Putting on weight is one the easiest things to do. Losing it, however, is an entirely different story. Even with the stream of available workouts and prescribed weight-loss programs, dropping off those extra pounds could still be quite challenging.
Fortunately, something as simple as drinking water could help you attain your weight-loss goals in record time. Drinking water to lose weight involves taking a specific amount of water daily to restrain your appetite and reduce your food consumption.
This doesn’t mean you should depend on water only – you must endeavor to eat and live healthy through balanced diets and frequent exercise.
Questions: Weight Loss and Water
The benefits of drinking an adequate amount of water daily are quite numerous. Water assists to deliver nutrients to various organs, hydrate the body, maintain fresh skin and promote muscle strength. The best part is it’s entirely calorie-free!
Although there’s no fixed amount of water for weight loss that applies to everybody, the right volume can be determined based on some crucial factors. Some common questions on how much water to drink to lose weight are listed below:
1. Does drinking water help you lose weight?
Believe it or not, drinking water can help you lose weight. Recent studies have shown that a healthy intake of water leads to a decreased calorie intake and inevitable weight loss.
One such clinical study on obesity revealed that a group of obese adults lost 2 pounds over a period of 12 weeks, simply by consuming 2 cups of water before each meal. For those on a strict weight-loss diet, you’ll lose more weight by drinking two cups of water after meals.
According to a study which focused on obese adults, evaluating the outcome of drinking and not drinking water after low-calorie meals, results showed that those who drank water after their meals lost 4 pounds more than the non-water drinkers.
2. How much water should you drink daily?
Before each meal, it’s advisable to drink 2 cups of water to lose weight. For every 50 pounds of body weight, you need about 4 cups of water. However, to rightly determine how much water to drink a day to lose weight, you must consider some factors such as gender, age, diet, activity level, climate, health conditions, and medications.
Usually, men need to drink about thirteen (8-ounce) cups of water, while women need nine cups of water, of the same portion size. You’re recommended to talk with your doctor or dietician so that your overall diet and water needs – both for weight loss and sound health – can be expertly decided.
3. When should you drink water daily?
Clear emphasis has been made on the fact that you need to drink water each day. But it’s also imperative to know when to drink it. You’re required to drink 2 glasses of water 20 or 30 minutes before you dig into that home-cooked meal, or immediately upon being seated at your favorite restaurant.
Since your belly is filled with water, you’ll find you won’t eat as much because you feel full. Plus, at that particular meal, you’ll end up consuming only about 70 to 85 calories, which is fewer than usual.
If you maintain this habit of drinking water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you’ll end up eliminating about 210 to 255 calories daily from your diet.
Calculating Your Daily Water Intake for Weight Loss
Most people don’t actually realize how water helps with weight loss. Experts have shown that water intake and weight loss go hand-in-hand. Drinking water helps speed up your rate of metabolism while controlling excessive eating. The question is, how much water is deemed adequate?
A water intake calculator helps to determine the approximately amount of water you need daily to prevent dehydration. These calculators are very useful tools for verifying the appropriate level of water consumption for weight loss, and you’ll need to provide information such as your weight, height, climate and total workout time.
Once all information is filled in, you’ll be given an estimate of how much water you should drink daily. Knowing the correct estimation of water intake based on weight and some of the other factors can set you on the path to achieving your weight-loss goals in record time.
Like a daily water intake calculator, you can also calculate water intake by weight using the following steps:
1. Know Your Weight
Water consumption varies with weight. The first thing you need to do is weigh yourself and write it down.
2. Multiply Your Weight by 2
If you weigh 105 pounds, for example, you should multiply 105 by 2. This leaves a total of 210.
3. Divide figure by 3
After doubling your weight, divide the number by 3. Working with the example above, 210 divided by 3, gives you 70. This means that a person weighing 105 pounds should be drinking 70 ounces of water daily.
4. Your Activity Level
The number can be adjusted based on the duration of your workout. For every 30 minutes of exercise, add about 12 ounces of water. This means that if you work out for 50 minutes daily, you’d need to increase your daily intake by 20 ounces.
Tips for Reaching Your Daily Water Goals
Now that you’re acutely aware of how much water intake is required to lose weight every day, the next challenge is, how do you consistently stick to this almost impossible water regimen? These tips below can help you:
1. First thing in the morning, and last thing at night.
Taking an 8-ounce glass of water just before going to bed, and a 16-ounce glass when you wake up, will add an extra 24 ounces to your daily water intake.
2. Drink two cups of water before each meal.
If you take a 16-ounce glass of water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you’ll be drinking 48 ounces of water daily, without any stress.
3. Drink water intermittently throughout the day.
It’s advisable to sip on small quantities of water throughout the course of the day, even when you don’t feel very thirsty.
4. Have a special water bottle.
You can make drinking water fun by having a neat bottle or cup specially designated for your water, and challenging yourself to see how many times you can fill and empty it. Once you can comfortably finish the water in the container, raise the bar by replacing it with a larger one!
5. Add some flavor to your water.
Give your water a little pizzazz with some delicious natural flavors to make your daily water intake fun. Using infused water to lose weight makes the process easier and more enjoyable, and involves adding fruits like lemons, cucumber, strawberries, limes among others.
Detox Waters
Yes, you can drink water to lose weight. No, the water doesn’t have to be plain. A lot of things can be added to your water to improve the taste and get rid of harmful toxins. Detox waters are now quite popular, with various recipes available to suit your needs.
While many people use detox waters to lose weight, these infused waters can generally serve to improve your overall health. Three popular types of detox water are:
1. Cucumber Detox Water
It’s not difficult to understand why a lot of people prefer using cucumber water to lose weight – it’s been around for a long time and boasts numerous health benefits and a fantastic taste. Plus, the recipe is the simplest of all and involves only two ingredients – cucumber and water.
Simply slice your cucumbers and place neatly in a glass of cold water, or water and ice, and enjoy!
2. Strawberry Infused Vitamin Water
This is made by mixing a cup of strawberries, a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, some cubed watermelon and a pinch of salt. This detox water is loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients and vitamins, plus it looks really attractive in the glass.
Drinking a cold glass of strawberry infused vitamin water keeps you fresh and hydrated.
3. Slim Down Detox Water
This is one of the best detox waters for weight loss. To make this recipe, mix a sliced medium grapefruit, sliced lemon, sliced lime, and some mint leaves with half a gallon of spring water. Refrigerate the mixture for several hours and drink at least half a gallon daily for maximum results.
Final Thoughts
From protecting our vital organs to facilitating proper metabolism, the water in our bodies has many functions. You can also use water to lose weight quickly by replacing sugary drinks and beverages with water.
This can help in cutting back on excess calories. However, you may need to do more than just drink water if you need to lose a significant amount of weight.
Water is just a small part of the whole; you’ll also need to eat healthy foods, fresh fruits, and vegetables, and incorporate some exercise to get your blood pumping. This will help keep you hydrated, energized, and trim!
What are you waiting for? Take the first step – get yourself a glass of water!