If you've ever looked up tips for dieting before, chances are you've come across something like, "Drink lots of water!". Now, while that's a great tip in itself, I personally like to know why I need to do something. In this post, I'm going to be covering the many reasons why water is so important to dieting success, or just health in general, and what better way to start than to slide in a bit history! You'll hear me talking a lot about our ancestors and the way they lived in future posts, but for now let's just take a quick look at today's subject - water.
Long ago, before the days of sugar-riddled soft drinks (if you can imagine such a time), water was our main source of hydration. Aside from alcohol, there was no other source for quenching our thirst, if you could even consider alcohol to be a "thirst quencher". Over the years, we've strayed from our roots so far that our very DNA has changed. You see, our ancestors never experienced hunger pains as frequently as we do, and one very simple explanation for that is: they experienced both hunger and thirst "pains" separately. These days, our thirst mechanism is so watered down (couldn't help myself) that we often mistake it for feelings of hunger. Believe it or not, you're not just thirsty when you feel that your mouth or throat is dry. Our bodies were designed to signal us to drink. We've become so accustomed to eating when we have this feeling that the two have become almost indistinguishable. Ever noticed when you're at school or work and it's almost lunch time, if you just drink plenty of water your cravings seem to subside? Well now you know why! It is for this overly simple reason that water is an excellent tool for weight loss. Worry not, because that's not even close to being the only reason!
Don't go getting the idea that all you need is water to satisfy your hunger. I simply meant that we don't always need food (or at least not as much) when we think we're hungry. Try drinking more water with food to make your meals go farther. Just remember that not eating will be completely counterproductive in your weight loss efforts.
Now, you wanted to know about water - let's get to it:
- Drinking water gives your stomach some light work to do, so it initiates a little process we like to call metabolism.
- On a cellular level, water is involved in every process in the human body. Being even 1% dehydrated can cause a significant drop in metabolism.
- The liver is the main fat metabolizing organ in your body, and when you gain weight you clog it with excess fat. Of course, ultimately fat loss must occur to resolve this, but water certainly helps aid the process.
- Water consumption aids the body in flushing out toxins through the kidneys, relieving the work load of your liver and allowing it to function properly. Thus, your body is able to metabolize fat more efficiently!
- Dehydration causes a reduction in the volume of blood in your body, causing a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles, which can make you feel tired and less likely to exercise.
- Water assists in muscle function and joint lubrication. If you're properly hydrated you'll notice a significant decrease in the amount of soreness you're feeling during and after exercising.
- Weight loss will often include the loss of water (especially with exercising) in addition to fat. To avoid losing too much and becoming dehydrated, as well as throwing off your scales, we drink water.
- It has long been suggested that maintaining proper hydration can fight off disease and illness. I personally believe this to be true, considering all bodily functions require water. I mean, the majority of our bodies is water after all. Obviously you need to meet other nutritional needs as well, but most folks don't understand how well the body is designed to care for itself; given the proper resources, of course.
- Referring to soda, sports drinks, etc., just because it contains water, does not mean you're receiving the right amount. Water means water, not water in addition to junk.
- Commonly overlooked, digestion is also important to weight loss. Your body needs to get rid of waste, and without enough water you're more likely to experience constipation.
How much water should I be drinking?
You've likely heard that 8 - 8 ounce glasses of water (64oz) is what you should shoot for. That's not necessarily true though, and again, remember this is water we're talking about; not "fluids". In reality, 64 ounces is just a starting point, or an average at best. The true amount will rely on a number of factors such as height, weight, the climate where you live, your level of activity, etc. That's a lot of variables and most of which we have no scientific method for accurately calculating. I, myself, tend to shoot for at least 3-4 liters of water per day. A typical 16.9 fl. oz. bottle of water, like what comes in the packs, is 500 ml. This means that 2 bottles is equivalent to 1 liter. Therefore, at minimum, I ingest 6 bottles per day; often times much more.
How do I know if I'm drinking enough?
If you're not measuring your water intake precisely, here's a good rule of thumb: try to aim for a clear, or at least mostly clear urine output 4-5 hours after waking up. You don't have to pee in a special container, just look at it. Yes, look at it. It's not a big deal; we all do it, and we all see it. If you're adequately hydrated it will be mostly water anyway!
Tips
- Try drinking 1-2 bottles of water (or equivalent if you don't want to be spending a fortune on bottled water) before breakfast to help jumpstart your morning. After a good night's sleep (or even a bad night's sleep for that matter), our bodies need a good dose of hydration.
- Don't down your water in a matter of moments. Sip it, with the occasional decent sized gulp.
- You've probably heard that cold/hot water shocks your metabolism into performing faster; or like me, you heard that room temperature is better because it requires less work to be processed. As far as I'm aware, none of this has actually been proven - at least not to a noticeable degree. The most important thing is to drink it.
- If you're not used to drinking a lot of water, you're going to become familiar with almost every bathroom you cross. Eventually your body will get used to this and you won't feel like you have to urinate quite so often, but if you're planning a long road trip I wouldn't advise drinking so much right away.
- As always, listen to your body. There is such a thing as too much water. Water in large doses can cause water toxicity, resulting in dizziness and a wide range of other highly undesirable symptoms. Hyponatremia, or low sodium, is also a risk; especially if, like me, you hate salt and don't ingest much to begin with!
Jesse Eldridge is an up and coming writer, perhaps best known for his unique, free weight loss information and progress reports available on his blog Less of Jess. Notable for being an inspirational mentor, he is always willing to help out in your current weight loss goals.
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