Too often we’re told that drinking more water will help us lose weight. It’s true that consuming more fluids can help us feel full faster, therefore curbing our appetite. However, this doesn’t mean that we should all drink gallons of water each day to make it happen. Find out how many ounces of water you should drink to lose weight, and what kinds of foods you should avoid when trying to accomplish your weight loss goal.
Drink When You Feel Tired
If you’re physically active, the amount of water you need to drink depends on how active you are. To lose weight, you should drink more than you need. Letting your body adjust to a steady supply of hydration will help you lose weight in a healthy way. If you get a headache or feel tired even after drinking enough water to satisfy your body’s needs, you might not be drinking enough. Drink when you’re thirsty, not when you feel tired. It’s easy to become dehydrated, especially if you’re not used to drinking plenty of fluids.
The Best Time To Drink
To lose weight, you should drink as much as you need throughout the day, but avoiding dehydration by consuming sufficient amounts of water at certain times. It’s best to drink after waking up and before going to sleep. This will help you stay hydrated throughout the day, and keep your energy levels up. If you wait until later in the day to drink, it may be too late to fulfill your fluid needs for the day. You can also try drinking an additional glass if you awaken during the night and need to use the restroom. Waking up to find your bed wet is unpleasant. You should also drink a glass before meals to stay hydrated and avoid digestive issues. If you drink any fluids other than water during meals, it may cause you to vomit or have diarrhea. This will affect your weight loss efforts. If you experience any of these symptoms, you may need to reduce the amount of fluids you’re consuming.
Avoid These Foods
Certain foods don’t mix well with water, and trying to eat them will only cause you to remain thirsty. If you want to lose weight, avoid chocolate, yeast, and caffeine-rich products. The combination of the three can cause you to become dehydrated. If you want to stay healthy, cut back on the sweeteners in your diet, and eat more vegetables and fruits. These foods are natural sources of sugars, and chewing them can even cause you to lose some of your teeth due to the acidic nature of the fluid they release in your mouth.
There are a lot of misconceptions about drinking water and losing weight. Although it’s true that hydration is important, you should never feel like you need to drink to lose weight. A good rule of thumb is to drink enough fluids to satisfy your thirst, but not so much that you’re causing yourself to become dehydrated. As always, it’s important to listen to your body and drink what it needs. You’ll be doing your body a favor, and it’ll thank you for it!