Many women around the world hold on to the misconception that taking a hot shower helps them lose weight. While it might leave you feeling cool and refreshed, the hot shower does not hold the key to weight loss.
Studies suggest that a hot shower or bath could have some advantages when it comes to losing weight. When you’re in a hot shower, your body temperature rises, which can help reduce the amount of fat you store.
In some cases, taking a hot shower before a meal can help increase how much of the food you actually eat. While the idea of taking a hot shower to lose weight might make you feel comfortable, the science behind it is not as simple as you’d think. Let’s have a look.
Hot Shower As Part Of A Healthy Diet Plan
According to research, when you take a hot shower or bath before eating, your body’s temperature rises, which can help reduce food cravings and enhance how much you actually eat. This is especially useful for people with eating disorders or those who want to lose weight.
For instance, patients who took a shower before eating exhibited a decreased desire to eat when their body temperature was increased. When you’re in a hot shower, your body’s temperature rises, which can help reduce the amount of fat you store.
People who took a shower or bath before meals had higher energy levels and increased alertness. In one study, subjects experienced a 15% increase in energy when taking a shower or bath before meals, compared to those who ate first and then took a shower or bath. They also exhibited increased mental alertness, as measured by a Stroop task – a test of cognitive function that probes the ability to deal with conflicting demands and information-while-processing. Showering before a meal might help preserve muscle mass and boost your metabolism, which could lead to weight loss. But only if you actually eat while in the shower.
The Impact Of Temperature On Food Intake
When your body temperature rises, so does your appetite. Taking a hot shower can help you lose weight by increasing your food intake. But what about the other way around? Could a cold shower help you lose weight?
In some cases, a cold shower can help reduce how much you eat. While taking a cold shower can leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed, it can also temporarily reduce your body’s temperature and make you feel less hungry. Your body’s temperature drops when you go from a hot shower to a cold shower, so this might explain why you feel less hungry when your body is cold. During one study, those who took a cold shower before lunch reduced their food intake by 13% compared to those who ate first and then took a cold shower, even though the groups were otherwise identical in every way. Cold showers can also enhance your body’s fat-burning potential, as your metabolism temporarily slows down while your body temperature drops.
In some cases, a hot shower can help you lose weight by increasing how much you eat. While taking a hot shower can leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed, it can also temporarily increase your body temperature and make you feel more hungry. Your body’s temperature drops when you go from a hot shower to a cold shower, so this might explain why you feel less hungry when your body is cold. During one study, those who took a cold shower before lunch reduced their food intake by 13% compared to those who ate first and then took a cold shower, even though the groups were otherwise identical in every way. Cold showers can also enhance your body’s fat-burning potential, as your metabolism temporarily slows down while your body temperature drops.
If you want to lose weight, you’re best served by a healthy diet plan that includes regular exercise. If you want to take it a step further, you might want to consider exploring scientifically backed methods for weight loss, like a weight loss surgery or medication treatment. But for now, it’s important to understand the many different ways that heat and cold can affect your body’s activity levels and food intake.