Water & Weight Loss

A lack of water is one of the most important factors in slowing a person's metabolism.

Modern electronic scales can not only measure the fat percentage of the body but can also measure the amount of water in the body. The more overweight a person is, the lower the percentage of water that registers on these scales. A thin person's body will register 65% water and an obese person will register a water content as low as 40%.

Water significantly increases the metabolism.

If somebody wants to lose weight they must increase their water intake. Water is made up of Hydrogen and Oxygen, but it is mainly oxygen. Oxygen is essential for metabolism and the burning of fat.

Water Means Just Water

When we drink just straight water, the body sends it straight to the blood stream, increasing hydration and oxygen availability to the cells.

If the liquid is not straight water - coffee, soft drink, fruit juice, etc. - the body treats it as food and sends it through the digestive tract, which won't effectively increase hydration levels. There may be a small increase, but it will be slower.

Soft Drinks & Dehydration

Drinking soft drink is one of the most effective ways of dehydrating the body. Drinks like Cola drinks contain phosphoric acid, designed to keep the sugar from settling on the bottom of the can as well as giving that tingling sensation when you drink it.

Acids reduce oxygen, so when we drink this type of drink, even if it's a diet drink, it reduces a good part of the oxygen available in the body and decreases metabolism. Sometimes a person can just eliminate soft drinks from their diet and this can have a major effect on their weight.

When we drink carbonated beverages our body makes a strong effort to rid itself of that acidity. It uses it's water stores to push that acid out of the body through urination. It can require as much as several litres of water for the body to rid itself of the additional acidity, so you can see what a major effect these drinks can have on your body's hydration levels.

How Much Water?

We commonly hear that we should drink 8 glasses of water a day. That's fine for an average sized person. If a person is overweight or obese, they will require more. If a person is a small size, they will require less.

Drinking water absolutely vital for getting your metabolism back to an optimum state.