Drink Water for Fat Loss
I am big proponent of making sure that you get enough water daily.
I actually feel that the recommended eight 8 oz a day is too little for most people, even those that do nothing all day.
I myself being more active than most of the population drink about 1-½ to 3 gallons of water a day.
That’s in upwards of 384 oz a day! (No, I do not spend my whole day in the bathroom.)
It’s quarter to noon and I have already had 92 oz today. Thankfully not all of it tap water.
This morning I woke up and had my daily protein shake which consists of 2 scoops of whey protein powder and 24oz of filtered tap water.
Then 1 hour later I had my breakfast smoothie which contains among other things (which I will get into more detail about in a later article)12 oz filtered tap water.
About 2 ½ hours after I awoke it was time to go workout. When I opened the door, I noticed a piece of paper lying on my welcome mat. To my chagrin it read:
DRINKING WATER WARNING
(“Hmmm, this can’t be good.” Was the first thing that ran though my brain)
Milford’s water is contaminated with Total Coliform and E.Coli Bacteria.
(Yummy.)
BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING
A little late for that. I already drank 36 oz of tap water and brushed my teeth and washed my hands.
Good thing I have the day off.
You always hear that 90+% of the water in the U.S. is safe to drink. I now know what it is like to be in the minority.
Despite this I will still try to get my water in for the day. Thank goodness for bottled water, which I have about 7 gallons worth sitting next to my kitchen table.
Speaking of which I think I have to check to make sure what I have left hasn’t expired. Why does water expire anyways? It’s water.
Here are three reasons why you should always try to get at least 64oz of water a day;
1.) It will help you lose fat. Studies have shown that thirst can be mistaken for hunger. So you may try to get your fluid from foods which leads to unnecessary calorie consumption.
2.) It will raise your metabolism. Staying properly hydrated helps maintain good digestion which keeps your metabolism up and running. Also, drinking ice cold water has been shown to temporarily raise your metabolism.
3.) It helps relieve fluid retention. If you do not drink enough water , your body will hold on to what it has so not to lose it. This can cause the unwanted bloated look.
4.) It gives you energy. Cue the Energizer Bunny. I am not exactly sure how this works but considering that your body is 75% water, I am guessing that when it gets a little low things have to work a lot harder. And besides when you have more energy you don’t want to just sit on the couch and eat chips all day (which is very bad for fat loss).
I have had clients tell me that drinking 64 oz of water a day is to much (one of them claims to only drink 32 oz a day). It’s true that the often touted 8 glasses a day may be too much for some but it is actually too little for most. If you want to know how much water you should be drinking (this amount goes up if you are active) take your body weight cut it in half and that is the amount of water in ounces a day that you should be drinking. So take me for example: I weigh 200lbs so I should drink at least 100 oz off water a day.
I know that you have heard the stories of people that drank too much water and they died from it. Most ot the time this is due to an extreme electrolyte imbalance due to losing too much sodium though sweating and not consume any to replace it and is seen mainly in distance athletes. For the most part it is very hard to overdose on water. Your body has a natural way to compensate for too much water consumption. It’s called peeing.
Your friend and trainer,
Paul F. Sweatt
Posted by Paul | in Nutrition, Weight Loss Strategies | No Comments
