How Does Water Help with Weight Loss?

Drinking water to lose weight has already been backed by science. However, the problem is knowing how much water is enough – and when we've gone overboard.

Many people decide to start drinking more water to lose weight or to improve their complexion. However, drinking excessive amounts of water can be dangerous. So how do we know how much water we need to drink? 

As we’ve mentioned in other articles, the excessive consumption of water is considered to be an eating disorder, just  like anorexia or bulimia. It’s unofficially called aquaholism and can also be linked to potomania–the unhealthy and excessive consumption of beer. Affected people might drink over four liters of water a day, hoping to fill their stomachs and avoid feelings of hunger.

Those with this disorder run the risk of their blood sugar levels plummeting (hyponatremia), maybe even to such a degree that the patient falls into a coma. These are, of course, the most extreme cases.

Drinking water according to your weight

Our need for water is related to our weight. The heavier someone is, the more water they need. You should also take into account how physically active you are.

Some publications say that if you’re not thirsty, you don’t need to drink water. If you do hydrate without feeling thirst, you might be overworking your kidneys. However, it’s also true that by the time we feel the sensation of thirst, we’re already dehydrated. If the body detects that you’re not receiving enough water, it will start to retain liquids and keep them in reserve, just in case.

Therefore, you must drink water regularly, but avoid unnecessary water retention. Using this strategy, you’ll drink enough without retaining any extra liquid, but you won’t put unnecessary stress on your kidneys. This will aid your weight maintenance too.

You should drink 32 ml of water, every day and for every kilo that you weigh. So, someone who weighs 60 kilos should drink 1.920 ml of water, or its equivalent every day. Crunch the numbers. Are you drinking enough for your weight?

How can you remind yourself to drink enough water every day?

You might be surprised by this recommended daily water intake. You may ask yourself, how can I remember to drink all that every day? Here are some tips to keep you hydrated and to help you to achieve your weight loss goals.

• Drink a glass of water before every meal. This is easy to remember, it will help with digestion, and will cause the food in your body to metabolize more quickly.
• Drink a glass of water every time you go to the bathroom. This is another effective way to remind yourself to stay hydrated.
• Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up or go to bed. Cold water on an empty stomach has beneficial properties for metabolism. If you go to bed hydrated, your body will use that water to filter out imperfections while you sleep.
• If none of these methods work for you, make a list of boxes to check off each time you drink a glass of water.
• At work, drink a glass of water upon arrival, another with lunch, another in the afternoon, and one more before you leave. This might also align better with your routine.

Water is definitively essential to a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a steady weight. So make sure to remember to drink enough water according to your weight – the results might surprise you!