Water and Weight Loss

Water and weight loss has become quite a popular topic for modern day research. This comes as no surprise since as more studies emerge their strong connection to one another is becoming more apparent. I have found that drinking more water seems to be a common goal among us all. But why do we need to drink more water? Today we are going to look deeper into this relationship and see why drinking more water could mean losing more weight.

Drinking Water to Burn Calories

Drinking water has been found to increase the amount of calories you burn. The measurement of how many calories your body burns is known as resting energy expenditure. Studies have shown that within 10 minutes of drinking water, adults resting energy expenditure increased by 24-30%. These studies also found that cold water increases your resting energy expenditure more so than warm since the body has to burn calories to get the water up to body temperature. The higher your resting energy expenditure is the more calories you burn and therefore the greater potential you have for fat loss.

Drinking Water to Suppress Appetite

Drinking water before a meal may help resist the urge to over-indulge. Bottom line is water takes up space in the stomach which may help you feel full sooner rather than later. This prevents too many calories from being consumed all at once.

Drinking Water to Energize Muscles

Cells that do not maintain a proper fluid and electrolyte balance can lead to muscle fatigue. Drinking plenty of water ensures that your muscles are properly hydrated. Muscles that are not properly hydrated are not able to function properly and ultimately your performance when exercising can suffer.

Drinking Water to Keep you Regular

When you do not drink enough water your colon will pull water from the stool to maintain hydration. This leads to constipation. Drinking more water (and increasing fiber) will allow for your bowels to function properly.

How much water do I need?

For weight loss and increased performance , a gallon of water is recommended. Personally I will carry around a gallon of water with me just to be sure I am getting the right amount by the end of the day.

Use this mini challenge as an opportunity to see if you can drink a gallon a day. Pay close attention to how your body feels and see if any changes occur for you both inside and outside of the gym.