The 9 Essential Ways of How to Lose Belly Fat Fast : Getting Hydrated – Why Drinking Water is Important for Weight Loss

Getting Hydrated – Why Drinking Water is Important for Weight Loss

At least 60% of your body is made of water. You can survive as long as three weeks without food (although that’s really pushing it), but water is a completely different story. The most that you can last without water is three days, depending on your body weight and the temperature of your environment – if you’re in a tropical climate, two days is max.

And when you start losing more fluids than what you take in, you’ll be dehydrated and your muscles will start to feel sluggish and could even cramp up, your skin will get dry, you’ll feel dizzy and your brain will not be working properly, and you’re at high risk for heatstroke or heat exhaustion. In a nutshell, water isn’t just important, it’s essential. 

But if water’s all that, why are so many people saying that it’s actually counter-productive for people who are on a diet to drink lots of water? That’s because when you start to take in less calories a day, the first thing that your body usually loses is its water content – the water that comprises your muscles (75%) and fat (10%). They think because losing water from the body is the fastest way to lose weight, so drinking more water must mean that you’ll be gaining weight. They couldn’t be more wrong.

When you’re starting out on a new eating pattern, you need to work extra hard to make up for the water loss that you’re experiencing – you should be drinking even more water. Without the right amount of water, your muscles won’t function as well and won’t burn fat as much. You’ll also feel lethargic and weak which might lead to excessive eating. And when you deprive your body of water, it will try very hard to store the little water that you do drink which means that you’ll be driving up your body’s water mass by drinking less. Depriving yourself of water is a short-term way of losing weight. It will also make you hungrier, more easily tired, grouchy, and at risk for sickness and disease.

We discussed earlier that thirst sometimes disguises itself as hunger which is why you sometimes continue to have hunger pangs even after you’ve eaten. When you get those persistent hunger pangs, one of the best things to do is to have a glass of water or two. It’s even better to drink a glass of water first thing after you wake up. 

That way, your body’s need for water is replenished and you won’t be starving when you hit the breakfast table. But what does water really do to help you get thinner and lose the belly fat faster?

A study shows that people who drink the right amount of water per day, or even as much as 10 to 12 glasses, are more able to maintain a good weight level and are less likely to be obese. Water not only keeps your metabolism up and running, it also helps flush out the by-products of metabolism. Drinking lots of water is actually the best and the easiest way to detoxify your body. And by keeping those muscles well hydrated, you’ll be burning fat with less effort (plus, you’ll enjoy radiant looking skin).

At this point, a lot of people ask if drinking juice or iced tea does just as well as drinking water. Yes, drinking other liquids like juice (freshly squeezed, not the artificial fruit juices filled with sugar) and milk can also help keep you hydrated but watch out for liquids that are diuretics. Diuretics are substances that make you urinate more which means that you’ll be expending a lot more water than you would normally do. Some common diuretics are coffee, tea, iced tea, alcoholic beverages like beer and wine, and soda. When you drink these liquids, you’ll end up losing more water than you’re taking in which is worse than not drinking at all. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t drink coffee, just make up for it by drinking water regularly. But when it comes to soda or pop, do the right thing and just walk away.

But can you replace water completely with another form of liquid, like milk? No, you can’t and you shouldn’t. The best source of water is still water in its pure form. It has minerals that aren’t just good for your body, they’re essential. And drinking other liquids like milk and juice everyday won’t help you lose belly fat, they’ll even make you gain more weight (keep it to a glass a day or every other day).

As someone who wants to lose belly fat as soon as you can, you want to keep an eye out for dehydration and to make sure that you avoid it or correct it as soon as possible. One of the surest signs that you’re dehydrated is when you’re peeing less and your urine is a dark color. You might also feel slightly constipated and your skin will be dry and itchy. Compensate for the dehydration right away by drinking a glass of water. Don’t wait for these signs to drink water; you should be drinking them during snacks and meals and at regular intervals. When you’re feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

If you’re not big on drinking lots of liquids, any liquids, then you can take in some of the water that you need by eating water-rich food like melons and apples. Watermelons are by far your best bet. Keep a few slices in a plastic container and stick it in the chiller. They make for a delicious and cool snack that will both refresh your thirst and satisfy your hunger.

This is an excerpt from the book: The 9 Essential Ways of How to Lose Belly Fat Fast