Water consumption and weight loss

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NorCalMommy
NorCalMommy Posts: 10
in Food and Nutrition
Hello all. I have a question about water consumption. I know everyone says how important it is to stay hydrated. I have a really hard time remembering to drink enough water during the day. I would rather have coffee or diet soda, which I know is not good. My question is - does water consumption affect weight loss, or is it just a general health measure?
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Replies

  • Iwillbemeagain
    Iwillbemeagain Posts: 163
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    I do the same things and have been loosing!
  • 0PhAtDaDdY
    0PhAtDaDdY Posts: 569 Member
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    I seem to lose weight on my biggest water drinking days. I drink water a lot anyway but huge water days the weight falls off...
  • kducky22
    kducky22 Posts: 276 Member
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    So I've been on MFP now for about 4 moths. I (having grown up in Seattle) am a hard core coffee drinker. I drank water, but maybe only 8 or 16 ounces throughout the day. I never thought that water had anything to do with weight loss either. I mean, coffee is calorieless (when drank black)! I haven't lost that much weight so far in 4 months. I assumed it because I still go out and drink a lot on the weekends, even thought I'm working out MUCH more as well as eating really healthy. But i've been pretty much at the same weight for the past couple months...

    However, about two weeks ago I thought hey might as well try something new. and now I'm drinking around 80 ounces. I'm not going to say it has made a drastic differenece, like losing 5 lbs a week, but I have noticed that the weight is coming off again. Mind you, I still go out on the weekends.

    From personal experience I really think it aids in weightloss.
  • NorCalMommy
    NorCalMommy Posts: 10
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    So I've been on MFP now for about 4 moths. I (having grown up in Seattle) am a hard core coffee drinker. I drank water, but maybe only 8 or 16 ounces throughout the day. I never thought that water had anything to do with weight loss either. I mean, coffee is calorieless (when drank black)! I haven't lost that much weight so far in 4 months. I assumed it because I still go out and drink a lot on the weekends, even thought I'm working out MUCH more as well as eating really healthy. But i've been pretty much at the same weight for the past couple months...

    However, about two weeks ago I thought hey might as well try something new. and now I'm drinking around 80 ounces. I'm not going to say it has made a drastic differenece, like losing 5 lbs a week, but I have noticed that the weight is coming off again. Mind you, I still go out on the weekends.

    From personal experience I really think it aids in weightloss.
    Very interesting...that is just the kind of thing I need to hear. Going to go fill up my water bottle
  • ruggedBear
    ruggedBear Posts: 295
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    I don't know if drinking speeds the weight loss - but I have learned the following from drinking nothing but water (and two cups of black coffee) every day:

    1. Water is way better for your teeth than any soda (diet soda is the worst cause of enamel erosion)
    2. Frequent urination flushes out the system, including the by-products of burning fat
    3. Keeps the skin healthy
    4. Keeps me from adding a snack to my lunch - just drink an extra glass and you're full
  • acrue21
    acrue21 Posts: 22 Member
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    Water not only keeps you hydrated but it also helps with hunger cravings and flushes the waste from your body.
  • vballscriscuolo
    vballscriscuolo Posts: 39 Member
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    I have been told many times that drinking more water helps you lose weight "faster". Not sure if it's true. I have the same problem. I can never reember or force myself to drink water during the day unless I have a specific desire for it. I've been trying to add in crystal light or the new Mio drink flavorings because theyre zero everything (calories, carbs, fat etc) and they taste great and I have definitely seen an increase in the amount of water intake. Yes technicalyl adding crystal light changes it to whatever flavoring it is, but it's still much more liquid than normal.

    I always have a cup of coffee in the morning with cream and sugar and I don't feel bad about it :). I hate splenda and really theres not much of a difference. Splenda is processed and while it sounds "healthier", I'd prefer all natural sugar because at least I can pronounce what thats made of haha!

    But I highly suggest trying to add in Crystal light or Mio! Find aflavor you love and go with it! Good luck!
  • 226Muriel
    226Muriel Posts: 137 Member
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    I don't know if drinking speeds the weight loss - but I have learned the following from drinking nothing but water (and two cups of black coffee) every day:

    1. Water is way better for your teeth than any soda (diet soda is the worst cause of enamel erosion)
    2. Frequent urination flushes out the system, including the by-products of burning fat
    3. Keeps the skin healthy
    4. Keeps me from adding a snack to my lunch - just drink an extra glass and you're full

    MAJOR DITTO TO THE ABOVE...
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
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    One of the keys to my weight loss of 63 lbs has been water consumption.

    Researchers in Germany report that water consumption increases the rate at which people burn calories.

    In an effort to address the issue, Michael Boschmann, MD, and colleagues from Berlin's Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center tracked energy expenditures among seven men and seven women who were healthy and not overweight.

    After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects' metabolic rates -- or the rate at which calories are burned -- increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes.

    DRINK WATER!
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    I do best when I drink at least 3 liters (12 cups) of water a day.
  • shmo1969
    shmo1969 Posts: 85 Member
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    Water not only keeps you hydrated but it also helps with hunger cravings and flushes the waste from your body.

    ^^This is what I was going to say, and the caffeine in Coffee will dehydrate you more (which may make you hungry as well as thirsty). So drink up on the water and limit your caffeine intake!!! :)
  • GingerIJones
    GingerIJones Posts: 17 Member
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    I have a hard time drinking water but I know how good it is for me so I keep trying. I know proper hydration makes me not have headaches, makes my body feel so much better "I am 54 and the older I get the more I have these aches and pains", etc. Recently I went to a chiropractor for the first time and once when getting a massage they were working out all these pressure points or what felt like bumpee's (yeah, go ahead and laugh at my butchered English); so I asked what or how or whatever. They told me that could indicate that I wasn't drinking enough water (so that really helped me to do so). It has made my complexion much nicer and my eyes more hyrdrated (thus sparkley). When I wake up I immediately drink two cups (that way I have two cups out of the way). I take a bottle water that equals two cups to work and make myself drink one in the am (or I can't go to lunch I tell myself) and one in the afternoon (can't go home until I drink it is what I tell me)... :) I also love myfitnesspal at the bottom of the page where you can track your water. All these little things are helping me. OH, ONE more biggie? My friend ended up having kidney stones blasted out of him but these were I guess excrutiatingly painful. They told him he needed to drink more water to help those things not form. That kind of freaked me out. I don't want that to happen to me. Drink up everybody... :)
  • NorCalMommy
    NorCalMommy Posts: 10
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    Awesome info everyone! Can someone tell me where I can get MIO? Do you get it at the grocery store?
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Water not only keeps you hydrated but it also helps with hunger cravings and flushes the waste from your body.

    ^^This is what I was going to say, and the caffeine in Coffee will dehydrate you more (which may make you hungry as well as thirsty). So drink up on the water and limit your caffeine intake!!! :)
    Caffeine is an appetite suppressant.
  • stephaniev07
    stephaniev07 Posts: 59 Member
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    This last week I had the same though. I don't drink soda but I was a 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day drinker and also crystal light. my weightloss kind of platuead for a few weeks and I begun to wonder if the coffee was causing this. So starting this last monday I have only drank water. I don't officially weigh on the scale until sunday morning, but I cheated and stepped on today and I am down more than 4 pounds in four days. So I think until I hit the maintain stage of this journey I will be cutting all coffee and other drinks from my diet, unless it's a special occassion. This is just my experience hope it helps. thanks.
  • dolphin9803
    dolphin9803 Posts: 125
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    Since it has become cold out I try my hardest to drink water but I would rather have something hot. But I have noticed that weight loss has been slower since I slowed down on the water. So I decided to try something different, I use flavoring for my water (generic brand about 10 cals per packet) And since I have started adding that and have been able to up my water to about 9-10 glasses a day (or about 140 ozs a day) the weight seems to be on the move again :) This is what works for me :)
  • Scarlett_S
    Scarlett_S Posts: 467 Member
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    My personal experience? I lose more weight when I up my water consumption, and I've been doing this a year now. I've gone through periods of not drinking any water, drinking 50 ounces a day, drinking 100 ounces a day. During my highest water consumption, I feel the best and lose the most weight. My skin looks good when I am drinking water. Plus, water keeps me super hydrated and helps aid in muscle recovery after weight lifting. Its a chore sometimes, but I tell myself its pretty simple to keep refilling a bottle at my desk and drinking.

    Another thing I do is grab a water bottle everytime I get in my car, and drink it while I am driving. That helps me get my consumption up.
  • Klynn63
    Klynn63 Posts: 66
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    On the days I drink ALL my water portions I drop weight when I hit the scale the next morning.
  • dolphin9803
    dolphin9803 Posts: 125
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    Awesome info everyone! Can someone tell me where I can get MIO? Do you get it at the grocery store?

    Walmart carries it but I think it is really expensive so I just by the generic great value flavoring packet :)
  • nikki_8137
    nikki_8137 Posts: 1
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    I drink a lot of water everyday. On the days I drink less I weigh more the next morning, so I would definitely say that water consumption is a factor in my weight loss. I also read an article once about why water helps with weight loss. It said that because you get filled up drinking your quota of water per day, you're less inclined to consume more food and that the water helps to flush your body out...hence the weight loss.

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