Drinking Water and Weight Loss - Is There a Connection?

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There has been a lot of talk about the effects of drinking water on a diet. Some claim that drinking water is a fast weight loss technique. Others say it hardly does anything. What does water actually do for a diet in general and weight loss in particular?

Drinking Water before Meals

One of the big causes for weight loss is overeating. By drinking one or two glasses of water before starting a meal, the body starts to fill up on a calorie free liquid. This curbs the hunger somewhat and limits the craving to eat.

Furthermore, in an article published by the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, it publicized a study which shows that the body's metabolism increases by 30% after drinking 2 glasses of water. This means that the fat accumulated during a meal will burn faster and more efficiently when you drink water before eating. In the same study they found that people actually ate fewer calories after drinking water, and lost more weight than their counterparts.

In short - When you drink water before eating a meal it does two things for your diet: First of all, you end up eating fewer calories during the meal. Second, the water improves the system's ability to burn calories efficiently. Drinking water before meals is definitely a good start to a healthy diet and weight loss program.

Drinking Water between Meals

For the same reasons listed above, drinking enough water throughout the day is vital to a successful diet. Without enough hydration the body will start to crave for food between meals which means snacks and more calories and fat. Make a habit of drinking water often, and it will curb the urge to snack between meals.

In addition, very often the body will mistaken thirst for hunger. By drinking enough this will keep the body hydrated properly and you will not feel these misleading signals.

Dehydration Causes Facial Bloating

Not drinking enough water could cause facial bloating. When the body starts to dehydrate, it will store extra fluid in the facial tissues giving the face a bloated look. Keep you face looking slim by drinking enough water. Do not wait until you feel thirsty. Thirst is a sign that the body is already partially dehydrated. Keep drinking water and you are on your way to a successful path to efficient weight loss.

The Water Diet

There are some people that believe in what is called a water diet. Basically, it involves drinking 64 oz. of cold water a day. You are supposed to drink the water in increments of 8 oz. throughout the day. The theory behind this diet is that the body requires calories to bring the cold water up to body temperature. So by drinking cold water we are forcing the system to burn more calories.

While this theory makes sense, there were no studies that are known to this author to prove that it actually helps with weight loss. Even if the theory was true, you do not need many calories to warm up the water to body temperature. The body burns about 12 calories for every two cups of water. But of course every calorie counts - and combined with the above benefits of water to a weight loss program it is definitely worthwhile to get into the habit of drinking water.

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Source by Jay Shifrin