Overtime I have had a lot of clients who didn’t drink enough water and some that went through a whole day barely drinking a cup! (A story for another time perhaps) So I thought it was about time my 2 cents were shown on this topic 🙂
Water is quite possibly the most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. 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. Let me explain:
Your kidneys can’t function without enough water. When the kidneys don’t function at their capacity some of their load is sent onto the liver. One of the liver’s functions is to metabolize stored fat into useable energy – which is great so we wouldn’t want this function to be impaired in anyway. But if the liver has to do some of the kidney’s work, it won’t be able to perform this task at optimum.
So now it metabolizes less fat, leaving more fat stored in your body which means no weight loss.
To keep your body full of energy and performing at its best, good hydration is essential.
For most people the standard 8 glasses a day will be enough, but it will vary with each individual. One way to measure how much water your body needs is to divide your weight by 30.
E.g. a 90kg person would be aiming for 3L of water per day. (90/30 = 3)
While this is just a measure it’s not a bad guideline to follow as long as the 3L is spread throughout the day and not consumed all at once.
Not sure you can drink that much water during the day? Here are a few tips to help you drink enough:
• Make a bet with a co-worker to see who can drink more water in the course of a day, without going overboard of course.
• Have a glass of water at every transitional point of the day – When you first get up, just before leaving the house, when you sit down at work, etc
• Make it convenient – have a water bottle at your desk all day and make sure you refill it throughout the day!
• When you have a glass of juice, fill half the glass with water.
• When you have a junk-food craving, down a glass of water immediately. You’ll feel full quickly, avoid unnecessary calories and it lets time pass until the craving fades.
• Have one glass every hour on the hour while at work. When the work day is done your water quota is met.
• Drink two glasses of water at each meal, one before and after. Also drink one glass before each snack so you don’t eat as much.
So there you have it, some useful tips to make sure you drink enough water each day to keep your body regular and functioning at its best.
To your hydrating success
Andrew Zagami
A2Z Personal Training