Is it really possible to lose weight with water? Find Out How!

Is it really possible to lose weight with water? Find Out How!

Burn the calories. Reduce calorie intake. And you’re on the road to weight loss. Sounds easy, right? Actually, many people trying to shed off unwanted pounds will probably disagree. It takes a lot of discipline and willpower, among other things, to make this happen.

But if you’re determined to whip yourself into shape, there is something so common and readily available that can help you achieve this goal.

Water:

Yes, water goes a long way when you’re aiming to lose weight. Water per se does not contain any magic formula that will automatically burn fat stored in the body. But drinking lots of it, and at specific periods during the day, just might help speed things up in the weight loss department.

Hydration and Overeating:
Most people may not be aware, but a dehydrated body has a tendency to overeat. That’s because sometimes you’ll get the signal of being hungry but in truth, you’re most likely dehydrated. If you didn’t know about the relationship between your body needing water and how it masks itself as hunger pangs, then the logical solution for you is to eat in between meals.

You might want to try drinking a glass of water when you feel this way. After 30 minutes, see if you still feel hungry. Chances are, you’re not. Water has quenched that thirst and you’re satiated.
By staying away from snacks, which is what you’ll likely reach for during these episodes, you’ve prevented additional caloric intake that could otherwise end up as stored fat.

Increasing Metabolic Rate:

Drinking cold water is also said to help increase metabolism, according to a study on water-induced thermogenesis. You can further expend energy with this simple action because of the body’s efforts to adjust the water’s temperature to match that of the body’s.

It works differently though for men and women, although the results are the same – help weight loss. In men, fats are burned to provide energy to warm the water. Women, on the other hand, burn carbohydrates to get this done.

The study showed that effects of metabolic increase begins about 10 minutes after drinking water and peaks between 30 to 40 minutes after.

Water Before Meals:

In your journey to a healthier lifestyle, you may have heard someone say drink water before meals. That can vary between 30 minutes to an hour. The rationale for this is that the stomach sends signals to the brain it is full so you’ll stop eating after a certain point. In short it prevents bingeing.

It takes about 20 minutes before the brain registers you’re already full. Two hormones – cholecystokinin, released by the intestines, and leptin work together to tell the brain your body is already getting the energy it needs, with enough spare space for storage. The message sent to the brain is the sense of fullness.

A naturopathic physician has even suggested drinking 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after a meal for better digestion because it will help keep the stomach acid concentrated, allowing it to function more efficiently.

By drinking water before eating, the brain will receive the message of fullness. A sense of fullness means you’ll stop eating and ultimately cut down on calorie intake. Besides, with water already lining the stomach, its absorptive capacity for calories is reduced.

Again, a decrease in calories you take in is a factor for weight loss.

Water Weight vs Fat Weight:

A person’s weight is classified into two – water and fat. If you gain half-a-pound in a day, that’s probably water weight. Your real weight might not actually be due to fat but water. If this is the case, then it’s important to manage the amount of water held in your body.

There are several culprits why water weight increases.

Consuming less than 1,200 calories a day because you’re dieting, leads to the body retaining water. Limiting calories, especially from carbohydrates, will result in the breakdown of protein and carbohydrates stored in the body. These storages also hold water.

Once your diet returns to normal, the body will again store carbs and fats rather than breaking them down and it will be storing water as well.

Alcohol, because it is a diuretic, is another cause for water weight gain. The more alcohol you drink, the more you’ll be peeing, thus leading to dehydration. And while contradictory, the truth is the body tends to retain water the more it is dehydrated.

Sugar and Salt:

Still, the real culprit why you retain excess water is salt. And sugar, too. By simply eliminating salt from your diet, you’ll prevent water retention, thereby help in your weight loss goal. It’s not just the use of table salt that can promote weight gain, but consuming processed foods, especially snack foods like chips and cookies as well as canned and packaged foods, also contribute to weight gain. That’s because these items are loaded with sodium as a preservative.

Sugar, surprisingly, will also hinder weight loss. With excess sugar in the system insulin levels are raised. The body’s ability to get rid of sodium decreases when insulin levels are high. If you must take something sweet, go for fruits instead because they contain natural sugars.

Next to doing away with salt and sugar, you’ll need to drink lots of water to flush out your system and help it function optimally. This will be a big help in your weight loss program.

Drink More:

The truth is the more your water intake, the less likely your body will store water. It’s simply because your brain and body will know it is getting enough water it needs and won’t have to store it. Consuming lots of water will actually flush out the water you have stored in the body.

You don’t have to stick to plain water to meet your body’s water requirements. Consuming fruits with high water content like watermelon, cucumber and peaches, also adds up to your daily water intake minus the monotony.

It’s inexpensive. It doesn’t have to be bottled or filtered water, tap water will do. What’s important is to realize what it can do to help shed those unwanted pounds and keep them away. There is no rule that says eight glasses a day is all that’s needed to stay healthy.

And you might want to switch to water instead of soda because the latter sure has a lot of calories in them. And the rule is to expend more energy and use up those calories and limit caloric intake if you’re after losing weight the right way.