Water covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, (basic diet) but still can't get rid of a little fat here and there, you may not be drinking enough water.
Most people don't drink enough water, and most people are also carrying around a few extra pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water.
Here's why:
"Metabolism" People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you'll get all kinds of answers. Webster's Dictionary defines it as, "The process by which a substance is handled in the body." A little vague, but that's really all it means.
There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one that concerns us now is the metabolism of fat. The liver does this when it converts stored fat to energy. Of course it has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs.
Unfortunately, another of the liver's duties is to aid the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do the kidney's work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then doesn't metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it did when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, you're setting yourself up to store fat.
Although many decide to increase their water intake, few stick with it. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you're urinating constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it's going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is pointless.
What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those periods of "survival mode". It may take a while, but this is a great thing happening to you. If you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn't need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are losing much more than you probably realize. Your body figures it doesn't need to save these stores anymore; it's trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing will cease, allowing you to return to a normal life. It's true. This is called the "breakthrough point."
A recent finding, that caffeine increases the body's fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to workout. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and a diuretic dehydrates. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this will be at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn't doing your heart any favors, either. It's already working hard enough during your workout. DO NOT mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together.
I bet you have heard that water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also hydrates your skin which makes your skin look younger. Skin that has become saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated.
It also improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you're blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from lack of water, you won't notice a positive difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need will contract more easily, making your workout more effective.
"At least eight glasses a day? Are you Joking?!" It's really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay if your BMI is average, but if you're overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.
Your water consumption should be spread throughout the day. It's not really healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, At least a glass with every meal and then sip in between. Don't let yourself get thirsty. If your feeling thirsty, you've already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you're not thirsty yet.
Do you dislike the taste? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren't what you need. Try a slice of lime or lemon in the glass, or if you really hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you're going to be consuming a lot of this fluid.
Slow down on your consumption a few hours before bed so you can get a restful sleep not spend it on the toilet.
"Should my water be cold?" This is debatable. Generally experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water will enhance fat burning.
Although it may be easier to consume warmer water in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. At this point do whatever suits you best. Just drink it!
When you are drinking all the water you need, you will notice very quickly a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking the proper amount of water is an absolute must.
