Some people who want to improve their physique often focus on working out to shed weight. Although exercising frequently can assist your weight loss, other factors like your diet and lifestyle choices can also affect your progress.
Drinking water can significantly aid your fitness journey. It can provide various benefits to your health and keep your body in excellent condition. Here are some things you should know about water for weight loss.
- Water Can Make You Feel Full
Some people who find it difficult to adjust their meals often utilise the benefits of drinking water. If you want to reduce your food and calorie intake significantly, you can try drinking a glass of plain water before your meal. It may decrease your hunger and prevent you from overeating.
But, before you consume liquids available in your home, you should ensure these are safe for drinking. After all, you don’t want to encounter stomach or health problems due to unclean drinking water. You can ensure you’re drinking clean and potable liquid by finding an alkaline or purified water source. If you’re asking what is alkaline water, it’s water with pH levels from 7.5 to 9. By drinking this type of fluid, your blood pH level can have higher alkaline levels, even reducing your risk of developing various diseases.
Craig Salmon from Premier Global NASM says “Some people who find it difficult to adjust their meals often utilise the benefits of drinking water. If you want to reduce your food and calorie intake significantly, you can try drinking a glass of plain water before your meal. It may decrease your hunger and prevent you from overeating.”
- Water Can Encourage Your Fat-Burning Mechanism
Although drinking plenty of water daily may not directly result in weight loss, it can significantly aid your progress and keep your body healthy. For one, it can keep your body in good shape, especially when you perform various exercises. Without water, you may feel fatigued or have difficulties executing some activities throughout your day. Furthermore, other functions in your body, like your fat-burning mechanism, may need water to work efficiently.
Your body burns more calories when you drink sufficient amounts of cold water. It can increase your resting energy expenditure and contribute to the total calories you use daily. So, if you want to lose weight, it may be a great idea to start increasing your fluid intake. Additionally, you should focus on the type of liquids you consume to be fitter. Sugary drinks shouldn’t be your norm.
- The Recommended Water Intake Varies
If you’ve been reading about the average daily water intake, you may know that some sources recommend eight glasses or about two litres of liquid daily. However, this number may not apply to everyone. Like your lifestyle and needs, many factors may affect how much water you should drink. For example, if you perform strenuous movements regularly, you may need to drink more to keep your body hydrated. Staying outside for long hours on a hot day may also dehydrate you faster, so you may also need to drink more water.
Overall, you should listen to your body to determine how much water you need. Drink some fluids whenever you feel thirsty, and consume enough until you quench your thirst. Also, if you’re suffering from mild headaches, frequent or unexplained hunger, or irritability, you should try consuming more fluids as these symptoms may indicate mild dehydration.
- Some Liquids May Hinder Your Weight Loss
Beverages with caffeine like coffee or tea can strip your body of essential fluids and dehydrate you. Instead of supplying water to your body, it makes you excrete fluids through urine. This is why you may notice that you need to go to the bathroom more often whenever drinking caffeinated beverages. So, it’s not advisable to count caffeine intake as your daily water dose.
Additionally, sugary drinks like soda can contain many calories and may cause you to go above your daily calorie limit if you drink them often. Hence, it’s best to focus on drinking plain water, particularly alkaline, when you want to lose weight.
- Drinking-Water Can Aid Digestion
Indigestion can feel uncomfortable and prevent you from performing other activities throughout your day. If you like working out, an upset stomach may stop you from going all out during your session. Although one missed exercise session won’t make you lose all your fitness progress, it’s still more convenient to feel your best whenever you head to the gym.
If your body seems to have problems digesting food, one natural remedy is increasing your water intake. Liquid can help your body break down the food you eat and aid in how well your body absorbs nutrients. Water also helps soften stool and lessen your chances of experiencing constipation.
Final Thoughts
Drinking adequate amounts of water may significantly aid your weight loss journey. So, if you want to level up your fitness regimen, increasing your intake may be a step in the right direction.
