Drinking water makes you lose weight: is it true or false? Let's be clear
Drinking lots of water is one of the first tips that nutritionists give to people who want to lose weight. Taking a good amount of liquids, in fact, helps to satiate earlier and to limit the feeling of hunger; moreover, water, in addition to not containing calories, plays a fundamental role for our body and helps to dispose of excess fluids. As explained in the video, it counteracts water retention in the legs and helps us feel fit.
Is it true that drinking lots of water helps you lose weight?
Water is an essential liquid for the health of the organism because thanks to it the body is able to carry out some very important processes. In addition, drinking an adequate amount helps the skin to stay hydrated and the tissues not to accumulate too many toxins. For this reason, proper hydration is the pillar of beauty, but not only. When you are on a diet and need to lose weight, in addition to a varied, low-fat diet and regular exercise, another very important piece of advice is to drink plenty of water.
Some even go so far as to affirm that drinking a lot helps to lose weight and, although it is not said that those who drink two or more liters of water a day are necessarily thin, there is something true in this belief. Liquids, in fact, tend to increase gastric volume and induce an immediate sense of fullness. The consequence is that by drinking a lot you feel full sooner and you stay longer. This obviously helps to eat less and, therefore, to take in fewer calories. For this reason nutritionists recommend drinking at least one and two glasses of warm water before meals.
Another positive effect of getting a good amount of water for people who are on a diet is the fact that what our body often mistakes as a desire to consume foods rich in calories is actually a consequence of poor hydration. Drinking a lot, therefore, ensures that the body does not confuse the need for fresh food (such as fruit which, not surprisingly, is very rich in water) and liquid with that of eating.
Water, as mentioned above, is a great way to break hunger because it reduces appetite. Drinking a few glasses between meals, perhaps in the middle of the morning or mid-afternoon, accompanying them with a snack based on low-calorie foods, helps to keep the metabolism active and not to suffer too much from the diet. It is also a good method to avoid to fall into the trap of eating snacks between meals.
What are the benefits of drinking the right amount of water
Drinking no less than eight glasses of water (but for some it might be even more) is a good way to make sure our bodies stay healthy. Here are the advantages that hydration brings to our well-being and metabolism.
- In athletes, especially those who practice endurance sports, the lack of water favors muscle catabolism.The most direct consequence is a slowing of metabolism and an increase in cortisol.
- The intake of a correct quantity of water favors the elimination of toxins from the organism. These also tend to accumulate due to poor hydration and lead to weight gain and water retention.
- Water promotes the well-being of blood circulation and helps fight cellulite.
- It is rich in mineral salts, such as sodium and calcium, which play an important role in the health and well-being of the organism.
Drinking water or unsweetened herbal teas is essential and is good for your health, moreover they do not contain calories and, if taken together with fresh fruit, are an excellent snack. Preferring foods low in calories is, of course, another way to promote loss. of weight, however even drinking water before or after meals helps to ingest less.
How to drink more water throughout the day
Now that we are aware of the importance of drinking lots of water, how do we go about practicing this good habit? These are our tips to make sure you hydrate properly:
- If you are on a diet and aim to lose weight, always drink two glasses before main meals to decrease the sense of hunger and avoid overeating.
- Do not drink water that is too cold: especially if you drink it between meals, prefer liquids at room temperature so as not to compromise digestion.
- Drinking from the bottle or flask helps to consume much more liquids because you always have the reference of how much is missing to reach the minimum limit. A half-liter bottle, for example, is about five glasses of water.
- If you don't like tasteless water very much, add a few touches to entice it. For example, you can use two slices of lemon, a few mint leaves or a drop of fruit syrup.
- Buy some nice bottles and take them with you everywhere: at work, at home, in the gym bag, in the car, ... Any time is good to drink water!
- Drink a glass as soon as you wake up, so you wake up your metabolism and get ready for breakfast. Drinking fluids (even unsweetened herbal teas) can be a way to promote weight loss and help your health.
In short, as we have already said, drinking a lot of water is good for your body and minimizes the risk of gaining weight, therefore break the day by drinking, perhaps during the afternoon or before (or after) meals, a few glasses of water or a cup of herbal tea can really help increase well-being.
