Water – A Key to Your Weight Loss Success

For those of you, like me, who have tried several different weight loss programs, you probably have noticed some similarities in all of them. Their diet program, exercise, and some sort of regiment. Some worked, some only worked for awhile, some only work if you stayed on them, and some were a complete waste of time. Whatever program you were on, there was ALWAYS a common element in each of them. Water.

When you think about it, water makes up about 70% of your body and, in fact, your blood is 92% water. This is your body's way of distributing nutrients around your body. It helps you digest your food and absorb the nutrients your body needs. It helps the body to excrete its waste from your bowel and kidneys and If you don't drink enough water you get constipated and not drinking enough water can cause kidney problems. When it comes to weight loss, Water is a natural appetite suppressant.

The average person needs around 6-8 large glasses every day. I make it easy on myself and get those 16.9 oz plastic bottles. (It’s OK to reuse them and fill them with tap water) I drink at least 5-6 of them each day. I start off by drinking one bottle when I wake up in the morning as your body loses water while you are sleeping through breathing and perspiration, and that first “pee” in the morning. IN ADDITION to my 2 cups of coffee, (caffeinated drinks are diuretics which cause the body to lose water so you have to drink more to even keep up) I drink another bottle before I have breakfast. A neat “trick” that some people use to kick start their weight loss is to squeeze ½ a lemon into their water which will help flush unwanted salt out of your system and make you lose a couple of pounds in just a day or so. (this is not permanent weight loss, but it’s exciting to see fast results). It doesn’t taste that great, but it works.

I always have bottled water or a plastic water bottle with me during the day. You need to “pace yourself” through out the day so that your body doesn’t just flush it all out at once. I’ll have another bottle just before lunch (which helps me from eating too much), then at least one more in the mid afternoon. (More if it’s hot outside, water regulates your body temperature and helps keep you cool). I drink one more before dinner, and then finally my last bottle about an hour or two before I go to bed.

It’s interesting what getting into the habit of drinking water does. At first, you will obviously need to make sure there is a bathroom around. This is normal. About a week after you start drinking water on a regular basis you will start to notice some of the benefits. You may notice your skin become smoother and any acne you have improve. You will have more energy and your muscles will not seem as tired at the end of the day. Many people find their constipation and headaches are reduced, as well as hunger pains. As the toxins in your body begin “flush out” now that there is a constant flow of water, you may notice better concentration and less fatigue. You will also notice that your urine becomes clearer as your kidneys have more water to filter out all of the junk in your system. Then, of course, there is the benefit that we are all looking for; any help we can get in achieving our “One pound a week weight loss”.

So, start today. Buy a case of water or get a plastic water bottle and have at it. It’s NOT going to be easy at first, but the benefits are worth it. Let me know how it does for you.


Dave Tracewell