Drinking Water to Lose Weight |
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People who are trying to lose weight are often told to try to drink more water. This is because water is filling, so it can help a person to keep a person’s appetite at bay. Additionally, the process of digesting ice water can burn calories by doing nothing. Water is the healthiest drink anyone can ingest. Lastly, Weight Ladder found the hard way what happens when you exercise without adequate hydration - you don’t want to repeat that experience.
Many people resist drinking a lot of water for a variety of reasons. Some people claim that they don’t like the taste of water; others say that they simply must have certain other beverages in order to make it through the day (such as coffee or tea or soda). This shouldn’t be an excuse - one can always add a low-calorie sweetener like Crystal Light.
How Much Water Should I Drink
Water is essential, though—especially for dieters, yes, but it is necessary for everyone. Every human needs to drink a certain amount every day. This figure is different for each person, though most people have heard that eight 8 ounce glasses is the ideal. That amount is not the ideal; rather, it is the average amount.
Though experts disagree on the optimal amount of water, we’ve found many feel this formula is a good guideline. Take the person’s weight and divide it in half. This figure represents how many ounces of water this person should ingest each day. Of course, about 20% of this amount is generally figured to be ingested through foods—many foods are composed of high amounts of water, such as soups and many fruits. So, take the figure and subtract 20% of it to come to the real amount.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say a person weighs 240 pounds. Half of that is 120, so that would be 120 ounces. 20% of 120 is 24 (this is the amount of water this person gets from his food), so subtract 24 from 120 (120 – 24 = 96). So, this person needs to drink 96 ounces per day, which translates to 12 8 ounce glasses.
Tips for Drinking All that Water
Here’s how you can get that water into one day:
- First thing in the morning, right after getting out of bed, drink a glass of water. Guzzle it down.
- Drink another glass slowly while getting dressed and ready for the day.
- Before eating anything, whether it is a snack or a meal, drink a full glass of water. Not only will this help you ingest the right amount of water, but it can help you to eat less because you will feel fuller.
- Keep a large water bottle (at least 24 ounces) filled and next to you at all times. Sip on it throughout the day.
Lastly, be careful not to drink too much water. People might not realize it, but too much water can lead to water intoxication, as one woman and radio station found out the hard way.
Photo Credit: Ziga Zaga
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May 19th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Great tips. That woman who died from the water, died from not being able to go to the bathroom. If you’re drinking, you have to let it out. That was such a stupid idea for a contest.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
From what I read, she died hours later. I thought it was an electrolyte imbalance thing, not from not going to the bathroom.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:27 am
while I would love to seize this as my IM NOT DRINKING WATER EXCUSE
it’s so rare…
May 25th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Good article. I drink so much ice water a day, its sickening. I guess its OK at altitude though… you pretty much have to be attached to a water bottle
May 25th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Nadine, it had nothing to do with not going to the bathroom, but as Lazy Man correctly said - the electrolyte imbalance or rather dilution of salt in the body. Here is a more detailed explanation:
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm
May 25th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
See, I thought she died by messing up her blood pH from all the water and making it too basic. (It was just a guess.) But I think the radio station could be sued for neglect, since stupidity isn’t technically a crime. I heard that a nurse had called in to warn them of the dangers of this stunt, but no one informed the contestants. It doesn’t matter if they signed a contract that wouldn’t hold the radio station responsible. That was a terrible, unnecessary tragedy.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:15 am
Water is an essential part of our body. It helps clean the detox, helps reactions etc.
It is an effective and cheap appetite suppressant. It is the most consumed beverage in the world.