges that many people have. Substituting that can also lessen the urge to snack, thus helping to stay within your calorie budget.

  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    strawberrysnap wrote: »
    If anything it makes me feel more sluggish, bloated and heavy :/

    Are you trying to guzzle a quantity of water in one sitting? Perhaps keep a cup (like another poster suggested) with a lid and straw and sip frequently.

  • strawberrysnap
    strawberrysnap Posts: 71 Member
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    I reckon I need to pace myself yeah ! Cause I do tend to panic that i haven't had any water then drink it all which probably makes me feel sluggish! I defo agree with earlier comments of using a straw, doesn't feel like I'm drinking water and get through much more
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    Sometimes I add lemon to my water so it has more of a taste than just plain water, which some people find helpful. Some people just don't like the taste of plain water.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    It does not flush fat away. It does help me with flushing out excess sodium.
  • strawberrysnap
    strawberrysnap Posts: 71 Member
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    Ohhh and sodium is usually a culprit for bloat, lesson learnt I need to up the water

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