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Drink Water to Lose Weight
January 15, 2002

Most people notice a significant weight loss about a week after starting a restrictive diet. Although this may be good news and is certainly a motivator, the majority of that loss is water. The reduction in food and hence the water contained in the food is the reason for this apparent weight loss. This loss of water from your body will be replaced once you start to eat normally again and you won't have achieved your aim of losing any fat deposits.

If you reduce your food intake, you need to be aware that your water intake will also be reduced, whereas you really need to increase your water intake. In fact, the majority of people, whether they want to lose weight or not, don't drink enough water. We should all drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day.

Water helps you stay healthy and lose weight. Weight loss is achieved by reducing fat deposits within your body. Water is essential to enable your body to break down and metabolise your fat. If you don't drink enough water you will slow down your weight loss. Water is essential to:

ensure proper bodily functions
help to eliminate waste from your body
maintain muscle tone
keep your cardiovascular system efficient
keep your skin clear and glowing

Drinking water also helps prevent water retention. The more water you drink, the more your kidneys are stimulated and this results in the water being eliminated more efficiently by your body.

I've found that the problem most people have is actually drinking the water, even though they may know it's good for them. I often hear comments like "I don't like the taste of water", or "It's not the same as having a cup of tea" and "It doesn't occur to me to drink water". Drinking water is a habit and as with any habit, it takes time to get used to. I can clearly remember a time when I was not at all enthusiastic about drinking water and certainly felt that it wasn't a liquid I'd ever look forward to drinking. However, now it's become a habit which brings such health benefits that I really don't think about it any more. But this didn't happen overnight for me and I really want you to be patient with yourself on your journey towards drinking more water.

What's the best way to increase the amount of water you're drinking? I would suggest you start gradually and add to it over time. I encourage you to add, say, one glass of water per day and when this has become a habit, add another glass. To achieve drinking more water, you may need to be more organised, so that water is always available to you. What would make water more drinkable for you? Perhaps you could add a slice of lemon to enhance the taste. What's stopping you from drinking more water? Identify these barriers and then look for ways to overcome or eliminate them. I've found that if I always have a glass of water on my desk as I'm working, I often pick it up and drink without even thinking about it. There will be a time when drinking water just comes naturally to you. I encourage you to take these steps so that drinking water becomes a daily habit in your life.