We are not saying if you drink a glass of water before turning in for the night, you will wake up weighing less than the night before. What you might learn, there are reports that support if you add water to your diet, you can lose weight. If you are unaware, your body is made up of 60% water and plays an important role in your body's functions. Research has shown, the more hydrated you are the more effectively your body works including burning body fat.
Water can definitely help you lose weight. Water is known to suppress your appetite, increase your metabolism, and make exercise easier and more effective.
That does not mean there aren't other factors that contribute to weight loss such as your habits, predispositions, eating habits, to name a few.A great place to start is staying hydrated.
Drinking Water Will Burn More Calories
As shown in various studies, drinking one, 17ox (0.5 liters) of water will give several benefits. Please read on:
Known as resting energy expenditure, drinking water will increase how many calories you can burn off.
Resting energy expenditure, in adults, has shown to increase 24 to 30% within 10 minutes of drinking water and should last for 60 minutes or in some cases longer.
A study taken with overweight and obese children discovered a significant 25% increase in resting energy expenditure after they consumed cold water.
Another study involving overweight women disclosed by increasing the intake of 34% oz of water each day had positive effects. Over a 12-month period, the results were 2kg or 4.4 lbs loss of weight. These women did not change their lifestyles just drink more water.
Both of the above studies suggest drinking 0.5 liters or 17 oz of water can result in an extra 23 calories burned. Over an entire year, that's is roughly 17,000 calories or 4.4 lbs (2kg) of fat.
What's even more significant, when you drink cold water your body uses more calories in order to warm up the water to your body's temperature.
How Much Water Should You Drink A Day?
Past studies believed drinking 64 oz of water a day would be sufficient. Newer studies believe that's a great starting point but is not enough. One of the best ways to find out how much water you should consume is taking your body weight and dividing it by two. This should give you the minimum ounces of water you should be drinking each day. Keep in mind, this does not mean water in beverages such as coffee or tea, it's pure water.
You should try to keep your hydration level the same not just when eating meals or before and after working out. The idea is to remain hydrated all the time and then add water when you are sweating heavily, exercising, or spending time out in the heat.
When You Should Drink Water To Lose Weight?
To get the most out of weight loss, drink water before each meal that will decrease your appetite so you will not overeat. Water can also help you digest food better so drink water after each meal. Make sure you spread your water intake across the entire day.
Keep in mind, some drinks, such as coffee, have chemicals that will stimulate the production of urine, in turn, they have an opposite dehydrating effect. You do not have to change your coffee to decaf, just try to realize when additional water should be taken into consideration.
If you will be spending more time in hot weather or physical exercise, make sure you drink more water than usual.
A Final Note
There are many benefits incorporating more water in your diet including cutting your carbs, staying away from sugar cravings, boosting the feeling of being full, or increasing your overall metabolism. There is no magic number or one-size-fits-all. How much water should you consume to lose weight? That is up to individuals and their bodies. Studies are not saying that water is the end-all elixir. Across the board, water is the one element that should play a very important role in the wellness of your body. Try different levels of water to take in until you find the formula that works best for you.
