Drink Water to Lose Weight

Water is one of the wonderful gifts of mother nature. It is essential for the smooth functioning of the human body. Even though 60 to 70 % of the human body is made up of water, a regular intake of water is necessary. There are numerous health benefits of water, the latest being its importance in losing weight. Till date, health experts and dietitians have been exhorting people to increase their consumption of water. Many of the diet plans include this advice, but there was no evidence to back this claim. Some of the recent studies point to this fact that weight loss can be achieved through drinking water.

How Can Water Help in Losing Weight?

Even though many health experts advice their clients to drink water to lose weight, there is no clear-cut evidence to prove the same. There are some hypotheses which support these claims. One such assumption is that drinking more water may develop a sense of fullness in the person, who may eventually consume less calories. This in turn leads to weight loss of the person. Another theory is that the body has a tendency to store more water, in people who consume low amounts of water. This tendency of the body can be curbed to some extent by a regular supply of excess water. This releases the stored water, resulting in weight loss.

It is also believed that most of the hunger pangs are actually thirst pangs. A glass of drinking water is sufficient to stop such cravings and thereby reduce the intake of food or other caffeinated or carbonated drinks. Another contention is that lack of water slows down the process of metabolism, which is the process of breaking down food into energy. This leads to extra pounds. Insufficient water in the body develops hunger pangs, which leads to higher consumption of food and the resultant weight gain. Apart from weight gain, insufficient intake of water is also responsible for constipation and other health problems.

How Much Water Should I Drink to Lose Weight?

This question is often asked by fitness buffs, who are hellbent on achieving a healthy weight loss. Even though many people drink water to lose weight, most of them are confused regarding the exact measurement to be consumed in order to accomplish the goal. It has been advised by the doctors and health experts throughout the years to drink at least eight glasses of water daily to maintain health. This age-old standard of daily water consumption was applicable for every person, despite being different in their body weight, living conditions, sex, job, climate, health problems, etc.

Though, eight glasses will be sufficient for the average man, recent studies show that requirement of water varies with different individuals, as per the factors like age, sex, climate, body weight, etc. As the factors can vary with individuals, we shall take a look at the water requirement as per the body weight. If you want to drink water to lose weight, then you have to consume 0.5 to 0.64 ounce of water per pound of lean body mass. It can be observed that the amount of water intake increases with the body weight. If your body weight is 150 pounds, then you have to multiply it with 0.64 and the result is 96 ounces per day. This figure goes up to 128 ounces in case of a person with 200 pounds of body weight.

This figure can be affected by the above said factors, which can be well explained by a qualified dietitian or a health expert. Fruits like watermelon and vegetables, which are high in water content, can also be included in your diet to meet your requirement. You can carry a bottle of water with you, wherever you go. Drink water before meals to reduce the food consumption. Make it a habit to drink water after exercises and after every visit to the toilet. Include more soups in your diet. Avoids caffeinated and carbonated drinks. You can also start the day with a glass of lukewarm water.

The 'Drinking water to lose weight' method is substantiated by recent studies conducted on obese people. Most of the obese persons, who participated in these studies achieved weight loss. If you are adamant that you cannot increase the consumption of water to around two liters a day, try and stick to the normal standard of eight glasses a day. Those who want to achieve weight loss, contact a health expert immediately and seek his advice regarding this method.