Weight Loss Tip: Drink More Water!

(1) Water is a natural appetite suppressant.
Drinking water before a meal will help you not to eat as much because it makes the stomach feel more full. If you drink water when you feel hungry, it will also curb your appetite so you can avoid unnecessary snacking.

(2) Water helps burn calories
Water makes up nearly 60% of human body weight. Therefore, water is a necessary component for the body to digest and metabolize food. According to recent research, energy expenditure is highest approximately 90 minutes after consuming water, and study participants burned more calories than those who did not consume water prior to their workouts. Even the body’s resting energy expenditure is higher after drinking water, which means you can burn calories even when you are taking a rest! More calories are burned if the water is consumed cold, since the body needs to expend additional energy to heat the water up before it can be absorbed. Think of it like double reward points on your credit card. Winning!

(3) Water helps you feel less bloated
Water keeps the body hydrated, which allows the kidneys and digestive system to properly filter and dispose of waste. Water helps to keep waste moving by softening or loosening hardened stool and can also help the body to recover for diarrhea, indigestion or other stomach problems. When waste is not moving through the body, it can cause constipation, bloating, swelling and fatigue. Retaining waste not only adds pounds to the scale, but inches to the waistline as well.

(4) Water is Calorie Free!
The Standard American Diet (SAD diet for short) is dominated by sugar, and many people will meet the daily recommendation for sugar intake just by consuming sugary beverages (soda, sweet tea, alcohol, juice, sweetened coffee, sports drinks). The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume less than 25g of sugar in a day. 1 can of sweet tea (16 oz) contains a whopping 24g of sugar and 90 calories! These types of calories are what we refer to as “empty” calories because they do not provide viable nutrients to the body. In a 2015 study, women who drank 250 ml of water after lunch each day involved in a 24-week Weight Loss program, lost 13.6% more weight than women in the same program who drank the same volume of diet beverages after lunch. 1 sweetened beverage per day also increases your risk of developing diabetes over the next ten years by 18%!

(5) Water Burns Fat
Water is an essential component of lipolysis, which is the process responsible for metabolizing fat. The first step in this process is hydrolysis, in which water molecules interact with fat molecules to burn fat off from food, drinks and stored fat, such as carbohydrates.

Dr. Pacholec can help you track your water intake and set weight loss goals at either of our Lutz, FL or St. Petersburg, FL weight loss clinics. You can also download and use our new mobile application, Pacholec MD, to monitor your weight loss goals, including your water intake and water retention. Contact either of our Lutz, FL or St. Petersburg, FL locations for more information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Pacholec today!