This weeks challenge: drink more water

5 Ways Drinking Water Can Help You Lose 

Weight

Does drinking water help you lose weight?

The benefits of drinking water are as plentiful as this substance is on the earth. And like the earth, our bodies are about 70% water, yet so many of us deprive our bodies of this readily available, free drink. By filling up your body's "tank" with water every day, you will definitely begin to lose weight and feel better.
If you have ever wondered, "Does drinking water help you lose weight," you're not alone. Here are five reasons why drinking water helps you lose weight ... And "drinking water" means 2-3 quarts per day.*

1. Drinking water makes you feel more full and less hungry

Various research shows that if you drink 2 cups of water 30 minutes before a meal then you will consume 75 calories less on average during that meal. That full-feeling, helping you to shave off 75 calories a meal, may not sound like anything significant to you, but think about it this way. If you ate 75 calories less for 2 meals a day, then in one day that is 150 calories less, and in one year that is that is 52,800 calories less. Divide that by 3,500 (the number of calories to lose 1 pound) and you've got yourself a 15 lb. weight loss in one year!

2. Drinking water helps your body burn stored fat

When you are trying to lose weight the parts of your body that you're focused on probably are not your kidneys and liver, but these parts are vital to weight loss. So a quick bio lesson is in order. The job of your kidneys is to eliminate waste. One job of your liver is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy. If your kidneys don't get enough water to do their job (eliminate waste), then they "ask" the liver to help out. The liver dutifully says, "yes," but it is your body that suffers. You see, if the liver is doing the work of the kidneys then it has less resources to do its own job well - and remember, its job is to burn fat. So you can help your liver do its job better, by helping your kidneys out, by drinking more water. Pretty simple.

3. Drinking water gives you more energy

Even the slightest bit of dehydration can leave you feeling sluggish and that's not a good thing if you are trying to lose weight. Look back at the bio lesson on the liver. Recall that one job of your liver is to burn fat intousable energy. You do not want to be lacking in usable energy if you want to lose weight. Losing weight involves activity, moving, exercise, and if you are sluggish what is the first thing you do - probably sit on the couch in front of the television instead of going for a brisk walk or run. Being sluggish just weighs you down (pun intended). But you can turn it around by filling up with water, feeling more energetic, and becoming more active.

4. Drinking water helps build muscle

Anyone who has ever been interested in weight loss probably knows that muscles burn more calories at rest than fat. So the more muscle you have, the more fat your body burns even when it's at rest. If you just look down the aisle at the store, you will see protein product after protein product to help with muscle development and to give you energy. And while protein is certainly necessary, water should not be overlooked. Think of it this way, blood plasma is 90% water and so water is like an ever-flowing stream in your body that carries oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, organs and entire body. This water transportation system, delivering nourishment, is not only vital to keeping your muscles hydrated so they contract, function, and build up optimally, but necessary for your entire body to have an overall feeling of well-being.

5. Drinking water increases metabolism

When you think of metabolism, think of fat-burning. If you could burn fat faster and more efficiently then you could lose more weight. German researchers once conducted a study where they measured the participants' resting metabolism before and after they drank about two cups of water. The results showed that after 10 minutes their rates of metabolism began to pick up, after 40 minutes their metabolic rates' were 30% greater, and they remained at this faster rate for at least an hour. Simply put, increased metabolism burns more calories and when you are losing weight calorie burning is a critical piece of the equation.