An important part of every diet plan should be ensuring that you drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Everyone from fitness influencers to doctors encourages us to drink more water to improve our health and maintain a healthy weight, so what is the science behind this theory?
Some studies have in fact shown that drinking an excess of water can contribute to weight loss and can help people maintain a healthy body mass index.
So does drinking water help you lose body weight?
And how does this work?
How does drinking water help with weight loss?
Don’t worry; we aren’t going to suggest you live on just water! We are simply looking into the effects of increasing your hydration levels alongside a healthy diet. Let’s look at why drinking plenty of water is so important.
Increases fat breakdown
Water is one of the chemicals our body needs to convert fat into energy. If you're dehydrated, your body may struggle to efficiently metabolise fat, hindering your weight loss efforts. By ensuring you're well hydrated, you're enabling your body to effectively break down fat stores and use them as a source of energy.
Can reduce calorie intake
Are you hungry or just thirsty? It’s something you have surely heard asked to someone trying to shed the pounds, and there is truth in this. In fact, it works in two ways. Sometimes your body simply gets confused between thirst and hunger, so if you have recently eaten, try drinking a glass of water and see how you feel in 15 minutes.
Water also fills up our stomach, which sends signals to our brain that our stomach is full. This can reduce our appetite, which means we eat less. If you are struggling to maintain a calorie deficit and lose weight, try drinking a large glass of water before each meal.
Swapping other drinks, particularly sugary drinks, for water will also ensure you consume fewer calories. Most beverages have a calorie count, and some have very high calories. These are also ‘empty calories’, and calories from drinks don’t help you feel full. Sugary drinks also cause spikes in blood sugar levels which can lead to body fat storage. Ditch the soda and energy drinks and instead drink water wherever possible to reduce your daily calorie intake and lose weight.
Reduces water retention
So if you drink more water, you hold onto less water??
Yes! It might sound counterintuitive, but you need to drink water to reduce water retention and bloating. When your body notices that it isn’t getting enough water, it holds on to any water it has.
This won’t affect your body composition or fat stores but will make you look less slender. When you're adequately hydrated, your body feels confident in releasing excess fluids, resulting in a leaner and more toned appearance.
Improves your workouts
Hydration is absolutely key to ensuring you perform your best when exercising. The extra sweating you experience during exercises can dehydrate you very quickly. If you don’t replenish this by taking on plenty of fluids, you could become sluggish, and your metabolism won’t be in the optimal condition to burn calories and fat.
Drinking plenty of water will help you complete more intensive workouts and work out for longer. This leads to higher calorie burn, faster metabolism and improved weight loss results.
Increases your metabolic speed
Studies have shown that water actually speeds up your metabolism; this is known as “water-induced thermogenesis”.
Even mild dehydration can slow your metabolism, so it is important to drink plenty often. You won’t feel any effects of dehydration when it first starts, in fact, it can take a few hours until you realise. Don’t wait till you feel thirsty!
What are the other benefits of drinking plenty of water?
We must drink enough water in order to look after our long-term health. Beyond its role in weight loss, staying adequately hydrated offers a range of benefits.
Enhanced cognitive function
Dehydration can impair cognitive function, leading to difficulty concentrating, decreased alertness, and memory issues. Drinking water throughout the day can improve your focus, mental clarity, and general brain function.
Replacing diet beverages with water can also contribute to better cognitive function. The chemicals in diet beverages can reduce sleep quality, lead to impaired memory, and poor motor coordination, and it can heighten the impact of ADHD.
A healthy gut
Water is essential for proper digestion and nutrient absorption, and if we don’t drink enough, we are likely to become constipated.
Better skin
We all dream of glowing clear skin! Proper hydration is important to promote a radiant complexion. Staying hydrated reduces our chances of having dry skin or acne.
Improved kidney and liver function
Our kidneys and liver are there to flush out the nasties! And they need water to help them do that. While there are many fad detox diets, the best way to remove toxins from our body is simply to drink lots of water. Prolonged dehydration can increase your chances of kidney stones and other kidney disease.
Good joint health
Did you know that we need water to lubricate our joints? Drinking plenty of fluids can reduce inflammation which can lead to joint pain. This is particularly important when exercising and for people who suffer from arthritis.
Body temperature regulation
Water helps keep us cool when it's hot and warm when it’s cold. It keeps us cool via sweat production and heat dissipation and keeps us warm by ensuring our metabolism can run efficiently and produce the extra energy we need for cold days.
Headaches and dizziness prevention
After a dry throat, a headache is one of the first signs of dehydration. More severe dehydration can lead to dizziness. Neither of which are particularly pleasant or conducive to getting your work, day-to-day tasks or workouts done!
Heart health
Good hydration can help maintain healthy blood pressure levels and supports cardiovascular health.
It actually helps blood flow around the body, ensuring that enough blood reaches your heart.
Immune health improvement
Drinking water supports your immune system by carrying essential nutrients to cells and flushing out harmful substances that could weaken immunity.
More energy
Drinking water helps us stay lively throughout the day! It staves off headaches and feelings of tiredness and keeps us performing at our best, whatever the task at hand.
How much water should I drink each day?
The amount of water you need each day depends on a number of factors, such as your age, sex, weight, activity level and the climate you live in.
Many health experts recommend drinking 8x 8-ounce glasses of water per day, "8x8 rule" (roughly 2 litres or half a gallon). This is just a guide, however, and some people may need more or less.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the United States suggest that men need approximately 3.7 litres (125 ounces) and women need around 2.7 litres (91 ounces) of water per day, but this includes all fluids from water, beverages, and moisture in food. Fruit, vegetables and soup are water-rich foods, so if you eat a healthy diet, this can contribute to your overall total.
The 8-glass rule is a good one to follow on an average day, but if it is very hot, you are exercising or you are pregnant or breastfeeding, increase this by a few glasses. You will also need to increase your water intake as once you get into your 60s and beyond, as our bodies become less efficient at absorbing liquids as we age.
A good test… is your urine! A well-hydrated person produces clear, almost colourless urine. If it is very yellow or even brown, you need to start drinking more water.
What else can I do to help with weight loss?
If you are eating healthy, staying hydrated and getting plenty of sleep, but you still aren’t losing weight, what else can you do to help you shed fat? Alongside upping your water intake, we recommend trying PhenQ, a safe and natural weight loss supplement that can help you achieve a leaner figure.
Like water, it gives you more energy, speeds up your metabolism, supports the fat-burning process and suppresses your appetite.
You’ll find some of our ingredients in other weight loss products, but it is our unique blend combined with our scientifically proven, secret ingredient that has allowed us to create a stronger, more powerful product that gives you far superior fat-busting results to others.
Should I be drinking more water?
If you ever feel tired and sluggish, experience headaches, struggle to workout, or notice your urine is dark, drinking more water could help you feel better and lose weight faster.
If you do experience any of these symptoms consistently, especially once you start drinking more water, it is important you visit your doctor.
Drinking more water and taking PhenQ diet pills are 2 easy ways to improve your weight loss results. Both support a healthy, balanced diet and ensure you make the most of any workout.
