Water's role in weight loss

jayalilly

New member
AHi, just wondering if anybody knows anything about the role of water in weight loss? I read on a website that water is essential for weight loss but it didn't say why. Another used water as a way of feeling full on a low calorie diet. And I remember reading different amounts of water you should be drinking, some said icy water to burn more calories others didn't. I've also heard that drinking hot water is good for your metabolism and helpful in loosing weight...

:icon_bs:

Just want to find out how much I should drink, how I can incorporate it into my day, and why I need to drink 'X' amount for weight loss.
 
- icy water doesn't burn enough calories to be of any use.

- your body needs water to function properly, so drink tons of it.

- you can't really drink too much (unless that's your goal). I go through 4-5 L of water / day. You should essentially be peeing water .. if you are not, than you probably aren't drinking enough
 
Hey Jaylilly, a friend of mine showed me a book called "98 Degrees: Keeping Your Ass Alive". It is about survival in extreme situations, but had something in it you might find interesting.


The author claimed that the only way to actually hydrate your body is to drink so much water, at one time, that you forced your stomach to bypass digesting it and release it into your intestinal tract (where, he wrote, it is absorbed directly into your body). He said that, to do this, you need to drink water until you feel like throwing up (you'll feel that way briefly, until your stomach releases the water).


I can't vouch for the medical/scientific accuracy of the author's statements, but I can tell you that I was curious enough to try it.


The very first time I did it (about six years ago) I experienced everything he described. I could even clearly feel it when my stomach released the water into my intestines!


What I've found from following this practice is that my intestines get "flushed" (not to be gross, but my bowels move). That almost always happens. I can also report that, since I've been doing this every day for the last six years, I have only been ill a few times (literally), my hair and nails grow faster, my urine is usually very clear (a sign of proper hydration as our moderator pointed out), and I do not experience pangs of thirst during the day. I'm convinced enough about the practice that it is a daily part of my weight loss "actions" (that I feel very good about - an important point!).


For the past six years, each day, believe it or not, I drink a gallon of water. Every day, unless I'm stopped by unavoidable circumstances (I've even figured out ways to do it when making long car trips and don't want to stop to pee every 40 minutes). And I make a point to drink the gallon quickly, chugging at least a large portion of it to experience the "too full" phenomenon I described earlier.


I have greatly enjoyed the results - obviously enough to make the practice part of my everyday routine. It's a fairly non-invasive, easy-to-do part of my routine, too. Each day I fill up a gallon jug and chug it.


Perhaps you might give this a try and see if you like the results too. I just finished today's gallon and I feel great!


Thanks for reading,

Greg Kuhn
 
AThanks Biaine! That was Exactly the kind of answer I was looking for...

Laughdrjr, how long do you take to chug a gallon of water? I'm not sure my body would cope, and I'm concerned it may stretch my stomach and cause me to want to eat more in general? I'm guessing just getting to that 'too full feeling' is the goal? Could it be spread across the day - it sounds like you do it first thing in the morning (because you always experience a bowel movement and you're not thirsty throughout the day).
I know that when I'm dehydrated and I drink like this I get hydrated alot quicker so I think this could work, though trying to chug so much when my body isn't craving the water is another story...

Thanks to you both for sharing!:hurray:
 
Here is what you need to know about water and weight loss.


Whether you are drinking it, walking in it, swimming in it, or bathing in it, water is good for you.


Three of these four can help you lose weight and the other one will help you keep your friends.

If you want to lose weight by drinking water, there is a cold water diet that you can follow that prescribes to the notion that if you drink cold water your body has to work harder to heat it up and to keep your body warm, too.


Makes sense, I guess and if nothing else has worked for you up to this point, why not give this a try, too. Couldn't hurt and what do you have to lose besides the weight?
 
its not hog wash....too much water in a short period of time CAN cause injury or worse. BUT I would imagine it would have to be a CRAZY amt of water. Just last year, or maybe the year before, some radio station had a contest 'who can drink the most water in X amt of time" i can't remember the details....but the winner actually died quickly after from drinking too much. But like I said, it would have to be a crazy amt in a short time...not your typical day of drinking water.
 
Originally Posted by AllCdnBoy


- icy water doesn't burn enough calories to be of any use.

- your body needs water to function properly, so drink tons of it.

- you can't really drink too much (unless that's your goal). I go through 4-5 L of water / day. You should essentially be peeing water .. if you are not, than you probably aren't drinking enough

This might sound disgusting... but I agree with the peeing water.... When I'm fully focused on drinking water all day I start with yellow in the am but by afternoon/evening I'm peeing clear water. If you observe your urine each time you pee you will notice it getting lighter. That's a great way to determine if you are drinking enough. Also, if your urine is yellow.. it could mean you are dehydrated.., so shoot for clear! Again, sorry if that sounded gross.
 
Water complicates weight loss since changes in your water weight affect your body weight.


If you're not controlling for your water, you'll probbably be misleading yourself each time you hop on the scales.


Here's my protocol to increase the accuracy of body weight measurements:


- the night before, drink 1L or water to completely rehydrate;

- wakeup the next day and don't eat or drink anything at all;

- go to the bathroom and empty out everything; then

- weight yourself using the same scales on the same hard surface and placing your feet in the same position, (the harder and more dense the better) – also, make sure you're wearing exactly the same clothing (if you're wearing clothing lol).
 
Indeed :)


I like to know the details so I tend to weigh myself naked just so I get the most consistent reading possible every time.
 
I was wondering if water drank in the form of (herbal) tea, counts as well, or things like milk that are mostly water, or if it's important that it's just pure water.
 
I was wondering if water drank in the form of (herbal) tea, counts as well, or things like milk that are mostly water, or if it's important that it's just pure water.

In terms of weight loss, a good way to reduce calories is to only drink water. That way you're not drinking anything that has sugar or other calories in it that don't make you feel full.

But yes, other forms of liquid that contain water count as well. However, keep in mind that anything that contains caffeine or alcohol act as diuretics, so some of the fluid that you drink will basically be negated by the diuretic effect. Not that those don't count at all towards your daily water intake, but for example, I wouldn't count an 8 ounce cup of coffee or tea as a whole serving of water. Maybe half, depending on the caffeine content.
 
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