Lose Weight by Drinking Water: What you need to know
For water weight loss. According to the Mayo Clinic, men should drink 3 liters of water per day, women should drink 2.2 liters per day. Science is confirming what many health experts have suspected all along: Water is an essential part of weight loss, you can lose weight and keep it off by drinking the right amount of water at the right time. Your results will vary – mostly by age.
Quiz: Are you drinking enough water?
According to a 2013 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study:
43 Percent of adults drink less than one liter of water per day
36 Percent drink less than ¾ of a liter
Seven percent don’t drink any water at all!
Age will affect your results
One of the most surprising results in the study review is that age matters. Drinking water caused people from ages 50 – 80 to reduce their calorie intake, but it had no effect of the calorie intake of people 21 to 35 years of age.
One possible reason for this age effect was demonstrated in a study called Reduced Thirst after Water Deprivation in Healthy Elderly Men. This study showed that if elderly men became dehydrated, their sense of thirst actually declined! If you are over the age of 50, this finding has major implications for your health: It is likely that you can’t rely on your body’s thirst mechanism, you need to take charge of your health and maintain your hydration levels.
Bottom line: Younger people can rely on their thirst mechanism to tell them when to drink water, middle-aged and older people can’t.
When you should drink water to encourage weight loss
Drink a 16 ounce glass of water about a half hour before every meal. What that will do for you is reduce your hunger. Research has shown, if you are middle-aged or older, that your body can mistake thirst for hunger. So drinking a glass of water a half hour before meals actually reduces your hunger by quenching your thirst!
Another great time to drink water is when you first wake up. A 16 ounce glass of water with a twist of lemon in it is a great eye-opener, and it encourages peristalsis – the movement of food and waste matter through your intestines.
Lastly, have a glass of water an hour before bed. This one could save your life: Dehydration during sleep can lead to a heart attack or stroke! That glass of water will also mean that you wake up that much better hydrated in the morning.
5 Creative ways to make sure you drink enough water to lose the weight
Drink when you are hungry If you are middle aged or older, your body may mistake hunger for thirst. So everytime you get hungry, drink a glass of water. If your body was actually thirsty instead of hungry, that will satisfy your “hunger”. This is an excellent strategy for avoiding those in-between meal snacks that wreck your diet.
Use a straw Some people find that they take bigger gulps if they drink through a straw. You don’t have use a titanium straw like Beyonce, but try to use a reusable straw instead of a disposable straw. It’s better for the environment, and possibly better for your health. Disposable straws can have chemical residues on them.
Time yourself Set a timer to remind yourself to drink a glass of water. If you get 8 hours of sleep a night, plan to drink a glass of water 15 times during the day. To reach three liters, men will need to drink about a cup of water (200 Ml) per hour. Women will need to drink about ¾ of a cup (150 mL) of water per hour to reach 2.2 liters by the end of the day.
Get a drinking pal Find a friend or coworker that also wants to drink more water and agree to hold each other accountable.
Reward yourself It’s much easier to make a habit out of things you enjoy, so plan to give yourself a small reward at the end of each day and/or week that you meet your water consumption goal.
How much weight do people lose by drinking water?
It varies, everybody’s body is different. Research shows that, over a 12 week period for people that eat an identical diet, water drinkers will lose about a pound and a half more than non water drinkers. People who drink alkaline water may lose even more.
One study on drinking alkaline water for weight loss using middle-aged test subjects showed that they lost 12 pounds over an 8 week period. The test subjects in this study were all clinically obese, meaning they had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 30. Doctors define a BMI of greater than 30 as clinically obese, which means they view it as a disease.
Do other beverages count towards water intake?
Yes, according to Harvard Health, water is best but beverages such as coffee, tea, milk, and juice provide hydration and count towards your total water consumption. However, Harvard recommends going easy on those other beverages, and getting most of your water intake by drinking water.
The benefits of making your drinking water alkaline
Health: There are over 40 studies on the health benefits of alkaline water, which show benefits such as:
- Weight loss
- Detoxification from heavy metals
- Cholesterol reduction
- Improved hydration
- Reduced bone loss
Taste Alkaline water tastes better than regular water, it’s slightly sweeter and feels more refreshing. Improving the taste of your water beneficial if you’re trying to increase your water intake: You will naturally want to drink more water if you like the taste of it.
Life Ionizers guarantees: Our water ionizers make the best water you’ve ever tasted. We will make your tap water sweet and refreshing, and we’ll beat the taste of that bottled water that you pay way too much for – we guarantee it.
Detoxification of fruits and vegetables Alkaline water neutralizes acidic pesticide and herbicide residues. This is a fact that you can see for yourself. Simply soak some produce in a bowl of alkaline water, soak another in regular water. In a few minutes the water in the alkaline water bowl will turn dirty brown. The water in the regular bowl will remain clear.
Better coffee and tea Alkaline water makes coffee and tea less bitter, acidic, and more aromatic. Coffee and tea made with alkaline water taste better.
Reduce the acidity of fruit juice Some people find it difficult to drink fruit juices because of the acidity. Alkaline water will buffer some of that acidity, making your fruit beverages less acidic
Savings A water ionizer will save you a lot of money over the cost of buying bottled water. After the upfront investment you make buying your machine, you get as much alkaline water as you want for pennies per gallon. You will also be helping save the environment by avoiding plastic bottles.
Want to know how alkaline water could benefit your health? Call us at 855 419-2840 for a free, no obligation healthy water consultation
References
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
“Reduced Thirst after Water Deprivation in Healthy Elderly Men — NEJM.”
New England Journal of Medicine. New England Journal of Medicine, 20 Sept. 1984. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM198409203111202>.
Van Walleghen, Emily, and Et Al. “Pre-meal Water Consumption Reduces Meal Energy Intake
in Older but Not Younger Subjects.” Obesity. Obesity Society, 6 Sept. 2012. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2007.506/full>.
Dennis, Elizabeth, and Et Al. “Water Consumption Increases Weight Loss During a
Hypocaloric Diet Intervention in Middle-aged and Older Adults.” Obesity. Obestiy Society, 6 Sept. 2012. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2009.235/full>.