Water for Weight Loss

Does drinking water for weight loss sound too good to be true to you? Well, it’s probably time to realize that not everything which seems too good to be true actually is! Besides all the known health benefits of water, there are numerous ways in which increasing your water intake might indeed help you lose weight.

In a clinical trial, scientists found that drinking two eight-ounce glasses of water prior to meals can help suppress appetite and hence support your weight loss efforts. When you drink water, it fills your stomach and reduces the tendency to eat more afterwards. Also, calorie-free water is a great replacement for high-calorie drinks like alcohol, sugary fizzy drinks and sodas that often contribute to weight gain.

The best part is that drinking cold water can boost your metabolism. In a study on water-induced thermogenesis, researchers found that drinking water caused an increase in energy expenditure in both men and women, likely caused by the body’s efforts to warm the water to body temperature. In the study, men burned fats to provide the energy to warm the water, and women burned carbohydrates. The effects of elevated metabolism began about 10 minutes after consuming the water and peaked at 30-40 minutes after drinking.

Drinking more water helps you flush down water weight. This is more effective if combined with a significant reduction in salt intake.

It is important to note here that water itself doesn't burn fat unlike blueberries (check out my post 'Blueberries-The weapon against belly fat?'). Instead, it either triggers the fat-burning process by boosting your metabolism or it prevents you from over-eating by making you feel full. In any way, drinking water is still better than not doing anything about your unwanted fat and it’s too much of an easy way to ignore!