Water is great for you. Proper hydration helps your brain stay alert, your cells function at top rate, and your exercise performance on key.
There's another benefit to water, too, and it pertains to weight loss. That said, some so-called experts make it seem like H20 is an instant fat burner. Except that's not really true. It's a little more complex than that.
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There's some truth behind the claim that water can help you lose weight. Oftentimes water is pushed to those seeking weight loss because there is a belief that water can fill you up leading to eating less often or less volume come meal time, says Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN.
So because youre filling up on water, youll be less likely to snack and can better control hunger. Plus, as the theory goes, when you are hydrated and eating foods that have high water content, you are more likely to have better hydration overall throughout the day to help manage weight.
Poor hydration can mean that your body continues to seek out fluid through the foods you are eating though, which is why sometimes people feel as if they may eat less when they have water before or at a meal, Jones says.
So, rather than trying to use water to mask your hunger, sip water regularly throughout the day in an attempt to prevent feelings of thirst (a sign you're already dehydrated) and then you may have a more regular appetite regulation throughout the day.
Along with well balanced meals and snacks, adequate hydration may help you better listen to your hunger and fullness cues, helping your body reach the weight it is meant to be over time, she says. Still though, beyond weight management, can it help you drop weight when youre looking to slim down?
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It can help in the short-term but not so much long-term. While volume of food and liquids puts pressure on the nerve cells in your digestive tract, sending some signals to your brain that you may be full, it doesn't last for very long, Jones says.
Without intake of protein, fat, and fiber, proper satiety signals will not be released and if it doesn't catch up to you very soon after once the water has left your stomach, it often will later in the day, leading to extreme hunger and potentially ease in overeating, she adds.
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On top of your baseline needs, it's recommended to drink an additional 16 to 24 ounces of fluid starting around 3 hours before exercise, up to 1 liter an hour during exercise and between 13 to 27 ounces per hour depending on conditions of your workout, says Jones.
Afterwards, you should replace whatever you lost during your workout. By weighing yourself before and after your training session, you can calculate this need. For every pound lost while moving, drink an additional 16 to 20 ounces on top of your baseline needs. Thirst is not a good indicator of hydration status and fluid needs, Jones says.
It is possible. You drink more water than your kidneys can remove in your urine. This can cause too much water to collect in your bloodstream and an imbalance of fluids, says Maggie Michalczyk, MS, RD.
While more risky for women than men, men can still over-do it with water, which can be life threatening.
Excessive fluid intake occurs when the body has so much fluid that minerals such as sodium are diluted in the blood, leading to fluid imbalances in and out of cells, Jones says.
Known as hyponatremia, or low blood sodium, creates symptoms from nausea and fatigue to brain damage and death, she says.
This is isnt something to worry too much aboutbut it is a risk associated with excess water intake.
Water weight is when the body retains fluids that would normally get filtered by the kidneys. It's usually temporary and doesn't mean that you've gained weight, however can be discouraging for someone trying to lose weight, says Michalczyk.
It might happen for a few reasons. An increase in salt in the diet, and sitting for long periods of time (like on a long flight) can all be reasons why people gain water weight, Michalczyk says.
Yet, you can help manage it. Avoiding salty foods (like processed foods that usually contain a lot of salt), drinking enough water and exercising are all ways to prevent water weight and get it to go away, Michalczyk says.
Carbs can also have an impact on fluid retention, because glycogen (storage form of carbohydrates) pulls in water. This explains why people on a crash diet with very little carbs lose weight right away but then tend to gain right back when they resume their normal, Michalczyk says. It's water weight that is being lost from the stored glycogen in our musclesjust another reason why slow, sustained weight loss is the way to go.
The takeaway? Overall, water can help you lose weight as a healthy lifestyle habit where you may control appetite better and go for less sugary drinks to quench your thirst, but pure water alone wont really tip the scale for long-term changes.
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Water and Weight Loss - How Much to Drink for Losing Weight - menshealth.com
