Of the many health benefits of drinking water, helping with weight loss is among the most important. Daily consumption of several glasses of water helps keep metabolic functions throughout the body healthy, and it helps eliminate the consumption of high-caloric drinks. And if you drink water at the right times during the day, you can help your weight-loss goals by replacing extra servings of food in your stomach with no-calorie water.
Fills You Up Before Meals
Having a glass or two of water shortly before eating each meal of the day can help you consume fewer calories during the meal itself and can accelerate your weight loss goals, according to CNN.com The idea is simply that you'll feel full sooner, so you won't eat extra portions. By reducing your calorie intake at every meal, you can improve your chances of losing weight immediately. Drinking too much water can result, however, in a dangerous condition called hyponatremia, but that is rare. Having six to eight glasses of water a day is well within safe limits.
Healthier Beverage Replacement
Anytime you drink water instead of a more caloric option such as soda or beer, you're helping your weight-loss goals by swapping out hundreds of calories for the zero calories in water. A regular 12-oz. soda has about 150 calories, for example, while a 12-oz. beer has around 145 calories. If you don't want to give up soda or alcohol altogether, you can at least reduce the calorie intake and boost your water intake by having a glass of water along with a glass of beer or soda. That may keep you from having a second glass of a calorie-dense beverage.
Keeps You Hydrated and Healthy
Your overall body health is boosted when you have enough water in your system. Your endocrine system is improved, your circulation is healthier and your body burns calories more efficiently. When you don't consume enough water, reports Tucson Medical, your body starts to retain whatever fluids it can, and the result can be bloating and weight gain. Having water throughout the day helps the body metabolize fat much more efficiently.
Indirect Help
Drinking plenty of water while you're exercising can help you exercise longer and with more intensity. If you're getting increasingly thirsty, you won't be as inclined to keep working out. And by cutting short your workout, you won't burn as many calories as you would if you were refreshed and continued exercising. Burning calories is critical for weight loss, so be sure to have plenty of water available the next time you play a sport or even just go for a long bike ride or walk.
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