Water Intake and Fat Loss. Why is it Important?
When it comes to fat loss, many people look to reduce calories and exercise more. While this is a great idea, one area that many people fail to fully grasp is their water intake. It should come as no surprise that we all need water in order to live and function. But research has found that water intake could actually help you with your weight loss and fat loss goals.
In this article, I want to lay out some of the research surrounding water intake as it pertains to fat loss. I think the information provided will open the eyes of many and help them realize that through their water intake specifically, they have the ability to improve their weight management results.
2 Major Benefits of Water Intake for Fat Loss
There are two major benefits of water intake for fat loss that some people understand, yet many are missing the boat on. By simply increasing water intake, you have the ability to put yourself in a better position to lose weight and increase your fat loss potential. You can consider the water intake benefits below as simple fat loss hacks that don’t require much effort at all on your part.
1. Reduce appetite
One thing that not many people realize is that the sensation of hunger can be subsided by simply drinking water. If you are hungry, try drinking a glass of water and then waiting for around 15 minutes. If you find after 15 minutes you are still hungry, then go ahead and have one of your meals. Water itself can crush hunger pangs throughout the day and reduce your overall appetite.
In fact, if you drink water before a meal, it has been shown to increase weight loss over the course of several weeks. By, in a sense, pre-filling your stomach prior to sitting down for a meal, your stomach already has something in it so the sensation to eat more during a meal is reduced which can help prevent over-eating.
2. Burn more calories
When you drink (cold) water, you are actually helping to increase your resting energy expenditure. What this means is that your body has the ability to burn more calories even while at rest. The amazing part about this is that the effects of raising resting energy expenditure anywhere between 24-30% can take place in as little as 10 minutes after drinking cold water and can last over 60 minutes.
Making the Switch to Water
American’s love their sugary beverages – which is part of the reason for the obesity epidemic we face in this country. Water is a calorie-free option that many should be making the switch to. Not only will increasingwater intake save money in the long-term rather than purchasing sugary beverages, but it will also save waistlines as well due to consuming fewer overall calories from liquids.
For the longest time, the recommendation for water intake was drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Unfortunately, this has been found to simply not be accurate for everyone. Some people can get away with as little as four while others need more than eight. Drinking 1-2 liters of water per day, however, can help you with your fat loss efforts.
What I would recommend is drinking a glass of water before all of your meals. Not only will it help you stay properly hydrated, but it will help keep you full, satiated, and aid in weight management.
It should be noted that those who exercise regularly and sweat will need a higher overall water intake when compared to those who are sedentary simply due to the amount of water that was lost through sweat during workouts that needs to be replenished. Make sure you not only drink water throughout your workouts but also following.