Can You Drink Too Much Water Trying To Lose Weight?

Water aids weight loss in numerous ways; it boosts your metabolism, helps fill your stomach and burns a few calories. To gain these benefits, however, you only need to drink water in moderation. Excessive water drinking, especially in a short amount of time or as a long-term habit, endangers your health and doesn't help you lose weight.

What Happens When You Drink Too Much Water

When you drink water, the water replenishes your blood volume so that your blood can flow freely through your veins and arteries. When you become dehydrated, your blood volume drops, and your heart struggles to pump the blood efficiently; when you drink too much water, on the other hand, the excess overloads your bloodstream. In response to the imbalance, your sodium levels fall, and your cells begin to swell as they absorb the extra water. This causes a condition called hyponatremia, or water intoxication.

Symptoms

When you have consumed too much water, the imbalance in your body can cause a myriad of symptoms, ranging from mildly unpleasant to truly dangerous. You may suffer severe headaches, dizziness, cramps, nausea, vomiting and muscle weakness. Your hands and feet may swell, and you may begin suffering from mental confusion and disorientation. If you experience these headaches after drinking a large amount of water, get medical help immediately.

Dangers

Your kidneys filter and excrete the water you consume; overloading them through water intoxication can hinder their proper functioning. Habitually drinking too much water can even increase your risk of kidney disease.

Hyponatremia, caused by drinking too much water in a short period of time, causes your cells to swell. Minor to moderate swelling primarily affects your hands and feet, but in severe cases, the swelling can reach the brain, leading to confusion, disorientation, seizures and even coma or death. These severe effects occur only rarely, but they merit careful avoidance of hyponatremia.

Who's at Risk

Athletes in intense competitions, such as marathons, face the greatest risk because extreme physical exertion increases the chance that your kidneys will shut down. If you exercise for long periods of time in your endeavor to lose weight, then you may face a higher risk. If you're not exercising at that level, and you're simply drinking water to help fill your stomach and curb snacking impulses, then your body can usually process a fairly large amount of water. However, an extreme amount can still cause harm and even death, as illustrated by the tragic deaths of some college students who underwent hazing that forced excessive water consumption.

How to Avoid Water Intoxication

If you're exercising intensely for a long time, then drink two cups of water well before you begin. Weigh yourself immediately before you start and then periodically throughout your workout; only drink enough water to compensate for water loss through sweat. The American Council on Exercise recommends drinking one cup every 20 minutes throughout the workout, but only if you feel thirsty and only if you're sweating a lot. If you're not exercising, then stick to the recommended eight cups per day, and spread them throughout the day rather than drinking them all at once. Eight cups provides enough hydration to keep your metabolism running smoothly and even burn a few calories. A little more water won't hurt, but drinking more than double the recommend amount -- more than 16 cups, or 4 liters -- can hinder kidney function.