Water and Weight Loss

Drinking water may be the most important piece to the weight loss puzzle. Water contains no calories, fat, or cholesterol and is low in sodium. It is nature's appetite suppressant, and it helps the body to metabolize fat. Current research shows that low water intakes yield an increase in fat deposits. Conversely, a high water intake reduces the amount fat deposits. Without enough water, the kidneys cannot function properly. As a result, some of their workload is pushed off onto the liver, in turn preventing the liver from operating at peak levels.
How does all this tie into weight loss? Because metabolizing fat is a primary function of the liver, and because the liver can't function at peak levels when taking on the added workload from the kidneys, less body fat is metabolized and more is stored. This leads to either weight gain or reaching a plateau of weight loss. When dieting, we restrict the calories we take in, to some degree. By doing so, we lessen the total amount of water available to our bodies since about 30% of the average person's water intake comes from the food they eat. This gives us even more reason to raise our water intake.

Water and Water Retention

The best way to beat bloating is to give your body what it needs. Lots and lots of water! I'm always amazed to hear people say that they would rather not drink a lot of water because it "bloats" them or it makes them "retain water." In fact, the opposite is true. These people are retaining water because they're not drinking enough water! I'd be willing to bet that these people got their information from the "local gym expert," or maybe they hired a "Personal Trainer" whose qualifications include a take-home certification test, a chemically enhanced physique, and the valuable experience they received playing high school football.

People, I beg of you, pay no mind to what I call "Gym Science." It will hinder your progress and possibly injure you along the way! If you need advice, seek a qualified professional. (In a future article, I'll discuss what makes a qualified professional.) Now, back to the scientific facts. The human body functions in a "Primal Survival Mode" and it responds accordingly to anything it perceives as a possible threat to its survival. If you deprive your body of ample amounts of water, you are threatening its survival. In response, your body kicks into its "Primal Survival Mode" and holds onto every drop of water it possibly can for future needs and purposes. This water is often stored in extra-cellular spaces and appears as bloated hands, legs and feet.

If you're currently using or thinking of using diuretics to decrease water retention, think again. With diuretics, the damage is two-fold. Not only is the "Primal Survival Mode" activated, where your body hoards as much water as it can, but you are also draining your body of valuable vitamins and minerals! Check with your health care provider & Nutritionist before you change medication! If you have long-term water retention issues, you may be ingesting too much sodium (salt). Our bodies can only tolerate so much sodium. Thus, the more sodium you take in, the more water your body will retain to dilute the sodium concentrations. By simply cutting down on your sodium intake and drinking plenty of water, you'll notice considerably less bloating. The water will carry the excess sodium along for the ride as it flows through the kidneys.