Your body consists of nearly 70 percetn water, according to "The Way We Work" author David MacCaulay. Drinking water lubricates joints, facilitates the processes that allow us to live and breathe and keeps cells healthy. Beyond its necessity for health, diet counselors and personal trainers often claim that it can make us lose weight. According to Harvard nutritionist Walter Willett, these claims are true, although often overstated.
Calories, Water and Weight Loss
According to celebrity personal trainer Bill Phillips, losing weight is a matter of burning more calories through activity than you take in via eating. Water contains zero calories, and thus is better for losing weight than anything that contains calories. Better still, drinking and processing water burns calories--as much as one calorie per ounce if the water is cold. At the recommended eight glasses per day, you can burn of hundreds of calories each week just by drinking your regular allowance of water.
Filling Up
Another application of water Phillips recommends for weight loss is simply filling your stomach. He recommends an eight-to-12-ounce glass of ice water with every meal to help you feel full faster. He also recommends another glass as your first response to any hunger craving you experience. This zero-calorie filler can help you keep yourself within your calorie budget to reach your weight-loss goals.
Comparison to Other Drinks
Walter Willett considers water not just the best drink for dieting, but the best drink overall. It delivers exactly what your body needs: water. From a weight-loss standpoint, Willett reports that sodas and fruit drinks both contain many more calories than their nutritional content justifies. Coffee and tea, though low in calories, contain caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant, a base ingredient in many diet pills, but Willett further warns of health issues related with taking in caffeine.
Water Weight
One weight-loss problem associated with water is simple water weight. When you drink a large amount of water, your body holds it in your stomach or retains it in other body tissues. This can give you a bloated feeling, or even a bloated appearance, as well as raising the reading on your bathroom scale. Oregon-based wrestling coach Andy Brick notes that many fight sport athletes practice dehydration techniques in order to lose the last few pounds before weighing in for a fight.
Does Water Cause Weight Loss?
Willett and Phillips agree that water is an important facet in a healthy weight-loss plan. However, the relatively small caloric burn required to process water isn't enough to cause significant weight loss on its own. However, getting enough water can help you succeed with your diet by replacing other drinks and reducing feelings of hunger.
References
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Dr. Walter Willett, et al; 2006
- "Body for Life"; Bill Philips; 2006
- Andy Brick; Wrestling Coach; Hillsboro, OR
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