Water is an essential thing for every type of weight loss regime. Whether you want to lose or gain weight, water must be a part of a regular diet.
Water is a transparent, inorganic, odorless, tasteless, and colorless chemical substance, which is the main component of hydrosphere and fluids of Earth. It is important for every form of life, even though it does not provide calories and other nutrients. It is a chemical formula called H2O, meaning that every molecule of water contains oxygen and two hydrogen atoms and linked by covalent bonds. Water is the liquid form of H2O at standard surrounding pressure and temperature, which forms rain and fog.
Can Water Burn Calories?
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Drinking enough water helps to increase thermogenesis, which assists in burning calories. However, drinking water is essential for exercise and a low-calorie diet.
Does Drinking Water Influence Appetite?
Yes, drinking enough water lowers the appetite and boost satiety. Most of the time, thirst is considered as hunger. Instead of drinking water, people consume extra calories. Therefore, it is the best idea to drink water 20-30 minutes before having a meal or after a meal.
How Much Water Should You Drink Every Day for Weight Loss?
It is recommended to drink 2200 ml of water for women and 3000ml water for men every day if you do not do exercise. If you do workout continually for 60 minutes, your water consumption should be more. Consume 900 ml of water or sip 150-300 ml of water every 15-20 minutes during exercise. Remember, dry weather also causes more sweating and dehydration, so it is important to keep sipping 150-200 ml of water whenever you sweat more.
Therefore, on average, drink water around 4-5 litters for women, and 6-7 litters for men for losing weight.
Also, only water is not a factor, but cell hydration is necessary for helping detoxification and the process of weight loss. If you have the accurate mineral balance present in cells, more fluid can be available. The ideal water volume is 500ml/d.
Enough electrolytes are needed for cellular detoxification, including weight loss. However, except there is an extra exercise regimen, consuming mineral with rich hydrating food in the entire day should be enough. You can add the following healthy foods in your hydration diet:
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Watermelon
- Iceberg lettuce
- Citrus fruit
- Kiwi
- Bell peppers
- Carrots
- Pineapple
- Radishes
- Zucchini
Note: If you are planning to perform extreme fitness level activities, it is recommended to take expert professional advice or from the registered nutritionist for increasing your electrolyte doses.
Does Water Consumption Affect Brain Function and Energy Levels?
Many people insist that dehydration in the whole day causes you to suffer from low energy and slow brain function. According to one study, a woman showed that water loss of 1.36% after workout cause impaired mode, no concentration, and more headaches.
Other research shows that having mild dehydration of 1-3% of body weight occurred by heat or workout can harm your brain functions.
Remember, 1% of body weight is fairly important. Primarily it happens when you are sweating more.
Mild dehydration can also negatively influence physical performance, resulting in decreased endurance and mental performance.
Does Drinking more Water Help Weight Loss?
There are various claims that more water consumption may lower body weight by promoting metabolism and lower your appetite.
According to two research, consuming 17 ounces (500 ml) of water can temporarily promote metabolism by 24-30%.
The specialists assessed that drinking 68 ounces (2 liters) in one day extended vitality consumption by around 96 calories for each day.
Also, it might be important to drink cold water because your body should use more calories to warm the water to the internal heat level.
Drinking water about a half-hour before dinners can likewise lessen the number of calories you wind up expending, particularly in more aged people.
According to one research, dieters who consumed 17 ounces of water before every meal lost 44% of more weight in 12 weeks, in contrast to those who did not.
Overall, drinking enough water specifically before meals may provide significant benefits of weight loss when combined with a healthy diet.Â
Is Drinking More Water to Prevent Health Diseases?
Several health problems lower down risk with enough water consumption.
Constipation
Reduced water intake leads to constipation, which can hinder the weight loss process. Keeping your body hydrated helps to move waste things and toxins out from the body. Water is important for digestion and moving through intestines. It keeps the intestine flexible and smooth.
Less water intake is the most common cause of getting constipation. The foods you consume move through the stomach and large intestine to the colon. If you do not consume more water, then your large intestine will soak up water from food waste and form hard stool, which can be difficult to pass.
Cancer
Water is an essential nutrient for detoxification of the body and preventing the risk of cancer. This fluid is the primary component for your body cells for providing nourishment to the entire body. The majority of the body functions are performed with water like flushing toxins, maintaining a healthy temperature, and joint health. Also, water makes things move easily in the digestive tract. It helps to move food through and boost healthy digestion. Water flushes out the harmful toxins from the body and prevents diseases build-up in rectum like colorectal cancer.
Consuming enough water or eating watery foods also promote survival, healthy growth, and cell reproduction. It also protects organs like bladder, colon, and breast tissue from developing cancer.
Kidney Health
Enough water consumption also benefits the kidneys’ health. It is important to keep kidneys healthy for healthy weight loss. Everyone doesn’t need to drink eight glasses of water every day, because everyone has different requirement of water. The need for water depends on your age, workout intensity, climate, illness, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
Around 60-70% of human body weight is about water, and every body part needs to function properly. Water helps the kidneys to eliminate wastes from the blood in the form of urine. It also helps blood to travel freely and deliver every essential nutrient. Having dehydration can hinder the kidney functions and make you tired. Severe dehydration can also cause kidneys damage.
Drinking enough water also prevents kidney stone formation. The slow accumulation of minerals causes to hinder the weight loss process.
Water also treats urinary tract infections. More fluid in the body dissolve the stones and flush out through urine. It also prevents infection-causing bacteria.
Do Other Liquids Count to Your Total?
Plain water helps to balance fluid and food balance in the body. There is a myth that caffeinated drinks such as tea or coffee do not help to hydrate because of its a diuretic. Research shows that the diuretic effect of tea and coffee also help to hydrate.
Many other fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, and eggs also contain some quantity of water, which also helps in fluid balance.
How Much Is Sufficient Water?
No one can tell the specific quantity of water requirement as it varies individual to individual. Try to experiment and know how much water your body needs. Some people take less water, and drinking more water causes them frequent urination. Here are simple steps to follow:
- Drink when you feel thirsty
- Do not drink water if you are not feeling thirsty
- Stay hydrated during hot weather and workout.
Water Work as A Natural Suppressant For Appetite
When your stomach gets signals of fullness, the brain signal to stop food, which is not only about food, but also about drinking water.
Drinking more water hold extra space in the stomach and makes you full quickly, which will reduce more calorie consumption in each meal.
Many people get confused with thirst as hunger and eat an extra snack, which you can replace with water.
Drinking half glass of water before each meal lower the overall body weight and fat for the long term.
Water Prevent Liquid Calories
When we think about high calories, we think of junk foods, fatty snacks, and sugary foods. However, certain drinks also comprise of high calories in your everyday diet food, and we do not have an idea of how much calories we are consuming.
Alcohol, sodas, and milky drinks, like white coffees, and shakes also contain high calories. Therefore, replace these things with natural calories from fruits and vegetables, which are helpful for weight loss. Therefore, when you are thirsty, drink fresh fruit juice without added sugar.
Water Helps to Increase Workout Goal
Many people stop the workout in the middle because of cramps. Proper hydration can help to deal with this problem because the functions joints, muscles, and connective tissues work smoothly and lower the chance of pain or cramps. Regular water consumption also promotes heart and lung functions. You will feel healthier and happier after a workout.
The better and regular workout you perform, you will be able to burn more calories and fat.
Water Is Necessary for Effective Fat Burning
Fat metabolism is termed lipolysis, which is an action by water molecules associated with fats and consequently helps to breakdown fats.
If you skip drinking enough water, your body will be weak to prepare the fat burning. Keep your body hydrated to help fat burning from storage and maintain healthy fat levels for losing weight.
Other Benefits
Water Helps to Create Saliva
Water is an essential component of saliva. Saliva also includes some amounts of mucus, electrolytes, and enzymes. It is important for breaking down hard food and keep the mouth healthy.
Your body normally generates enough saliva with common fluid consumption. However, saliva production may lower with age or certain therapies or medications. If your mouth is dry than regular time and drinking more water will not help but check with the doctor.
Water Maintains Body Temperature
Keeping yourself hydrated is important for controlling your body temperature. Your boy will lose water from sweat during the physical workout and heat.
Sweat is a body’s mechanism to maintain temperature and water balance. The body loses plasma and electrolytes when it gets dehydrated. Keep seeping water to prevent dehydration and thirst.
Water Protects the Spinal Cord, Tissues, And Joints
Water consumption helps to cushion and lubricate joints, tissues, and spinal cord. It will help your physical activity and reduce discomfort occurred by arthritis.
Water Removes Waste Through Defecation and Urination
The human body uses water to urinate, sweat, and regulate bowel movements. Sweating also regulates body temperature. Drinking enough water balance fluid loss and promote healthy stools.
Increase Physical Performance
Drinking a lot of water during physical activity is necessary. Athletes may sweat up to 6 to 10% of body weight during physical movement.
Hydration likewise influences your quality, endurance, and power.
You might be more exposed to the effects of dehydrating if you are taking part in aerobic exercise or high-intensity sports like basketball.
Improper workout may negatively affect your body and heat up, which also includes hyperthermia and low blood pressure. Having extreme dehydration can lead to seizures or even death.
Promote Digestion
Water is important for digestion and break down foods. For every weight loss plan, your digestion process should be smooth and well maintained. You will get every nutrient from your digestion only. If your digestive system is not working properly, then you will not get enough nutrients and limit the weight loss. Drinking enough water helps to absorb nutrients and dissolve minerals and vitamins in the body.
Nutrient Absorption
Additionally, enough water intake helps to dissolve foods, minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. It delivers the essential nutrients in the whole and body to promote nutrient absorption.
It Enhances Blood Oxygen Circulation
Water moves essential nutrients and oxygen to the whole body. Consuming sufficient water also improves oxygen circulation and prevent risky diseases.
Help Cognitive Function
Appropriate hydration is vital to remaining in excellent cognitive shape. Exploration demonstrates that not drinking enough water can contrarily affect your focus, readiness, and momentary memory.
Water Improves Mood
Not taking enough water can likewise impact your mood. Lack of hydration may trigger weariness, confusion, and nervousness.
Promote Skin
Enough water consumption helps the skin to stay hydrated and boost collagen production. However, only water consumption is not enough to lower the aging effects. It also depends on genes and sun exposure.
How to Drink Enough Water?
Here are some ways to drink enough water without skipping.
Understand Fluid Needs
Before you make your diet plan for weight loss, understand your body’s need for fluid. The general recommendation for everyday water consumption is 64 ounces (1,290 ml) or 8 cups, but it does not base on science.
The-National-Academy-of-Medicine(NAM) suggests that men drink 125 ounces, and women drink 90 ounces of fluid every, including water, food, and other drink. However, NAM acknowledges that it is not ideal for broad recommendations for fluid requirements as they depend on an individual’s activity level, health, and location. For most, only drinking satisfy your thirst to fulfil your fluid requirement. Keep yourself hydrated during hot climate and workout.
Set A Daily Goal
Setting an everyday water consumption goal can help to drink enough water. Having a water drinking goal also motivate and bring positive changes to your diet. You have to be smart for effective results with the following criteria: Measurable, Specific, Attainable, Time-bound, and Realistic.
For example, one SMART goal of water consumption is about drinking 32 ounces of water every day. It will record your progress and create a habit.
Keep A Water Bottle with You
You cannot skip drinking water by keeping a water bottle with you. It will make it easy for you to have water wherever you go. It is a very handy and visual reminder to consume water when you feel thirsty. When you keep a water bottle on your work desk, it is a constant reminder to drink water.
Set Reminders
Keeping reminders to drink enough water using an alarm or an app in your smartwatch or smartphone will also help. Keep sipping water every 30 minutes or one hour as you feel thirsty. These reminders help to increase water consumption in your busy schedule.
Replace Other Beverages with Water
Replacing other beverages with water increase your water consumption and boost your health by lowering calories. You can skip the soda, sports drinks, sugary drinks, and have water. These energy beverages contain added sugar with less than 5% of calorie intake. One cup (240 ml) of soda every day can increase this limit.
Diets containing added sugar have been related to obesity, diabetes, and heart ailments.
Get A Water Filter
In the USA, most of the tap water is safe for drinking. However, if you are worried about the safety and quality of tap water, then consider buying a water filter. Filtering water is healthy and improves the water’s taste. It also lowers the waterborne bacteria, arsenic, lead from contaminated tap water. Using a water tap is eco-friendly and less expensive than bottled water.
Flavor Your Water
If you do not like water flavor or need a flavor to assist you with drinking more, then you have various options.
Utilizing a less expensive water bottle with fruit-infuser is a good choice.
Add different fruits in infuser bottles, such as lime, cucumber, kiwi, and strawberry. You can also combine other fruits. Make sure to skip artificial sweeteners or additives, which can harm your health.
Drink 1-Glass of Water Every Hour During Work
If you work for 8-hours a day, then drinking every hour one glass of water can be helpful for brain functions. While sitting and working also burn calories.
Sip During the Day
Sipping on water frequently during the day is another easy way to reach your fluid goals. Sipping water, the whole day prevents dry mouth and bad breath. You can keep a bottle or a glass of water near you for a constant reminder.
Drink 1-Glass of Water After Waking Up
Drinking water in the morning is an easy way to promote your immune system. It will create alertness and wake you up.
Use A Marked Water Bottle
Using a bottle with marks helps to encourage and promote your progress. It is a visual way to see that your efforts are working. You will track how much water you are drinking in how much time.
Anytime your bottle gets empty, fill it back up
If you have an empty bottle with, then you will easily skip drinking water in a busy schedule. Therefore, it is important to fill the bottles whenever it gets empty.
Choose A Salty Snack
Eating salty snacks like pretzels or almonds makes you drink more water. Everyone has different requirement of sodium and likes and dislike about flavors. Make sure you are not a person with high blood pressure. If you have any other health condition, then get it treated, and after that, go for a weight loss plan.
Drink Herbal Tea
Herbal tea is popularly known from ancient times. It is also plain water with flavors and plenty of antioxidants. It can also contain floral, citrus, spicy flavors. Additionally, herbal tea is best for the weight loss process. It also keeps you hydrated and supports digestion.
Fill Out Water Bottles Everywhere in Home, Car, Bags
Keeping water bottles filled at home and a car can be handy to drink water. Carry a water bottle in the bag while going out, which prevents dehydration.
Keep A Deadline for Each Eight Ounces
Make sure this is an important thing before you go to sleep. It means you should complete the required water quantity in whole day drinking water till you sleep.
Get Reusable Straws
Using a straw will help you sip water continually because drinking water in a hurry may not properly use in the body. Make sure to buy reusable straws, because plastic straws can be harmful after one use.
Reward Yourself for Reaching Your Goals
Accomplishing your weight loss goal is a big thing, and you deserve a reward. Make yourself happy with a treat, but don’t forget all the rules you learn about drinking water, keep it continue even further.
Make Changes in Your Day Occasions to Drink Water
We do many things every day: getting out of bed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, cooking, walking et. If you tie each of these changes with drinking water, then see how soon you will reach your weight loss goal. Drink a glass of water before doing every task and see how you feel the change.