
Who
Knew Water Would Have This Effect For Dieters!
by Sintilia Miecevole
Did
you know that not drinking enough water might be why you're
on that dreaded weight loss plateau even though you're maintaining
your diet' Research suggests that a lot of Americans unknowingly
suffer from mild, chronic dehydration, and that might be
you they're talking about! I hope you read this article
because it explains and makes sense the importance of water
and the surprise impact to dieters.
Water
is an essential ingredient for your weight loss. Water is
required for a whole range of the body's biochemical processes,
so lets look at what water does specially for dieters:
Your
body needs to metabolize stored fat into energy - so much
so, that your body's metabolism can be slowed by even mild
levels of dehydration. And the slower your metabolism, the
slower your weight loss (and you become tired), until eventually
your weight loss just grinds to a halt! You now have just
hit the dreaded diet plateau.
Water
is a natural appetite suppressant. What good news! In the
hypothalamus, a region in your brain that controls appetites
and cravings, the control centers for hunger and thirst
are situated next to each other, and there tends to be some
overlap. This has both advantages and disadvantages for
the dieter. On the flip side, it means that chronic mild
dehydration can confuse these mechanisms, leading to feelings
of hunger, rather than thirst. But on a positive note, it
means you can use water to reduce your appetite. For example,
in one University of Washington study, drinking a glass
of water reduced nighttime hunger cravings for most of the
dieters studied. I have also found this to be true.
Water
is an essential to the processes that enables your muscles
to contract. So water helps maintain muscle tone. Better
muscle tone means a better looking body, and isn't that
what dieting and weight loss is about?
There's
help for that sagging skin. Water also helps to prevent
the sagging skin that often follows weight loss - water
plumps the skin cells, giving the skin a younger and healthier
look.
Water
helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body
has a lots of waste to get rid of because of all that fat.
So enough water is essential to your health while dieting.
Water
also helps with constipation. When the body gets too little
water, it siphons what it needs from within, particularly
from the colon. This leads to constipation. But normal bowel
function almost always returns with adequate water intake.
Generally
speaking, mild dehydration can cause a number of health
problems, in addition to your diet plateau. The symptoms
of mild dehydration can include:
-
Headaches; that light headed feeling as dehydration interferes
with normal body processes, including waste disposal.
- Fatigue, as the body's metabolism is slowed - mild dehydration
is usually the most common cause of daytime fatigue.
- Hunger; cravings due to weakening of the thirst mechanism
- Fluid retention as your body tries to hold on to the water
it already has
- Constipation, as the body works to conserve its internal
water sources
Not
a pretty picture but once you get your water in balance,
you reach the "breakthrough point", a concept
pioneered by Dr. Peter Lindner, a California obesity expert.
He says, "Once you've reached the breakthrough point,
fluid retention eases, the liver and endocrine system start
to function more effectively, you will start to regain your
natural thirst and your hunger cravings will be significantly
reduced. And so the end result of reaching and sustaining
the breakthrough point in your water balance is that your
body is able to metabolize fat more effectively."
How
much water should you drink daily to be healthy' First,
a couple of basic principles:
1)
The simplest way to tell if you are drinking enough water
is check the color of your urine: It should be clear or
a very pale yellow in color. (but note that some supplements
and medications may also affect your urine color).
2)
Get in to the habit of drinking regular and adequate amounts
of water. Never wait to drink until you're thirsty, because
if you're feeling thirsty, dehydration has already set in!
Having
said that, an adequate water intake for a sedentary but
normal-weight adult during cool weather, is generally recognized
as 8 x 8 oz glasses. You will need more water in hot weather,
when you lose more water through sweat. You also need to
drink more water when you exercise. Athletes attempt to
enhance their performance by maintaining an optimal fluid
balance while exercising, estimated to require 6 to 12 oz
of fluid at 15 to 20 minute intervals. Even if you're not
concerned about your athletic performance, you should consume
a similar amount of water when exercising, in order to maintain
adequate hydration.
Here's
another important thing to remember; if you're overweight,
you'll need an extra glass of water for each 25 pounds overweight,
because the extra weight creates extra metabolic demand.
How
can you drink so much water' Weight loss experts secrets
say drink 3 glasses of water with every meal. That's 3 glasses
with breakfast, 3 with lunch, and 3 with dinner. Plus, of
course, additional regular water between meals when you're
exercising or when its hot. That sure makes it doable, doesn't
it?
So
if you're dieting, stalled on a weight loss plateau, or
suffering some of the classic symptoms of dehydration, do,
above everything else, be sure that you have an adequate
water intake. It could be the missing ingredient in your
diet regime and as easy to fix as drinking 3 glasses of
water with each meal.
Remember
that water is a natural appetitie suppressant. Use it to
your advantage. If you're out shopping, take a bottle of
water with you. If you feel like a late night snack, either
go to bed or drink a glass of water. If you want a change,
add a little bit of lemon juice into a glass of water. I
find, instantly, my desire to eat is gone. Give it a try.
| About
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