Real weight loss isn’t about kicking off “water bloat”. If you want to get rid of the water bloat, cut your salt intake – that’s what’s causing the bloat. All skinny people know water is their friend.
Here’s why:
- You can cut your calorie intake by up to 30% by switching from sodas and juices to water.
- Water fills you up. Try drinking two big glasses of water before dinner and see how much less you eat. Not only that, but so many of us are so used to being in a chronic state of dehydration that we misinterpret our bodies’ craving for water as cravings for food. The next time you have a sugar craving, try drinking two big glasses of water – sugar craving are often actually water cravings.
- Water is an essential metabolism fuel. Give your body lots of it to keep those fat cells burning.
- As you lose weight, you flush toxins. Keeping the flow of water going will not only keep your kidneys healthy, but will prevent urinary tract infections and all kinds of other weird side effects from detoxing.
- Muscles need water, and active muscles need more water. Staying hydrated will take the edge off muscle and joint soreness. Some doctors advise patients with chronic back and muscle pain to drink more water. Get chronic headaches? That’s a classic sign of dehydration.
- Dehydration drops your blood volume, which reduces how much oxygen reaches your muscles and your brain; as a result, you feel tired.
Other benefits of water include:
- Clearer skin. Many models swear by 100 ounces a day for both weight loss and to maintain glowing healthy skin.
- Avoid kidney stones
- Keep your body flushed clean of all the toxins you process whether you’re losing weight or not
The standard rule is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. That’s fine if you’re not dieting, but if you seriously want to slim down, aim for at least two glasses more. Of course, a 4 foot six woman won’t drink as much as a 6 foot man – drink as much as feels right, then stop. If you drink a lot of coffee or tea, drink an extra glass of water for every cup of coffee or tea you take: both beverages are diuretics that deplete your body of water.
