Home Blog Home and Wellness How Drinking Water Can Help You Lose Weight

How Drinking Water Can Help You Lose Weight

by Dr. Jonathan Doyle - Updated November 29, 2021
Yes, you’ve read it right, drinking more water can help you lose weight. Drinking water sounds like a method that is too easy to be helpful in weight control, yet, multiple pieces of evidence have suggested that drinking water can make a difference in weight control. We have introduced this benefit in a previous blog: This Is the Right Amount of Water You Should Take Daily. This article will explain how to lose weight by drinking water and how much you should drink every day.

Drinking water can make you burn more calories

Studies show that drinking water helps increase the number of calories we burn, also known as resting energy expenditure. Scientific study shows that the calorie-burning rate can increase by 24 to 30% within 10 minutes after drinking water. The following study of overweight people showed that the increased water intake over 34 oz led to an extra 4.4 lbs of weight loss on a yearly basis.
The temperature of the water also matters. The calorie-burning results can be further enhanced if the water is cold. When people drink cold water, the human body will use extra calories to warm up the water to body temperature for digestion.

Drink water before each meal reduces appetite

Drinking water can help you feel more full and reduce your appetite. In this way, you will eat less food and eventually achieve the weight control goal. According to a study published on Clinical Nutrition Research, drinking water before each meal can spontaneously cut the calorie intake and foster healthy weight management. The participants who drank two cups of water before a meal ate less compared with the other group who drank nothing.
The examiner of the study explained that drinking water before meals brings time for hormonal signals of satiety to function and results in less hunger when the participants start to eat. In other words, when you drink water before a meal, water can take up space in your stomach and provide the stomach with a feeling of fullness. The stomach then sends signals to the brain to stop eating.

Drink water helps flush waste out of the body

Water helps the kidneys to get rid of toxins and flush out the waste out of our bodies as urine or feces. When dehydrated, kidneys will retain the toxins and fluid that are bad for our health. Another major problem caused by dehydration is the lumpy stools and constipation. People normally feel bloated, tired, and swollen when too much waste builds up in their bodies, which lead to weight gain and other health issues in a long run.

Drink water stimulates your metabolism

The enhanced metabolism is known as a great sign for weight loss, and water is a critical part of it. Drinking water is the easiest way to boost your metabolism. Studies have shown that the metabolism can be increased by up to 25% for nearly an hour after drinking water. Water helps the body to properly metabolize carbohydrates as well as stored fat.

Correct way to drink water to lose weight best

Now you’ve learned the importance of drinking water in helping weight control, the final step is to understand how to drink water correctly to achieve the weight loss goal. You will know how to drink water correctly here: How Much and How Often Should You Drink Water?

Adequate amount

Though drinking water is essential for weight loss, the amount of water you should drink every day needs to be taken into consideration. Based on the guidelines from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the recommended water intake is about 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women. This includes water and fluids from food.
The color of our urine is a good indicator of hydration. If the color is light yellow or fairly clear then you're well-hydrated, if the color turns dark yellow or amber then it’s time to drink more water.

Right time

The amount of water intake should be spread throughout the day. The first recommended time is when you wake up. Rather than the famous “But coffee first,” you should drink one or two cups of water instead. Since you don’t drink when you’re sleeping, your body is already dehydrated when you wake up. Therefore, drink some water first can help balance your body and get all the body systems ready for the day to start.
Other recommended time slots include prior to meals, after meals, midafternoon, and before bed. There’s no fixed time table when to drink water, as long as you separated the total intake amount throughout the day, you can form a healthy water drinking habit.

Drink purified water

The final tip is to drink purified water. Many people opt for sweetened beverages because they are tasty, yet, these sugary drinks can accumulate liquid calories very easily. Compare to normal tap water, purified water is free from any bad taste and odor, which makes it easier to drink. Therefore, replacing those sweetened drinks with purified water can effectively help weight loss. Study suggests that adults who replaced fruit juice with purified water gained 0.35 kg less than their counterparts. Learn more benefits about purified water here: The Benefits of Purified Water

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