There are many reasons to make sure that you drink plenty of water, so the fact that it can help you lose weight is just one more bonus. Water is necessary to keep your body functioning properly. Your brain and heart are 73% water and your lungs are 83%. Water helps regulate your body temperature and aids in cell building. Dehydration can lead to achy joints, since water is a lubricant for the body. Water can energize you, too. Too little water can make you feel exhausted and give you brain fog. So, even if you aren’t trying to lose weight, drinking adequate water is important.
If you feel bloated or have water weight, drink more water.
That sounds counterintuitive, but it’s not. You can actually help eliminate water retention by drinking more water. Your body holds water for a number of reasons, but one of those is dehydration. When your body is dehydrated, it holds extra water to offset the shortage. Drinking more water also helps flush your system, eliminating sodium and fluid and improves the functioning of your kidneys.
Give your metabolism a boost with water.
If you want to give your metabolism a quick 30% boost for an hour and a half, drink cold water. A study found that drinking two liters of water a day increased metabolism in the average subject enough to burn an additional 96 calories. Over a month’s time, that’s about 3000 calories, almost enough to burn one extra pound. The beauty of it is that you don’t have to anything different but increase your water intake if it’s less than two liters.
Maybe you’re not hungry, maybe you’re just thirsty.
Sometimes, body signals are misread by the brain and you think you’re hungry, but in reality, you’re simply slightly dehydrated. Think of those times when something juicy sounded delicious, like watermelon. Sometimes, you feel hungry, but nothing seems to hit the spot. Those two times, you may actually just want a glass of water. Carry a bottle of water with you at all times and sip on it if you feel hungry. See if that urge to eat subsides. It often does.
- The older you are, the harder it is to stay hydrated. If you have frequent UTIs or frequently show signs of mental confusion, drink some water. Seniors sometimes seem senile, when the problem comes from dehydration.
- Water not only helps you lose weight, it helps you look younger, too. Dehydration leads to dry skin and leads to premature wrinkling and sunken eyes.
- A study showed that subjects that drank a half liter of water before a meal, lost 44% more weight than the control group that didn’t. Water fills you up, but has no calories. You’ll eat less at each meal.
- When you drink water, choose cold water. It takes extra calories to warm the water to body temperature and every calorie counts. Water also helps constipation, that can leave you looking and feeling bloated.
For more information, contact LIV Fitness