Does water help lose weight?

The short answer is yes, drinking water can help you lose weight. Here’s how it works. When you drink water, your body expends energy to heat the water to body temperature. In doing so, your body burns calories. Additionally, drinking water helps to keep you feeling full, so you’re less likely to overeat. And water is essential for proper metabolism, and drinking plenty of water can help to boost your metabolism. Finally, water also helps burning fat in your body.

In this article we will dive a little bit in depth to understand how exactly water helps us lose weight. But remember water alone is not the “magic pill” to solve the weight problem. It is your holistic approach to protect your body and health which leads you to achieve long lasting results.

Water reduces liquid calorie intake

When we feel thirsty we often opt for some kind of beverage to quench our thirst. Liquid Calories from these drinks like sodas, juices and other beverages, can add up quickly. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to cut back on liquid calories. Drinking water instead of sugary drinks is a great way to do this.

A study conducted in 2015 showed that participants who drank water after lunch everyday instead of diet fizzy drinks during their 24 week weight loss program, lost 13.6% more weight that those who had same amount of diet drinks after lunch.

In a studyTrusted Source from 2015, female participants drank 250 mL of water after lunch each day while attending a 24-week weight loss program. They lost 13.6 percent more weight than women in the same program who drank the same volume of diet beverages after lunch.

Beside weight loss replacing soda/fizzy drink with water helps your health holistically. Water has countless direct and indirect health benefits while soda is just equally disastrous for your health. A study showed 19% increase in risk of cardiovascular disease in those who drink a daily 12-ounce of soda.

Water helps you burn more calories

Water helps your body to burn more calories. When you drink water, your body needs to expend energy in order to heat the water to body temperature. In doing so, your body burns calories.

In a study, people burned 2 to 3% more calories than they normally do without water in an hour and half. Study Source

Water helps suppress appetite

When you’re feeling thirsty, it’s easy to mistake thirst for hunger. As a result, you may end up eating when all you really needed was a glass of water. Drinking water can help to prevent this by keeping you hydrated and, as a result, suppressing your appetite. That is why it is highly recommended to drink a glass of water before you start your meal. It will not only help you digest your food better but also stop you from overeating.

A study conducted on effect of excessive water intake on body weight, body mass index, body fat, and appetite of overweight female participants showed that by drinking water before their daily meals helped them lose body weight, body fat, and body mass index.

Water helps to remove toxins from body

Water is essential for flushing toxins out of your system. When you drink plenty of water, you’re helping your body to remove these toxins and stay healthy. Adequate hydration helps in kidney function, to flush out toxins, and prevents kidney stones, which can occur with more concentrated urine.

When waste is not properly removed from body it builds up and people may feel bloated, which can add extra pounds to a person’s waist.

Water facilitates burning fat in your body

Water is essential for proper metabolism, and drinking plenty of water can help to boost your metabolism. When your metabolism is working efficiently, your body is better able to burn fat. Water facilitates lipolysis; the process of metabolizing fat.

A study conducted in 2016 on animals found that increased water intake increased lipolysis which resulted in burning more fat.

Drinking water helps during workouts

Water is essential for proper physical performance. It keeps your cells hydrated and helps to lubricate your joints, regulate your body temperature, and transport nutrients throughout your body. When muscle cells are dehydrated, they break down protein i.e muscle which makes your workouts less effective

Dehydration can lead to decreased performance and increased fatigue. In a study on cyclists, it was found that dehydration of just 2% can lead to a 25% decrease in performance.

It is essential to drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout to stay properly hydrated.

How much water should I drink?

You must have heard that drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day rule to stay hydrated. It may be right for majority of people but the amount of water you should drink depends on a variety of factors, including your activity level, the climate you’re in, your age, your body mass index (BMI), and your overall health. Majority of healthy people let thirst be their guide and they drink as needed trough out the day. The best way to know whether you are drinking enough water or not is to check the color of your urine. check the chart below and see whether you are adequately hydrated or not.

Other benefits of drinking water

60% of our body is made up of water which shows just how important it is to regulate the water intake to keep your bodily functions running properly. Here I list just few benefits of keeping yourself hydrated.

Water is good for your skin

We spend a lot of time and money to look fresh with glowing and healthy wrinkle free skin. The health of your skin mainly depends on how you keep your skin hydrated. A study found that drinking enough water acts pretty much same like applying moisturizers. It keeps your skin hydrated and avoid sagging and wrinkles.

Water reduces stress and increases motivation

When we are dehydrated we feel fatigue, dizziness and sometimes headache. It hampers our decision making process when our body is under stress. These symptoms affect our motivation to exercise and eat healthy. A study found that dehydration increases body’s production of cortisol, the stress hormone. So keeping yourself hydrated helps you to be in better mood and stay motivated.

Water regulates your blood pressure:

Water is necessary for the maintenance of fluid balance in our body which is essential for normal blood pressure. Dehydration can lead to high blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease.

In conclusion, water has many benefits including but not limited to weight loss. It can help to boost metabolism, suppress appetite, regulate blood pressure, and remove toxins from the body. Drinking plenty of water is essential for proper physical performance and can help to increase motivation.

Stay hydrated, stay healthy!