Water: The only "true" Miracle Diet Pill?

How 8 Glasses a Day Keeps Fat Away

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take it for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss!

Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. If the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and weight loss stops. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extra cellular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give the body what it needs?PLENTY OF WATER. Only then will the stored water be released.

If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of un-needed salt is easy - just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys, it takes away excess sodium. Water helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient. Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, he body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all the metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste. Water can help relieve constipation.

When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But, when a person gets enough water, normal bowel functions returns. So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:

The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.

Retained water shows up as excess weight.

To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.

Drinking water is essential to weight loss. How much water is enough??

On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry. Water should preferably be cold - it's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. And some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced. Once this happens you have reached the "breakthrough point". What does this mean?

Endocrine-gland function improves.

Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.

More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.

Natural thirst returns.

There is loss of hunger almost overnight.

If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough".

i can only agree. i myself am on water therapy and the results come so fast. im urinating for like every 10 minutes or so. i feel so light and so cleansed. i think (and hope) it also has effects on speeding up metabolism..if u know anything about that please let me know. (= nice post,btw..very true.

This is probably sort of strange but...
I hated water for about 15/16 years of my life.
Everyone always says it has no taste how could you not like it but I COULD taste it and it tasted nasty. I wouldn ever drink tap water and even bottled water like Poland Spring just excited my gag reflex.
A couple of months ago my family got a Brita Filter installed into our refrigirator so there's fresh tasting water whenever I want it.
For the first time in my life I actually thought it tasted AMAZING. It tasted so...filtered and clean O_O I can actually say that there IS a difference.

Now I've been drinking water for a couple months and I can truly say it not only fills you up so you wont eat as much but it FULLY kills your cravings. As expected I lost a few pounds and I can definitely see a difference in fat distribution around my body and my skin.

bump.
i think more people should read this :D

Great information. Thanks for sharing.

I drink a lot of water, and I was talking to my doctor about water consumption and he said to drink water at room temperature because if not then your body has to warm it up to your body temp before it can hydrate you.

 

He said cold water is refreshing but room temp water is best for hydration.

 

water is really very very helpful especially if you're bloated or on plateau.  in my experience, drinking water makes water weight melt away!  awesome. :)

good article, I need this.
I don't mind drinking water, but for someone reason I just don't drink enough.  Actually, I get annoyed having to pee all the time.   And sometimes I'm just not thirsty and I have to force it down my throat.

Thanks for sharing the article and its good to know to add one additional glass for every 25 pounds overweight.

chunkylard - I aggree with you - water has a taste and it's different in different areas, and much of bottled water has a taste.   A trick I learned from my husband is to boil brita filtered water, let it cool and then drink that.....makes for extra work and you have to 'plan ahead' for water, but it tastes better to me (I think it was the chlorine in the tap water that was getting me). 

In regards to drinking cold water vs room temperature... it's actually good to drink really cold ice water because, although your body has to warm it up before it can hydrate you, by making you body work a little harder to warm it up you end up burning up to 70 extra calories a day!! Woohoo- anything to burn those extra calories!!!

i dont like water but i drink perfectly clear apple flavoured water. is that alright? i know water had no calories or anything but this only has 2.2 cals per 250ml

is that alright? I dont like water

bex x

Great info junkylard, I read a similar posting on my gym's health information board. Keep that water coming. I'm already starting on my 2nd 1.5 litre bottle of still water today. It's nice to see how much I'm actually drinking because usually I don't watch It and just keep goin back about 5 times to the water dispenser which unfortunately is broken today.

This is all great information. Just keep in mind that it is possible to drink TOO MUCH water also. Drinking too much will wash away important nutrients, such as potassium, and can lead to serious health problems. Remember that lady who died from chugging all that water for some dumb radio contest?? Yikes!

Becky that's TOTALLY all right.
2.2 calories isn't going to make any difference in anything in the world.

You probably burn that many calories sitting down on a chair :P

For some reason flavored water is like...too strong for me and burns the back of my throat O_o

Oh and crhodus yes it's possible to overdose on water.
However you'd have to drink a LARGE amount of water in a SHORT amount of time.

I read about that woman in the NY times and that lady drank like 4 gallons in 20 minutes.

If the overdose didn't get her, her bladder was sure to explode.