So you've laid out a balanced meal plan, are eating less calories than normal, and by all accounts, are eating healthy. But still the pounds cling stubbornly to your body. It's not just you - such is the case with many individuals seeking weight loss. However, these individuals often have something in common: THEY DON'T DRINK ENOUGH WATER. As simple as it may sound, hydrating yourself throughout the day is fundamental to your weight loss diet.
Most people don't drink enough water, whether they're dieting or not. The average person, even if they're not engaged in physically exerting activity, should drink around 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day. This may sound like a lot, but spaced evenly from morning to night, it's really quite simple. But why is drinking water so key? Take a look at these 3 ways water is key to any weight loss diet:
1.) Water Fights Fat
This is a new one. But really, the effects of water upon your metabolic process of burning fat are profound. Why? Your kidneys typically deal with your body's water intake, but when you don't take in enough water, they can't function as well. You have to meet a sort of minimum requirement - which eight glasses a day most certainly does.
But if you don't meet this threshold, the water-processing duties are shifted to the liver. You don't want this to happen, because the liver is the primary fat-burning organ - it takes the fat in your foods and converts it into energy. If it's too busy dealing with water, however, it can't burn all that fat, and it ends up on your thighs or midriff. So give your liver a break - take a water break.
2.) Water is a Natural Appetite Suppressant
Few people know that your brain, when alerting your body to a need, cannot truly distinguish between feeling thirsty and feeling hungry. This could explain many people's seemingly unquenchable appetite. When you open the fridge just after a meal, what your body is often asking for is water. So instead of having a snack, try some water. You may be pleasantly surprised.
3.) Not Enough Water Tips the Scales
The wrong way. If you aren't taking in your body's needed amount of water, you gain weight, not lose it. This happens because your body will retain water in something akin to fat if it doesn't think it will get enough, in a sort of "survival" reaction. Once you start drinking enough, however, that water fat goes away, because your body understands it is not in danger of going without. Just hydrating yourself could lead to a drop in 4-5 pounds of water fat. Not bad...
Even if you feel like you're doing everything right in your weight loss diet, there may be one key element missing: Water. You're not abnormal, not at all, but why not give yourself an extra boost? Drinking enough water can be a crucial step to finally dropping that weight. It's easy, it's free, and your body will thank you for it.
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