Summer Workout: Plan for Success – Drink More Water
Have you been trying and trying and trying to lose those unwanted pounds? Are you just realizing that it is time? Whether you have been in the act of losing weight for many years or this is your very first day, there is likely one thing – one very important thing – that you have overlooked.
Water is integral to life. A person could live longer without food than he or she could without water. That is how very important it is to survival and yet most Americans fail to get enough to remain fully hydrated. If we can live without the full dose, then why bother drinking more? It’s a fair question, but among the many answers to it is one that you will likely be most interested in at this moment – water can help you lose weight. It might sound crazy, but it is true. Drinking more water may be just the key you need to get you over the barrier and deliver you nicely to the finish line.
There are two main reasons why water is trumpeted as one of the very best weight loss tools. The first is simply that it has the ability to fill you up while delivering absolutely zero calories. It is always highly recommended that before each meal, a person should drink a large glass of ice cold water. Why is this? The reason is quite simple. The empty feeling that you feel when you sit down to the dinner table is likely to cause you to overeat. People don’t like the feeling of hunger and will work fast to correct it. That often means eating more than is actually necessary. The water, even though it doesn’t contain caloric substance, does provide relief of that feeling. Thus, the person can sit down and eat comfortably and is less likely to eat too much. He or she will likely cut normal caloric intake by a large percentage if maintaining this new habit. The same practice can be applied during hungry periods of the day. Do you long for a snack in the middle of the afternoon each day? If so, rathe
r than running for the snack machine down the hall, try a large glass of water first. Wait fifteen or twenty minutes after drinking it and you might just find that the craving has suddenly vanished.
It has also been noted that water can help in the calorie burning process. This is done in two ways. First, the body needs to be hydrated to operate efficiently. When fully hydrated, the metabolism can operate more quickly and more calories can be burned each day. Why is this? Some suspect it has to do with the body’s natural instincts. This theory suggests that with too little water consumption, the body enters survival mode. It begins to feel the need to defend itself and as a result stores fat and water within the body. As more water is introduced, the body releases the stored water and begins to burn calories more rapidly. Thus, the person is able to lose both water weight and excess fat. Furthermore, a glass of water that is ice cold also causes the body to go into overdrive because the water must be warmed by the body. This requires the use of energy, which comes from burned calories.
‘What if I don’t like water?’ Is this the question that is rolling around in your head? If so, then there is good news. Other beverages can be substituted. Are you a coffee lover? If so, order it black and on the rocks. You get the benefits of the ice cold drink without the added calories brought to the party by cream and sugar. Tea is also a wonderful option – iced or hot, it can be enjoyable. However, once again, sweeteners are discouraged.