As a personal trainer, I get all my clients to focus heavily on their water intake before, during, and after working out. But another excellent approach is to use water for increased weight loss and fat-burning.
The problem is that it’s not just down to drinking more throughout the day.
So I teamed up with a doctor and metabolic specialist to research how water can help with fat loss and what timing might be necessary.
Here’s what we found.
Quick Summary
- Drinking the right amount of water at short intervals can trigger metabolic processes that burn off calories and fat.
- It’s not just a case of getting the volume right; you also need to consider when and how fast you drink the water.
- You also have to be careful that you don’t dehydrate because that could have a negative effect on your overall weight.
When Should You Drink Water To Lose Weight?
You should drink water first thing in the morning to lose weight more effectively.
To understand why I recommend that, it’s essential to look at what happens in your body when you do this first thing in the morning.
Studies have shown that drinking about 16 ounces of water (500 ml) in less than five minutes can trigger thermogenesis and a 24% increase in energy expenditure for 60 minutes [1].
That means if you drink a pint of water relatively fast, your body will slightly increase its core temperature by burning off some extra fat.
The other thing you can achieve by drinking water first thing in the morning is feeling full, making it easier to extend your overnight fasting time [2]. And that should mean that it’s much easier to postpone your breakfast until after 10 am and after exercise.
Ultimately, you could be boosting your fat-burning significantly with something as simple as a pint of water.
Does The Volume Of Water Matter?
Yes, the volume of water matters a lot when it comes to weight loss through the fluid intake. And it’s where people tend to make simple mistakes.
The general recommendation is to drink eight glasses of water daily [3].
But simply sticking with that recommendation and having a glass of water every one to two hours won’t do much for weight loss.
It will still give you health benefits, but studies have shown that you must drink about 16 ounces of water within a few minutes to achieve weight loss, ideally before meals [4].
So, don’t assume that you’ll boost your calorie burning simply by drinking enough water during the day.
Tips To Avoid Dehydration
The other thing you need to remember is that you probably won’t get the same thermogenic effect from a pint of water if you haven’t been drinking enough during the day.
What I mean is this.
If you had a pint of water in the morning and then spent most of the day just drinking coffee or nothing at all, your body will be craving water by the afternoon.
“If you don’t get enough water, you can become dehydrated. Severe cases of dehydration can cause dizziness, confusion, and even seizures.”
- Hansa D. Bhargava, MD, WebMD.com
So, the one tip I give all my clients is to set a timer on their smartwatch or phone every 30 to 60 minutes. Also, buy one of those Super Sparrow bottles that give you an exact measure of how much water you’re filling up.
Every time you finish a bottle, record it along with your food journaling and make sure that it all adds up to at least eight glasses per day.
FAQs
How Much Water Should You Drink A Day To Lose Weight Fast?
You should aim to drink over 60 ounces of water a day to lose weight. This will depend on your gender, height, weight, and environmental temperature, but it’s a good starting guide to boost your weight loss efforts.
Does Drinking Too Much Water Make You Fat?
No, drinking too much water doesn’t make you fat. While you might experience temporary water weight gain, your body will flush out that excess fluid through the kidneys [5].
Get Your Water Intake Right To Boost Your Metabolism
While getting your diet and exercise routine right is vital to achieving sustainable weight loss, you can gain much more control over how and when you burn more calories and fat with some strategic water intake.
Start with that pint of water first thing in the morning. And if you want to boost your weight loss efforts throughout the day, you should add supplements to your routine. Cher our article where we rate them.
These can further boost your metabolic rate to get you to your weight loss goals faster.
References:
- https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/92/8/3334/2598681?login=false
- https://www.businessinsider.com/how-drinking-water-affects-weight-loss-and-satiety-2016-7?r=US&IR=T
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/how-much-water-to-drink
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3809630/
- https://www.orlandohealth.com/content-hub/8-ways-to-get-rid-of-water-retention
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