Why You Should Drink Water For Weight Loss, Health & Fitness
Am I drinking enough water?
You likely aren’t. My experience as a clinical nutritionist has shown me that about 7 in 10 people do not drink an adequate amount of water, and 4 in 10 even suffer from problems related to dehydration.
Before showing you the benefits of maintaining adequate water intake, let me teach you a simple calculation to help you figure out your own hydration needs.
How much water do I need to drink to stay hydrated?
1. Determine your activity level to find your multiplier:
- Sedentary (little to no physical activity) → your multiplier is 30
- Somewhat active (engage in low-frequency or moderate physical activity, 2-4 times / week) → your multiplier is 35 to 40
- Highly active (engage in intense or extremely intense physical activity, 5-7 times / week) → your multiplier is 45 to 50.
2. Determine your weight in kilograms.
- Ideally, weigh yourself in the morning on an empty stomach. If your scale measures in lbs, you can use a converter like this tool.
3. Multiply your weight in kilograms by your multiplier.
- The result tells you how many milliliters of water you should be drinking every day. If you prefer fluid ounces, you can use a converter like this tool.
- For example, if you are sedentary and weigh 75kg (or 165.3 lbs), you should be drinking: 75 * 35 = 2625 ml / day (88.8 fl oz)
Are you surprised at your result? You are likely drinking less than your required amount. In case you’re wondering whether you might want to drink more, let me outline the benefits of reaching your personal target every day.
What are the benefits of staying hydrated?
More than half of your body is made up of water, so it is natural that it performs several fundamental functions for maintaining your life and health.
1. Improves your immune system and helps you think more clearly
Good hydration helps maintain your cellular health. With adequate hydration, your body achieves better nutrient transport and better functioning of neurons, improving your reasoning ability and immunity.
2. Helps avoid or reduce constipation
For the gut to function properly, your body needs to be well hydrated. Hydration will help in the formation and elimination of feces, avoiding dryness and pain when defecating, thereby preventing cases of constipation. If you are frequently constipated, drinking more water could help alleviate or reduce your symptoms.
3. Detoxes your body - no juice cleanse needed!
By consuming the necessary amount of water, we help this organ to eliminate toxins more efficiently and prevent them from accumulating in our body.
4. Helps with heart issues and blood pressure
A well-hydrated body has more fluid blood circulation, helping to maintain heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, people with heart, blood pressure or circulatory problems may benefit greatly from adequate water consumption.
5. Reduces or eliminates cellulite and other skin imperfections
Dehydration favors fluid and sodium retention in the body. This is because dehydration stimulates the body to release the hormone vasopressin. Vasopressin induces the kidneys to “hold” water in the body and reduce urine output.
As a result, liquids are concentrated in subcutaneous areas (under your skin) and form edemas and skin imperfections. An example for this is the appearance of cellulite. It is also common to notice dry skin and mouth when the body is mildly or moderately dehydrated.
6. Helps you lose weight
Getting into the habit of drinking water properly can make you not only reduce cellulite and have more hydrated skin and lips, but it can also make you lose weight. This is because water that is stored subcutaneously (under your skin) is slowly eliminated as the body begins to understand that it no longer needs to store water.
Part of that fat that may be bothering you is likely liquid retention – the easiest way to eliminate this is drinking more water.
You’ll use the bathroom more at first - it will be worth it though!
Drinking enough water will be a little uncomfortable or even annoying in the first few weeks, since you’ll be going to the bathroom more and will have to monitor your water intake. In addition, you might have to drink even at times when you don’t feel like drinking water, since you may have accustomed yourself to low water intake.
However, the benefits are undeniable and certainly the gains are incredible. I have observed in my clients over the years how better hydration has helped them increase physical and mental performance, improved the quality of their skin, hair, gut health and even helped them lose unwanted body weight.
Let's get started!
To improve your hydration, you could drink a glass of water upon waking up, or always keep a water bottle by your desk.
And if you need any additional help in your health or fitness journey, sign up for personalized health coaching with me here.
Cheers!
