Whether due to struggles with portion control, eating the wrong foods, or not getting enough exercise, losing weight is a tall task. In addition to these well-known reasons, you may encounter difficulties losing weight because you are not hydrating properly.
Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water helps you lose weight in several ways, including:
- Helping promote a fuller feeling
- Supporting a healthy metabolism
- Helping you burn more calories during exercise
If you’re curious about how and how hydration helps you lose weight, you have come to the right place.
1. Appetite Suppression
You may have noticed that your appetite suddenly lessens after drinking a glass of water. This drop in appetite is because, even though water is calorie-free, it takes up valuable stomach space, resulting in less room for food. As a result, you won’t feel as hungry, which reduces the chances of overeating or snacking after a meal.
2. Increased Metabolic Activity
Once you reach a certain age, typically 25 to 30 for both men and women, your metabolism starts to slow, and it becomes harder to expend energy while processing food. Drink a glass of cool or cold water before a meal to partially negate this effect.
Drinking cold water initiates a process called thermogenesis, where your body uses energy to warm the water inside your body so that you can process and expend it. Because this requires metabolic energy, you increase your metabolism by drinking chilled water.
3. You Burn More Calories
While drinking water can be helpful for a body at rest, its effects are amplified during exercise. The more hydrated you are and the more water you drink, the more effective your body will be at shedding pounds during exercise.
4. Natural Waste Removal
There are two basic ways to remove waste from your body – bowel movements and urinating. By increasing your fluid intake and staying hydrated, you will urinate more often, increasing the amount of waste and fluid you remove from your body. While this won’t help you lose a lot of weight, it can help you avoid gaining weight and support your weight loss journey.
5. Increase Fat-Burning
If you want to lose weight and trim some of the fat from your body, staying hydrated is essential. Drinking lots of water and electrolytes stimulates a natural process known as lipolysis. Lipolysis is a function where your body burns fat and uses it for energy. Therefore, staying hydrated can help you burn fat and lose weight.
6. Reduces Liquid Caloric Intake
Becoming thirsty and wanting to quench it is a natural part of life. You can choose from various beverages, such as soda, sweet tea, flavored drinks, alcohol, and more. However, most of these beverages contain calories that contribute to gaining weight.
Water is the ideal hydrating drink containing zero calories, sugars, or other additives that could cause weight gain. Therefore, drinking water to quench your thirst will reduce your liquid calorie intake, leading to potential weight loss.
Medical Weight Loss
While proper hydration can start your weight loss journey, investing in medical weight loss can help establish momentum toward your goals. Medical weight loss is designed to help you lose weight and trim fat, and it’s straightforward and non-invasive.
Semaglitude are weekly injections that work by suppressing your appetite and helping food remain in your system longer. As a result, you won’t feel as hungry, resulting in consuming fewer calories. Alongside proper hydration, Oregonians can use medical weight loss in Eugene to help them reach their target weight.
Final Thoughts
While hydration can help you lose weight and burn fat, it’s also vital for helping you feel healthy and energized. Dehydration increases your risk for cardiovascular problems, heart disease, sleep issues, and obesity.
Combining proper hydration, diet, and exercise with medical weight loss is the best way to lose weight and get healthy. Each method works well independently but is much better when used together.
References
- https://hub.jhu.edu/at-work/2020/01/15/focus-on-wellness-drinking-more-water/#:~:text=Science%20suggests%20that%20water%20can,to%20results%20on%20the%20scale.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24684853/