We all know that water is good for you, but did you know that water and weight loss go hand in hand together? When using FastFx Meal Replacements for fast weight loss we recommend you drink at least 2 litres of water throughout the day.
Here is why…
Water is an appetite suppressant
When our stomach is full (even if it’s just full of water) it sends a message to our brain to stop eating. When water takes up space in our stomachs, it leads to a feeling of fullness and therefore we feel less hungry. It makes us less likely to eat because our brain thinks we already have. So drinking water makes us much less likely to snack or overeat. One study, for example, found that people who drank water before meals ate an average of 75 fewer calories at each meal. Given that, if we drink a glass of water before each meal, over a year, we would consume 81,000 fewer calories!
Water helps our metabolism burn calories
Another important reason to drink enough water is that it helps fuel our metabolism and the fat burning process. Without water, the body cannot properly metabolise stored fat or carbohydrates.
The process of metabolising fat is called lipolysis. The first step of this process is hydrolysis, which occurs when water interacts with fats to create glycerol and fatty acids. Drinking enough water is essential if we want this process to be effective.
Water helps every type of cellular process in our body so, like other parts of our bodies, our metabolism runs more efficiently when it is hydrated. Some researchers have suggested that if we are even 1% dehydrated our metabolism slows down.
In one 2014 study, people who drank 500 ml of water went on to burn between 2 and 3 percent more calories than usual in the 90 minutes after drinking the water.
Keep up the water intake throughout the day to keep your metabolism working effectively.
Water helps to remove waste from our body
Water also helps the body flush out waste. If we are dehydrated our body struggles to flush out the toxins that build up in our kidneys and liver. Plenty of water keeps that system flowing, keeping us healthy and help making us feel more energetic.
When our body is dehydrated, it doesn’t have anything to flush toxins and waste out with. If we don’t have enough water then our kidneys are forced to retain fluid and waste can build up. This can contribute to us feeling tired and bloated and can also even lead to kidney and urinary stones.
Water also helps keep our guts healthy and our bowels moving. Being hydrated keeps our waste moving by softening hardened stools.
Having enough water also aids in our digestion. It helps with the effective breakdown and absorption of essential vitamins and minerals.
Drinking water stops us drinking high calorie liquids
Drinking water can also reduce the amount of calorie laden drinks we consume. If we drink 2 litres of water a day it means we are less likely to also drink soft drinks, juice and alcohol.
Calories hidden in drinks can often sabotage our weight loss efforts - for example, there are more than 100 calories in a glass of orange juice and 140 calories in a glass of coke. If we are drinking water, at zero calories, we can save the calories for food that really fuels us.
Not only are these kinds of drinks high in calories, but Fructose (found in soft drinks or fruit sugar) can actually cause the liver to start making fats. If the body gets too much sugar too quickly, the liver turns it into triglycerides. These increase the risk of heart disease. They also suppress hormones that signal ‘fullness’, meaning that we are also more likely to over eat.
Water helps with workouts
Being hydrated also makes exercise easier and more effective. Water is essential for muscles, tendons and joints to stay mobile. It also helps our lungs and heart to work well - especially important when we are exercising.
So how much water do you drink? Is that enough?
Research shows that up to 75% of us are chronically dehydrated! We aren’t drinking enough water to be healthy, let alone to help us lose weight.
We recommend drinking 2 litres of water a day. If you find this hard, try having a bottle in the fridge to keep nice and chilled and a bottle by your computer or in the kitchen or wherever you spend most of your time. In the car, by your bed etc. Having water handy can also help remind us to keep drinking.
It can also help to measure out 2 litres into a bottle each morning or use a handy FastFx bottle which you know the volume of so then you can easily keep track of your consumption each day. Let's be honest, it’s so easy to forget how many glasses you’ve actually had if you aren’t measuring.
So…
Water can really help our weight loss efforts. It is 100% calorie-free, costs nothing, helps burn calories and suppresses our appetite.
Water - the ultimate weight loss tool!
