The consumption of water is necessary to replenish the fluids that the body depletes, be it through direct consumption of plain water, beverages or water-rich fruits and vegetables. The American Dietetic Association advises that everyone drink at least 10 cups of water a day. But dieters have found a new way to use water to their advantage. The Water Diet is a weight loss method and not a standard diet, per se; it doesn't restrict food types, set daily calorie limits or advise exercise or other lifestyle changes. Nor does it promise dramatic, overnight results through fasting. There are many forms of the Water Diet circulating on the Internet, but all use the same principle: they urge dieters to consume more water than they normally would to fill them up and make them less likely to overindulge at the dinner table.
Step 1
Have water readily accessible. Any type of water is fine--filtered, bottled, rain water or water from the tap--as long as it's safe and drinkable. One variation of the Water Diet insists that water should be cool (but not cold), but not to eat ice cubes or add ice to the water. Purportedly, the body burns extra calories to "warm" the water up to body temperature.
Step 2
Drink at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day (a half-gallon). One version of the Water Diet notes that dieters can spread these out during the course of the day at any time, while another has dieters drinking a glass of water before, during and after each meal.
Step 3
Expect to spend a lot of time in the bathroom when you first begin the Water Diet--as well as to experience bloating and a "sloshing" sensation inside your stomach. Purportedly, these side-effects subside as the body adjusts to more water intake.
Step 4
Don't restrict the types of foods that you eat. Apparently, even fried foods and sweets are okay on the Water Diet. Drinking water purportedly curbs the desire to overindulge on the amount of food that you eat.
Tips and Warnings
- It's sometimes difficult to distinguish between hunger and thirst, notes Mara Vitolins, assistant professor of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. If you feel hungry, Vitolins advises drinking a glass of water and waiting 20 to 30 minutes before you decide you feel like eating. According to the ADA, the body is comprised of between 50 and 75 percent water--around 10 to 12 gallons.
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