Does Increasing Water Intake Aid Weight Loss?

Water does not only satisfy our thirst but has many important roles to play in our body. More than 60% of our body is water. This implies that almost every part of our body has some percentage of water requirements. Be it our internal organs, muscles, bones, skin, or our hairs, water is essential for all of them.

Water boosts our general health and it is an essential source for our living. It is even advisable to begin your day with a glass of water because it improves the body metabolism, relieves nasal congestion, and prevents constipation.

The chemical formula of water is H2O, thus consuming more water means there will be an ample supply of oxygen to your body. Since water is an important part of our life, does it also help in losing weight? Let us find out.

Water Improves The Body Metabolism

Our digestive system treats water and food in the same manner. This means whatever goes to the stomach needs to be digested. More water intake means repeated work of the digestive system. This is referred to as "diet-induced thermogenesis" and increases the body metabolism and thus aids in weight loss.

Studies have shown that drinking 0.5 litres of water burn 23 extra calories. Therefore, if you make a habit of drinking enough water every day, it will increase your metabolism helping you in the weight loss process. So start watching the amount of water you drink in a day and start shedding those extra calories. No experiment is better than the experiment on oneself.

Appetite Controller

Drinking water before your meal can control your appetite. Drink at least 400 ml of water before every meal and it will prevent you from overeating by making you full easily. This also means that you will consume fewer calories while burning more, which is a win-win situation to lose weight.

It's not just the food but consuming the right amount of water will also keep you away from other heavy drinks, such as soda and sugar-sweetened drinks like coffee. Replacing high-calorie drinks with water will keep the calorie intake in check.

If you think that plain water will not satisfy your taste buds then try adding lemon and honey to the water which will not only give a pleasant taste to the water but vitamin C from the lemon will be an added advantage.

Helps You In Your Workout

Water keeps the muscles and brain fuelled with oxygen and not drinking enough water may keep you away from your workout session because of dehydration and fatigue.

Dehydration is the condition when the water percentage in your body is reduced by two per cent and this is also the condition that induces tiredness in your body, thus your workout enthusiasm and result will both deteriorate.

Consuming enough water keeps us hydrated that helps the cells and tissues of the body to work properly. Water keeps the joints lubricated and prevents muscle cramps. Therefore, you can up your workout volume and intensity to shed more fat and gain more muscles.

Hydrated muscles and lubricated joints are also able to stand even intense weight training sessions without causing wear and tear.

Water Boosts Your Energy

We do not realise it but sometimes, it is the lack of water in our body that make us feel drained out. You are unable to concentrate and perform well during workout sessions. So next time when you feel out of energy, think of when you last drank water. It could be an hour or more time than that.

When you consume water at equal intervals and drink more than 8 glasses in a day, your body is well fed with oxygen and nutrients, keeping you energetic and feeling light.

How Much Water Should You Drink?

Water requirement may be different for different individuals depending on their immediate environment and the lifestyle, but an average of 1.5 litres of water every day is often recommended.

People who are active and do regular exercise may require more water. Similarly, if you stay out for long in the sun you will again need more water to prevent dehydration due to sweating. Those who live in cold weather have less requirement of water than who live in hot weather.

You should drink water not only when you are thirsty but also when you are slightly hungry. Sometimes the body confuses thirst for hunger; so the next time you are hungry only after a few minutes after your meal, try drinking water instead of feasting on the calorie-rich snacks.