A woman drinking a glass of water for weight loss

Does Drinking More Water Help You Lose Weight?

The human body is very much dependent on water for survival. This is because all our cells, compartments, and fluids in our body contain water to some extent. In fact, over 60% of our body is made up of water, which means that the clear, calorie-free fluid plays a major role in just about every bodily function. Therefore, according to studies, the more hydrated the body is, the more efficiently it works that range from thinking to burning body fat.

A woman stopping from eating sugary foods and sweets

While a variety of factors, behaviours, and vulnerability can affect the body weight, ensuring that you drink enough water and stay well-hydrated is a great place to start as far as weight loss is concerned. From suppressing appetite and boosting metabolism to making workouts easier and more efficient, water can help with weight loss in a variety of ways you never would’ve known.

So here is what you need to know about how water can help you with weight loss or maintenance:

        1. It Suppresses Your Appetite

Whenever you feel hungry, your first thought is to reach for food. However, eating may not be the answer. This is because thirst is often mistaken for hunger by the brain, which is triggered by mild dehydration in the first place. Try drinking water before reaching for food. This can help reduce appetite and help promote fullness.

Additionally, according to a small 2018 study, it was observed that people who drank water before meals ate 22% lesser than those who did not drink any water. This may be due to the fact that water passes through the system quickly and helps fill the stomach to some degree. This signals the brain for fullness, thereby avoiding the desire for more foods. Drinking water can also curb cravings for salty, starchy and sugary foods and beverages that are harmful to health and cause weight gain.

        2. It Stimulates Your Metabolism

According to a 2003 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, it was suggested that drinking cold water may help stimulate the body’s metabolism and energy usage, which are essential for healthy weight management. This is because our body works harder and burn more calories than usual in its effort to warm itself up. This process is also known as thermogenesis. Hence, drinking chilled water helps stimulate thermogenesis or heat production in the body, which give rise to a faster metabolism and eventually weight loss. 

       3. It Helps Reduce Your Overall Liquid Calorie Intake

Since water is made up of zero calories, it is an excellent and healthy alternative to high-calorie, sugary drinks, such as soda, juice, coffee or sweetened tea, which causes nothing but health problems and excess weight gain. 

According to a 2015 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was observed that women with excess weight who replaced diet beverages, such as soda, with water showed greater weight reduction during a weight-loss program.

        4. It Helps Remove Waste From The Body

A woman drinking water after exercising or running

Water is extremely crucial for our body’s waste removal process. Drinking water helps ease urine production, which is mostly made up of water, as well as the movement of faeces by keeping stools soft. You are more likely to feel bloated and heavier and might even weigh more on a scale if you are dehydrated. Furthermore, hydration also promotes healthy kidney function, help flush harmful waste products from the urinary tract, and prevents kidney stones, which can develop with more concentrated urine.

According to a study in 2017, it was observed that drinking more water helped treat constipation in children as well as adults while low intake of fluids can, on the other hand, lead to bloating and constipation.

        5. It Helps You Burn Fat

In a 2016 review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, it was suggested that drinking more water may increase lipolysis, which is the process where the body breaks down fat naturally for energy. Dehydration can decrease the lipolysis process which can slow down metabolism. Hence, upping your water intake is a great way to increase this fat-burning process which will then increase metabolism and ultimately lead to healthy weight loss.

        6. It Helps During Exercise

When it comes to physical activities like exercise, consuming water is of the utmost importance. It helps dissolves electrolytes (minerals that include sodium, potassium and magnesium) and distributes them throughout the body, where their electrical energy triggers muscle contractions required for movement. An imbalance in electrolyte levels can cause cramping, but this is not the only side effect of not drinking enough water during exercise. Dehydration also causes muscles to break down more quickly, making workouts less effective.

Staying hydrated also helps improve exercise by regulating the body’s temperature through sweats, decreasing fatigue, allowing you to work out longer and burn more calories.

 Weight Watchers Tea for Hydration & Weight Loss

What better way to hydrate your body than with a refreshing cup of herbal tea? It has been proven that herbal teas are one of the best ways to stay hydrated and enhance our health as they are packed with nutritional benefits. Preserva’s Weight Watchers Tea is exactly what the name suggests. It is brimmed with antioxidants, and unlike regular teas, this healthy tea contains a unique blend of various powerful Ayurvedic herbs and spices that are known for their weight loss benefits. It can be consumed either hot or cold to suit your taste and mood.

Summary

Although much evidence may show that drinking more water may help support weight loss and encourage other positive health outcomes, this does not mean drinking water alone is the solution for weight loss. Instead, Drinking water should only be one small part of your wellness journey. Factors such as calorie restriction, lifestyle changes, exercise, etc are very much crucial and should be adopted for a positive weight-loss result.  Nevertheless, water is extremely crucial for our health. Always make sure you stay hydrated so that your body run more efficiently and help you feel better and healthy.

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